Warren hands Tustin first loss in the first round
TUSTIN ❯❯ Tustin entered the CIF-SS football playoffs as Orange County's lone undefeated team, and one of only four in the vast section with a 10-0 record.
Warren made sure the Tillers dropped from the list Friday.
The Bears intercepted a pass at their 26-yard line with 50 seconds left in the fourth quarter to seal a 3433 victory in a thrilling firstround game in the CIF-SS Division 3 playoffs at Tustin High.
Tustin (10-1), ranked 10th in the county and seeded sixth in the division, made a fourth-down stop from its 10 with 1:45 left and reached its 49 before the only turnover of the game.
Next week, Warren (9-2) will play the Beaumont-Oak Hill winner in the quarterfinals. Oak Hill is the No. 3 seed.
Tustin trailed 27-13 at halftime but tied the score in the third quarter on touchdown runs of 35 and 1 yards by running back Eimesse Essis (186 yards). The latter tied the score at 27-27 with 19 seconds left.
But on the next play from scrimmage, former Pacifica star Jordan Ross took a short pass from Madden Iamaleava and bolted for an 62-yard TD as the Bears regained the lead 34-27.
Tustin answered with its second trick play of clash, a 30-yard touchdown reception by Mackenzie Alleyne from fellow wide out Larry Allen off a reverse. Warren blocked the PAT to maintain a 34-33 lead with 8:11 left in the fourth.
Warren, seeded 11th, put Tustin on its heels in the first half with four long touchdown passes by Iamaleava on his first four possessions. He finished with 443 yards and five TDs.
The junior opened the scoring by tossing a 49-yard strike to Ross, who broke free from two tacklers in the secondary.
Iamaleava then threw a 59-yard touchdown to Ross' brother Jalen, who grabbed a pass deflected by a Tustin defensive back in stride around the Tillers 20 before racing into the end zone.
Later in the first quarter, Iamaleava — the brother of Tennessee freshman QB Nico Iamaleava — fired a 30-yard TD strike to wide out Jace Brown, who made a leaping snag at the back of the end zone as Warren opened a 20-6 lead.
Tustin responded early in the second quarter with a trick play for a score. Alleyne lined up in the wildcat and lofted a 9-yard TD to UCLA committed defensive back Khristian DunbarHawkins on the first play of the period.
But on the next play from scrimmage, Iamaleava launched an 80-yard TD strike to Jalen Ross, pushing Warren's lead to 27-13.
Iamaleava finished the first half 12 of 20 for 330 yards, including four to Jalen Jones for 192.
Tustin's challenges on defense were compounded in the second quarter with the loss of freshman safety Khalil Terry, who was carted off the field holding his arm.
Warren, the Gateway League champion, competed in Division 2 last season. The Bears lost at Sierra Canyon 22-21 in the first round after missing a late field goal.