San Francisco Chronicle - (Sunday)
A scare before Serra wins
Gunfire outside the stadium led to a frightening scene in the final minutes Friday night, but once police gave the allclear, Serra wrapped up a 16-12 Central Coast Section Division 1 championship game win over St. Francis at Westmont High in Campbell. The celebration would not be muted.
Friday’s game was delayed 40 minutes after senior quarterback Dominique Lampkin scored the go-ahead touchdown on a 2-yard run with 2:18 remaining while law enforcement unraveled the shooting in the Westmont parking lot. According to police, two men suffered non-life threatening injuries.
Players were instructed to lie flat on the field for roughly 5-10 minutes and the 5,000 fans were requested to stay put. Once play resumed, St. Francis got to midfield. But after four incomplete passes, Serra had turned the tables on the Lancers, who three weeks earlier had beaten the Padres 44-21 in a game that decided the West Catholic Athletic League title.
Serra coach Patrick Walsh didn’t want to focus on the gunfire, saying, “Don’t want to give it any power, but of course, yes, it was chaotic. Insane. I hope no kids ... anyone has to go through something like that again. But we all got through it.”
Now the Padres (11-1), 6-0 in CCS championship games, advance to CIF Regional play next weekend, while the Lancers, Northern California’s No. 1 team after defeating De La Salle-Concord on Sept. 10, finished 11-1.
In the first St. Francis-Serra meeting, the Lancers rolled up 535 yards, including nearly 400 on the ground, highlighted by 45 carries for 344 yards and two TDs by Viliami Teu. On Friday, Teu rushed 21 times for 69 yards.
“We had to turn some things around internally after the loss,” Walsh said. “We needed to work on the soul of the group. We addressed that first. Then our coordinators made some massive adjustments and the kids carried them out.”
The Lancers finished with 193 total yards. They got a 5-yard touchdown run from Camilo Arquette and Josh Perry scored on a 32-yard naked bootleg to put the Lancers up 12-10 midway through the fourth.
Serra had just 194 yards, but Lampkin had 77 on the ground, threw for 55 yards and another score — a 21-yard strike to Sione Laulea. Leonardo Galindo added a 49-yard field goal. Petelo Gi rushed for 66 yards and keyed the defense at linebacker.
There’s a chance Serra could be selected to represent the North as the No. 1 team, skip next week and play in the state Open Division title game against the nation’s No. 1 team, Mater Dei-Santa Ana. Selections will be announced Sunday.
Division 4
Sacred Heart Prep-Atherton 51, Homestead-Cupertino 28: At Sequoia-Redwood City, Luis Mendoza ran for 126 yards and two scores, Jack Herrell threw for two scores and the Gators (6-7) forced three turnovers, including a 40-yard pick-six by linebacker Luke De Grosz, to win their seventh CCS title, but first since 2015. Homestead, seeking its first CCS title, stayed close behind a balanced rushing attack that featured two touchdowns from QB Charlie Castaneda and 98 yards and a score by Evan Blandini.
Saturday
Division 5 Aragon-San Mateo 38, St. Francis-Watsonville 14: At Westmont, a touchdown pass from wide receiver Lloyd Walter to Alan Tanielu started a 28-0 run in the second half for the Dons (9-4), who won their third CCS title, their first since 1994 and first under longtime coach Steve Sell. Mone Hokafonu rushed for two touchdowns and Ivan Nisa ran for more than 100 yards for the Dons. St. Francis finished 9-4.