Pittsburg can’t grab crown in coach’s career finale
It wasn’t the ending to a 21-year career that Pittsburg coach Vic Galli wanted, but Saturday’s 4820 defeat to Liberty-Bakersfield in the CIF Division 1-A state title game was entertaining thanks largely to a kid with Hollywood name.
At Saddleback College in Mission Viejo (Orange County), Kresean Kizzy became the first player in State Bowl history to score touchdowns three different ways in the same game, leading the Patriots to the resounding victory.
Kizzy returned an interception 48 yards for a touchdown on the game’s first possession, added a 96-yard kickoff return and an 85yard reception for scores as Liberty (13-2) won its 10th straight game and first state championship after losing in the same game last season.
Cole O’Brien threw for 236 yards and three touchdowns and Dylan Delgado had four of his team’s seven sacks for Liberty, which put constant pressure on Pittsburg’s Florida-bound quarterback Jaden Rashada (20 of 36, 320 yards, 3 touchdowns). Pittsburg finishes 12-3. “Nothing is going to tear away from 21 years of memories,” Galli said. “Tonight could have gone better. (Liberty) was the better team tonight. We just didn’t have it. It wasn’t our best game. We made mistakes early and put ourselves in a hole. We kept fighting. We didn’t quit. It just wasn’t our night.”
Open Division
St. John Bosco-Bellflower 45, Serra 0: For the fourth time in four state-title appearances, the Braves (13-1) were victorious, getting two early touchdown runs by Cameron Jones and a 31-yard pick-six from Aaron Williams.
Serra (13-1), considered one of the best teams in Central Coast Section history, never really threatened and was intercepted three times. A 19-play drive that ended at the 12-yard line was Serra’s best chance.
A 28-0 second quarter made it 35-0 at halftime. It was capped on a 45-yard touchdown pass from Pierce Clarkson to DeAndre Moore.
Division 1-AA
Lincoln-San Diego 33, De La Salle-Concord 28: Roderick Robinson, a 6-foot-2, 230-pound Georgia commit, rushed 22 times for 217 yards and four touchdowns Friday to leading Lincoln past the Spartans.
It was the first state championship for Lincoln and the first by a San Diego Section team against the Spartans, the seven-time state champs. DLS had won six previous games against SDS teams.
Lincoln finished 13-1, while De La Salle had a seven-game winning streak snapped and finished 10-4.
Division 2-AA
Mater Dei Catholic-Chula Vista 26, McClymonds-Oakland 18: McClymonds trailed 20-6 early in the fourth quarter and made a gallant comeback but fell short Friday.
After the Warriors (12-2) closed to 20-18 with 7:46 remaining on a 20-yard pass from Deontae Faison to Redmani Albert, the Crusaders (11-4) pulled off some trickery to regain control.
Quarterback Dominic Nankil threw a backward pass to Rollin George, who fired a perfect 51yard touchdown strike to Surahz Buncom, his second TD catch to give the Crusaders a 26-18 lead over McClymonds with 7:36 to play.
Mater Dei Catholic held on Mack’s final two possessions to claim its second straight state championship and third overall.
Division 2-A Granite Hills-El Cajon 31, San Ramon Valley-Danville 24 (OT):
Isaiah Jackson scored his second touchdown, a 2-yard keeper out of the wildcat, and then the Granite Hills-El Cajon defense held on to finish off a thrilling overtime defeat of San Ramon Valley.
In the first overtime period that started at the 25, Jackson went over the right side to give the Eagles (13-2) the 31-24 lead, the fourth lead change after intermission.
The Wolves (12-3) got one first down, but a fourth-down pass by Luke Baker fell incomplete, setting off a wild celebration by Granite Hills.
It was the first state title for the Eagles, who finished with 395 total yards to 314 for the Wolves, who had just 53 at halftime.
Division 3-A
Laguna Hills 28, Bellarmine 27: The Hawks rallied from a 20-point deficit with three consecutive touchdowns for a stunning victory.
Bellarmine (8-7) led 27-21 when Laguna Hills running back Troy Leigber, on a 4th-and-2, ran 62 yards up the middle for a touchdown with seven minutes left. Luke Whitfield’s PAT kick gave the Hawks (15-1) the margin of victory.
Two touchdown runs by quarterback Nate Escalada, including a 47-yarder, staked the Bells to a 14-7 second-quarter lead. Escalada added two TD passes, including a 40-yard TD pass to Ben Pfaff that gave the Bells a 27-7 halftime lead.
Bellarmine had only 50 yards and no points in the second half.
Division 4-A
San Marin 32, Granada Hills Charter 8: San Marin-Novato (14-2) won its second consecutive state championship with a sterling defensive effort.
The Mustangs crowded the line of scrimmage against the Highlanders’ Wing-T and made things difficult on the Granada Hills Charter offense, which was averaging 422 rushing yards per game while not completing a pass all season.
San Marin scored all the points it needed in the first seven minutes of the first quarter, tallying on a Jimmy Hughes 50-yard touchdown pass to Wesley Timmel, a 72-yard touchdown run by Jonah Lozano, and a 5-yard touchdown run by Charles Singleton.
In 2021, SRV won the state 5AA title.