It was one big moment after another turned in by Dos Pueblos football players in a dramatic CIF-SS quarterfinal game in the rain on Friday night.
Linebacker Max Hernandez made the most critical one, stopping a two-point conversion run with 1:55 remaining in the game to preserve a 17-16 Chargers’ victory over Granite Hills of Apple Valley at Scott O’Leary Stadium.
The nail-bitting win sets up a semifinal date against Rancho Mirage next Friday in the desert. The last time DP reached the semifinals was in 2017.
Hernandez said he knew what was coming, when Granite Hills lined up for the go-ahead two-point conversion.
“I already knew their offense; we all watched their film,” he said. “I already knew they went inside zone (blocking) and I saw the hole and just went for it. It’s all we’ve been working on for the whole week.”
Said coach A.J. Pateras of Hernandez’s play: “In that moment, he did exactly what he’s supposed to do.”
While Hernandez’s stop of Granite Hills’ stout running back Maximilian Frierson proved to be the game decider, there were other Charger players who delivered big moments in the pressure-packed environment of playoff football.
Running back Felipe Simonetti ran for a touchdown and rushed for 70 yards on 15 carries before leaving the game with an injury. Sophomore quarterback Calvin Mitchell overcame an early interception and turned in a solid performance; he completed 8 of 15 passes for 88 yards and a touchdown, hitting Caeden Lee for a 2-yard score in the third quarter for a 14-10 lead. He also broke off a 31-yard run to set up the Chargers’ first TD in the second quarter to tie the score.
On the defensive side, Kai Hicks made a diving, touchdown-saving tackle at the 4, after Granite Hills backup quarterback Odin Maring dashed around the right side for 83 yards. Two plays later, Sean Shurnak sacked Maring for a 6-yard loss, leaving the Cougars to settle for a 28-yard field goal.
After a failed onside kick gave Granite Hills good field position to start the third quarter DP defensive end Hunter Haas recovered a fumble. Later in the quarter, Schurnak recorded another sack on third down, forcing the Cougars to punt from their 15. That turned out to be a huge play. The punter couldn’t handle a low snap and the officials called the ball dead at the 1. Mitchell passed to Lee for a 14-10 lead.
DP’s special teams also made an impact. Early in the fourth quarter, punter Tiago Carmona fumbled a wet ball, picked it up and scrambled to his left before kicking it down field. The bouncing ball went 45 yards before it stopped at the Granite Hills 9.
“The ball’s wet — it happened with the other team too — but I was able to rally and kick it down field and get a good roll. Happy for that,” said Carmona.
The Chargers forced another punt and the Cougars’ punter again had trouble with the slick ball. David Philips pounced on it and three plays later Brandon Scott kicked a 20-yard field goal for a 17-10 lead with 6:54 to play.
The last big plays came on Granite Hills’ final drive of the game. First, Hicks broke up a long pass and then Phillips tackled a receiver after a short pass at midfield as time ran out.
“We settled in and our guys did their job,” Pateras said of the overall team effort. “You saw a lot of different guys, and I think that is the strength of our program right now. We got a lot of guys invested and a lot of guys that have developed through three or four years.
“I think they’re a mature group, and we have great leaders. When it got tight, our leaders were the ones who made the plays. And you can’t ask for anything more, especially with all the things that went on with tonight’s game.”
Granite Hills dominated early as it rolled 81 yards on 16 running plays following a pass interception. The Cougars finished the drive with a 1-yard TD run by Frierson. James Orozco kicked the PAT.
The Chargers tied the score in the second quarter on 9-yard run by Simonetti and a Stock PAT kick.
After Hick’s TD-saving tackle and Shunak’s sack, Granite Hills settled for a 28-yard Orozco field goal, with the ball barely clearing the cross bar for a 10-7 advantage at 3:48 of the second quarter.
Mitchell drove DP to the Granite Hills 21, but a holding penalty took them out of field goal range as the first half ended.
The Chargers took the lead for good after a botched punt snap in the third quarter. Mitchell connected with Lee on a short pass for the go-ahead score.
“I think it’s a great program win,” said Pateras. “Now we’re near where some of the great teams of our school have been and we’re really excited and proud of that opportunity.”
