The Dos Pueblos Chargers continue to play winning football as they advance further into the CIF-SS Division 10 playoff bracket.
The game came down to the final two minutes, when the Dos Pueblos defense denied a go-ahead two-point conversion attempt by Granite Hills, preserving a 17-16 lead.
“The rain throws all normal football off, but we’re built around strong defense and running the ball. In this type of weather and this type of season, that’s where you’re going to win games. And tonight, we were as good as we needed to be,” said head coach AJ Pateras.
As the rain fell throughout the night, the Chargers capitalized on the Cougars’ fumbles, won the turnover battle, and relied on their depth despite the difficult conditions.
Coming into the game, the Chargers were without their starting quarterback, Grady Felix, and their leading rusher on the year, Chase Johnson.
“We’re trying to develop a program. And in football, it’s a challenging physical game, mentally and physically. To play football, you go back to February and January, lift weights, come in at 6 a.m. and work out, then come into the summer and practice for two months to get ready for a fall campaign. Then you play a full fall campaign and get more football. You’re asking a lot of players. And we’re leaning on our whole program, and that was what tonight was. We had different guys step up,” said Pateras.
The first Dos Pueblos possession was halted by an early interception by the Cougars, foreshadowing the difficulties both teams would face in the passing game throughout the night.
The Cougars stuck to their running game, led by Maximillian Frierson, who scored the first touchdown of the game with a one-yard rushing score. The touchdown gave Granite Hills a 7-0 lead with 4:44 remaining in the first quarter.
The Chargers responded with a rushing touchdown of their own by junior Felipe Simonetti, who stepped in for star senior running back Chase Johnson, who was sidelined with a knee injury. Simonetti rushed into the end zone for a nine-yard touchdown, tying the game at 7-7 with 11:22 remaining in the second quarter.
The Cougars’ next offensive drive quickly sputtered out. On third-and-12 from their own 29-yard line, the Chargers’ defense stripped the slippery ball and recovered the fumble with eight minutes remaining in the quarter. However, the Chargers couldn’t generate any positive plays and were pushed out of field goal range, forcing them to punt.
Cougars sophomore quarterback Odin Maring, who had replaced the starter after he was injured on the second play of the drive, broke free for a huge 76-yard quarterback keeper, putting Granite Hills at the Chargers’ 12-yard line. The Dos Pueblos defense stood strong with its backs against the end zone. Senior defensive end Sean Shurnuk sacked Maring on a crucial third down, holding the Cougars to a 27-yard field goal. Granite Hills took a 10-7 lead into halftime.
At the start of the second half, the Chargers recovered another Cougars fumble following a poor handoff exchange. However, the Chargers’ offense couldn’t capitalize on the turnover, resulting in a fourth-down punt.
The Cougars’ offense was once again held in check. Another big sack by Shurnuk forced Granite Hills to punt from its own 16-yard line. As the rain continued to fall, the Cougars’ punter fumbled the snap. The Chargers recovered the ball, giving them possession deep in Cougar territory.
Quarterback Calvin Mitchell found sophomore Caeden Lee for a four-yard touchdown pass, giving the Chargers their first lead of the game at 14-10 with 5:13 remaining in the third quarter.
As the rain continued, both teams struggled to sustain drives heading into the fourth quarter. After the teams traded empty possessions, the Cougars were forced to punt once again from their own territory. Another mishandled snap caused by the wet conditions resulted in yet another Granite Hills fumble. The Chargers recovered the ball and found themselves in prime scoring position.
The Chargers added three more points with a 21-yard field goal, extending their lead to 17-10 with 6:47 remaining in the game.
With their season on the line, the Cougars put together a big drive as time continued to tick away. With 1:55 remaining, a three-yard rushing touchdown by Frierson brought the score to 17-16, pending the extra-point attempt. Instead of settling for the tying kick, the Cougars decided to go for the win with a two-point conversion attempt.
The Dos Pueblos defense came up with a game-clinching stop. Senior middle linebacker Max Hernandez made a perfectly timed tackle at the goal line, preventing the Cougars from taking the lead and effectively ending their season.
Speaking about his standout linebacker, Pateras said, “Max is a three-year letterman. He’s our senior captain on defense. He is one of the toughest guys. He commands respect from everyone in the locker room. When you gotta have a crunch-time play, you know your best guys are gonna do it, and Max delivered.”
The Chargers will travel to Mirage for the CIF-SS Division 10 Semifinals next week.
“I think we’re going to have a great week of practice. We’re gonna come in, watch the film, see where we can improve,” said Pateras.
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