Thrilling Win Lifts Titans to State Title Game

The San Marino High School football team’s magical run seemed close to ending as the Titans trailed by three touchdowns against visiting Chatsworth Sierra Canyon in the CIF State Small Schools Division Southern Regional on Saturday night.
The Titans were without starting quarterback Carson Glazier, who went down with an injury, but head coach Mike Hobbie was calm.
“He just kept reiterating that it’s not over,” said third-string quarterback Blake Cabot, who played the final quarter. “If it’s going to be our last half of football, we’re going to make it count. We’re going to go out there and play our game.”
And the Titans did. The defense began to play with ferocity, and the offense found its rhythm just in time, as San Marino scored 22 unanswered points to rally past a stunned Sierra Canyon team, 36-35. Mark Wicke ran in a two-point conversion with 71 seconds left to provide the margin of victory.
“I don’t know what was going through [Hobbie’s] head, having faith in me when I was having a rough night,” Wicke said. “His faith in me brought me over the edge and really helped me make the play.”
The win boosted San Marino’s record on the season to a perfect 15-0. The previous week, the Titans had captured their first CIF-Southern Section championship since 1988. With Saturday’s victory, which produced their first-ever CIF State Southern Regional title, they advanced to the State divisional final, where they will take on Central Catholic of Modesto at Sacramento State’s Hornet Stadium this Saturday, Dec. 19, at 4 p.m.
“This is just so special,” said senior wideout JP Shohfi, who is now the top receiver in the nation statistically on MaxPreps, having caught 10 passes for 226 yards and a touchdown against the Trailblazers. “With all the fans out here, it just speaks to our community. It means so much to have the stands filled. I have never been a part of something so special.”
For more coverage on the Titans’ remarkable victory over Sierra Canyon and information about this Saturday’s game and this season, see the Special Section in today’s Outlook.