Both the San Marino and La Cañada High School football teams had won their opening the Rio Hondo League games, so when the Spartans made the trip to take on the Titans, the winner would have a leg up en route to the league title.
Despite trailing big early on, the host San Marino mounted an epic comeback to grab a 21-17 win over La Cañada on Oct. 6.
“We came out really rough in the first half, but luckily we stuck together in the second half and managed to pull off the [win],” Titan senior Coleman Morning said.
La Cañada (3-4 overall, 1-1 in league) scored the first 17 points of the contest, but San Marino (6-1, 2-0) held the Spartans scoreless in the second half and scored the next 21 points to pull out the win on their home field.
“We didn’t quit. We kept going,” San Marino coach Nate Turner said. “Down 17-nothing, obviously that is a tough hill to climb, but our guys played for each other and played with each other.”
It was 17-0 for the visitors with 36 seconds left in the first half, when the Titans got the ball back at their own 47-yard line. San Marino had advanced the ball to the Spartan 35-yard line when Morning spiked the ball with one second to go. In came freshman Parker Wilson, who threw a pass into the front center of the end zone, where several La Cañada defenders were ready. However, the pass bounced off multiple Spartans before Sid Danenhauer corralled it in for a touchdown.
“I knew we needed to get a big play and I was just ready for anything possible to happen,” Danenhauer said. “I think it hit off three guys. I was just ready for the tip ball.”
Chris Parwar booted the PAT kick to make it 17-7 at the break and the comeback was on.
“I said that if we can get on the scoreboard in the first half, we got a chance to play football in the fourth quarter and, miraculously, we did. They’ll talk about this one for years,” Turner said.
San Marino scored the only points of the third quarter at the conclusion of a 64-yard drive when Morning connected with Danenhauer on a 9-yard scoring pass. Nick Acuna hit the PAT kick and it was 17-14 with 47 seconds left in the third.
On the next Titan possession, the hosts had a chance to tie the score, but a 42-yard field goal attempt by Acuna was blocked by La Cañada’s Paulos Cucullu.
On the ensuing Spartan possession deep on their own side of the field, quarterback Macky Plocher rolled out right and threw the ball under heavy pressure directly into the hands of Morning for an interception.
“I actually didn’t expect him to throw that ball because it was not open at all,” Morning said. “He just gave me a little gift basket with the ball, so I took it.”
The Titans were now 35 yards from a go-ahead score, which they got on a 5-yard touchdown pass from Wilson to Nathan Yarahmadi with 1:54 remaining. Acuna’s kick was good and the comeback was complete.
The Spartans had one last chance, getting the ball at their own 25-yard line with 1:49 left, but a couple penalties and Morning’s second sack of the game hampered the drive, ending on a turnover on downs. San Marino took over and knelt out the remaining 40 seconds.
“I’m proud of our kids for not quitting. We had chances there at the end, just a little bit off, and a pretty frustrating result,” La Cañada coach Dave Avramovich said.
With the win, and Monrovia’s loss to South Pasadena, San Marino is the only undefeated team in the Rio Hondo and sits alone in first place with three games to go.
“Everyone thinks we are a bottom team, and to start it off like this is amazing,” Danenhauer said.
San Marino’s regular starting quarterback, Brady Beck, was out with injury. Parker started, but Morning took the majority of snaps. The senior finished 13 of 18 for 149 yards, one touchdown and an interception. He also ran 16 times for 49 yards. Wilson finished 2 for 2 for 40 yards passing and two touchdowns.
“It’s a big win, especially for the seniors,” Wilson said. “It meant a lot because the past three years they lost [to La Cañada].”
La Cañada opened the game with a drive of 65 yards in 10 plays taking 6:51 off the clock. It culminated with a 9-yard touchdown run by Bayug and a PAT kick by Quest Swan. The ensuing San Marino drive lasted two plays, ending when Warner Ibsen recovered a Spartan fumble, setting up the hosts just outside the red zone. The Titan defense held La Cañada without a first down, but Swan turned the miscue into points anyway with a 42-yard field goal with 2:32 left in the first.
The next San Marino drive also ended with a turnover when Carson Herren intercepted a Morning pass in the end zone.
La Cañada scored again with 5:48 left in the second quarter. Plocher rolled right to escape pressure before bombing a pass deep downfield to Luke Raulli, who took it the rest of the way for a 73-yard touchdown. Swan kicked the extra point for a 17-0 advantage. The ensuing Titan drive again ended with a turnover as Spartan Tyler Reed recovered a fumble, starting the improbable sequence of events that led to San Marino’s first score.
Julian Solis had 48 yards rushing for the hosts on 10 carries. Danenhauer had four catches for 75 yards and two touchdowns. Mikey Yessaian had four catches for 43 yards, while Ryan Park had three for 29 yards. Yarahmadi caught two passes for 28 yards, including one touchdown, and JJ Wilson made one grab for 23 yards.
Plocher finished 9 of 19 for 158 yards passing. Raulli had three catches for 91 yards. Swan had two grabs for 28 yards and Bayug, who also rushed for 41 yards on 12 carries, finished with two catches for 36 yards. Tyler Bond and Alan Razo had a catch apiece for 3 and 5 yards, respectively.
First published in the Oct.12 issue of the San Marino Tribune
