Crescenta Valley High football takes unconventional path to championship
GLENDALE — Often unconventional and sometimes risky, the Crescenta Valley High football team wasn’t afraid to take chances.
Sometimes those gambles backfired, but yet as was often the case throughout the year and on Friday night, the Falcons’ play-calling befuddled their opponents en route to a perfect season and a 21-14 victory over visiting Downey High in the CIF Southern Section Southeast Division championship game at Moyse Field.
“We’ve played that way all season and those types of trick plays have given this team energy,” Crescenta Valley Coach Paul Schilling said. “I’ll admit that sometimes they’ve worked against us, but our guys have made plays.”
In three straight fourth-quarter drives, the Falcons showed their ability to risk everything.
No play was bigger, though, than the game-winner with 1:30 remaining in the fourth quarter and the Falcons leading, 21-14.
Downey had received possession on the 20 with 3:05 remaining and one timeout left when the Vikings drove to their 38 and faced a fourth and three with just over 90 seconds remaining.
On the previous play, hobbled senior Matt Erickson had barely been able to move on what was a six-yard carry from Downey junior Daevon Vigilant (15 carries for 49 yards and a touchdown).
Erickson, who had been kicked in the stomach twice and had only a quarter earlier been laid on his back battling cramps, risked potential health and effectiveness by limping back to the line of scrimmage.
Erickson’s gamble paid dividends when the senior defensive lineman shed his blocker and stopped Vigilant for a loss of one and a game-sealing turnover on downs.
“I was pretty beat up at that point, but I figured we had a better chance with me out there,” Erickson said. “I wasn’t sure I would be able to make the play, but I just gave everything I had. I guess now I can be in pain.”
The gritty play allowed the Falcons to run out the clock and secure the program’s first title in 41 years.
Prior to Erickson’s heroics, Schilling and Crescenta Valley dialed up an old favorite.
The Falcons called for a “guard special” trick run in which senior guard BK Kim tucked the ball, faked a block and then scampered 30 yards for a first down that drove the Falcons to the Vikings’ 26.
“I don’t really remember what happened on that play, I just remember running,” Kim said. “I was trying to making one guy miss and I got downfield. It’s my senior year. There is no tomorrow.”
The play, which was used earlier this season and was featured on Maxpreps.com, led to a short field goal try that was missed with just over three minutes remaining.
Prior to the field goal attempt, maybe Crescenta Valley’s gutsiest play call was for one-on-one coverage that found Falcons 5-foot-7 defensive back Jordan Lobianco guarding talented Downey wide receiver Stacy Chukwumezie.
The 6-1 Chukwumezie was thrown to in the end zone on a fourth and seven from the Falcons’ 21 with 5:36 left in the game.
Even though Chukwumezie had made three acrobatic catches for 87 yards, including a 42-yard pass on that same drive, Lobianco defended just well enough where the Vikings senior was unable to scoop a game-tying touchdown pass.
Instead, Downey turned the ball over on downs and never sniffed Falcons’ territory again.
“That guy was great and he had an advantage on me,” Lobianco said. “The coaches had faith in me on that play and we were able to make a big stop. It was awesome.”
With the Falcons holding onto a 7-0 lead and faced with a third and 14 at the Crescenta Valley 43 after a delay of game call, the offense dialed up a tackle eligible pass to senior Davo Hakobyan.
The two-way player had enough energy to in a 24-yard pass play before he was finally wrestled out of bounds.
“We’ve had that play since Muir,” Hakobyan said. “We just didn’t have an opportunity to use it and coach told me that we were saving it for a special time. Coach was telling me before practice, ‘You better not drop it.’”
The play proved invaluable as the Falcons scored when back-up quarterback Tyler Hill took a direct snap on a fourth and goal from the three, carried two yards and then fumbled into the end zone.
The loose ball was recovered for a touchdown thanks to a head’s up play from senior wide receiver Chase Walker.
“It actually looked like one of our trick plays, but it wasn’t,” Walker said. “I saw the ball on the ground and thought, ‘I have to pick it up.’”
Walker’s score gave the Falcons a 14-0 lead with a little more than eight minutes remaining in the second quarter.
While Crescenta Valley caught a break with the fumble recovery, the touchdown did mark a successful and early fourth-down conversion for a team that was fearless in attempting two such tries.
“This is the CIF championship,” Walker said. “You have to take a few risks, otherwise why play?”
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Follow Andrew J. Campa on Twitter: @campadresports.