Riverside Poly Beats Fontana for League Title

If Riverside Poly were to beat Fontana in the Citrus Belt League showdown, Poly Coach Mike Churchill was saying earlier in the week, it wouldn’t be because of muscle.

“Compared to them, we’re not very big,” Churchill said of his Bears. “Our biggest lineman is Roger Haegg, and he’s only 5-11 and 175 or 180 pounds. They (Fontana) have one side of the line that blots out the sun.”

Well, the Steeler offensive line did its job, opening enough holes for John Kidd to gain 144 yards in 28 carries and Willie Chapman 78 yards in 18 carries. But in the end, it was a Riverside Poly team that got only 38 yards passing from quarterback Bruce Campbell and 82 yards rushing from Chris Brantley, 64 of which came on one run, that claimed a 19-15 victory Friday night at Fontana for an undefeated regular season and its second straight Citrus Belt League championship.

In winning their 23 straight game, third-ranked Poly, 10-0, this season after winning the Big Five Conference title last season and the Eastern Conference in 1983, were more opportunistic than dominating. Take their first play from scrimmage, for example.

Fontana (7-3 and also heading to the playoffs) took the opening kickoff, was stopped and lined up in punt formation with the ball on its own 29. But the up-man in the formation, Greg Colbrunn, took the snap and tried to run but was stopped for no gain.

Earlier in the season against Riverside Rubidoux, that play went for a 55-yard gain. Friday night, it turned into a Poly touchdown as the Bears used the halfback pass, Mondo Boyd to Shannon Duncan on their first play for a 29-yard score and, with Kevin Hussey’s extra point, a 7-0 lead.

Poly made it 13-0 with 9:17 remaining in the first half as Campbell passed six yards to Hussey for a touchdown. That came six plays after Brantley intercepted Fontana quarterback Barry Titus, one of seven Steeler turnovers.

Fontana scored with 1:12 left in the second quarter, Titus taking it in from a yard out. Kidd was especially impressive on that drive with gains of 39 and 11 yards.

But there were no breaks as Poly added to its lead on the first series of the second half, just Brantley’s speed and a wall of blockers down the left sideline. A 64-yard dash and missed extra point later, Poly led, 19-7, with 10:20 remaining.

So Churchill was right, his offensive line wasn’t going to dominate Fontana, and the defense didn’t win the war in the trenches against the Steelers’ tackle Nigel Clay (6-4, 240), guard Ray Wood (6-3, 225) and tight end Ernie Rogers (6-6, 240).

But for one series, one of the most important of the game, Poly won the battle, stopping Fontana after it had first and goal on the four.