Roundup : Mount Miguel Repeats in Grossmont 3-A With Fourth-Quarter Rally

A dormant Mount Miguel offense rose to the occasion by scoring all its points in the fourth quarter as the second-ranked Matadors rallied to defeat Helix 16-7 to win their second consecutive Grossmont League 3-A title in the final game of the regular season.

Tenth-ranked Helix (7-2-1 overall, 3-1 in league play) dominated the first three quarters by keeping Mount Miguel’s top-ranked defense off balance with a solid running and passing game.

But a 40-yard pass play from Anthony Rivera to Lew Willis sparked the Mount Miguel offense in the final period.

Linebacker Haywood Mathis recovered a fumble by James Franklin with 10 minutes left in the game and Helix leading 7-0. On Mount Miguel’s first play of the series, Rivera hit Lewis running down the left side to give Mount Miguel (10-0, 4-0) a first and 10 at the Helix 17-yard line.

Four plays later, Rivera scored on a one-yard keeper and Chuey Alvarez added the extra point to tie the game, 7-7, with 8:44 remaining.

After holding Helix on its next series, Mount Miguel took the ball with 6:45 to go in the game. Mount Miguel moved to the Helix 30 to set up a 47-yard field goal by Alvarez to take the lead.

“Somebody told me the ball was on the 30, but I was just going out there to kick,” Alvarez said. “Maybe it was the adrenaline.”

Mount Miguel sealed the victory on a 68-yard run by Gene Ethridge over the right side with 1:36 remaining. Alvarez’s extra-point kick was wide right and Mount Miguel led, 16-7.

“The right side was there all night, but it was just closing too fast,” Ethridge said.

Helix scored in the first quarter on a 23-yard pass play from quarterback Tim Zeddies to Todd Sheehan. Vesa Peltola kicked the extra point.

In the other Grossmont 3-A game, Monte Vista defeated Santana, 22-14.