Hart Stops El Dorado in Final Minute

Hart High School’s defense made its biggest play of the season, turning El Dorado away inside the 10-yard line with 34 seconds to play at College of the Canyons to preserve a 33-26 victory Friday night in the first round of the Southern Section Division III playoffs.

On fourth down, two Hart defenders broke up quarterback Jim Beck’s pass in the end zone to thwart a 73-yard drive in the final three minutes. The play finally decided a game in which the lead changed hands four times and Hart (8-3), for at least once this season, needed every one of Ryan Connors’ 284 yards passing.

Connors, the state’s leading passer, completed 15 of 28 passes for two touchdowns, including a 68-yard game-winning pass to Doug Distaso with six minutes to play to set a new Southern Section single-season passing record with 3,484 yards.

Two interceptions by Blayne Leitner set up two touchdowns to give El Dorado a 12-8 lead at halftime.