Cougars’ Hibbs Returns Blocked Kick for Victory

Midway through his run for glory, after he had picked up the bouncing ball, Grant Hibbs actually began to wonder if what he was doing was within the rules.

By the time he reached the end zone, with the crowd cheering and the referee signaling touchdown, the answer was obvious. Returning a blocked kick is as legal as 55 on the freeway.

Hibbs did it on the last play of the game Friday night to give host Capistrano Valley a 13-7 victory over El Modena.

“I wasn’t even sure if I was allowed to run it back,” Hibbs said. “But I did. When you’re doing it, you’ve just got to do it.”

As drama goes, it was darn near Kirk Gibson vs. Dennis Eckersley.

Neither team had been able to score until the fourth quarter, but then El Modena took a 7-0 lead with 7 minutes 42 seconds to play on a 39-yard touchdown pass from Matt Mitchell to Ernie Wilson.

On the next possession, the Cougars (3-1) tied it when running back Greg Payne took a pitch and then fired a 56-yard touchdown pass to his brother, Gabe Payne, who was open by, oh, about three miles.

As the final minute ticked away, El Modena (2-2) drove to the Cougar 20 and lined up for a 37-yard field-goal attempt with four seconds to play. The ball was kicked, and linebacker Levi Roquemore blocked it, setting up Hibbs’ 65-yard sprint.

Hibbs was asked afterward if this was the biggest play he has ever made. “Uh, yeah,” he said. “Last year I blocked a punt and an extra point. But that’s it.”

This was different. Better, that is. Or worse, if you were viewing from El Modena’s sideline.

El Modena players had been warned by their coach, Bill Backstrom, that they needed to be alert in case the attempt was blocked.

“The last thing he said was, ‘If it’s blocked, it’s a live ball. So tackle the guy,’ ” Vanguard linebacker Casey Shine recalled.

Problem was, nobody could catch him.