DIVISION 3A FOOTBALL PLAYOFFS : Castle Park Rallies from 20-Point Deficit

Anthony Davis turned in the kind of performance that will keep his legend alive well into the 21st Century.

Davis wasn’t in the starting lineup in Castle Park’s 24-20 victory over Fallbrook on Friday night at Swift Stadium. Offensive coordinator Dave Lay said Davis was sick, and the coaches were taking a “wait-and-see” approach.

The Trojans didn’t wait long. Fallbrook (6-4-1) scored on its first possession. Castle Park (9-2) went three plays and out.

Fallbrook scored on its second possession.

Enter Davis.

Castle Park netted nine yards and punted.

Fallbrook scored again, and after botched extra-point attempt, led 20-0.

That’s the way it was at halftime.

“They’ve got some good athletes, and I think they maybe overlooked because we were a fourth-place team,” Fallbrook Coach Tom Pack said of the Warriors’ first-half ambush.

It was a different story in the second half.

“Everybody started doing what they were supposed to do,” Lay said. “Everybody blocked and we threw to the right people.”

And Castle Park scored 24 consecutive points, including 17 in the third quarter.

Davis finished with 29 carries for 198 yards and two touchdowns. His first came on Castle Park’s opening drive of the second half from one yard.

Then Alex Espinoza intercepted a John Dutton pass and returned the ball 33 yards, giving the Trojans possession at the Fallbrook 17. After five runs by Davis, quarterback Moses Moreno scored from a yard to make it 20-14.

Castle Park’s defense held on four downs, and Chris Arnce--who converted all three extra-point attempts--kicked a 40-yard field goal with 28 seconds left in the third quarter. It was 20-17.

The next time Castle Park got the ball, it went 65 yards on seven plays. The drive’s key play was a third-and-six completion of 16 yards from Moreno to Steve Lujan, and Davis scored from the 11 on the next play.

The comeback was complete, 24-20, but there was one final push by Fallbook.

The Warriors drove from their 18, and got three chances to score from the two-yard line. Tommy Hoff, who rushed 29 times for 157 yards and two touchdowns, gained one yard and was stopped.

Then, on fourth-and-goal from the one with 2:15 left, Ramell Dismond won a battle of defensive linemen. Fallbrook inserted Wilson Ueligitone into the backfield, but he was stopped by Dismond as the two crashed helmets.