PREP FOOTBALL / DIVISION III

Defensive back Eddie Correa fought off the stomach flu and minor injuries Friday night to produce the big play in San Pedro’s victory over Palisades, 9-6, helping the Pirates (11-1-1) reach a City Section championship game for the first time in school history.

Correa returned an interception 29 yards to set up a 26-yard field goal by Joey DiMassa with 14 seconds left in the first half. Neither team scored in the second half.

“(Correa) has been injured and he’s been sick this week, but what are you going to do--replace him in the 13th game of the year?” Pirate coach Mike Walsh said. “I feel relief. We had our hands full tonight. We definitely had our hands full, but we survived.”

In the second half, San Pedro gained only eight total yards as the game settled into a defensive struggle.

“It’s a beautiful way to go out,” said senior Bryant Thomas, a wide receiver and defensive back. “(The championship game) is what I wanted to do since the beginning of the year. Now all we have to do is win it.”

Taft (9-4) advanced with a 20-9 victory over Chatsworth.