SOUTHERN SECTION DIVISION I CHAMPIONSHIP GAME : Last Pass Meant for McCutcheon Breaks His Heart : Bishop Amat: Interception on five-yard line with 27 seconds left ends senior’s season on a sour note.

The play was a sprint left throw back, and like so many plays, it was supposed to end with Daylon McCutcheon holding the ball.

But this time, McCutcheon was outleaped by Pete Campbell and the pass was intercepted by the Mater Dei strong safety at the five-yard line with 27 seconds left. It secured the Monarchs’ 28-21 victory Saturday over La Puente Bishop Amat at Anaheim Stadium before 26,295.

Bishop Amat, ranked No. 1 in the nation in some polls, relied heavily on McCutcheon, the son of former Ram running back Lawrence McCutcheon, throughout their first 13 games. The 14th game, with the Southern Section championship and national title at stake, was no different.

This time, McCutcheon wasn’t enough.

But it wasn’t for not trying.

McCutcheon rushed 20 times for 182 yards and two touchdowns, including an 84-yard touchdown sweep on the Lancers’ third play from scrimmage, but in the end, it was Mater Dei that had too many weapons and McCutcheon who was walking off the field, bearing the burden of defeat.

The senior who finished the season with 2,478 yards and a 10.2 yard-per-carry average, managed few answers afterward.

“I’m the leader of this team,” McCutcheon said. “I take this loss upon myself. I guess I didn’t do what I had to do.”

Then he headed into the tunnel leading to the locker room, only to be yanked out for the school’s alma mater.

Another reporter approached. McCutcheon managed one more answer.

“They’re just a good team,” he said of Mater Dei. “They did what they had to do to win the game.”

And then he broke down in the arms of Bishop Amat Athletic Director Glenn Martinez.

McCutcheon scored his team’s only two touchdowns; the second, also outside, came with 9:30 left and covered 37 yards, cutting the deficit to 28-18.

On the next series, he got behind defender Kevin Braga and caught a 55-yard pass, setting up Ariel Castro’s second field goal, a 32-yarder.

And needing a touchdown to have a chance to win in the final minute, quarterback James Free threw that ill-fated sprint left throw back, ending the comeback attempt.

“Daylon is our go-to guy,” Free said. “The guy can handle the pressure. The guy does everything. The offensive line can only do so much, and (Mater Dei) brought more than we could handle.”

After McCutcheon’s early scoring run, he rushed 17 times for 49 yards before the 37-yard score.

“We tried to keep him in check the whole night, but that’s kind of hard to do,” Mater Dei defensive coordinator Eric Johnson said. “We didn’t make any major adjustment; the TD was a misalignment, but it was by the same guy who picked the ball off at the end, so it worked out.”

Johnson said no one in particular was assigned to cover McCutcheon one-on-one.

“The whole team was assigned to him,” Johnson said. “Other than the long run, we kept him inside. It took a complete team effort.

“By far he’s the best back we’ve seen.”

And the best back they’ve stopped when it counted.