HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS : SOUTHERN SECTION DIVISION IV CHAMPIONSHIP : Claiborne’s Touchdown Gives North a Victory

Chris Claiborne rushed for 155 yards and scored the go-ahead points on a 13-yard touchdown reception with less than six minutes to play, leading Riverside North (14-0) to its first CIF football title Friday with a 21-18 victory over Rubidoux in the Division IV championship before more than 6,000.

Rubidoux (11-3) missed a chance to tie the game when Nick Anderson missed a 20-yard field goal with 1:10 to play.

The Falcons could have gone for the victory on fourth down from the three-yard line, but Rubidoux Coach Wayne Cochrun failed to look at the clock and lost track of the time remaining.

“I thought we had more time left,” he admitted. “If I had known there was only a minute 10 seconds left, I would have gone for the touchdown. I made a mistake.”

Claiborne, a bruising 235-pound running back/linebacker, closed out a brilliant senior season by scoring his final touchdown in a most unusual manner for him--through the air.

“It was a broken play,” he said of his catch and run after a pass from scrambling quarterback Robert Farias.

“Robert did a good job of getting away from the pressure, and I just went to the open spot and found a way to score.”

Rubidoux had gone ahead, 18-14, in the third quarter after Orshawante Bryant broke loose on a 40-yard touchdown run.

North led, 14-6, after one quarter on a 13-yard scoring run by Farias and a 65-yard hookup between Farias and Sam Brandon.

Curtis Edwards led Rubidoux with 174 rushing yards, including a two-yard touchdown in the first quarter.