Bishop Amat Ends Season for Fountain Valley

Fountain Valley was behind for most of the first half in its Southern Section Division I game against Bishop Amat Friday at Orange Coast College.

Fountain Valley finally took the lead in the third quarter, but it lasted less than a minute as Bishop Amat went right back in front and then hung on to win, 32-26.

The loss ends the season for Sunset League champion Fountain Valley (7-4) and sends defending division champion Bishop Amat (8-3) to the second round against second-seeded Fontana.

The difference Friday was the play of Bishop Amat wide receiver Joey Getheral.

He returned a punt 77 yards for a touchdown, took a kickoff 85 yards for another touchdown, rushed twice for 77 yards and caught three passes for 47 yards.

Fountain Valley senior quarterback Mike Lamar tried to keep pace.

He completed 17 of 32 passes for 283 yards with two touchdowns. He was intercepted once.

His first touchdown pass was good for 74 yards up the middle to wide receiver Aaron Carter. The score put Fountain Valley ahead, 18-14, with 2 minutes 1 second left in the third quarter.

But Getheral took the kickoff at the 15, started up the middle then cut rapidly to the right and went up the sideline for a touchdown.

“I guess the wet field didn’t bother me too much,” Getheral said. “On the punt return, I was about to fall down but kept my footing and just keep going.”

Said Fountain Valley Coach George Berg: “They won the kicking phase. It’s real simple.”

Bishop Amat scored two fourth-quarter touchdowns to go up, 32-18, but the Barons’ defense forced Bishop Amat to punt with 2:20 to play.

John Sanders returned it 14 yards and Fountain Valley started at the Bishop Amat 47 with 2:10 and no timeouts left. Sanders took a draw play to the 33 but then Lamar threw two incomplete passes.

He passed to Wray Watkins for six yards on third down. But a fourth-down pass, a middle screen, was incomplete. Watkins had caught a 30-yard touchdown pass with 3:29 left in the game.