Ryburn Propels Crusaders

Matthew Ryburn’s extra point in double overtime ended a tense defensive struggle and lifted Village Christian to a 21-20 upset of top-seeded Big Bear in a Southern Section Division XI quarterfinal game Saturday at Big Bear Middle School.

“I’m very confident from that close,” Ryburn said. “So I told my teammates keep scoring and I’ll do the rest.”

“We knew he’d make it,” said Village Christian Coach Mike Plaisance, whose team avenged a 38-7 loss in the first round on the same field last year. “He’s one of the best kickers in our division.”

The game was deadlocked, 7-7, at the end of regulation, setting the stage for overtime, in which each team gets four plays to score from the opponent’s 10-yard line. Both teams scored on their first possession.

“We won the toss both times, and I always like to give the other team the ball first,” Plaisance said of the coin flips prior to the start of each overtime. “That way we can wait to see what they do before deciding what kind of offense to run.”

The strategy worked, as David Romberger’s one-yard run tied the score, 14-14, and sent the game into a second overtime. Big Bear (10-2) regained the lead, 20-14, on a eight-yard scramble by quarterback Zack Allen, but a high snap caused John Ashliman to hook the extra-point attempt wide.

Romberger’s second touchdown, this time from two yards out, set the stage for Ryburn’s game-winning kick.

Village Christian (10-2) scored first on an 84-yard pass play from Jeff Johnston to Aaron Funk with 7 minutes 21 seconds left in the third quarter. A coin toss today will determine the site for Village Christian’s semifinal game next week against Yucca Valley.