Paraclete Gets Kicks With Fake Punt, 8-6

His distant cousin made a name for himself by kicking footballs in the NFL.

But Tommy Breech indelibly wrote his name into Paraclete High football lore by not kicking a ball.

Breech, the Spirits’ punter and a relative of former Cincinnati Bengal kicker Jim Breech, ran 13 yards on a fake punt, gaining a critical first down and setting up the winning score in Paraclete’s 8-6 victory over Banning in the Southern Section Division XI championship game Friday night before about 4,000 at Nicolet Middle School.

“The whole play just worked excellent,” said Breech, who took a pitch from upback Robbie Fockaert and ran to the Banning 30-yard line midway through the third quarter of a then-scoreless game.

Running back Dominic Washington scored on a three-yard run five plays later, capping a 16-play drive that chewed up the first 9:20 of the second half.

Breech’s run marked the first time this season the Spirits (13-1) had run the play.

“We’ve worked on it all year,” Coach Steve Haggerty said. “That was the time for it.”

The play, and Washington’s touchdown, put Paraclete in position to claim its first outright title.

The Spirits last advanced to a division final in 1967, when they tied Calipatria, 7-7, and shared the Small Schools Division championship.

The Spirits still needed to come through with some big plays.

Larry Armstrong’s five-yard touchdown run with 7:56 to play cut Banning’s deficit to 8-6. The Broncos (9-5) handed to Ricky Lynn for a two-point conversion run, but he was stopped at the one by Paraclete’s Michael Washington and Ron McShea.

“It felt so great to get that hit,” McShea said. “We either had to get it done or go home crying.”

Instead, it was the Broncos who were left in tears.

Banning was making its first appearance in a section final since the program was established in 1929.

The Broncos made an improbable march to the final after finishing tied for fourth in the Skyline League and gaining an at-large playoff berth.

Banning upset top-seeded L.A. Baptist, 51-45, in six overtimes in a first-round game and averaged 48 points in three playoff victories.

The prospect of waiting 68 more years for a chance at another championship was a bitter thought for first-year Banning Coach Brian Hay, 26, a former Cal State Northridge lineman.

“I’ll be dead in another 68 years,” he said.

Washington, who sat out Paraclete’s quarterfinal victory over Big Bear because of a sprained ankle, gained 109 yards in 27 carries to finish the season with 1,805 yards and 23 touchdowns.

Washington’s two-point conversion proved to be the difference, but it almost didn’t happen. Spirit kicker John McMurtry’s point-after kick was wide left, but Banning was called for roughing the kicker, moving the ball to the Banning one, setting up Washington’s run.

The Broncos recovered an onside kick following Armstrong’s touchdown, but lost a fumble at the Paraclete 28.