2015 Campolindo Cougars football team

The 2015 Campolindo Cougars football team represented Campolindo High School of Moraga, California in the 2015 NFHS Football Season. They were led by 20-year head coach Kevin Macy and played their home games at Bob Wilson Stadium. They were a member of the Diablo Foothill Athletic League. They finished the regular season 9-1, 6-0 in Diablo Foothill play to finish in 1st place. They won the CIF North Coast Section Division 3 Championship after defeating the Ygnacio Valley Warriors, Acalanes Dons, Bishop O'Dowd Dragons, and Analy Tigers. They also won the CIF Division 3AA Nor-Cal Bowl against the Milpitas Trojans on a field goal by Matt Blair with 26 seconds left. They're bid for back-to-back state titles came short after losing to the La Mirada Matadores 27-3 in the CIF Division 3AA State Bowl.

Season Opener
August 28, 2015 at Hayward Farmers

General Information
Nickname: Cougars

Colors: Navy/Red/White

Coach: Kevin Macy

League: Diablo Foothill

Section: North Coast

Playoff Division: 3

Playoff Division Rank: #1

Ratings
2014 Final Power Rating: 56.1

2014 National Rank: #154

2014 State Rank: #16

Off-Season Rating Adjustment: -12.3

2015 Starting Power Rating: 47.5

2015 National Rank: #354

2015 State Rank: #30

Dynasty Rating (avg. rating 2003-14): 24.4

Dynasty National Rank: #1573

2015 Rating vs. Dynasty Rating: better by 23.1

Dynasty Record: 111-37 (65-21 in league)

Team Strengths
OL

Team Weaknesses
Experienced Secondary/LBs, New QB/WRs

Strength of Schedule
2015 Rating: 11.6

2014 Rating: 9.9 (23.1 overall)

Rating Difference: +1.7

2015 Regular Season Schedule Strength State Rank: #315

2015 Regular Season Schedule Strength National Rank: #4115

2015 Projected Regular Season Record: 10-0

2015 Projected League Finish: 1st

2015 Undefeated Regular Season Probability: 80%

Returning Players
Offensive Starters: 4

Defensive Starters: 3

2014 JV Record: 9-1

Starting Quarterback Returning: no

Top Running Back Returning: no

Top Receiver Returning: yes

Top OL Returning: yes

Top Defender Returning: no

Top Players

 * 1) Sterling Strother 6'5" 250 Senior OL/DL
 * 2) Max Flower 6'4" 210 Senior WR
 * 3) Jack Cassidy 6'0" 215 Senior ILB/FB

College Prospect Lost to Graduation

 * 1) Tyler Petite 6'5" 225 Senior TE

Previous Season
2014 Overall Record: 16-0

2014 League Record/Finish: 6-0 (1st)

2014 Points For Average: 46

2014 Points Against Average: 19.9

2014 Differential: +26.1

Winning Streak
16 wins

Streak List

 * 1) 8/29/2014: Heritage Patriots (Brentwood, CA) (56-31)
 * 2) 9/5/2014: Menlo-Atherton Bears (Atherton, CA) (35-3)
 * 3) 9/12/2014: Washington Huskies (Fremont, CA) (49-7)
 * 4) 9/19/2014: Napa Indians (Napa, CA) (52-27)
 * 5) 9/26/2014: Dublin Gaels (Dublin, CA) (45-14)
 * 6) 10/2/2014: Dougherty Valley Wildcats (San Ramon, CA) (42-26)
 * 7) 10/10/2014: Alhambra Bulldogs (Martinez, CA) (55-21)
 * 8) 10/17/2014: Las Lomas Knights (Walnut Creek, CA) (38-28)
 * 9) 10/31/2014: Miramonte Matadors (Orinda, CA) (49-12)
 * 10) 11/7/2014: Acalanes Dons (Lafayette, CA) (48-13)
 * 11) 11/14/2014: Ygnacio Valley Warriors (Concord, CA) (52-14)
 * 12) 11/21/2014: Cardinal Newman Cardinals (Santa Rosa, CA) (56-14)
 * 13) 11/28/2014: Analy Tigers (Sebastopol, CA) (62-46)
 * 14) 12/6/2014: Marin Catholic Wildcats (Kentfield, CA) (27-21)
 * 15) 12/13/2014: Sutter Huskies (Sutter, CA) (35-14)
 * 16) 12/20/2014: El Capitan Vaqueros (Lakeside, CA) (35-28)

Last Year Wins
#180: El Capitan (Lakeside, CA)	35-28

#741: Sutter (CA)	35-14

#927: Napa (CA)	52-27

#1490: Marin Catholic (Kentfield, CA)	27-21

#1531: Analy (Sebastopol, CA)	62-46

#1697: Cardinal Newman (Santa Rosa, CA)	56-14

#2444: Las Lomas (Walnut Creek, CA)	38-28

#2939: Heritage (Brentwood, CA)	56-31

#3066: Acalanes (Lafayette, CA)	48-13

#4522: Alhambra (Martinez, CA)	55-21

#6033: Menlo-Atherton (Atherton, CA)	35-3

#7769: Miramonte (Orinda, CA)	49-12

#7777: Dublin (CA)	45-14

#8677: Dougherty Valley (San Ramon, CA)	42-26

#10739: Ygnacio Valley (Concord, CA)	52-14

#11505: Washington (Fremont, CA)	49-7

Last Year Losses
none

Toughest Opponents
Napa (CA) (36.1)

St. Ignatius (San Francisco, CA) (22.2)

Las Lomas (Walnut Creek, CA) (20.6)

Easiest Opponents
Dougherty Valley (San Ramon, CA) (-12.5)

Dublin (CA) (-5.6)

Hayward (CA) (1.7)

State Championships

 * 1) 2014 (CIF III)
 * 2) 2014 (NCS III)
 * 3) 2011 (NCS III)

League Championships

 * 1) 2014 (Diablo Foothill)
 * 2) 2013 (Diablo Foothill)
 * 3) 2012 (Diablo Foothill)
 * 4) 2011 (Diablo Foothill)
 * 5) 2008 (Diablo Foothill)
 * 6) 2004 (Diablo Foothill)

Other League Teams
Miramonte (Orinda, CA)

Dublin (CA)

Dougherty Valley (San Ramon, CA)

Acalanes (Lafayette, CA)

Las Lomas (Walnut Creek, CA)

Campolindo (Moraga, CA)

Alhambra (Martinez, CA)

@ Hayward Farmers
Date: Friday, August 28, 2015

Game Time: 7:00PM

Game weather: Temperature: 69'F, Wind: NNW 8.1mph, Weather: Partly Cloudy Campolindo, the defending Division III state champion, ran away with its opener. Quarterback Jacob Westphal threw two touchdown passes, connecting with Madison Davis Young and Max Flower, and running back Jack Cassidy rushed for two. 

vs. St. Ignatius Wildcats
Date: Friday, September 4, 2015

Game Time: 7:00PM

Game weather: Temperature: 65'F, Wind: SSE 1.2mph, Weather: Clear

Scoring Info
Jacob Westphal threw for 186 yards and Nick Moore scored the go-ahead touchdown as the defending Division III state champion Cougars held off the visiting Wildcats.

Westphal overcame a slow start to finish 12 for 21 in the air and marched the Cougars downfield to take the lead for good in the second half. Moore scored on a 12-yard run with 13 seconds left in the third quarter to break a 14-all tie and the Campolindo (2-0) defense did the rest by containing the potent St. Ignatius running attack.

On the Wildcats’ ensuing possession, Miles Harris picked off St. Ignatius quarterback Peter Katz for the second time on the night, giving the Cougars the ball at the Wildcats 19 with 11:28 remaining.

Campolindo’s Matthew Blair nailed a 29-yard field goal to make it a two-possession advantage.

The Wildcats (0-1) went from their own 20 to the Cougars’ 40 on their next drive, eating up over seven minutes, but Madison Young intercepted Katz’s fourth-down desperation pass and Campolindo ran out the clock to preserve the win.

St. Ignatius scored first on a 13-yard run in the first quarter by Nick Menchero, but the Cougars answered back when Jack Cassidy scored on an 8-yard scamper five seconds into the second quarter. Cassidy then put Campolindo in front with a 9-yard touchdown reception in the flat by Westphal, but Xavier Tharpe tied the game at 14-14 with 21 seconds left in the half with a 5-yard run.

Tight end Joey Berzins led the Cougars with four receptions for 54 yards. 

vs. Deer Valley Wolverines
Date: Friday, September 11, 2015

Game Time: 7:00PM

Game weather: Temperature: 90'F, Wind: SSW 1.9mph, Weather: Sunny

Scoring Info
A Max Flower 46-yard touchdown catch gave the host Cougars the lead at halftime, and Campolindo pulled away in the second half for a nonleague win over the Wolverines (1-1).

Flower's TD gave Campolindo (3-0) a 21-14 lead, and the Cougars outscored Deer Valley 21-0 in the third quarter to help seal the victory. 

@ Napa Indians
Date: Friday, September 18, 2015

Game Time: 7:30PM

Game weather: Temperature: 66'F, Wind: S 6.9mph, Weather: Clear

Scoring Info
Campolindo's 19-game win streak came to an end in Napa. The Indians' defense held Campolindo scoreless in the fourth quarter and came up with a last-minute stop of a Cougars drive in the red zone to secure the nonleague victory.

Napa's Jake Van Zandt picked off a Jake Westphal pass and returned it for a touchdown in the third quarter to put the Indians ahead 21-7. 

vs. Dublin Gaels
Date: Friday, September 25, 2015

Game Time: 7:00PM

Game weather: Temperature: 73'F, Wind: SSE 3mph, Weather: Clear This game featured the Huskies and the Longhorns of the MOL (Moraga-Orinda-Lafayette) flag football league playing in the half-time show.

Scoring Info
Defensively, Campolindo (4-1, 1-0 Diablo Foothill Athletic League) kept Dublin (4-1, 0-1) out of the end zone all game. The Gaels’ only touchdown came via a 75-yard fumble return by Imani Moore in the second quarter.

“We knew they were going to pound the ball. We kept a lot of people in the box and we let our secondary come off the edge,” said Campolindo linebacker Jack Cassidy, who had a key sack of Dublin quarterback Evret Korb in Dublin’s last possession of the game. Campolindo’s offense finished the game with a 4-minute, 47-second drive that ended with quarterback Jacob Westphal kneeling in the red zone.

Campolindo rebounded from a 21-14 nonleague loss to Napa last week to push its DFAL winning streak to 25 games. That winning streak started in 2011.

Dublin took a 10-7 lead in the third quarter on a 20-yard field goal by Stefen Dillon. But Campolindo immediately responded with the eventual game-winning drive of 59 yards, which ended with a Branden Bocobo 1-yard touchdown run. Dublin entered the game with shutouts in its two previous games.

Matthew Ringquist, who scored Campolindo’s first touchdown on a 40-yard run in the second quarter, finished with a team-high 95 yards rushing and three catches for 64 yards. Teammate Max Flower caught six passes for 117 yards, and Westphal passed for 217 yards.

Dublin’s John Son rushed for a game-high 139 yards on 28 carries. He accounted for a major portion of the Gaels’ offense, as Dublin finished with 189 total yards.Both defenses were steady in a scoreless first quarter. But right before the quarter ended, Ringquist bolted for a 23-yard run to the Dublin 40. He followed that with his 40-yard touchdown run on the first play of the second quarter.

But Campolindo’s next possession ended with an leaping interception by Dublin’s Jared Smart. Then on Campolindo’s next drive, Moore scooped up a loose ball and sprinted 75 yards down the right sideline. Dillon’s point-after-touchdown kick tied the score at 7 with 1:05 left in the first half.

On the first possession of the second half, Dublin drove 76 yards and took the lead on Dillon’s field goal. But Ringquist, Cassidy and Niki Moore accounted for 45 yards on the ground on Campolindo’s next drive, and Ringquist also caught a 15-yard pass from Westphal. On Campolindo’s 90-yard final drive of the game, Ringquist converted a fourth-and-3 play with a 4-yard run with 1:11 remaining, allowing Westphal to kneel for the final two plays of the game. 

@ Dougherty Valley Wildcats
Date: Friday, October 2, 2015

Game Time: 7:00PM

Game weather: Temperature: 66'F, Wind: N 5mph, Weather: Clear

Scoring Info
With this Diablo Foothill Athletic League victory at Dougherty Valley, Campolindo has now claimed 26 straight league wins.

The Cougars (5-1, 2-0) were paced by a three-touchdown effort by Jack Cassidy. The senior running back scored two on the ground on a 61-yard rushing effort and had a 23-yard reception from quarterback Jacob Westphal.

Campo’s Matthew Ringquist led all rushers with 103 yards on 12 carries. He had 85 yards in an explosive first half that saw Campo strike for 28 points.

Westphal was 12 of 18 with 173 yards passing and a pair of touchdowns. Max Flower caught four of those passes for 45 yards. Kannah Cruikshank caught two passes for 56 yards.

Dougherty Valley (5-1, 1-1), off to its best start since the 2008 season, was paced by Jason Riveroll-Hoselton’s 83 yards rushing on 15 carries. 

vs. Alhambra Bulldogs (Homecoming Game)
Date: Friday, October 9, 2015

Game Time: 7:00PM

Game weather: Temperature: 72'F, Wind: WNW 0mph, Weather: Clear

Team Captains: Michael Hooper, Alex Capurro, Alex Baldwin, Parker Duncan This game featured the Campolindo Class of 1975 and several members of the Campolindo Class of 2015 as their special guests.

Scoring Info
Campolindo (6-1) jumped out to an early 37-0 lead thanks in part to quarterback Jacob Westphal, who connected with Max Flower for two of his three touchdown passes in a win over Alhambra (3-4). Cougars running back Niki Moore rushed for two touchdowns. 

@ Las Lomas Knights
Date: Friday, October 16, 2015

Game Time: 7:00PM

Game weather: Temperature: 68'F, Wind: WSW 13mph, Weather: Clear

Team Captains: Lev Garcia, Wyatt McNeil, Ryan Doyle, Jack Cassidy

Scoring Info
Campolindo (7-1, 4-0) running back Niki Moore rushed for two touchdowns in the first quarter as the Cougars cruised to a DFAL victory over the Knights. 

vs. Miramonte Matadors (Rivalry Game)
Date: Friday, October 30, 2015

Game Time: 7:00PM

Game weather: Temperature: 68'F, Wind: WNW 0mph, Weather: Clear The senior players and cheerleaders celebrated their Senior Walk. Members from the 2012 Varsity Football team were also in attendance.

Scoring Info
Kannah Cruikshank returned the opening kickoff 97 yards for a touchdown, and Campolindo High intercepted four passes against previously unbeaten Miramonte en route to a 37-0 league win Friday.

In a Diablo Foothill Athletic League game that Campolindo coach Kevin Macy called “our championship of the year” in the league, the defending DFAL champion Cougars (8-1, 5-0 DFAL) knocked off the rival Matadors (8-1, 4-1).

“Their stats have been rubbed in our noses for a long time, and that’s their style of play — but tonight it was our style of play,” Macy said. “I knew our defense would surprise them. I knew that we would do things on defense that they hadn’t seen. But I didn’t think we were gonna shut them out.”

Because of that goose egg, Cruikshank’s kickoff return could have been enough. He made two defenders miss and outran the rest, spurring the Cougars.

“The momentum carried from there,” Campolindo defensive back Devin Regan said. “It was awesome.”

The Cougars also got first-half touchdown runs from Niki Moore, who finished with 86 yards on 17 carries, and Jack Cassidy, who also notched the Cougars’ first interception. Lev Garcia had the fourth and final interception.

The first pick proved most troublesome for Miramonte, though not because of the interception. Quarterback Tim Tague’s intended receiver, Sutter Lindberg, injured his right knee on the play and did not return.

“That’s a huge letdown,” Matadors coach Jack Schram said. “He’s done an excellent job all year on the deep ball, so it’s a tough loss.”

Trailing 23-0 at halftime, Miramonte started moving on the first drive after the break. But then a deep throw was picked off by Regan, who laid out for his first interception of the night.

“Our D-line and linebackers did a great job of getting to the QB,” Regan said. “They were making it easy for the defensive backs. All we had to do was stand near the receivers, and he was getting pressured.”

Tague finished 11-for-25 passing with 75 yards. Running back Clayton Stehr provided the bulk of the Matadors’ offense, gaining 135 yards on 25 carries. 

Knocking off a reigning champ is never easy. Knocking off a program that hasn’t lost a league game in five years, well, the Miramonte-Orinda football team can attest to how easy that is. Or isn’t.

Campolindo-Moraga extended its Diablo Foothill Athletic League winning streak to 29 games with a 37-0 win over the visiting Matadors on Friday.

The Cougars (8-1, 5-0 DFAL) scored on the opening kickoff as Kannah Cruickshank returned the football 99 yards, and the Chronicle’s No. 11-ranked team never looked back. Campolindo led 23-0 at halftime and forced the game into a running clock with 10:40 left in the fourth quarter.

No. 15 Miramonte (8-1, 4-1) entered the game undefeated, averaging 45 points and 466 yards of offense. On Friday, the Matadors mustered 201 yards of offense with 125 coming from running back Clayton Stehr on 24 carries.

Miramonte quarterback Tim Tague, who entered the game averaging 318 yards passing, completed just 11 of 27 passes for 76 yards and had four interceptions.

“I think they underestimated us, to be honest,” Campolindo two-way lineman Sterling Strother said. “No disrespect to their program — they have some great coaches and players — but I don’t think they were ready for the physicality we showed. And I don’t think they were ready for a secondary that had something to prove.”

Three Cougars had interceptions. Devin Regan had two, and Jack Cassidy and Lev Garcia had the others. Cassidy also contributed two touchdowns on the ground. Niki Moore led Campolindo in rushing with 99 yards on 18 carries.

“I couldn’t be prouder with how our kids responded on both sides of the ball tonight,” Campolindo coach Kevin Macy said. 

@ Acalanes Dons
Date: Friday, November 6, 2015

Game Time: 7:00PM

Game weather: Temperature: 55'F, Wind: 3.5mph S, Weather: Clear

Scoring Info
Campolindo (9-1, 6-0 DFAL) quarterback Jacob Westphal helped the Cougars capture the Diablo Foothill Athletic League title outright for the fifth straight season, connecting with Max Flower on two of his three touchdown passes in this victory over Acalanes (3-7, 2-4). The Cougars are on a 30-game league winning streak, dating back to 2010. 

vs. Ygnacio Valley Warriors (CIF NCS Division 3 First Round Game)
Date: Saturday, November 14, 2015

Game Time: 1:00PM

Game weather: Temperature: 64'F, Wind: ENE 3mph, Weather: Clear

Scoring Info
The defending Division 3 state champion Cougars (10-1) began their postseason with a decisive win at home over the Warriors (3-8), scoring 42 points in the first quarter. Starting QB Jacob Westphal combined with sophomore Ryan Regan and freshman Max Schoenberger as the Cougars totaled four touchdown passes to three receivers. Five players rushed for a touchdown, and Nicky Fafoutis returned an interception for a score. 

vs. Acalanes Dons (CIF NCS Division 3 Quarterfinals)
Date: Friday, November 20, 2015

Game Time: 7:00PM

Game weather: Temperature: 56'F, Wind: SW 0mph, Weather: Clear

Scoring Info
The No. 1 seed Cougars (11-1) raced out to an early 21-point lead in cruising to a home quarterfinal win.

It was an efficient Cougars offense which paced the hot start, with three scoring drives in as many possessions. Meanwhile, the defense stymied Acalanes and had five quarterback sacks. They also forced a second-quarter fumble deep in Acalanes territory, leading to a score.

Campolindo went on a tidy 10-play, 49 yard drive to start the game. Quarterback Jacob Westphal capped the drive with a 4-yard fade pass to receiver Max Flower for the score. Westphal finished with 210 yards passing and three touchdowns.

The Campolindo defense got the offense the ball right back, forcing a punt.

Starting inside Acalanes territory, the Cougars would efficiently move the ball again. Five plays later, Jack Cassidy would score from 2 yards out to make it 14-0. A 40-yard completion from Westphal to Kannah Cruickshank helped set up a Joey Berzins 4-yard touchdown catch from Westphal for the third score. 

vs. Bishop O'Dowd Dragons (CIF NCS Division 3 Semifinals)
Date: Friday, November 27, 2015

Game Time: 7:00PM

Game Weather: Temperature: 36'F, Wind: W 0mph, Weather: Cloudy

Scoring Info
Campolindo High needed two fourth-quarter touchdowns to hold off the No. 4 Dragons Friday in a tight battle in an NCS Division 3 semifinal. Jacob Westphal hit Joey Berzins on a beautifully thrown touchdown pass early in the fourth quarter to break a 13-13 tie. Then, Matthew Ringquist scored on an 11-yard run a few minutes later to give Campolindo a cushion.

The Cougars (12-1) will play Analy for the Division 3 championship next Friday at 7 p.m. at Diablo Valley College.

"You definitely want a tough game moving forward into next week," running back/linebacker Jack Cassidy said. "It's good we got that tough game under our belt. Moving forward, it's like you played two extra games."

Cassidy had two sacks as well as 64 yards rushing and two 1-yard touchdown runs. Niki Moore had 121 yards rushing on 16 attempts.

Bishop O'Dowd struggled to move the ball all night, finishing with 139 yards of total offense. But Nick Allen completed a pass to Ethan Baker-Greene in the first quarter that Baker-Greene turned into a 56-yard touchdown pass when he slipped a tackle near the Cougars' 40.

Campolindo led 13-7 at halftime, but the Dragons' Quinn Brinnon knocked the ball out of Kannah Cruikshank's hands on the third quarter kickoff. Christian Bratcher fell on it for the Dragons (7-6), setting up Nick Allen's score on a 1-yard sneak. 

vs. Analy Tigers (CIF NCS Division 3 Championship Game)
Date: Friday, December 4, 2015

Game Time: 7:00PM

Game Weather: Temperature: 50'F, Wind: SSE 3.5mph, Weather: Clear

Scoring Info
Max Flower gripped the North Coast Section championship plaque as surely as he grabbed the game-sealing touchdown Friday, ready to lead the Campolindo High football team into a crowd of supporters after the Cougars repeated as Division 3 champions with a 38-28 win over Analy-Sebastapol.

On fourth and goal with just over three minutes remaining, Flower leapt and snagged a 6-yard touchdown that put the contest out of reach.

“We knew in the red zone they’d bite hard on it,” Flower said. “We ran it perfectly.”

Jack Cassidy had two rushing touchdowns and Niki Moore tallied 157 rushing yards for the Cougars (13-1).

By beating previously undefeated Analy (13-1) in the title game at Diablo Valley College, Campolindo stepped out of the shadow of last year’s state champion squad and into its own limelight.

“This was a brand new group of kids with a lot of pressure on them,” Cougars coach Kevin Macy said. “This is maybe more impressive than what happened last year.”

That’s because Campolindo had to withstand the Tigers storming back behind quarterback Jack Newman, who orchestrated a second-half rally after the Cougars scored the game’s first 28 points.

“The defense was under intense pressure, but they just kept the pressure up,” Macy said. “Our defense played incredible.”

Analy nearly netted the first points, but its 23-yard field goal try was blocked by Moore. The Tigers’ next offensive play was a pass into the end zone that Dante DeLuca intercepted.

Campolindo quarterback Jacob Westphal connected with Kannah Cruikshank for 43 yards down the middle and then tossed wide right to Madison Young, who stretched for the pylon to finish off a 13-yard touchdown.

Sterling Strother sacked Newman to stop a reply from Analy, and Westphal went to work again. Two first-down passes set up Cassidy’s 5-yard touchdown run.

Campolindo’s next drive was powered by Moore, whose 35 yards on three carries preceded a 25-yard touchdown catch by Flower.

The Tigers’ nerves showed on their ensuing possession. Three dropped passes, including one that likely would’ve been a touchdown, led to a punt that went just 13 yards.

From there, Moore toted the ball three times for 26 yards, and Cassidy scored from 2 yards out.

Then Newman finally found a rhythm, tossing twice for first downs before a 45-yard touchdown pass to Spencer Vogel.

Campolindo drove for a field goal that proved to be enough for the victory. But not without some sweating in the second half.

Newman had most of his 313 passing yards in the second half and finished 26 for 57. Two 1-yard touchdown runs by Isaac Kangas and a 9-yard scoring toss by Newman got the Tigers within 31-21 of Campolindo before Flower’s second touchdown grab put away the game.

“The coaches told him, ‘You’re going to have to go alpha male,’ ” Macy said. “He had a shoulder injury earlier this season, so we really had to lay low with him most of the year. But we said, ‘Now is your time.’ He just stepped up big tonight.”

vs. Milpitas Trojans (CIF Division 3AA NorCal Bowl Game)
Date: Friday, December 11, 2015

Game Time: 7:30PM

Game weather: Temperature: 44'F, Wind: SSE 0mph, Weather: Cloudy

Scoring Info
Dante DeLuca turned a tough situation into a game-winning one late in Friday's CIF State Division III-AA NorCal championship, intercepting a pass and returning it 57 yards to set up Matt Blair's go-ahead field goal in Campolindo High football's 27-24 win over Milpitas.

With the game tied and the Trojans driving, DeLuca picked off quarterback Oliver Svirsky and zipped down the right sideline deep into Milpitas territory. Blair kicked a 32-yarder with 23 seconds left, and the defending Division III champion Cougars advanced to the school's third-ever state title game, against La Mirada on Saturday, Dec. 19.

"I'm just glad I could be there for my brothers. They've been there for me the whole time," DeLuca said. "We're just carrying this thing out as far as we can go."

Cougars coach Kevin Macy joked with players afterward about "stayin' alive" -- and attributed that fact to the defense.

"The defense was incredible -- just dealing with the mass that they put on the line of scrimmage," Macy said. "That was grueling all night."

Jacob Westphal threw two touchdown passes and tossed the first part of a hook-and-ladder for another score as Campolindo (14-1) used an air-it-out attack against oversized Milpitas (10-4).

"We knew that their D-line was humongous," Westphal said. "We wanted to really test them through the air tonight."

Westphal hooked up with Madison Young for a 75-yard scoring pass that put the Cougars ahead first. After Milpitas responded with a scoring pass from Svirsky to Devin Crummie and a 10-yard touchdown run by Darren Green, Westphal struck again. His 20-yard touchdown throw to Matthew Ringquist tied the game at 14 before halftime.

The Trojans started the third quarter with a statement drive, using five minutes to make it deep into Campolindo territory. But the Cougars defense held tough to force a field goal that gave Milpitas a 17-14 lead.

The fourth quarter opened with trickery. Westphal (11 for 27, 230 yards) threw wide to John Torchio, who then launched a deep pass to Young for the 59-yard touchdown.

"We've been playing with that a long time. We set it up earlier to do it, but then they rolled up a coverage to the side we set it up," Macy said. "We didn't chicken out. When the first time it was snuffed out, we came back and used a different formation to be able to pull it off."

Campolindo then forced a fumble to set up a 20-yard field goal by Blair, but Svirsky responded on the next play by throwing an 80-yard touchdown to Crummie with eight minutes remaining.

Milpitas used a fumble recovery of its own to start a potential game-winning drive. A 53-yard pass by Svirsky set up a decent situation for the Trojans with two minutes left. But DeLuca picked him off, and Blair finished off Milpitas.

"Unbelievable. It's that feeling you get that you can't describe," DeLuca said. "It's been a hell of a ride all year." 

Chalk one up for David or Rudy or any other diminutive figure facing large challenges.

The football team at Campolindo (Moraga), a juggernaut of a medium-sized program, defeated a bigger, faster and more athletic Milpitas squad 27-24 on a 32-yard field goal by Matthew Blair with 26 seconds to play Friday night in a CIF North Region 3-AA title game.

The Cougars (14-1), the defending state D3 champion, somehow overcame three costly turnovers, a dozen penalties and the massive offensive and defensive fronts of Milpitas which dwarfed and overpowered Campolindo.

In the end, a trick play, two long touchdown catches and key fumble recovery by Madison Young, the kicking of Blair and one clutch interception and return by Dante DeLuca catapulted the Cougars back into a state title game against La Mirada in Southern California.

"We made it," Campolindo coach Kevin Macy. "I wouldn't have believed it had I not been there to see it."

Macy was critical of CIF's pairing of Campolindo, a school of 1,260 students, against Milpitas, with more than 3,000, in the state's new 13-bowl, competitive model. The previous model was based on enrollment.

The highly successful coach, who led his program to its third bowl game in five seasons and gone 55-5 in the process, was confident the Cougars would compete and could win Friday, but didn't think it was fair for his under-sized squad to take such a physical pounding.

"You can't tell me what we're going to put on the field compared to what they put on the field is part of any concern over player safety or competitive-equity formula," Macy said during the week. "We don't have the size and mass to play all these big schools. It takes a toll on the smaller schools. The big schools like Milpitas can platoon. We simply don't have that kind of depth.

"My issue isn't with Milpitas; it's with the system. What do you think Milpitas would say if they had to play a school with an enrollment with 7,500?"

To make his point before the game, Macy sent four of his smallest players, while Milpitas sent, among others Washington State-bound Christian Haangana (6-foot-7, 380 pounds) and Toa Iafeta (6-4, 270).

Macy sent out, among others, Michael Hooper (5-9, 150), Matthew Ringquistt (5-6, 150) and Adam Shafer (5-6, 145).

"They aren't our big stars, but they all play a considerable amount," Macy said. "But yes, I wanted to make a point."

In the end, the biggest point the Cougars made was they always seem to come up big – at the largest time.

The same squad that scored 28 unanswered points in the final 12:45 of last year's 35-28 state-title win over El Capitan-Lakeside, was tied at 24-24 when with just more than minute to go DeLuca intercepted a Oliver Svirskypass and returned 40 yards to the Milpitas 28.

A personal foul call on the tackle, moved the ball to the 14 and three plays later, Blair, who booted six straight kickoffs into the end zone, split the uprights.

"I knew I had to make a play," DeLuca said of his interception and return. "Milpitas is a great t	team and was moving the ball most of the night. I just saw the ball, caught it and ran as fast as I could the other way."

Milpitas (10-4) took a 17-14 lead early in the third quarter on a 36 yard field goal by Cesar Silva. Not only did the Trojans take the lead, but they appeared to be winning the game of attrition and certainly physicality. The Trojans outgained Campolindo 320-297.

But, like they normally do, the Cougars responded when it appeared they had little left.

"That's our coaching staff," De Luca said. "They're the best."

Campolindo took its first lead since early in the first quarter 21-17 on a terrific play call when John Torchio took a backward pass from quarterback Jacob Westphal and completed a pretty 59-yard touchdown bomb to Young streaking down the Campolindo sideline with 11:50 left in the fourth quarter.

Campolindo had scored two previous touchdowns on quick screens to the left sideline. Plus they kept leading receiver Max Flower short.

"He's always going to draw attention," Macy said.

Young, a 6-foot, 175-pound speedster, was everywhere all night and on Milpitas' next play, he recovered a fumble, setting up a 20-yard field goal by Blair, who booted six kickoffs into the end zone. That gave Campolindo a 24-17 cushion.

It last only 15 seconds as Svirsky, who was dynamic all night by extending plays, found Devin Crummie with an 80-yard touchdown bomb, tying the game at 24-24.

Both teams turned the ball over in the final eight minutes, before DeLuca's interception.

"Of all of (the clutch wins historically), that was perhaps the most unlikely," said Campolindo coach Kevin Macy. "With all the mistakes and penalties we made to still win that game? We showed a lot of heart and perseverance."

Campolindo jumped out first, getting to the edge when the speedy Young (3 catches, 144 yards) took a swing pass from Westphal (11-25-213 yards) and sprinted 75 yards down his own team's deadline to make it 7-0 with 8:42 left in the half.

From there, Milpitas asserted its will up front, though its first score came on sheer finest.

Like he did all night, Svirsky scrambled around, bought lots of time, and eventually found Crummie at the 20 and the speedy receiver did the rest, evading a couple defenders before sprinting into the end zone, completing a 33-yard touchdown to tie the game at 7-7 with 1:13 left in the first.

After one of eight Campolindo penalties in the first half, Milpitas gook over at the Campolindo 29 and four plays later, Jarred Green powered it home from the 10. And we mean powered. He kept driving, Milpitas' massive line kept driving and eventually Green got in the end zone, to put his team up 14-7 with 9:53 left in the half.

"Those guys were big and strong," Deluca said. "But we never doubted ourselves."

A long Campolindo drive ended in a fumble, Milpitas recovered, but after a couple long runs from super sophomore back Tariq Bracy (19 carries, 81 yards, four catches, 58 yards), Campolindo held and a punt snap was muffed.

Campolindo recovered at the Milpitas 20 and on the next play, Westphal hit Ringquist in the left flat. He raced untouched down the left sideline, to tie the game at 14-14 with 1:33 left in the half. Ringquist proved he wasn't just window dressing at the coin flip.

"We're awfully beat up," Macy said. "But I'm sure we'll patch ourselves together piece-by-piece and find the energy to take on another Division I school. Tonight, we just want to enjoy this a little bit." 

@ La Mirada Matadores (CIF Division 3AA State Bowl Game)
Date; Saturday, December 19, 2015

Game Time: 6:00PM

Game weather: Temperature: 57'F, Wind: SSW 1mph, Weather: Rain

Scoring Info
There were no last-minute heroics for Campolindo on Saturday.

La Mirada made sure of that.

The Matadores stifled the Cougars' normally high-powered offense for a 27-3 victory in the Division III—AA championship at La Mirada High.

The Cougars (14-2), who won the Division III state championship a year ago, were shut out for three quarters after managing only a 22-yard field goal in the first quarter.

The Matadores (13-3) held Campolindo quarterback Jacob Westphal to 93 yards passing on 23 attempts and limited the Cougars to 171 yards of total offense.

The junior quarterback was also intercepted twice, once in the end zone by Elijah Hicks and at the La Mirada 23-yard line by Tevaka Tuioti.

The Cougars also had a hard time slowing down running back Sei-J Lauago, who rushed for 189 yards and three touchdowns on 21 carries.

Lauago scored on a 2-yard run in the second quarter to give the Matadores a 7-3 lead at the half.

La Mirada then received on the second half kickoff and on their first play from scrimmage, Lauago ran through a hole and wove in and out of defenders on his way to a 75-yard touchdown.

Later in the third, a 5-yard scoring run from Lauago capped a 65-yard drive and gave La Mirada a 20-3 lead.

A 3-yard touchdown run from Nick Hernandez in the fourth put the game out of reach for the Cougars, who won last week's Northern California Division title by staying within reach of Milpitas and then winning the contest on a field goal in the final seconds.

The Cougars were never given that opportunity against La Mirada.

Campolindo coach Kevin Macy has been outspoken for weeks about his team, which is small in size and numbers, having to take on larger schools with bigger athletes because of the CIF's new 13-bowl format that focuses on competitive equity over enrollment.

Macy told his players to be proud of their performance and to "not let the CIF beat you.

"The truth is we are an overachieving small school," Macy said. "It's a position our kids should not have to be in."

A steady downpour that started 30 minutes before kickoff and continued for most of the first half.

Campolindo receivers had passes slip through their hands, which is part of the reason Westphal completed just five of 12 passes for 69 yards in the first half.