When experienced junior backup quarterback Shane Blood--subbing in admirably for banged up senior starter Daniel Poncedeleon--punched the ball in from the one-yard line with 1:21 remaining in a hard-fought contest in a storybook high school football setting, it appeared the outcome was a foregone conclusion. Little did anyone know that the game--and its victor--wouldn't be determined for another 30 minutes or so and that the rest of the Matadores' season would be put in serious jeopardy as senior star tight end/linebacker Keith Coty had to be carted off the field following a long medical timeout (an update to follow Saturday).
That's because the Matadores failed on their third kick of the night, an erstwhile extra point that would have given them an insurmountable nine-point advantage.
Despite the reprieve, the Swordsmen were pushed way back into their territory following a touchback and an apparent "frustration" penalty. A sizebable portion from the standing-room only St. Paul side started heading for the exits.
Not so fast.
After an initial first down got St. Paul out of the hole to its 32-yard line with 1:02 remaining, Coty--who has drawn a lot of Division I attention--was suddenly spotted immobilized on the field.
With the long delay, the smaller and beaten down Swordsmen were able to gather their resources and proceeded to drive to La Mirada's 27-yard line, but not before the clock didn't move during a crucial play. The referees did take 10 seconds off the clock but it served as a way for the referees to blow their whistle for a stoppage.
With only nine seconds left, senior quarterback Paul Lopez dropped back and threw a perfect strike into the end zone but his receiver dropped what could have cut the deficit to 15-13 with a potential two-point conversion to follow to possibly tie it. Lopez then connected with a receiver on the game's final play but the completion was a couple yards past the end zone, setting off a wild, exuberant celebration from the Blue-and-Gold side.
Despite controlling the ball for most of the game behind a huge and extremely improved offensive line--the past few years the quarterback would have to run for his life--the Matadores trailed, 7-3, heading into the fourth quarter.
By that time, however, La Mirada was in the midst of a 13-play touchdown drive, capped off by a spectacular lob pass from Blood to 6-2 senior receiver Julian Matta in the left corner of the end zone for a 9-7 lead with 9:43 remaining in the game. It was a gutsy, fourth-and-7 call that just might be looked at five or so years down the road as the definitive play that turned the tide in the La Mirada football program. The extra point was wide left, but the Swordsmen then were stuffed on a second consecutive three-and-out series to force the ball back to their time- and ground-chewing opponents.
A second straight 13-play drive--the Matadores' offense went to the line of scrimmage 73 times in the game to overwhelm St. Paul's 41 attempts--gave La Mirada its final touchdown on Blood's keeper but not before a carbon copy Blood-to-Matta lob that resulted in a pass interference mauling and the ball being spotted at the one. Truth be told, there was a lot of contact the first time around but no call was made as Matta was able to separate himself anyway for a terrific touchdown grab.
Senior runningback Matthew Haltom, who was a star at Glenn his sophomore season, made his varsity debut for La Mirada and dominated both of the long second half drives.
In the first half, the Matadores were cited for nine penalties to St. Paul's zero. With 9:09 remaining in the third quarter, the stripes flagged the Swordsmen for the first time on a fourth-and-five situation at La Mirada's 15-yard-line, arousing a loud Bronx Cheer from the large Matadore faithful. St. Paul still decided to go for it on fourth down only to be called for a second penalty that pushed it further to the 25.
Definitely out of field goal range now, the Swordsmen went for it only to see Lopez be denied on one of four sacks by senior defensive end extraordinaire R.J. Lujan, this one a 12-yard loss.
It didn't take long for the Matadores to announce their physicality with authority, stopping St. Paul after just four opening plays and then lining up at the scrimmage line 20 times to consume almost the entire first quarter. A 25-yard field goal by Joey Passafiume with 28 seconds left in the first quarter made it 3-0.
That inaugural drive of the season didn't come without a price, however. Poncedeleon scrambled beautifully, shifting gears to the right to pick up 10 yards and a first down at the Swordsmen's 13-yard line. But the hit kept Poncedeleon on the ground until the trainers walked him off the field.
Blood came on to feed junior running back Max Gama--who played a huge part in the drive--for a three-yard gain but a dropped pass made it third-and-7 at the St. Paul 10. Following a timeout, Poncedeleon returned to throw an incomplete pass, so La Mirada settled for its only successful placekicking attempt.
Poncedeleon played the remainder of the half in visible pain but was escorted to the locker room without his jersey at the end of intermission. His night was through with an impressive 11 of 12 passing for 121 yards.
A breakdown in special teams put the Matadores into a hole that lasted almost the entire game. After the defense easily stopped St. Paul for a second straight time to start the game, a fake punt screen pass to the right sideline produced a 42-yard gain to set up a first-and-goal at the seven at the 10:25 mark of the first quarter (the tackle to end the fake was highlight reel material, though, as good of hit as you'll ever see as junior Aaryn Bouzos beelined on a 90-degree path and rocked the receiver into neighboring Little Lake).
Three penalties against the Matadores inched St. Paul ever-so-close to the end zone and junior running back Drake Griffin finally cracked it in from two yards out on third down for a 7-3 lead with 8:30 remaining.
