photos by Gary Jones (garyjones@thewinningshot.com)
By Mike Finnerty (mike.finnerty@surewestsports.com)
Playing for a championship, no matter the sport and no matter the level, will bring either the thrill of victory or the agony of defeat, and that was the case in the CIF Division II State football championship played at the Home Depot Center in Carson Saturday.
With the Del Oro Golden Eagles (13-2) leading the Helix Highlanders (13-1) 10-7 with 10:11 left in the second quarter, the Highlanders big play offense took over the game with a 21-point quarter that would spark Helix to a 35-24 victory over Del Oro.
"There as good as we have seen all year, there's no doubt about it," said Del Oro head coach Casey Taylor. "They're just so fast. Every yard was tough tonight. We knew that coming in, but you just don't know until you get out there."
A Skyler Rand 26-yard field goal, and a Bobby Heatherington to Tanner Hubert touchdown pass from two yards out put Del Oro up 10-7 before the Helix offense caught fire through the air. Touchdown passes of 75 and 32 yards, with a two-yard touchdown in between, made it a 28-10 Helix lead at the half and a mountain that would be too high to climb for Del Oro.
The Golden Eagles opened up the second half with an 89-yard drive that was capped off with a Russell Smith seven-yard touchdown run around the left side with 6:25 left in the third, putting Del Oro back in the game down 28-17.
Helix was marching down the field when Brandon Monroe intercepted a pass by Helix quarterback Brandon Lewis (254 yards, three touchdowns), but holding was called on the Del Oro defense which erased the interception. It would be just a matter of a few players before Helix found the end zone on that same drive to make it a 35-17 game heading to the fourth.
"I thought in the second half we had a chance to get back in it, and we just couldn't get back in it," said Taylor. "My guys fought until the last minute. We got a pick that was nullified by a penalty, and that really, really hurt us."
Del Oro got a late touchdown on a blocked punt by Blake Covey where the ball was scooped up and taken into the end zone by Del Oro's Alex Bertrando with less than a minute to play in the game.
All day long Del Oro's offense struggled to run the ball against a very big, and very quick Helix defense. The Golden Eagles' back field of Brandon Monroe and Nick O'Sullivan, which averaged over 100 yards rushing per game, combined for less than 90 total yards on the ground.
Heatherington found some success through the air, which included several roll out passes to Bertrando and Smith.
The Helix offense had 384 total yards of offense, including 110 yards on the ground by Darrion Hancock.
"They are a good football team," said Taylor. "I thought they dominated the line of scrimmage. They did a great job. They are a really good team. They've got great athletes. They really ball-controlled us. They beat us. They were a better team tonight."
After the game, it was that "agony of defeat" that set in for the players as they consoled one another.
For Taylor, the disappointment showed, but there was tremendous pride over a team that won an eighth second championship, second in a row, fought Helix to the very end, and did it with class.
"Our guys are resilient. They would play another quarter if you would let them. They are just a special group, they just never quit. There is not a bad guy in the unit. Just class act guys. Guys you want your kids to be like, they really are," said Taylor.