Serra edges De La Salle, rallying from 14 down in final quarter

Harmony — With his team trailing by two touchdowns right after a few quarters Friday evening on the street from De La Salle, Serra coach Patrick Walsh gathered his gamers on the sideline.

He explained to them to retain competing. He designed positive they understood the activity wasn’t over. He reminded them that the wind would be in their favor in excess of the closing 12 minutes.

The Padres went on a generate that appeared to past an eternity to slash the margin to 7. They pressured a punt and went on one more touchdown march to even the rating.

They intercepted a move — courtesy of De La Salle transfer Marley Alapati — in the waning minutes to give themselves a brief area.

Then Dylan Joudieh kicked a 20-garden discipline goal with two seconds on the clock to complete the gorgeous comeback.

Serra became the 3rd Northern California heavyweight in fewer than a calendar year to beat De La Salle, prevailing 24-21 just before a packed house and nationally-televised audience.

Is it a changing of the guard? De La Salle, after all, hadn’t missing to a regional opponent in 30 decades until eventually St. Francis conquer the Spartans previous yr.

They have experienced property losses to Folsom and now Serra considering the fact that then.

“I am not going there,” mentioned Walsh, a De La Salle star working again in the early 1990s who was -10 against his alma mater as Serra’s coach. “I am unquestionably not heading there. We’ll possibly enjoy them once again this year. I am not heading to say nearly anything that will undercut the greatness that De La Salle is.

“It was a transformational expertise for me. My mom and my dad despatched me here. It was the greatest thing I at any time did in my lifestyle. I have nothing at all but really like. I am form of torn. I said it this week. I loathe enjoying this sport. I never like it.”

What Walsh liked was how his quarterback, Maealiuaki Smith, responded after getting a vicious hit from Notre Dame-sure Cooper Flanagan in the 3rd quarter.

With Serra trailing 21-7, Smith led an 80-yard,16-enjoy travel that provided two fourth-down conversions. He scrambled to preserve plays alive and showed off a cannon in his suitable arm on a lot of passes, like the 3-yard strike to Joey Villaroman in entrance of the remaining pylon for the touchdown.

“I just obtained to get again in and direct my group to a acquire,” Smith claimed. “My O-line did a terrific occupation. My receivers bought open.”

The defensive tone was established on the first perform from scrimmage as Alapati recovered a fumble at the De La Salle 18.

Four snaps later on, on the 3rd-and-purpose from the 17, Maealiuaki Smith related with Jayden Weber in excess of the center and the speedy receiver weaved his way throughout the objective line for a 7- lead.

De La Salle answered on its up coming series, grinding out an 80-lawn push that involved two crucial defensive holding penalties that keeps the travel alive and place the residence group on the doorstep of the close zone.

Carson Su’esu’e scored on a quarterback sneak from the 1 to even the rating 7-7.

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