Hanging tough! Central powers past Sierra Canyon for CIF 1-AA state championship
All season long, the Central High football team emphasized winning a state championship.
Friday night, the Grizzlies got it done.
Central beat Sierra Canyon-Chatsworth 34-19 for the California Interscholastic Federation Division 1-AA state championship at Cerritos College.
“We didn’t come this far to come this far,” Grizzlies receiver Jeremiah Hunter said. “We got to prove to everybody that Fresno has the talent and that we can do it for ourselves.”
It is the first state title in Central’s history, an amazing run capped by a 15-0 record this year in coach Kyle Biggs’ fourth season.
Central, which has a 51-5 record under Biggs, won three three straight Central Section championships.
But in the Grizzlies’ quest to make a mark at the state level, they also suffered back-to-back losses in the NorCal regional championship.
Path to state championship
And that pain from the past two seasons stayed on some players’ minds going into Friday.
“The work these kids put in and the pain they felt, they kind of use that as motivation,” Biggs said. “They were a determined group. They wanted to win a state championship.”
After Je’kob Jones ran in the clinching touchdown with 1:04 left, Biggs shared a long hug on the sideline with his dad Bill Biggs, who is Central’s offensive line coach.
The Grizzlies’ perfect season was completed, which included playoff victories against Central Section opponents Ridgeview, Bullard and Buchanan by a combined score of 119-38.
Then, the Grizzlies edged Oak Ridge-El Dorado Hills 38-32 in the CIF Northern California Regional.
Central takes control
Central took a 13-6 lead into halftime, highlighting two critical themes:
▪ Silva and the Grizzlies receivers were in sync in the spread offense, often taking advantage of one-on-one matchups and bllitzes. Silva finished 21 of 39 for 353 yards passing and three touchdowns, including a 34-yarder to Xavier Worthy and a 65-yarder to Cal commit Hunter (on a screen pass) in the first half. Hunter finished with seven catches for 120 yards.
▪ The Central defense, anchored by 6-foot-4, 320-pound Cal commit Ricky Correia, was more than a match for a Sierra Canyon offense averaging 28 points per game. Correia and Isa Watson each had a sack.
Sierra Canyon (14-2) got within 13-12 on JD Sumlin’s 72-yard touchdown run one play after an interception early in the third quarter.
But Central answered with a snappy drive including a 50-yard catch-and-run by Quali Conley. Anazjae Simpson made an acrobatic catch to push the Grizzlies to the 5, then plucked Silva’s pass inches away from the end-zone turf for a touchdown.
Simpson also showcased his hands later in the game when he recovered an onside kick.
Another Silva touch pass, to Manuel Oliver-Davis, set up Jones’ 1-yard touchdown run, and Central appeared to have a strong hold on the title.
Sierra Canyon fights back
But Sierra Canyon answered with a 93-yard touchdown drive to get within 26-19 early in the fourth quarter, then really made things interesting when the Trailblazers forced Central to punt.
But Grizzlies punter Ruben Rubio came through in the clutch, placing a second straight punt inside the 10-yard line – this time marked at Sierra Canyon’s 3-yard line.
On first down, Central’s Jones applied pressure on Sierra Canyon quarterback Chayden Peery in the end zone.
And the 6-foot-3, 215-pound Peery panicked, throwing long but with no receivers in the vicinity.
It resulted in a safety that put Central ahead 28-19 with less than 2 minutes remaining and essentially sealed the game. Jones put the icing on it, busting through the line trying to get a game-clinching first down and rumbling 27 yards to the touchdown.
History
Central joins Bakersfield (Division I, 2013), Washington Union (Division III, 2011), Hanford (Division 4-AA, 2015) and Strathmore (Division 6-AA, 2017) to win state titles from the Central Section in the Modern Era (since the CIF began playing state championship games).
“It was tough,” Silva said of the night. “Everybody was there and working hard.
“This group of guys is special. We had that drive in us all year.”
Added Biggs: “I’m real happy for these kids. And I’m excited for them to be able to cherish this moment for the rest of their lives.”
Anthony Galaviz: 559-441-6042, agalaviz_TheBee
This story was originally published December 13, 2019 at 11:17 PM.
