CARMEL, CA — The Terra Nova football team took what the Carmel defense was going to give it. But ultimately if the Tigers were going to advance to the Central Coast Section Division IV Championship, it was going to come down to the right arm of star quarterback Anthony Gordon.
Gordon didn't disappoint.
The senior set a single-season CCS passing yards record by throwing for 396 yards and five touchdowns to lead eighth-seeded Terra Nova to a 52-49 comeback victory over No. 4 seed Carmel Saturday in a CCS Division IV semifinal at Carmel High.
“He’s the best high school quarterback I’ve seen going back to the 70s,” said Terra Nova coach Tim Adams. “At the high school level, bar none Anthony is the best there is no doubt. When we needed to get a pass or we needed a first down, he completed it and we made the plays.”
On the season Gordon has now thrown for 4,658 yards, breaking the old mark set by Gilroy’s Jamie Jensen who threw for 4,323 yards back in 2007. Gordon has also thrown for 45 touchdowns on the season, well beyond the old season record he jointly held with his uncle Greg Reynolds, who pitched professionally in Japan last season.
Gordon was equally dominant in both halves against Carmel throwing for 197 yards on 8-of-12 passing including three touchdowns in the first and 199 yards on 9-of-12 and two scores in the second.
“At a certain point when the O-line protects me and the running backs fall out right it kind of comes automatic,” said Gordon. “When I have the pressure, I just don’t feel anything.”
Senior running back Dante Campagna played a major role in opening up the passing game as he rushed for 204 yards on 45 carries, including a six-yard touchdown that stretched Terra Nova’s lead to 52-42 with 11:50 left in the game.
“You can’t say enough about Dante,” said Gordon. “He went both ways and he opened up everything for us.”
Terra Nova (6-6) gave the Padres a steady diet of Campagna in the first half — 26 carries for 144 yards — in an attempt to slow down the game. The strategy was only partially successful given the combustible nature of both offenses.
The Padres went into halftime leading Terra Nova 35-29.
Carmel (8-4) started quickly in the second half as Connor Marden rushed for his fourth rushing touchdown of the game to make it 42-29 with 9:08 left in the third quarter, but from then on the momentum swung Terra Nova’s way as the Tigers went onto outscore the Padres 23-7.
“We knew they were going to get a lot of yards -- the goal was to not let them get scores,” said Carmel coach Golden Anderson. “They ran it well, they have a record-setting quarterback and they put up a lot of points.”
After a Joseph Waters interception of Marden, Gordon led the Tigers 92 yards on five plays capped by a Gordon 74-yard touchdown pass to Jordan Genato.
On Carmel’s ensuing possession, the Tigers recorded a safety when the snap sailed over Marden’s head and Marden recovered it in the end zone.
Then TN salted it away when Gordon led the Tigers on a five-play, 65-yard drive capped by a 33-yard touchdown pass from Gordon to Anthony Fretty to make it 45-42 Terra Nova with 1:36 left in the game.
“We never gave up. We've been in games like this before,” said Genato who had a game-high 160 yards receiving on six catches and three touchdowns. “We knew with Dante running so well that the passing game was going to be there there.”
Eric Viana also went over 100 yards receiving for the Tigers as he finished with 109 yards on five catches including a 26-yard TD catch. .
Things got worst for Carmel as on the ensuing offensive possession Waters was able to once again intercept Marden and Terra Nova capitalized on Campagna’s six-yard touchdown run.
“The defense in the second half stepped up and played football,” said Adams. “We got the stops and made the plays when we needed to defensively. We may have given up a ton of points but that’s a great football team -- very well-coached and an outstanding team so we knew we were going to be in a battle.”
Marden rushed for 184 yards and five touchdowns and threw for another touchdown and three interceptions. He finished 21-of-29 for 205 yards.
Keene Burns led the Padres in receiving with 107 yards on 11 catches and running back Covossay Windham rushed for 141 yards and a touchdown on 21 carries.
“It’s tough to see it come to an end,” said Marden, a senior who started for three years as the Padres' quarterback. “The bonds and relationships that were built with these guys will last forever. It’s tough; we could’ve had this one.”
Terra Nova will now meet Monte Vista Christian (10-2) in the title game at 7 p.m. Saturday at Independence High. The Watsonville school upset Pacific Grove (10-2) 21-14 in the other semifinal game.
“We have to treat them like De La Salle,” said Gordon. “They are a great team and we have to come in prepared off of a great week of film and practice this week.”
