SAN JOSE - The Pacific Grove players chanted "offense, offense" from the sideline, but only Sacred Heart Prep was listening.
Putting up video game-like numbers, SHP defeated Pacific Grove 56-21 Saturday night at Independence High to win the Central Coast Section Division IV title. Running back Andrew Segre had a monster game for the Gators, rushing for 351 yards on 29 carries and scoring six touchdowns.
Asked if he ever imagined such a performance, Segre smiled and said "Maybe in Madden, but not in real life."
Added Segre "Our line was amazing. There were a couple where I didn't get touched at all. It was very impressive. We all played really well today."
Sacred Heart Prep coach Pete Lavorato, whose team won its second consecutive section title and third in four years, said: "This has probably been the most dominant thing I've seen."
The Gators were missing its other running back, Ricky Grau, to a broken hand. Grau suited up, but had a big bandage on the hand and only played defense. Despite his absence on offense, SHP decided to keep the ball on the ground.
"We kept it more simple tonight than in the past," Lavorato said. " I think in the past when we played some teams like Terra Nova you try to get too fancy. But you know what -- just run the offense, so that's what we did."
Boy, did they.
Sacred Heart Prep scored on its first possession on a 57-yard run by Segre, who was just getting warmed up on this frigid night.
Then Ben Burr-Kirven intercepted a pass for the Gators on the Breaker 34. Three plays later, Segre was in the end zone again on a 49-yard run to make it 14-0.
"After our first drive and then after they got the ball and we stopped their big offense, I had a feeling we were going to have a good game," Segre said.
Late in the first quarter, SHP began its third successful foray into P.G. territory. A 44-yard run by Segre put the Gators on the Breaker 15, then Segre covered the distance on his next carry to make it 21-0.
Lavorato said the plan was not to fill the air with footballs against a team that gave up 53 points in its semifinal victory against Carmel.
"We feel like we can run the ball on anybody," Lavorato said. "But No. 1 we wanted to keep the ball away from them. We were very concerned about their offense and you could see they could move the ball. All my coaches said 'Coach, if you don't need to throw the ball, don't throw it.'"
Still down 28-6 with six seconds left in the first half, P.G. hopes flickered when quarterback Luke Lowell somehow completed a 25-yard touchdown pass to Jake Speed on the last play of the half. The Breakers added the two-point conversion and trailed by just 28-14.
But SHP immediately re-established dominance in the second half, going 55 yards on seven running plays to score on Burr-Kirven's 24-yard run. Pacific Grove closed to within 14 points one more time, but could get no closer.
Pacific Grove (11-2) was averaging 47 points per game and scored 77 points in its semifinal victory against Carmel, but found the going considerably tougher against a Gator defense yielding just under eight points per game coming into the game.
Burr-Kirven made several tackles behind the line of scrimmage and had one of three SHP interceptions -- the others gathered in by J.R. Hardy and Andre Robinson. Robinson returned his 58 yards for a score with 10:39 left in the fourth quarter to put SHP ahead 49-21.
A running clock was used in the last few minutes of the game.
Gator QB Mason Randall didn't throw a pass until the fourth quarter, going 2-for-3 for 44 yards. Lowell completed 14-of-22 passes for 145 yards and three touchdowns for P.G. Breaker running back Jason Leach had 16 carries for 95 yards and Speed caught seven passes for 101 yards.
Now Sacred Heart Prep (12-1) will await the results of Sunday's regional bowl selection meeting to see if its season will continue.
"I'd love to have another week with this team," Segre said. "If not, this was a great way to end it."
