The King's Academy and Terra Nova redefined what it means to go “down to the wire” in the Knights' tight 14-13 win that crowned them CCS Division III champions.
Terra Nova scored a touchdown with 30 seconds left in the game and lined up for the two-point try, but a rush by Jalen Camp was stopped by the Knights and they effectively ended the game after recovering the onside kick.
Noah Short, who sat out the last time these two teams played due to an injury, helped lead the Knights with over 100 rushing yards and a touchdown, along with a 61-yard punt return touchdown.
The Knights defense held up strong, holding the Tigers’ Camp to 66 rushing yards when he’d been averaging over 150 yards per game throughout the season.
“In cold, rainy games it’s tough and you have to keep pounding, and our o-line and everybody just kept pounding. Our coach had great faith in and it was a great win for everybody,” Short said.
After a scoreless first quarter, the Knights quickly found themselves breaking the game open on a 9-yard touchdown rush by Short.
The Tigers run game continued to be stymied by the Knight’s defensive front, and they were never able to fully establish it.
“I think that beating a team two times in the same year is difficult, and especially since it was no secret that we were going to run the ball, and they packed it in and stopped us for the most part. They stopped us on the last play which was the play that mattered most,” said Terra Nova head coach Jason Piccolotti.
Short then once again made his presence known when he took a punt back 61 yards to put his team up 14-0 with just under 5 minutes to go in the half.
“Short is unbelievable, he’s one of the best football players I’ve ever coached, and without him we don’t win. He’s fast, he’s strong, and he’s tough, and he’s smart: he’s got everything. He’s a football player’s football player,” said TKA coach Pete Lavorato.
The Tigers came right back, though, and just before the half they put the score at 14-7 on a 26-yard touchdown catch by Mateo Jimenez.
The second half saw back and forth possessions ending in naught until The King's Academy faced a scare when they muffed a punt that the Tigers recovered at the 20, but the defense stayed resilient and forced a turnover on fourth down.
“We just hung in there, our defense was outstanding tonight,” Lavorato said.
The past trends continued until a turn of events once again seemed to work in Terra Nova's favor when the Knights’ punter botched the snap and was tackled for a loss, giving the Tigers great field position.
Quarterback Raphael Bendo marched the offense down the field and ran the ball into the end zone on a QB sneak to get the Tigers down one with 30 seconds left to play. The PAT was where things got interesting.
The Tigers wasted too much time celebrating the touchdown and when they lined up for the two-point try, a delay of game penalty pushed them back five yards. Terra Nova then looked like it was going to kick the extra point, but a penalty on the Knights pushed them forward, and when they tried for two again another penalty pushed them even closer.
The Tigers were then certain about their choice and Bendo handed the ball off to Camp, who was stuffed at the goal line by the TKA defense, and kept the Tigers down 14-13 with little time left.
“At that point, we were one yard away from the end zone, so I figured let’s just go for it and see if we can get a win and get out of there. Unfortunately, it didn’t turn out that way and now we’re second place,” Piccolotti said.
Terra Nova's last-ditch onside kick attempt was recovered by the Knights, and they knelt down to end the game, and crowned themselves as champions of California Coastal Section Division III.
“It feels great, winning back-to-back years is always something special. I’m so proud of my teammates tonight, it was a great game,” Short said.
The King’s Academy championship win is their second straight, as they defeated Carmel 41-14 in the Division V championship a year ago.
