The contest between Valley Christian and Archbishop Mitty stood tied with 27 seconds left as Mitty quarterback Wyatt Hansen dropped back to pass. With key Warrior defensive players Jesse Osuna and Ryan Severson out due to ankle injuries, Hansen was able to find his tight end Jason Sutton open near the end zone and the senior made the catch and carried the ball in to win the game for the Monarchs, 49-42.
"That was a huge statement game for us,” said Hansen, “especially after losing our first two league games to Bellarmine and Serra.”
The Monarchs (5-2, 2-2 in the WCAL) emerged from their den ready to play, building a 28-7 halftime lead. Hansen found receiver Andrew Scott wide open in the end zone for the Monarchs first touchdown of the night. The Monarchs continued to march down the field with the ball in the hands of ample junior running back Chandler Ramirez. Hansen finished off the touchdown for the Monarchs from one yard out to make it 14-0.
The Warriors (3-4, 1-3) struggled to execute their offense and this time Ramirez was able to power through the Warrior defense and into the end zone, extending the Monarchs' lead to 21-0 in the first quarter.
Valley Christian gained some confidence back as quarterback Jay MacIntyre threw a short pass to Severson, who burst through the middle of the field into the end zone to put the Warriors on the board, but the Monarchs responded right away with a 48-yard completion from Hansen to senior receiver Jacob Wesson. The Monarchs finished off the drive and the half with Hansen’s quick pass to Scott in the end zone, making it 28-7, Mitty.
Not just a new half, but a new team appeared after the break, as the Warriors scored immediately on an 80-yard run by sophomore running back Kirk Johnson to cut the deficit to 28-14.
“We knew we were not out of the game,” said Severson. “We came out fired up and when you score so quickly the other team slows down and we kept moving forward."
The Warrior defense stepped on the field under the leadership of Osuna, the middle linebacker, and with determination in their stance, the Warriors held the Monarchs to punt.
On the next Valley Christian possession, MacIntyre located the holes and took it up the sideline for another electrifying 71-yard Warrior touchdown to make it 28-21.
With the Monarchs unable to regain composure on offense, the Warrior defense remained stout and linebacker Danny Ginther’s forced fumble put the Warriors back on offense. The speed of Johnson and Severson proved to be a challenge for Monarch defense as both backs put up an additional two touchdowns on runs of 49 and 47 yards, respectively, as the Warriors took the lead 35-28, still in the third quarter.
Osuna, all over the field on defense, was caught up in a tackle and had to come out for the rest of the game due to an ankle injury. He finished the game with a total of 15 tackles.
Severson had to come out in the last two minutes of the fourth quarter as he struggled to stand up after recovering under a pack of Monarchs. Severson finised with a total of 14 tackles and 173 yards on offense.
“Osuna and Ryan those are big,” said Valley Christian coach Mike Machado. “Those are the players at the end of the game that you need on the field, but we gave guys the opportunity to step up and make plays.”
It was a huge victory for the Monarchs and a commendable battle by the Warriors.
“I think it gives our team the confidence that we can take in week by week,” said Mitty coach Matt Haniger. “We still have a shot at doing well and hopefully in the end, getting in the open division playoffs; that would be huge, but were taking it one week at a time and not overlooking Sacred Heart, St. Francis, or SI.”
