SAN JOSE – After a 10-yard touchdown run in overtime on second-and-goal by San Jose High’s Kyle Alves, the Bulldogs called timeout then elected to go for a two-point conversion and the win, just as they have done all season.
Quarterback Mason Del Rio handed the ball off to Alves to punch it in, but he came up short of the goal line, giving the Lincoln Lions the 29-28 victory and their 17th straight win in the 72nd edition of the Big Bone game Thanksgiving Day at San Jose City College.
Trailing 22-14 with 1:36 to play, Lincoln set up shop at the 38-yard line, and quarterback Robert Zamora got to work. He first found sophomore Aldin Besirevic for a 24-yard gain down the right side, then found Besirevic again down the left side for a 20-yard touchdown in which Besirevic broke tackles and snuck the ball across the plane and in to the end zone. Zamora connected with his favorite receiver a final time on the two-point conversion to tie the game at 22 with 24 seconds to play.
“The touchdown (catch), I don’t know what to say, I just pumped my feet really hard,” said Besirevic, who caught five passes for 55 yards and the game-tying score. “That was the first time I pumped my feet that hard to get out of a tackle. Right when I got the touchdown my heart stopped. I was really happy.”
San Jose took a knee following the ensuing kickoff and sent the game to overtime. Regio Herrera scored from two yards out on the third play of overtime, and Besirevic, who also manages kicking duties, sent the point after through the uprights with ease, which ended up being the difference in the game.
“I’m a sophomore right now. I know the seniors right now, they’re just really happy they were able to win, and I’m glad I was able to help them get their last win of the season, and I just want them to stay happy,” said Besirevic.
Although Alves came up short for San Jose in the end, the senior back was key for the Bulldogs, accounting for all four SJ touchdowns and 153 yards rushing on 29 carries.
His first score came early in the second quarter on a one-yard touchdown run, and after a successful two-point conversion, San Jose led Lincoln 8-7. According to some folks in the press box, it had been a very long time since they had seen the Bulldogs with a lead in the Big Bone game, and SJ fans were jubilant.
The momentum stayed high for the fans wearing red when senior Ignacio Ramirez picked off Zamora’s pass on the first play of the next drive, returning the interception nearly 40 yards to the 3-yard line before being pushed out of bounds. Alves strolled in to the end zone on the next play, and after another successful two-point conversion, San Jose was up 16-7, the eventual halftime lead.
Lincoln cut the lead to two points late in the third quarter when fullback Alex Martinez exploded up the middle for a 66-yard touchdown to make the score 16-14. A 16-yard touchdown run by Alves put San Jose up 22-14 late in the fourth, but a failed two-point conversion set up the game tying drive for the Lions, and led to the eventual victory. With no timeouts and no chance to get the ball back, the Lions intentionally allowed San Jose to score in order to have a shot at the comeback. The strategy worked out.
“Our kids, they played so hard. I’m so proud of my group,” said first-year Bulldogs coach Dave Ashkinaz, whose philosophy is to always go for two points following a touchdown. “This is my first Bone Game, and I’m just so proud of my kids. I’ve had them for four months, and for them to come this close... I’m just so proud of them.”
San Jose finishes the season 1-8 with a 1-6 record in the Blossom Valley–Santa Teresa, while Lincoln finishes up 4-6 (3-4).
“It’s just how our team is,” said Lincoln coach Kevin Collins. “They never gave up, they never give up. I’m at a loss of words right now. I’m excited for them. I’m happy with this win.”
