CARSON, CA - The game most of the statewide prep football experts had agreed on for an outcome turned out pretty much as expected.
NorCal champion Central Catholic-Modesto (12-3) controlled things from the outset. The Raiders bolted out to a 21-point second quarter lead and were never threatened in a 31-19 victory over St. Margaret's-San Juan Capistrano at the StubHub Center that wasn't as close as the final score indicates. St. Margaret's scored twice in the waning moments - including on the final play of the game - to make the game appear closer than it was.
Central Catholic’s 6-foot-3, 225-pound quarterback Hunter Petlansky passed for 168 yards and two touchdowns and ran for 54 yards and a third score. His favorite target Jared Rice had both of the TD receptions and finished with six catches for 73 yards receiving.
Rice also had a superb game on defense. The 6-foot-5, 215-pound senior had two interceptions, a sack, a tackle for loss, and a team-leading seven tackles.
“St. Margaret’s had played some good teams so we knew we had to jump on them early,” Rice said.
Central Catholic also got a rushing touchdown from Montell Bland and a 32-yard field goal from Bryce Wade.
After deferring on the opening kickoff, Central Catholic held St. Margaret's three-and-out and got the ball following a punt on the St. Margaret's 32-yard line. From there, the Raiders went 68 yards in 11 plays culminating in a 1-yard plunge by Petlansky that gave Central Catholic a 7-0 lead it would never relinquish.
“It was our defense that set the tone tonight," Petlansky said. "We followed their lead."
Factoring in the sacks and tackles for loss, the Central Catholic defense gave up a paltry eight yards rushing on 14 carries.
St. Margaret’s quarterback George Krantz passed for 260 yards and two touchdowns, but 103 yards came in the fourth quarter after the game had long been decided, and both TD passes came in the final 14.3 seconds of the contest.
Small school Central Catholic came into the game with three losses, but two of the three came against Sierra-Manteca (17-14 on the road) and CIF D2 NorCal Bowl game runner-up Oakdale (48-28 on the road) in the large school Valley Oak League that Central Catholic joined again this season after a long hiatus. The third defeat came in a close 18-13 home loss to a St. Mary’s-Stockton team that made it to the CIF Sac-Joaquin Section Division I title game.
Petlansky is now only the second quarterback other than Bart Houston of De La Salle-Concord to win more than one Bowl game and also do it in consecutive seasons. Houston quarterbacked the 2009, 2010 and 2011 Spartans to three straight CIF Open Division championships.
With the loss, St. Margaret’s (15-1) is now 1-1 in Bowl game appearances after a 2008 Division IV Bowl game victory over Hamilton Union-Hamilton City.
For Central Catholic head coach Roger Canepa, the personal achievement is overshadowed by what the victory means for the team, the school and the community.
“I never got into coaching for me or for people to say I won three bowl games," Canepa said. "The truth is I’m more proud of the kids, my assistant coaches and the program. We work hard and good things happen."
The victory gives Central Catholic a three-peat in Division IV with only the four straight Open Division bowl game titles of De La Salle a greater benchmark. They are also now 3-1 in bowl games after losing the Division III title in 2007 to St. Bonaventure-Ventura.
“To win three straight and be mentioned with De La Salle is a huge accomplishment for the school and our community,” said Canepa. “People can say what they want about the little town of Modesto but we can play some pretty darn good football.”
