Beckman Coach Marcello Giuliano holds the CIF championship plaque as his players celebrate Friday night. (Photos courtesy Mark Bausman, For OC Sports Zone).
It took a little longer than Beckman High School football fans probably hoped.
But the Beckman Patriots and their fans got to celebrate a CIF Division 8 title Friday night following a thrilling 30-24 victory in overtime over Brea Olinda in front of a standing-room-only crowd at Brea Olinda.
To see the slide show, click on the first photo:
PHOTO: Tim Burt, OC Sports Zone
PHOTO: Tim Burt, OC Sports Zone
It’s the first CIF title for the Beckman football program after two previous appearances. Beckman is part of The Tustin Unified School District and located in Irvine. Brea Olinda was trying to bring home its sixth CIF title.
Beckman Coach Marcello Giuliano, coaching in his first CIF title game, praised his players effort after the game. The Patriots will now move on to a Southern California regional bowl game.
“Maybe it will sink in, Giuliano said. “Honestly, I’m more happy that I get to do football this weekend and get to prepare for another game and I get this team for another week, at least. Maybe at the end of the season I will take time to reflect but the three hours that I’m with these guys every afternoon is the best three hours of my day.
“The fact that I get another one of those, I’m just so fired up.”
Patriot running back Makhi Czaykowski scored his third touchdown of the game on a 6-yard run in the first overtime to seal the win for the Patriots after Brea Olinda was held scoreless on its overtime possession.
Beckman (11-3) extended the game into overtime when placekicker Aiden Wemberly kicked a 25-yard field goal with two seconds left in regulation. Holder Tyson Le, a junior, made it all possible when he hauled in a high snap and placed it properly for Wemberly.
Brea Olinda (10-4) took a 24-21 lead with 2:35 left in regulation when Colby Thurman kicked a 25-yard field goal with 2:30 left.
The Wildcats got the first chance to score in the overtime, but Thurman’s 44-yard field goal hit the crossbar and bounced forward.
Shortly after that, Czaykowski (115 yards on 10 carries total) and his teammates were celebrating with the TD in overtime.
“It was kind of a fullback reverse play,” Czaykowski said. “I broke a couple tackles, it was really just great blocking but let’s talk about the entire night. They were a really well coached team, they were very strong, very physical, our linemen is what set the stage for most of the night and then we had some huge passing plays, huge running plays and it was really just an amazing all-around night.
“I don’t even know how I’m feeling right now. To me, it’s just another away game, to everybody else it’s the first championship game. I’ve only been here for four years and it’s really just the team executing extremely well.”
“He’s huge, he’s a phenomenal player,” Giuliano said. “He makes plays but then he also opens up plays for other guys as well. I thought they had a really good plan to hone in on Makhi and contain him, which I think they did. But when it mattered he made plays.”
Beckman quarterback Noah Nam also had a big game, passing for 134 yards and rushing for 45 yards. He had a big 16-yard run in the overtime to help set up the game-winning score.
“It just means the world to us, starting off this year, the coaches believing in us and the teammates believing in one another,” Nam said. “This means so much to come this far and finish it off.
“We knew we had a few overtime plays waiting for us in the back of our pocket and we pulled it out and executed it well. I couldn’t ask for a better team or a better way to end it.”
Brea Olinda quarterback Gavyn Nicholson played his heart out, passing for 155 yards and rushing for 95 yards. He scored on two touchdown runs, including a 23-yard TD run early in the fourth quarter to tie the game 21-21.
Running back Kolotulu Liti rushed for 133 yards and a touchdown for the Wildcats.
“What a great game,” said Brea Olinda Coach Justin Villasenor. “Each side made their plays. Hats off to Beckman, they’re a tough team and they kept at it. I couldn’t be more proud of my guys, they fought until the very end literally, going into overtime.
“It’s hard now to reflect on the year but it was a great year, we just came up a little short.”
Villasenor praised the efforts of Nicholson and Liti.
“They’re the heart and soul of the offense and makes us go,” he said. “They’re tough guys, they make plays for us, same thing with our offensive line, they just made a couple more than us, that’s kind of how football goes.”
Brea Olinda led 7-0 after Nicholson’s 5-yard TD run in the first quarter following an interception by Troy LaGraffe but Beckman tied the game 7-7 when Nam connected with Julian Rosa on a 17-yard TD pass in the second quarter. Czaykowski scored on a 38-yard TD run that put the Patriots ahead 14-7 at halftime.
Beckman’s coach praised the effort of Brea Olinda.
“They’re a terrific team,” Giuliano said. “They’re big and physical and really well prepared, I just think they had really good plans on both sides of the ball and everyone was making plays when it mattered. We got to make one or two more plays.”
That included a special play by Le, the special teams player who held on the game-tying field goal.
“There’s a guy who is almost exclusively on special teams and he comes in and makes the biggest play of the night to get the ball on the tee,” Giuliano said. “And Aiden has been a terrific kicker all year long but that kick doesn’t happen without Tyson so it’s one of those things where, is he the MVP?, nobody knows.”
For video highlights, interview go to X
—Tim Burt, OC Sports Zone; timburt@ocsportszone.com
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