Uni players (from left) Charlie Carmichael, Vitor Campos, Henry De Assis, Marco Pablo Tirado, DeAndre Miller (who sat out the second half after an injury), Dylan Elmer and Moises Keith-Chavez after Friday’s win. (Photo courtesy Daryl Bogard, For OC Sports Zone).
University’s football team came from behind on the road to top Montebello 24-13 in the CIF Division 13 quarterfinals Friday night.
The win, on a rainy night, enabled the Trojans to reach the semifinals for the only time since 1991.
University (8-4), winners of their last seven games, has another road game next week, visiting Hacienda Heights Wilson (7-5) in the semifinals on Friday. Hacienda Heights Wilson defeated Rialto 35-33 Friday night.
Uni opened the scoring on a 33-yard Trevor Pattock field goal half way through the first quarter. Each team was stopped on their next possession.
The next time Montebello had the ball it was thwarted near midfield on a fake punt. University then drove the ball 61 yards on six plays culminating in a DeAndre Miller 3-yard touchdown run, increasing the lead to 10-0.
The Oilers (5-7) countered with a 10-play, 85-yard drive with Senior captain Donovan Murillo scoring on a six-yard run to cut the deficit to 10-6 as the extra point snap was fumbled.
Montebello got the ball to start the second half and marched 65 yards down the field in seven plays to go up 13-10, with Murillo scoring again. The running back had 22 carries for 148 yards on the ground and had 241 all-purpose yards.
After the two teams traded drives ending in punts, University went ahead for good early in the fourth quarter on a 55-yard Dylan Elmer to Moises Keith-Chavez touchdown pass, out-jumping two defenders in the process.
The senior captain had five catches for 115 yards. Keith-Chavez is having a banner year re-writing the Trojan single season receiving record book with 55 catches for 1,263 yards and 16 touchdown receptions.
Montebello appeared poised to go ahead when Charlie Carmichael quelled the Oiler drive with his fourth interception of the year. The game still wasn’t over.
As the rain started to subside, Uni, facing a fourth and three at the Monticello 40-yard line, put the game away on a 40-yard touchdown pass from Elmer to tight end Vitor Campos. Elmer was 9 for 20 for 175 yards. The senior pivot now has 28 touchdown passes this season and 51 for his career, both Trojan records.
The win was an historic achievement for the University program. Coach Vince Mesa achieved his 25th win as head coach with the program and has been truly pleased with the team’s commitment to conditioning, practice and the team concept.
—Courtesy Daryl Bogard, For OC Sports Zone
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