Sunny Hills coach Pete Karavedas meets with his players after a game this season. (Photo courtesy Jim McCormack, For OC Sports Zone)
Hours after his team had been beaten by host Bakersfield Christian in a Southern California Division 3-A regional football game 42-21 Sunny Hills Coach Pete Karavedas had already moved back into his favorite roles.
“We got up this morning, went out to breakfast and bought a tree,” he said. “We’re putting up Christmas lights. I’m back to being a dad and a husband. I feel great.”
After playing efficient and purposeful football through four Division 8 victories, the Lancers weren’t quite the same Saturday night against a talented Bakersfield Christian team that had needed three playoff wins to secure the CIF Central Division 3 title.
“Credit Bakersfield Christian,” said Karavedas. “They’re a really good football team, really good players, well coached and they outplayed us.”
In their Southern Section victories the Lancers had always managed to stay close to their opponents, emerging with fourth-quarter victories. Saturday night Bakersfield Christian (12-2) bolted to an early 28-7 lead that Sunny Hills trimmed to 14 at the half.
Then came a pivotal third-quarter. The Lancers’ fastest player, Brandon Roberts, who had not practiced the past week because of a sore ankle, intercepted an Eagle pass in the end zone and took it past midfield before being tackled from behind.
“Nobody catches Brandon Roberts,” said Karavedas, “but they did.”
That lead to a missed 41-yard field goal and the score remained 28-14. Sunny Hills again stopped the Eagles, but the Lancers could do nothing with the opportunity and punted early in the fourth quarter. Under a strong rush, the kick hit a Lancer blocker in the back and was returned for a touchdown by the Eagles’ Ben Yurosek, a Stanford commit as a tight end/defensive end. Yurosek also caught a TD pass and recorded 2.5 sacks.
Sunny Hills’ scoring came on a 1-yard run by Jun Ahn, his 27 rushing TD of the year, 30th over-all, and two Luke Duxbury to Wilson Cal TD passes. David Harris led the Lancers with 84 yards rushing.
“You hate to end the season on a loss,” Karavedas admitted. “But three CIF champions play in the playoffs, and three of them are going to end the season with a loss.”
And even though the Lancers achieved their preseason goal … “play 14 games and win the 14th (a 24-21 win over Santa Barbara in the Division 8 final), there was disappointment in Saturday’s unsatisfactory end to their season.
“After the game there were some tears and some anger,” Karavedas said. “But that didn’t last long. On the bus back home the kids were enjoying being together for a last time.
“I’m proud of the program, the team, the kids and how the community supported us.”
It may take a little time, but, ultimately, the accomplishments of the 2019 season will far outweigh the disappointment of Saturday night.
In this season the Lancers recorded their first CIF playoff win since 1996 and their first CIF title since 1992. The three-year varsity seniors on the team finished their careers with a 28-9 record and won the Battle for the City (beating Troy and Fullerton) for the third consecutive year.
Bakersfield Christian will play at Rohnert Park-Rancho Cotate this week for the State Division 3-A title.
–Courtesy Jim McCormack for, OC Sports Zone
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