NORWALK The perfect ending to the dream season that Cypress wanted last season, finally became a reality Friday night

The Centurions (10-3) were forced to play from behind seemingly from the outset of their CIF-SS Southern Division championship game against Pacifica on Friday night at Cerritos College.

However, in the end, Cypress was able to walk away as champions, winning, 36-30. …Barely.

“Usually at this time of the dream, I wake up,” an emotional Cypress coach Ray Fenton said.

Pacifica (10-3) marched the ball down to the Cypress 2-yard line with 51 seconds remaining in the game.

Pacifica faced a third-and-goal from the 1, but was called for a false start to move the ball back to the 6. Quarterback Raymond Huizar was forced to spike the ball to set up fourth down.
“When the kids came over before the last time, I told this is where we live,” Fenton said. “All year long, we have been up against the wall. When bad things happen to us, somehow, someway, we figure out a way to get out of it.”

On the next play, Huizar scramble out to his right and before he could get to the goal line, he was swarmed by a host of Centurions to end the game.

“This is like a dream come true,” Cypress quarterback Mike Vanderipe said. “This is like winning the Super Bowl.”

The first half of the game proved to be anything but a dream to Cypress. Pacifica started fast, scoring touchdowns on plays of 61, 60 and 33 yards.

Pacifica led 24-7 at halftime, but the second half was a different story.

Cypress finally passed Pacifica on the scoreboard thanks to an 85-yard fumble return for a touchdown by Ryan Saumur. After the successful two-point conversion, Cypress led, 36-30.

“They came out on offense (in the second half) and shoved it down our throats,” Pacifica coach Guy Gardner said. “We had a tough time with that; they went right after us.”

Spencer Wilhelm caused Pacifica quarterback Huizar to fumble on a 2nd-and-goal from the 7-yard line. Saumur was on the spot.

Saumur scored four touchdowns in the game and finished with 146 yards of total offense, but it was his fumble return for a score that will haunt the Mariners.

Huizar completed 18 of 24 passes for 340 yards. Josh Brannon rushed for 181 yards for the Mariners.

“If I had to do over again, the play where we fumbled and the guy goes for 300 yards for a touchdown maybe we run the ball instead of play action, but that’s our game,” Gardner said. “Anytime you’re up by 17 and you lose the game, you re going to feel like you gave it away.”

The game followed the same scenario as the first meeting did this season. Pacifica led by double digits in an Empire League game. Cypress got to within one point but failed to convert a two-point conversion that would have given them the lead.

Unlike that meeting, Friday night Cypress finally got the defensive stop it needed and the converted the two-point conversion.

“We never quit,” Vanderipe said. “It was just a great game.”

Contact the writer: dcalhoun@ocregister.com