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Thrilling comeback ends badly for JSerra
BELLFLOWER - JSerra nearly came of age Friday night.
After allowing 24 consecutive points in the game’s first 13 minutes against host St. John Bosco of Bellflower, the young Lions could have rolled over and began making plans for next year’s Trinity League matchup.
Instead, they fought back and made of game of it before ultimately losing to the Braves in overtime, 44-41.
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After the Lions were forced to settle for a 35-yard field on their first possession of OT, St. John Bosco scored on its first play when Darren Walker scampered up the middle for a 25-yard touchdown run, his fifth touchdown of the game.
Trailing by 17 points at the start of the second half, the Lions had rallied to tie the score, 38-38, on a 42-yard field goal by Greg Bucilla with 35 seconds left in regulation.
JSerra sophomore quarterback Nick Robinson finished 25 for 40 passing for 325 yards and two touchdowns.
Junior receiver Casey Eugenio caught nine passes for 150 yards, including a 70-yard reception with 1:38 left in regulation, setting up Bucilla’s tying field goal.
St. John Bosco (3-4, 2-0) scored on its first four possessions to take a 24-0 lead with 10:51 left in the first half.
After another three-and-out by the Lions, it appeared there was little to prevent the Braves from extending their lead.
That thought quickly changed when junior defensive back Dante Pettis intercepted a pass from St.John Bosco quarterback Josh Rosen. Pettis bounced off would-be tacklers and weaved through others on his way to a 50-yard touchdown return.
The Lions (5-2, 0-2) then forced the Braves to punt for the first time in the game, and came right back with an 84-yard TD drive.
Robinson threw completions to Pettis, sophomore Ethan Aguayo and Eugenio, and sophomore running back D.J. Bailey finished off the drive with a 1-yard touchdown run.
The comeback was doused when the Braves scored on a 77-yard touchdown off a screen pass with 1:56 left in the half, but Eugenio intercepted a pass from Rosen on the first possession of the second half, leading to Eugenio’s 12-yard touchdown reception from Robinson.
