El Dorado scrambles to OT victory

PLACENTIA South Hills of Covina gave El Dorado another chance after missing a 27-yard field goal attempt as time expired in the CIF-SS Southwest semifinals on Saturday night at Valencia High.
 

That was all El Dorado needed. The Golden Hawks defense stood strong on the first possession of overtime, as it had the entire game. El Dorado stopped South Hills on three consecutive plays to force the Huskies to attempt a 41-yard field goal. It came up short.
 

Quarterback Kane Wilson, who had thrown three second-half picks, took the Golden Hawks’ first snap in overtime and scambled 25 yards for a touchdown and a 23-17 victory to send them into next week’s championship game.
 

"I had three picks," Wilson said. "I had to just keep my composure, play hard and get through it. Quarterbacks have to have a short memory and I think I did that well. I give it all to my defense. They saved my butt."
 

"That was the first open lane of the night on that play (the touchdown run)."
 

The championship game against Trabuco Hills will be played on Friday night at Orange Coast College.
 

El Dorado (12-1) had a 10-0 lead after the first quarter, but South Hills rallied to take a 17-10 lead on Eric Glaster’s 45-yard interception return with 5:06 remaining in regulation.
 

That’s when Wilson goot his act together. He completed 6 of 6 passes on an 8-play, 75-yard scoring drive. Wilson lofted a pass to the far corner of the end zone and Nolan Sheldon went up and made a diving grab for a 22-yard score to tie it, 17-17, with 1:08 remaining.
 

But the Huskies (10-3) weren’t through. Cameron Deen completed a 12-yard pass to Ify Umodu, then a 37-yarder to Dimitri De La Fuente. A 15-yard penalty moved the ball inside El Dorado’s 10.
 

South Hills lined up for a 27-yarder as time expired, but Michael Scott missed wide right.
 

"I couldn’t even watch," Wilson said of the kick. "I was sitting down, looking at the ground. I couldn’t even watch. I was the most nervous person in the world because if we lost I was going to take it all on my shoulders."
 

Contact the writer: carias@ocregister.com