By Mitch Stephens
MaxPreps.com
SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Granite Bay football coach Ernie Cooper was a little chippy after his team’s season-ending 22-19 Sac-Joaquin Section Division II playoff loss at Grant Friday night.
And who could blame him?
First his now 9-2 team, ranked second overall in the SJS, had to play the undefeated and top-ranked Pacers (11-0) in the first round. The SJS has a pre-determined league versus league match-ups, so this likely championship game was played right off the bat.
Second, Cooper’s team, ranked 34th in the state overall, didn’t even get a home playoff game.
Third, and most important, the Grizzlies got hosed on at least a couple questionable calls while driving toward a possible game-winning touchdown.
In fact, after a nearly flawless first half by both teams, Granite Bay, which displayed unusual discipline for a high school team throughout, was called for six major penalties in the second half, two critical ones on its final drive that cost it 36 yards.
Does that mean Granite Bay deserved to win more than Grant? No, not at all. Had the Grizzlies scored on their final drive, whose to day Grant wouldn’t have come right back.
Clearly, this was a dead-even match up and afterward Cooper graciously congratulated Grant coach and good friend Mike Alberghini at midfield, then let it all out: “But what happened on this field tonight was an embarrassment.”
Alberghini, who wouldn’t back down from a swarm of hornets, didn’t appreciate the slap and snapped back. “We didn’t get many calls early so it all evens out,” he said.
The two sparred verbally for a short spell and agreed to disagree. Cooper just thought his team deserved to move on.
“We executed and played with every inch of our soul,” he said. “You saw the drive that was going to win the game. Our guys did everything they could. … Hey, I’m happy for Grant. They have a class program and I love Mike to death. I hope he wins it all. But what happened tonight was embarrassing.
“You write what you saw…. I hope you do.”
What we saw were two absolute evenly-matched heavyweights duke it out and score three touchdowns each utilizing contrasting styles.
The Pacers, behind the one-two running punch of elusive junior tailback Devontae Butler (13 carries, 128 yards, two touchdowns) and powerful quarterback Kipeli Koniseti (13-104-1), ripped off big gains and moved down the field swiftly.
Granite Bay, utilizing a brilliantly balanced wing attack, broke off small chunks and then continuously converted third-down plays at an astonishing rate.
The Grizzlies, who got a combined 208 yards on 48 carries from Brad Crisanty, Justin Sutter and Clark Partridge, recorded firsts on its initial 12 third-down situations and when it finally failed, they then converted a 4th-and-1 from its own 20 on the last ill-fated final drive.
It was one of those classic game that one hates to see a loser. Especially with two more rounds left in the playoffs.
“I can’t imagine a harder game to be played this year,” Alberghini said. “I’m extremely happy for our players and I feel a lot of empathy for (Granite Bay). I’ve been on the other side of the fence and lost to great teams and how hard they fought and how much it hurts.”
After the 6-foot-3, 215-pound bull of a quarterback Koniseti gave Grant a 22-19 lead with 3 minutes, 15 seconds left in the third on a determined 16-yard touchdown run, Granite Bay committed the only turnover of the game on a fumble and then held on downs for the first time all night, setting up the Grizzlies’ final drive.
With 9:02 left and starting from its only 11, Granite Bay converted one fourth down and three third-down plays, the most dramatic a 16-yard completion from senior quarterback Teddy Bryant to highly-touted tight end A.J. Herlitz (3 catches, 58 yards) on 3rd-and-13.
That put the ball at the Grant 33 with just under 3:00 remaining.
But on first down Justin Sutter, who earlier scored on a 28-yard run, went around left end for eight yards. Granite Bay, however, was whistled for a 15-yard personal foul because of a late block.
The block was well behind the play, minor in contact and difficult to determine how late considering Sutter was tip-toeing down the line.
Nevertheless, the ball went back to the 40, Granite Bay lost a down (it was considered after the run) and after an incompletion, Bryant threaded the needle on a beautiful 27-yard completion to Ian Rhodes all the way to the Grant 13.
Hold on. A late call came in for a chop block behind the line of scrimmage, pushing the ball back 21 yards from the original line, making it 3rd-and-38 from the Granite Bay 39.
Cooper was beside himself.
After another incompletion and only 2:30 remaining, Cooper made a heady call by having Bryant fire up a long fourth-down Hail Mary pass, figuring one of three things: 1, A miraculous catch (great), a Grant interception which would act like a punt (OK), an incompletion (bad).
Indeed Bryant’s rainbow appeared to be intercepted by Marvin Lamb, who held up the ball at the Grant 15 and celebrated wildly. One referee, however, ruled the ball incomplete, so the Pacers, seemingly duped by the call, actually made out better, taking over at their own 39.
“He intercepted the ball,” Cooper said. “That was a huge play. We had three timeouts and if we hold them, we get the ball back in good field position.”
One big problem with that as it turns out.
Granite Bay, which was the case most of the night, couldn’t hold the Pacers anyway. They ran three plays, the third a 1-yard sneak by Koniseti for the final first down.
Ball game.
“Our passing and dedication to the game won out,” Koniseti said. “I was pretty nervous (on Granite Bay’s final drive) but in the back of my head had faith our defense would get it done.”
Said Grant middle linebacker Jeremiah Toma, the team’s leading tackler: “It was real emotional the second half and especially on that last drive. The only thing I said was, “You want a ring? Then play hard and make a play and we’ll get it done.”
Said Alberghini: “Our defense bent but that’s only because how good their offense was. We have such big hearts and played hard and did it at the end. …As close as the game was, I think the better team won.”
Crisanty, a 6-foot, 190-pound senior tailback, carried 24 times for a team-high 80 yards including a 2-yard TD with 6:43 left in the third to give the Grizzlies their only lead, 19-15.
“I’m done,” said an exhausted Crisanty afterward. “My body has never hurt so bad. We pushed them as hard as we could. We gave our all and then some. All game we thought give it all we got and that we have nothing to lose. We played the best team we’ve played all season. If some calls had gone our way we might have pushed through.”
Grant, winners of five Section championships, pushed through first, zipping quickly down the field, capped by an 11-yard run by Butler, making it 7-0 just 1:13 into the game.
Granite Bay, which lost its first first-round game in 10 years, took its time and tied the game at 7-7 on a Partridge 1-yard run with 2:11 left in the first.
“No regrets,” Partridge said. “We played our (butts) off.”
Once again, the Pacers reacted quickly and this time Butler, a 5-11, 180-pound specimen and sure-first Division I 2010 prospect, scored on a fourth-down 14-yard run.
A key play ensued when holder Davin McCauley had trouble with the snap and ran in a 2-point conversion, making it 15-7 with 9:34 left in the half.
“We showed a lot of mettle,” Alberghini said. “We made plays early otherwise we could have easily fallen behind.”
Once again, Granite Bay answered, this time Sutter scored on a 28-yard run with 5:15 left in the half. The Grizzlies went for two to tie things up, but a run failed, leaving the score 15-13.
“It was really a perfect half for both teams,” Cooper said. “The game was crisp. There were few penalties. Then the game changed the second half. Flags were everywhere.”
The Grizzlies took their first and only lead, marking 64 yards in 12 plays, aided by a third-down pass interference call against Grant.
Crisanty ripped off his longest run of the night, 12 yards, to key the drive, which he finished off with a 2-yard run, making it 19-15 with 6:43 left in the third quarter.
“We just kept executing and executing,” Cooper said. “You saw the best in Granite Bay football tonight.”
The theme for the night was answering, and Grant responded with a 57-yard drive, capped by Koniseti’s 16-yard touchdown on 3rd-and-10 and keyed by a third-down pass interference call against Granite Bay. Grant led 22-19 with 3:15 left in the third.
“Kudos to all my guys but Butler and Koniseti made a lot of big plays tonight,” Alberghini said.
Like he did several times all night, Koniseti took a snap out of shotgun and just looked for a crease and powered his way past the line.
“I told the team in the huddle (before the touchdown), I got you, I got you,” Koniseti said. “I told them we’re going to win, we’re going to win.”
Though the Grizzlies didn't, Cooper said he couldn't have been happier with his team.
“As frustrated as I was (with the refereeing) I’m more proud of my football team,” he said.
This was probably the last major hurdle for Grant to win the Section and be considered for a State Bowl bid. It takes on a 6-5 Woodcreek team next week in the semifinals.
"We can't think about (going to a Bowl)," Toma said. "It's just one game at a time and if we play hard every down we'll get there."
Grant 22, Granite Bay 19
Granite Bay 7 6 6 0 - 19
Grant 7 8 7 0 - 22
First quarter
G – Devontae Butler 11 run (Kipeli Koniseti kick), 10:47
GB — Clark Partridge 1 run (Cameron Brown kick), 2:11
Second quarter
G – Butler 14 run (Darvin McCauley run), 9:34
GB – Justin Sutter 28 run (run failed), 5:15
Third quarter
GB – Brad Crisanty 2 run (pass failed), 6:43
G – Koniseti 16 run (Koniseti kick), 3:15
Team Statistics
Rushes-yards: GB 50-214, G 26-232
Passing: GB 10-17-0-115, G 5-13-0-49.
Total yards: GB 329, G 281
Turnovers: GB 1, G 0.
Individual statistics
Rushing
Granite Bay: Crisanty 24-80, Sutter 9-61, Partridge 15-57, Desjardin 1-10, Bryant 1-6; Grant, Butler 13-128, Koniseti 13-104.
Passing
Granite Bay, Bryant 10-17-0-115; Grant, Koniseti 5-13-0-49.
Receiving
Granite Bay, Nash 5-49, Herlitz 3-58, Sutter 1-11, Desjardin 1-(-3). Grant, McCauley 3-36, Matheny 2-13.
E-mail Mitch Stephens at mstephens@maxpreps.com.
CoachSpeak feature on Grant's Mike Alberghini. Click here.
California recaps and scores. Click here.
