Central Catholic wears down Bakersfield Christian to win 2013 CIF Division IV title

CARSON, Calif. -- Those dictionaries, they have it all wrong.

They say that bland means "Lacking strong features or characteristics and therefore uninteresting."

Ask anybody who saw Central Catholic (Modesto, Calif.) beat Bakersfield Christian (Calif.) 36-23 Friday at the StubHub Center, and they'll tell you that bland meant solid, tough and prolific. You couldn't find an offensive touchdown for Central Catholic in the box score that didn't have the word bland listed next to it.

We're talking about brothers Montell Bland and Reggie Bland, and they were anything but bland as they led the Raiders to their second state title since the CIF Bowl Games began in 2006.

Montell, just a freshman, led all rushers with 103 yards on 16 carries and older brother Reggie (a senior) carried the rock 17 times for 88 yards. The two were the ringleaders as the Raiders took advantage of some breaks to grab a tiny lead in a tight contest, then put the game away with their trademark punishing ground attack in the second half. That emphasis on physical running ended up being the difference.

"I've been coaching long enough. Early on I got away, tried to do things different. I just said 'Let's go back to what we do. Just run downhill, get the shoulders square and lean on people,' and thank God I did."

The Raiders were missing their star running back Matt Ringer (hurt during the Regional Bowl win) and the Bland brothers more than handled the load, though it took them a while to get their stats to grow. It's no mystery that it coincided with Canepa going back to the team's strength.

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Central Catholic had 81 rushing yards rushing at the half and 34 passing, compared with 237 yards for the Eagles. The reason they were able to get to the halftime break ahead 15-14 was gifts from the Bakersfield Christian offense, which couldn't keep up its torrid start.

The first Raiders score came when Jared Rice recovered a fumble and took it back 22 yards to make it 7-7. Then after the second touchdown by Bakersfield Christian, the Raiders got a 30-yard field goal from Kenny Smart before kicking off and getting a free two points when the Eagles' wayward snap on a punt attempt went out of the back of the end zone, making it 14-12 Eagles.

Smart drilled one more kick in the half, after the Eagles turned the ball over on downs and he connected from 28 yards out to make it 15-14 at the half.

Bakersfield Christian had scored on the game's opening drive, going 80 yards on 10 plays for a score, capped off by a 5-yard pass from Brandon Jones to Hayden Kuchta. They scored one more drive after that, going 80 yards on nine plays and scoring on a 2-yard run from Jones to make it 14-7.

It was the first scoring drive of the second half that set the tone. Montell Bland finished the drive with a highlight-reel carry over the course of 26 yards, breaking at least five tackles and churning his feet, spinning and striving until he got into the end zone. It was a spectacular display from a freshman who was called up halfway through the season.

"I barely remember it. All I remember is going to the 5 and to the pylon, no matter what it takes. I learned it from my brothers and my dad taught me a lot too," said Montell Bland, who watched his older brother Louis play in the 2007 bowl. "I was like 8 so I barely remember, I was in the crowd. I remember that play when (Louis Bland) trucked a guy and took off down the sideline."

That formed a 22-14 lead, and though Eagles kicker Nathan Dejager made a 28-yarder to close the gap, the Raiders offense was too much. Reggie Bland took it in from 3 yards out on the first play of the fourth quarter, and Montell Bland got the next touchdown of the contest when he bruised his way in from 5 yards out with 51 seconds left to make it 36-17.

"This year I felt really comfortable. Watching Louis back then was exciting, I wanted to come play under the lights in front of the peopl and play on TV," Reggie Bland said.

The Eagles capped off their night with a 71-yard scoring pass from Jones to Josh Jackson with 34 seconds left.

Bakersfield Christian coach Jerald Pierucci lamented his team's offensive performance after the first-quarter success faded. The Eagles turned the ball over twice on fumbles, once on an interception and three times on downs.

"I thought what we did, it was self-induced. That wasn't on our offense, it put our defense on the field way too much in the second half," Pierucci said.

The win for the Raiders earned them a spot in the history books, as they became only the third program in state history to win consecutive bowls. De La Salle and St. Bonaventure are the other two.

"When you go back-to-back, you're doin' something," Canepa said.