by Pat Lynch, '59

Whew!! Serra's nine point lead shriveled to two with 51 seconds left on the clock. Chaminade appeared to pull off the perfect on-sides kick. The Eagles were within field goal range right there.

But in one of the few favors an official has ever done for the Cavaliers, the line judge ruled that the ball was touched at nine yards, twenty four inches. Serra was awarded the ball at its own thirty-five with 51 seconds to play. Whew!

Wow!! Serra, aced out of the League championship by the self-same Chaminade Eagles, is CIF Champion for the third time in the last four years. Wow!

All-in-all: Friday night's Serra-Chaminade game was one of the two or three best-played, most exciting in Serra's history. It was right up there with Serra's CIF win over Oaks Christian in 2009, or that sweet first victory against Mount Carmel in 1960. The game was close, exciting, and generally well-played from the opening kick-off to that outstanding on-side kick with 58 seconds left. Chaminade was good and relentless, and it should be mentioned supported by a big, loud away-game crowd as big as Serra's.

The game started at 8:00, delayed as was much of the game for television. Serra kicked to the Eagles. Three and out, back to Serra. Three and out, back to Chaminade. Three and out, back to Serra. Three and out, back to ...no! Not this time. Adoreé Jackson, back to punt, decides to run; and it's a Cavalier-special spinning, tackle-shedding 43-yard beauty for a touchdown which made TV replay Sunday night on the Roggin-Papadakis show. . Point after good: 7-0; 6:32 remaining in the first quarter.

No time to relax. Chaminade takes Serra's short kick and scores in nine plays, ending with a break-away run over Serra's right side by Terrell Newby. Point after good. 7-7 with 3:38 remaining in the first.

The Cavs took Chaminade's second kickoff from its own 37 to the Chaminade 15 in seven plays, then, they were cursed with the insidious holding call. They couldn't get it going again so they had to settle for a field goal. The kick from the 24 fell short. Game tied at seven with 1:28 remaining.

Chaminade took over at its own twenty; couldn't move. The quarter ended with a Chaminade punt daringly fielded at the Serra 47.

Serra couldn't manage a first; Jalen Green was dropped two feet short on a fourth down try. Chaminade took over on downs at its own 45. On Chaminade's first play, Dwight Williams intercepted Eagle QB Reggie Reed's short pass, cut to his left, and ran away from the Eagle pursuit. PAT good from the 11 after a motion call moved the Cavs back. Serra up 14-7 with two minutes gone in the second quarter.

Chaminade went three and out. What appeared to the Serra crowd to be an open-and-shut case of intentional grounding was ruled an incomplete pass. But even with the penalty, Chaminade had to punt. Serra got the ball at its own 45.

Serra couldn't move the ball either. At 7:10, Adoreé Jackson lined up to punt, faked a run, got off a rugby style kick, which was field cleanly, and run up right through the Serra coverage for an Eagle touchdown at 7:02. The point-after was good, and the game was tied again 14-14.

Serra ran the Eagles kickoff back to the Chaminade 43, and moved to the thirty. Third and one, Serra flinched on its own hard count, was penalized five; then moved again, and lost another five. Lost opportunity, punt to Chaminade with 5:14 remaining.

Chaminade went three and out despite a dead ball personal foul against Serra. But Serra couldn't get ten yards in three downs either. Starting at their own six with 3:11 remaining in the half, the Eagles reverted to the three-yards-and-a-cloud-of-dust offense that ground the Cavs down in the league game back in October. Ten plays, five yards at a time, it was beginning to look like déjà vu all over again; but the Cavs held at the fifteen, and it was half time.

Serra got the ball to open the second half, but could not make ten yards. Opportunity knocked when the punt was fumbled. Serra had the best shot to cover it, but trying to pick it up and advance, lost the chance. Chaminade kept the ball at its own 13. Four plays later, Reid's roll out pass was intercepted by Dwight Williams with his 2nd interception of the night.

Serra couldn't move, but Ryan Dobson kicked a 38-yard field goal to salvage something from the interception. It turned out to be the winning margin. Serra 17-Chaminade 14, 8:10 remaining in the third quarter.

Chaminade came right back, starting at its own 36, and scoring in seven running plays. The drive was capped by another Newby run around Serra's right end. Eagles take the lead for the first time 21-17 with 5:10 remaining in the third.

These were not the Cavs of October 5th. Serra returned the Eagles kick off to the 40. Two outstanding plays, a pass and a QB run, moved the ball to the Chaminade 20. Then, three attempted passes resulted in a sack, and two drops. Fourth and ten, Altenberg sent for Dobson. But as Dobson tried to line up his kick, Altenberg rushed in calling time. The TV crew would call this the critical moment of the game.

The ball would have been kicked from the middle of a puddle on that particular spot. No choice: Serra went for it on fourth. Greened dropped back to pass, as he had all night long, he got good protection, and evaded the rush when it came. With no attractive targets, Greene ran up the middle, ending up with a Serra first and goal at the nine. Malik Roberson ran the final nine yards right up the middle. The Eagle lead had lasted 100 seconds.

Taking advantage of kick coverage that was shaky all night long, Chaminade started the next series at Serra's thirty. The Eagles went back to punch-mouth football, and moved to the Serra 13 in seven plays five yards at a time. Fourth and two, Chaminade disdained the tie, and went back to the old reliable sweep with Newby. But Dwight Williams cut behind the blocking, and made a highlight reel tackle to end the Eagle drive with 25 seconds left in the third. Serra first and ten at its own 13. An aroused mob of Eagles crowing on the far sideline, and a nervous Cavalier nation chewing its nails on the near sideline.

The Cavs didn't do much to relieve their anxiety. A feeble three and out: Serra has to send the ball back to the Eagles with eleven minutes remaining.

Again, the Eagles reverted to the pitch-to-Newby-and-grind-it-out offense. Again, the Eagles disdained a field goal try. Serra stopped them five inches short of a first at the 23.

Heart palpitations in the Serra stands. The defense deserved, needed, a rest (forget that many of the Cavs were playing both ways.) And the offense obliged.

Starting at its own 23 with 9 minutes remaining in the game, the Cavs spent seven minutes running twelve plays. Again the Cavs were saved by Greene's ability to run when pass coverage was too tight. Play eleven in the drive was a Greene run to the three. Play twelve was a scrum that allowed Malik Roberson to cross the Eagle goal. But then the curse of the wounded Eagle fell on the Cavs. A wobbly snap led to a missed extra point. Serra 30 - Chaminade 21. With only 2:27 remaining what could go wrong? Almost everything. Read on.

Serra's final kick off was fielded on the near sideline. The runner passed laterally across the field to Newby. Risky play, but it worked -- a little. Newby was forced out at the Chaminade 43. 2:18 remaining, Chaminade with two available time outs.

Short sideline pass, incomplete 2:11 remaining.

Out, complete to the Serra 45. Receiver tackled in bounds. Clock running.

Ten yard post, incomplete, clock stopped 1:25. Fourth and five.

Quick out pass caught and advanced six yards. First down. 1:15 remaining.

Out to Elijah Dunston. Right through his hands. 1:09 remaining.

Reid escaping a strong rush throws again to Dunston as he runs east to west across the middle. Dunston outruns linebacker coverage, two Serra backs collide, a third hits him but can't hang on. Dunston is in the end zone. Point after good, and Serra cited for roughing the kicker. 28-30. 58 seconds remaining.

Chaminade kicks from the Serra 45 because of the roughing penalty. Perfect kick bounds at the 42, takes a high bounce traveling west to east. The ball is caught in the air by the Eagles. The east side stands go nuts. Cavs and Eagles gather around the refs, Eagles pointing to the Serra goal, Cavs pointing the other way. The line judge rules the ball was fielded one foot short of ten yards. Serra's ball. Three genuflections later, and Serra is Champion of the Western Division of CIF Southern Section.