December 7, 2007

Coming out on top

Oak Grove wins CCS Championship

By Joseph Proudman
Staff Writer

The Oak Grove Eagles (above, below) celebrate their win of the Open Final Central Coast Section Championship game on Friday, Nov. 30. The Eagles toped the Gilroy Mustangs for a second time this season, 46-35 at San Jose City College, taking home a section crown. Photos by Joseph Proudman

Oak Grove’s Stacy Long had it right: It’s not who is winning at half time, but who wins at the end of the game that counts.

On Friday, Nov. 30, it was Long and the rest of the Oak Grove Eagles who came out on top as time expired on the Open Final Central Coast Section Championship game. The Eagles toped the Gilroy Mustangs for a second time this season, 46-35 at San Jose City College, taking home a section crown.

“We came here last year and came up short by two points,” Long said. “This year we weren’t coming up short.’
Long had two touchdowns in the game, including one on a 27-yard interception with just over three minutes left in the game to help seal the win.

At half time, things weren’t looking so good for Oak Grove. Gilroy went into the half with a 27-20 lead, and the section’s best aerial assault seemed unstoppable. With just over five minutes left in the half, Gilroy was up by nearly two touchdowns after Mustang quarterback Jamie Jensen threw a 65 yard pass to Danny Contreras to put the score at 27-14.

Oak Grove's Omari Carr finishes off his 45 yard run, with a five yard touchdown run in the third quarter
Stacy Long easily makes it into the endzone to help seal the win for Oak Grove in the CCS title game. Photos by Joseph Proudman

But Oak Grove would be the team on fire to start the second half, and never cooled down. They quickly scored 13 unanswered points on two drives. One touchdown was a 63-yard scramble by quarterback Regis Ward and the other came after a 45 yard run by Omari Carr to the five-yard line. Carr was able to put it in the end zone two plays later from five yards out, putting the Eagles up 33-27.

“They won the first half,” Long said, but noted the halftime change. “Everyone came out fired up with momentum and we never stopped.”

After Gilroy was finally able to make Oak Grove punt on their third possession of the second half, things did start to look like the Mustangs weren’t done yet. A bad snap sent the ball sailing over the punter’s head, but he was still able to get the kick off on the run, though Gilroy had excellent field position.

As Gilroy marched down the field with the end zone in sight, Oak Grove’s Malik Brown intercepted Jensen at the Oak Grove seven-yard line, to keep the momentum well on the Eagle’s side.

Oak Grove would do nothing with the turnover and exchanged possessions with Gilroy once more.

With 3:18 left in the game, it was first and ten for Gilroy backed deep into their own territory. On the first play from scrimmage, Jensen was looking to the sidelines for a pass, but found Long waiting to pounce on his pass.

“I was just reading the quarterbacks eyes,” Long said. “When I saw the ball my eyes lit up.”

That touchdown return put the Eagles up 39-27, taking the air out of the Mustangs and their passing attack.

Coach Ed Buller celebrates with his team after the final seconds of the CCS title game at San Jose City College

In the next series Jensen was intercepted again on first down, at the 19-yard line by Manny Rodriguez with just under three minutes to play. That would lead to another Long touchdown from three yards out, putting the Eagles up 46-27.

With 1:36 left in the game, Gilroy finally came to life, driving 73 yards on five plays in 24 seconds to close the gap by a touchdown and a two-point conversion.

But that would not be enough to beat Oak Grove, which held on to its 46-35 lead to win the title.

“It feels awesome,” Coach Ed Buller said, drenched in ice-cold water. “Good win, good team effort to come back from halftime.”

“It feels good,” long said. “I wanted it this year because I felt it was our year.”