Unlucky 13: Upland goes down in semifinals
Will Lester/Staff Photographer
Upland quarterback Nate Romine (left) threw for 216 yards but the Highlanders lost to Vista Murrieta in the semifinals.
It took 13 games this season, but the Upland High School football team finally run into somebody better.
Second-seeded Vista Murrieta pulled away from the third-seeded Highlanders in the second half for a 39-18 win in the CIF-SS Inland Division semifinals Friday night.
The Southwestern League champions will return to the CIF title game in hopes of winning a rematch with top-seeded Corona Centennial.
Vista Murrieta (8-5) outscored Upland (12-1) by 18 in the second half as Aaron Piecukonis, who rushed for 114 of his 143 yards in the final two quarters, finished what his brother started in the first half. Aaron Piecukonis led consecutive touchdown drives to begin the second half after his brother Cody Piecukonis gave the Broncos (8-5) a 14-0 lead in the first eight minutes of the game with a touchdown reception and a punt return for a score.
"The bottom line is they just beat us," Upland coach Tim Salter said. "They out-hit us, they out-executed us and they out-played us."
Upland clawed within two at the half and again mounted a comeback to pull within 28-18 with 10:12 to play. Vista Murrieta had the answer each time.
The Broncos followed Upland's final touchdown with a 64-yard kickoff return by Darion Williams that led to a field goal, but perhaps more importantly robbed Upland of any momentum it might have pilfered. If that wasn't enough, Williams delivered the finishing blow by making a juggling catch for an interception he returned 35 yards for a touchdown to give Vista Murrieta a 21-point lead with 7:36 to play.
"It's tough to lose, especially in the semifinals," Salter said. "Some people might say we didn't give it our best effort, but we did give it our best. We just made too many mistakes. We let them beat us on special teams. The punt return for the touchdown and the kickoff return, those hurt us worse than anything else."
Upland quarterback Nate Romine threw for 216 yards on 16-of-24 passing while Kenny Lawler and Marques Mosley each had seven catches for 107 yards.
The trio showed resolve beginning with an 80-yard march in just seven plays after it fell in a 14-0 hole in the first quarter. Donta Abron, who finished well under his average with 79 yards on 14 carries, found the end zone with a 27-yard run but the extra point was blocked, making the deficit 14-6 with 1:54 left in the first quarter.
Vista Murrieta drove from its own 7-yard line into Upland territory late in the first half only to fumble with 1:15 to play. Upland took advantage of a Vista Murrieta fumble with 1:15 to play in the first half as Lawler took a jump ball away from his defender in the end zone with 29 seconds left in the second quarter for his seventh touchdown of the playoffs.
"The two plays to get to 14-0, helped us and it hurt us," Vista Murrieta coach Coley Candaele said. "It gave us a false sense of security but I'll take 14 points any way we can get them against a team like Upland."
It didn't take Vista Murrieta long to regain some security with a 92- yard touchdown drive to open the second half followed by a 75-yard march capped by Aaron Piecukonis' 33-yard touchdown run on the first play of the fourth quarter to make the score 28-12.
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About Clay
Clay Fowler has been covering high school sports for six years in California and Texas. He was born in Dallas, attended the University of Texas and worked in Central Texas before joining the Daily Bulletin staff in 2006.
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I can say I'm not surprised.
I could go back and pull several posts from Upland supporters that said they were gonna "smash" VM. Maybe it was a typo. You'know the whole smash thing.
I'm not going to gloat over their loss, but VM certainly exposed those shortcomings in Uplands defense (ie LBs).
Nevertheless the finals are as it should be. Centennial vs whoever. Oh that's right. It's VM, the "smashed."
That's nice Salter. Blame the kids. Why didn't you go for 2 and even out the score before the half? Why did you get so gimmicky? Exactly.
@Keak, well at least you showed up. I guess this was one where Salter's play calling got Upland into trouble? (asking, no sarcasm)
Well it was dumb because he burned a third down supposedly to get further back and get more space, and he still walked away with nothing. And i wouldn't get too cocky. Why don't you guys ever agree to neutral locations. you guys hold on to those home games like your balls for a reason. That game drew a lot of interest and it deserved a better venue. not to mention upland deserved the number 2 seed after those VM forfeits.
Before charter oak, I started to believe in upland. After that game, it was pretty obvious that upland would lose. It doesn't matter if they were not ranked properly , or the coach made mistakes. I can't see anyway that upland would of beat vm. Vm was a better team. Upland had a good season, but was over rated. Doubt that if the game was neutral or at upland the outcome would be any different ... At least someone that is a supporter from upland came onto the blog Lmao
Where is everyone else?!?! Every week I had to read how upland is the best, upland is better than cc, upland is the new #1.... So much for that, people say c c is the best cuz they haven't been beaten. And yet again, upland won't face them to prove otherwise
WHERE ARE ALL THE UPLAND FANS!!! LMAO
I can hear the wind blow with all the silence
Im an Upland fan.. and I say the boys did a great job..12-1 is something to be pretty damn proud of, Ive seen them lose in the finals, and I have seen them win..I was and im sure all of the fans were equally proud of them both times...there can only be one winner and that will be determined this Friday.. I say congrats to all the kids who gave it their all and made it this far. Upland can hold their heads high, and accept their title as Baseline league champs..and may the harder players hold their heads up high this friday.. whatever team it may be..
Like I said once, and I will say now. Uplands last 5 games killed them when they played VM. The last 5 cup cakes made them soft, so when they played VM, it was a smack in the face. Nothing Salter or the players could have done about it. It is what it is! I have to disagree when people say VM is a better team than Upland. I think this Upland squad was one of the best, if not the best Upland squad. Although VM is a really good team as well. Just remember all you CC and VM fans, Baseline is loading up their roster's to 80-100 players just like you have been doing for years. Oh! Oh!
Let's remember that these are HS kids. I'm sure they played their hearts out. Criticize the coaches if you want but not the kids.
However, I must say the Upland was outcoached. Also I don't know how anyone can say one team is better than the other when they lost to said team by 21 points. Venue wouldn't have mattered and playing weak teams in previous weeks also can be a plus as well as a minus. I have coached at different levels and from my view, your previous opponent really doesn't make any difference in the game prep for the next opponent. If you can't get the team ready emotionally for the next game, that's on the coaches. Playing a lopsided game the week before usually builds confidence and more importantly allows you to pull your starters to save them for the next week and risk further injury.
So sorry REB, but your reasoning doesn't fly.
What goes around comes around Salter. All the illegal recruiting and illegal plays came back to haunt you. You had a great team and you still couldn't get it done. Guess you are going to have to steal more players and get a pass play that goes to your center now.
@upthemiddle, you dont have to agree with anything I said, its a open blog, your opinion, your thought. As far as playing week teams, ask Rancho about that after they lost to Upland, and see what coach Baiz says about that.
@poetic justice, dont be surprised to see Alta Lomas RB Donald Walton in a Upland uniform next year. I would say in years pass, recruiting use to be done illegal, but its mostly a players/parents choice now. The main idea is to just try and get your kid a full ride anywhere. BOTTOMLINE! And if it means playing for a better team than so be it. If Donte Abron Jr. would have stayed at Alta Loma, I highly doubt he would be where he is at. It's on your local high school if they dont make football a priority. Try complaining about recruiting to Corona Centennial and Vista Murrieta.
@REB
Playing "weak" teams prior to playing Upland didn't seem to "smack VM in the face."
Brrrrrrrrrrrrt! (whistle sound, flag thrown).
"I got an 'offsides' on REB..."
Ok J. Edgar Hoover. First of all it's one thing for you to start making excuses about Upland scheduling weak opponents toward the end of the season, but it's another to accuse C Centennial of recruiting. You have facts or are you just playing with your Upland Scots "bag pipe?" CC doesn't recruit. They don't have too. When you have a strong program that's gone to State Championships, been on tv multiple times, and produces D1 level athletes - word gets out and parents move and kids come. That's how it works for CC. Now Upland and Salter are a different story - or so says a current player. And no I'm not talking about your RB either.
If you're proposing Upland lost cause of a weak second half schedule, then Salter wasn't a good coach and Upland never had anything up their skirt in the first place. Just like Upthemiddle said, that's on the coaches. However, if your team is beast mode like many Upland fans/alums came on here posting that they were, it shouldn't matter. You're ready for everyone. Nope in this case, Salters play calling - probably, but by that score, Ya'all just got your tails kicked by a better school. Period. You own that.
@not so fast and upthemiddle!
Well, well, well. If it ain't the Riverside County Football Patrol. Well since I am the only one backing Baseline league, I will own that fact that CC and VM were better than everybody else. I never said anybody was recruiting illegally, again you cannot read or comprehend. Must be that great education of yours sucker. Mark my words, soon CC and VM will run into a wall. Sierra and Baseline league are going to be loading up their premier teams to 80-100 players, just like you have been doing for years. Oh!Oh! Norco is going to be the top dog in the Big 8 next year.
First, since CC lost to VM - congrats to VM. They played physical and they played smart. VM winning is as much to do with that as it is us playing poorly. Such is HS football.
REB - I think my reading/comp is just fine, thank you very much. You get that when you graduate college. However, you my friend have been taking too much of that "Scottish" whiskey to the head. I never said or used the word "illegal" - you did. What you did was "imply" that recruiting at CC and VM was going on. Now I can't speak for VM, but CC doesn't. We take whoever comes - or have you not noticed the names of several starting players?
Baseline and Sierra are good conferences, ie Rancho and Upland in the semi's. No one was bashing the conferences. The road to State went thru CC. Thats all that was said. It now goes thru VM.
Norco will run into trouble next year once again, they have a weak unit coming up. Vista Broncos deserved their win playing tough opponents like CC, North and St. B and winning by 9 points over Osos. Congratulations to Upland for winning the Baseline league, they hammered everybody in league. Rancho was very tired and laid down or got rolled over by CC, but the Broncos did'nt let that happen. Great teams finish the season.
Last season the Broncos took RC into double OT and the RCH was battered and bruised, too tired to finish(as we say) while having their own QB and RB knocked out of the game. That was our game plan at that time.
Broncos proved to physical and the better team only to lose to CC in the finals. The Broncos were so hungry this season, with scouting help from around the horn, revenge was administered this season and the boys worked hard for this CIF win! We finished what rancho could not do to Centennial last week and went right at them, we did not lay down and roll over. WE PUNCHED THEM IN THE FACE!!
@not so slow my friend, its one thing to transfer from Santiago or Corona to CC. But its another thing to transfer from Eastvale/Jurupa/Elsinore/etc. So for you Riverside County rejects to bash Coach Salter for taking transfers from Alta Loma/Chaffey/Ontario/etc, is hypocritical. And if you want to come on here and claim that Upland is recruiting than call CIF and do something about it, otherwise go back to thinking that your "4 Prophet University" degree is worth something. Recruiting or transferring is all the same to me, the bottom line is to give your kid the best shot at a full-ride. Sierra and Baseline will only get better from this point, there is a lot of talent out here that is untapped, and as the popularity of high school football grows in this area, soon the Big 8 and Southwestern will have to take a back seat. In all, I am a huge fan of the Baseline league, again their is so much talent untapped in the area, simply because parents don't get off their #%&$!, and push their kids. As for the CC and VM fans, don't be in denial, but soon the football powers will change, simply because of untapped talent. I dig what CC and VM have been doing, but the fans are the ones that need to get their heads out of the sand! Call this the nail in the coffin, I'm out!