Covina wields its biggest weapon: the West Covina game!

Here’s my column from Saturday, in case you missed it.

You’ll often hear coaches say one game doesn’t make a season. Mathematically, they’re correct. Philosophically, they’re wrong.

Case in point: the Covina High School football team, and it’s not the one game you’re thinking.

Silly football fan, the Colts’ stirring fourth-quarter rally to beat San Dimas 27-23 on Friday and finish the regular season at 9-1 with an outright Valle Vista League championship wasn’t the one game I’m referring to. That merely was the culmination of something that started way back on Sept. 3 against West Covina.

Now that was the game. On that night, Covina started its regular season with an improbable fourth-quarter comeback that put in the Colts’ back pocket the notion that no deficit is too much against any opponent. West Covina hasn’t lost a game since.

On Friday, Covina ended its regular season the same way it started it, with another rally to blind-side a quality opponent that appeared well on its way to victory.

When Covina was trailing 23-6 at halftime Friday, the Colts unveiled their biggest weapon: the West Covina game.

“The whole halftime, we were saying we can come back … just remember the West Covina game,” said quarterback Billy Livingston, who orchestrated the game- winning drive.

“Nobody started to lose hope. We all knew this had happened before. It isn’t over until it’s over.”

Covina trailed 23-13 in the fourth quarter, and it was almost as if it had defending Mid-Valley Division champion San Dimas right where it wanted it.

Livingston hooked up with Vinny Venegas on a 52-yard touchdown pass to make it 23-20. After that, a myriad of events that bordered on sheer luck went Covina’s way.

But hey, that’s what’s supposed to happen, right?

Covina started its final drive at its own 25 with just more than two minutes to play. The Colts ended it with a Livingston-to-Andrew Carrillo 17-yard touchdown with 28 seconds left for a 27-23 win. It was just the way destiny had written it back on Sept. 3.

There are certain things that can’t be taught or created on the practice field. Karma is one of them. The Colts found it against West Covina and wielded it again Friday against San Dimas.

With a bye next week, Covina can watch the rest of the Mid-Valley Division gear up for the four-week dance that awaits. The Colts, despite their record, would not be a top-four seed if the playoffs started today. The CIF polls may change that next week.

But even if they don’t, what team wouldn’t gladly give up its top seeding for some of that C-Town karma?