Saturday Morning Quarterback: Bishop Amat falls after stunning first-half ending, CO goes OT to beat South Hills, Damien stuns Claremont, but Sierra playoff teams are Chino Hills, Claremont and CO. Baldwin Park wraps up 2nd in Valle Vista

Bishop Amat game story: In the final moments of Alemany’s 38-30 Serra League-clinching victory over Bishop Amat on Friday, Lancers receiver Wallace Gonzalez looked up and down the sideline and told everyone to come back with motivation on Monday.
The Lancers need it, their undefeated record gone, their possible top-four seed in Sunday’s Pac-5 Division draw gone, and possibly a home game in the first round of next week’s playoffs as well – all perks that belong to the Warriors, who won the battle of the unbeatens to improve to 10-0 and 5-0. (to continue click thread)

Tonight’s scores
Alemany 38, Bishop Amat 30 — The Lancers led 17-14 after scoring with 50 seconds left in the first half, but Alemany scored TWICE in the final 44 seconds to take a 28-17 lead at the break and never trailed again. Jalen Moore rushed for 111 yards and four TDs, but the Lancers’ hopes of an undefeated season came crashing down in Mission Hills. Bishop Amat’s defense, which has been a rock this season, was unable to contain Alemany.
Charter Oak 34, South Hills 31, OT — Travis Santiago passed for 285 yards, including some big completions to Dennis Rufus in the fourth quarter to setup Kurt Scoby’s winning TD in overtime. The Chargers, with the Sierra League’s tie-breaker system, lost the tiebreaker to Claremont for second, but held the head-to-head advantage against Damien, to get the league’s final playoff spot.
Damien 31, Claremont 27 — Damien rallied to defeat Claremont and finished in a three-way tie for second with the Wolfpack and Charter Oak, but lost a series of tiebreakers.
West Covina 58, Diamond Bar 20 — The Bulldogs look ready for a postseason run after another convincing win.
Bonita 38, Diamond Ranch 10 — Did the Bearcats earn a top-four seed in the Southeast Division? I guess we find out Sunday.
Walnut 35, Los Altos 14 — Walnut earns a playoff bid with the victory.
Rosemead 42, El Monte 29 — Ground Koffler was too much for the Lions. Rosemead clinched a playoff spot with the win.
Gabrielino 28, South El Monte 13 — Gabrielino wins the battle of the Eagles.
Arroyo 42, Mountain View 24 — The Knights complete their run through the Mission Valley. Playoffs are next.
Azusa 42, Gladstone 0 — The Aztecs complete an undefeated regular season. Can they go 14-0?
Baldwin Park 45, Northview 14 — The Braves clinch second place and a playoff bid with the win, while also ending Northview’s season. The game also effected San Dimas, which will not need to receive an at-large bid to the Mid-Valley playoffs. Will they get it?


The Lancers dipped to 9-1 and 3-1 in a loss they can trace back to the end of the first half.

Forty-four seconds.

That’s how long it took Alemany to erase a 17-14 deficit and take a 28-17 lead on a pair of last-minute first-half touchdowns that left Amat’s fans in stunned silence.

“That was dynamic on their part,” Lancers coach Steve Hagerty said. “They throw the ball well, and there was some sloppiness on our part, but that certainly was a momentum changer.”

Bishop Amat’s Jalen Moore rushed for 111 yards and scored four touchdowns. Quarterback Rio Ruiz completed 12 of 19 passes for 141 yards, but he opened the game with a screen that dropped in the backfield and was ruled a fumble, Alemany’s Saladin McCullough grabbing it and returning the ball 25 yards for a touchdown and a 7-0 lead.

It was that kind of a night for the Lancers, who made uncharacteristic mistakes and were victims of several huge calls that never seemed to go their way.

“I don’t want to make anything out of it,” Hagerty said of the officiating and flow of the game. “They made big plays and we didn’t get stops when we needed them. Their quarterback pretty much did everything he wanted. We have a week to get better and figure it out.”

After falling behind, the Lancers answered quickly, with 12- and 9-yard Moore runs setting up his 12-yard touchdown to tie the score 7-7.

The Lancers led 9-7 by the end of the first quarter after sacking Warriors quarterback Vernon Adams in the end zone, but Adams was just getting warmed up.

He threw a 13-yard touchdown pass to Shane Droz- dowski to put Alemany up 14-9, but the Lancers stayed close, looking like they would lead at halftime after Moore scored on a 1-yard run with 50 seconds left, giving the Lancers a 17-14 lead, but the final minute was far from over.

Adams quickly moved the Warriors past midfield all the way to the 4, then completed a 4-yard TD pass to Steven Mitchell with 17 seconds left for a 21-17 lead.

After Amat fumbled the ensuing kickoff, Adams struck again, throwing a Hail Mary to the left corner that Jerico Richardson came down with for a 37-yard score with two seconds left, extending the Warriors’ lead to 28-17.

Adams, who completed 15 of 18 for 241 yards and three touchdowns, continued burning the Lancers in the second half, scoring on an amazing 14-yard touchdown run when it looked like he was about to get sacked, extending the Warriors’ lead to 35-17 with 8:56 left in the third.

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