Anthony Rios of Whittier High makes a catch with Ruben Martinez of Cal High doing his best to defend. The Condors went in leading at halftime 21-20 Thursday, October 29, 2015 at Pioneer High School. (Correspondent photo by Chris Burt/Sports0

WHITTIER 32, CAL 28
WHITTIER — Don’t count out Whittier High School from the CIF Southern Section football playoffs just yet.

The Cardinals showed Thursday their hopes are alive and well.
Dylan Salcido accounted for 288 yards and scored on a 5-yard run with less than five minutes to play to lead the Cardinals to a 32-28 victory over California in a Del Rio League game at Pioneer High School.
Michael Arredondo rushed for 93 yards and two touchdowns for Whittier, which is alone in third place and the coveted final playoff spot at 5-4 overall and 2-2 in league play. Pioneer (6-2, 1-2), which is at El Rancho tonight, can join the Cardinals with a win.
Cal, getting 125 yards passing and two touchdowns from Evan Barajas, slipped to 2-7 and 1-3. The Condors have lost three consecutive games since opening league play with a win over Pioneer.
Whittier, which was chasing Cal all night, finally broke through late.
The Cardinals, after falling behind 28-20 on Robert Leos’ 1-yard run in the third quarter, pulled within two at 28-26 on a 36-yard run by Arredondo with 9:19 left in the fourth quarter.
Whittier then stopped Cal on a fourth-and-1 at the Condors’ 49 before driving to the winning score. Salcido had a key 22-yard pass to Rodrigo Pastrano to the 24 before he scored on a third-down run from the 5 for the 32-28 lead with 3:58 left.
Cal drove inside the Whittier 35 with less than a minute left, but gave it up on downs following three incomplete passes, the final one on fourth-and-10 from the 34. Whittier then ran out the clock.
Cal led 21-20 at halftime.
— Stephen Ramirez