One-handed safety Riley Quinn intercepts two passes in last high school football game

Of all the feel-good football finishes, few could surpass that of Riley Quinn's.

The Saint Francis (Mountain View, Calif.) senior safety, featured here last month, intercepted two passes, the last one sealing his team's 17-7 Central Coast Section Division II title win over Archbishop Mitty (San Jose).

Born without a left forearm and hand, Quinn made a diving interception at the Mitty 15 thwarting a late first-half drive.

"Frankly I don't know how he does half the things he does, but that one was especially remarkable," Saint Francis coach Greg Calcagno said.



On Mitty's final possession, Brett Foley's long bomb was cradled in by Quinn, who was immediately mobbed by his teammates. Saint Francis (9-4) knelt on the next snap to secure its record 16th CCS title.

They were the first two interceptions of the season for Quinn, who played more than half the season with a dislocated kneecap. Last season, the three-sport athlete had four interceptions and was a first-team All-West Catholic Athletic League pick.

Despite the injury, he was a second-team selection this year.

The interceptions were timely being a championship game, but also because University of San Diego coaches were in the stands. They've already offered the 5-foot-11, 195-pound senior a scholarship.

"It was just an amazing way to finish off my high school career," Quinn said. "It had been pretty tough leading up to that. We didn't make the Open Division. We lost to Bellarmine. I got hurt and tried to play at 100 percent.

"But Friday really made up for all of it. My very final high school play on a high school field was a pick. It can't get much better than that."



Said Calcagno: "Couldn't happen to a better kid."

Said Beca Perez, a Saint Francis team manager: "It was sort of like Derek Jeter in his final at-bat at Yankee Stadium."

Quinn said he's been inundated with media requests the last week, including People Magazine and Fox News.

It won't be easy tracking Quinn down. On Monday, he was off to his first basketball practice. He'll also be a relief pitcher on the baseball team in the spring.