CARSON, Calif. - When the countdown struck zero, De La Salle football players skipped, embraced, screamed and even wept.
The nationally-renowned program hadn't enjoyed a victory like this in a very long time.
That's because this one they truly had to earn.
Centennial-Corona, the nation's third-ranked team according to MaxPreps, gave De La Salle a game for the ages, fighting back from a 31-7 third-quarter deficit.
But the Huskies (13-2) couldn't quite hand the sixth-ranked Spartans their second straight defeat in a Division I CIF State Championship Bowl Game.
A 25-yard touchdown pass from Mike MacGillivray to Noah Perio with 5 minutes, 9 seconds left broke a 31-31 tie and cornerback Blair Wishom made two pivotal plays down the stretch to give the Spartans (13-0) a 37-31 victory Saturday at the Home Depot Center in a game that surpassed the large billing.
The victory was a year-long quest for the five-time mythical national champions who lost in last year's Division I Bowl Game 27-13 to Canyon-Canyon Country.
The Spartans also got a huge game from senior Travis Carrie who ran for one score, caught another and set up a third with an interception and 45-yard return.
"That was a slugfest," De La Salle defensive coordinator Terry Eidson said. "The heart that both teams showed.I don't know if you'll ever see more. That was a classic."
The Centennial reaction afterward was equally emotionally.
As the defense left the field - De La Salle had the ball at the Centennial 4 when the gun went off - many Huskies raised their hands, exalting the close to 8,000 fans from Corona, who obliged with a giant ovation.
Led by the offensive trio of quarterback Matt Scott (252 total yards, two TD passes), Ryan Bass (36 carries, 133 yards, two TDs) and Ricky Marvray (two touchdown catches), Centennial had run off 24 unanswered points in a span of 8:44 - truly a first against a team that has a record of 332-20-3 since 1979.
This one felt like like both teams prevailed somehow. They should have handed out championship caps to all involved.
"I'm very proud of my team," Centennial coach Matt Logan. "We dug ourselves a big whole against the most storied high school program around. We showed a lot of guts and heart but couldn't quite find a way to finish it."
That was accomplished by MacGillivray and Wishom.
MacGillivray, a 5-foot-10, 182-pound senior who started the last two seasons, split time this year with the development of super veer specialist Blake Wayne.
Known for his pinpoint passing - he came in 49 of 68 for 1,117 yards and 17 touchdowns - MacGillivray entered Saturday's games primarily during passing situations.
With the score tied at 31-31 after a 3-yard touchdown by Bass with 8:17 left, MacGillivray led the Spartans on an 80-yard march, completing passes of 14 and 11 yards to Perio and Michael Czyz. On second-and-9 from the Centennial 25, MacGillivray looked for Cyzy to the left "but a safety moved over so Noah was my next option. There was a small space to get (the pass) through but I got it there and Noah made the catch."
Not only that, but he shook a tackler at the 10 and waltzed into the end zone, making it 37-31 with 5:09 left.
"The whole thing seems fuzzy to me," Perio said. "It seemed like everything slowed down. When I saw the end zone and nobody around it was the greatest feeling in the world."
A questionable "excessive celebrating" call against the Spartans for bumping chests pushed the extra point back 15 yards and Czyz's 35-yarder was no good.
That set up a potential game-winning touchdown for the Huskies, but Wishom came to the rescue.
On a 4th-and-2 from the De La Salle 30, Wishom stuck Bass for a five-yard loss giving the ball back to the Spartans with 2:50 remaining.
De La Salle went no where and Centennial got the ball back from its own 18 with 2:20 left. After a pair of incompletions, Scott (11 of 18, 153 yards) looked for a shovel pass to Bass but it was covered. His hurried throw was intercepted by Wishom who returned it to the 19.
The Spartans ran out the clock from there.
"This was for my brother (Lonnie) and the rest of the team that lost here last year," Wishom said. "I know that hurt a lot and I definitely didn't want us to feel it two years in a row."
On the pitch play, Wishom said. "My responsibility was the pitch all the way. That kid (Bass) is really good. I wasn't going to let him go for a second."
De La Salle finished with 356 yards to 404 for Centennial, which committed four turnovers to two for the Spartans.
"We showed a lot of heart," said Scott, the terrific 6-3, 205-pound senior committed to Arizona. "We were getting a little frustrated but we just remembered what got us here."
A defensive gem and two big passing plays paved the way to De La Salle's 24-7 halftime lead.
Centennial took the opening kickoff and rattled off three first downs before Carrie made a brilliant interception and 45-yard return setting up an easy De La Salle touchdown.
Scott hit Nick Beasley with an intermediate pass that deflected off his shoulder pads and caromed to Carrie, who leapt high and tipped the ball to himself. He raced down the sideline for an apparent touchdown but Scott hustled down and tackled Carrie at the 14.
"I was just trying to help us win any way I could," Carrie said.
Four plays later, Blake Wayne snuck home from the 1 and De La Salle had a 7-0 lead with 6:56 left in the first quarter.
Undaunted, Centennial came right back with a methodical 12-play, 80-yard drove capped with a 2-yard TD by Bass, tying the score at 7-7 with 3:20 left in the quarter.
"Those guys (Scott and Bass) were as good as advertised," De La Salle coach Bob Ladouceur. "They're just fantastic players."
Even though Centennial had run off 23 plays to four to De La Salle, the game was tied.
The Spartans took a 10-7 lead on its next possession on a 25-yard field goal by Garrett Beil, capping an 80-yard drive.
De La Salle's defense seemed to gain a rhythm of Centennial's spread attack and held the Huskies in three plays. The Spartans then traveled 67 yards in eight plays, capped with a 28-yard touchdown pass from Wayne to Carrie, who delayed off the line then made the catch down the left sideline.
He was all alone before tip-toeing down the sideline for the TD, making it 17-7.
"I was hoping for a big game to help my team win," Carrie said. "I don't think I quite imagined this."
De La Salle defensive back Michael Jensen set up the next score as he picked off a Scott pitch intended for Bass. That gave the Spartans the ball at the Centennial 48. On third-and-16 from the 46, Wayne completed a screen to Butler, who somehow escaped two tackles and rambled down the De La Salle sideline 31 yards to the Centennial 23.
The drive stalled again, but on 4th-and-12 from the 25, MacGillivray fired a 25-yard touchdown strike to Michael Dosen, giving the Spartans a 24-7 lead.
"Mike made some big throws all night," Ladouceur said. "We needed every one of them."
The Spartans seemed to take complete control, taking advantage of Centennial's third turnover - a fumble by Bass - and going 49 yards in five plays capped with a 5-yard TD run by Carrie. A 31-yard completion from Wayne to Perio set up the score, making it 31-7 with 7:46 left in the third.
That's when everything changed.
"I don't think we lost focus and our guys didn't panic," Ladouceur said. "I think Centennial just demonstrated its will."
Centennial simply showed no quit.
After Bass had a 75-yard TD run nullified by a holding call, the Huskies still marched 79 yards capped with a pretty 38-yard TD strike from Scott to Ricky Mavray. Scott's 2-point conversion run made it 31-15 with 5:01 left in the third.
That lead dwindled to 31-17 when De La Salle punter Michael Czyz kicked the ball into upback Jeff Stroud. Carrie of all people landed on it in the end zone for a safety. The ball easily could have been picked up by Centennial which would have brought the Huskies within 31-22.
"Carrie was everywhere," Eidson said.
Centennial took the ensuing kick and went 53 yards in six plays, capped with another touchdown pass from Scott to Mavray (3 catches, 91 yards), this one for 34 yards, cutting the lead to 31-24 with 14.9 seconds left in the third quarter.
"I'm always confident throwing to Ricky," Scott said. "He made some amazing plays."
Mavray grabbed the ball away from cornerback Graylon Sanders at the 10, and then scooted into the end zone. Centennial had struck for 17 unanswered points in 4:46 to gain complete momentum going into the fourth quarter.
"I thought we were coming all the way back," Bass said.
The Huskies tied it with 8:17 left on a 3-yard run by Bass after linebacker Shelly Lyons made a spectacular leaping interception of a Wayne pass at the De La Salle 43.
An 18-yard reception by Scott on a trick pass from Beasley set up the scoring drive along with six carries by Bass. It was the last time Centennial would see the end zone however.
"We didn't stop them much but we did when we needed to," Ladouceur said. "Great teams can pull it out like that at the end."
Said Eidson: "I can't say we really stopped them, but we stopped them just enough."
