CIF State Bowl ChampionshipsDivision II: Cathedral Catholic (San Diego) 37, St. Mary’s (Stockton) 34
CC stars: Tyler Gaffney 329 yards rushing, 5 TDs; QB Parker Hipp 9 of 11, 191 yards
SM stars: Cody Vaz 31 of 46, 336 yards, 4 TDs; WR Louie Lechich 15 catches, 157 yards, 2 TDs
Other Bowl Game Stories: Open, D1, D2, D3, Small Schools.
Game previews: Open, D1. D2, D3, Small schools.
Final MaxPreps National Rankings: 6. Centennial (15-0), 14. Grant (14-0); 15. Long Beach Poly (14-1); 19. De La Salle (12-2); 20. Bellarmine (12-1); 22. St. Bonaventure (14-1); 23. Tesora (13-1).
Final California rankings: Click here.
By Mitch StephensMaxPreps.com
CARSON, Calif. – The TV, radio and newspaper crews swarmed Cathedral Catholic senior running back Tyler Gaffney much like St. Mary’s defense tried all day long.
The journalistic pack all wanted him to sum up his feelings and, much like his play on the field, he had a very strong and decisive answer.
“It was amazing…it was perfect… there was nothing more I could ask,” he said.
He was, of course, describing his own state championship game that could be only created in some fantasy fictional novel.
But Gaffney also could have easily been describing the game itself, Cathedral Catholic’s thrilling 37-34 victory in the CIF State Bowl Division II championship Saturday at the Home Depot Center.
The game featured 1,051 yards and four lead changes in a 4 minute, 53-second span of the fourth quarter, the last one on a 51-yard touchdown gallop by Gaffney with 4:45 remaining.
It was a fitting the game-winning score came from the 6-foot, 215-pound senior, who rushed 33 times for 329 yards and five touchdowns.
Gaffney also threw a halfback option pass that set up a late touchdown. He blocked an extra point that was key. And then he cinched the win with a third-down 17-yard reception that ran out the clock.
The five touchdowns gives him 56 in 2008, which, according to the Cal-Hi Sports record book, ties him for fourth all-time in state history.
Gaffney, whose college finalist are USC, Stanford and Notre Dame, also scored on runs of 36, 1, 18 and 1 yard and he finished with a San Diego Section single-season record 2,872 yards rushing. His team finished 15-0 and won his school’s second state title in two weeks. (The girls volleyball team won a state title on Dec. 7).
St. Mary’s (12-3) piled up 26 first downs and 461 yards but they couldn’t contain Gaffney, a shifty, strong and relentless runner.
“There’s nothing more that I can say about the young man,” Cathedral Catholic coach Sean Doyle said. “He is unreal. The best player I have seen from San Diego in a long, long time.”
Said St. Mary’s coach Tony Franks: “He certainly lived up to all the hype. We weren’t really familiar with all the things he accomplished in Southern California. But we sure are now.”
There were many superlatives to go around in this one.
St. Mary’s senior quarterback Cody Vaz couldn’t have done any more. He was poised in the pocket and razor sharp and completed 31 of 46 for 335 yards and four touchdowns.
His favorite target Louie Lechrich, who caught everything within reach, hauling in 15 balls for 157 yards and two scores of 5 and 8 yards. Teammate Alex Michaels added five catches for 74 yards and TDs of 28 and 9 yards.
“I thought all along this was a great matchup though I’m not sure people agreed,” Franks said. “We knew just a few plays at the end would decide it. Our guys came up a couple plays short but they are absolute champions to the highest degree. I couldn’t be prouder of my team and staff.”
Said Doyle: “That’s what a state championship game should be like.”
The best sequence occurred after Vaz completed his second touchdown pass to Michaels with 9:38 remaining to give the Rams a 27-23 lead.
The Dons, who finished with 590 yards, took the ensuing kickoff and after a 31-yard completion from senior quarterback Parker Hipp to Brad Harrington, the drive stalled. On 4th-and-9 from the St. Mary’s 33, Hipp called for a halfback option (“58 Parker) and the play worked to perfection.
Gaffney swept right and fired across back field to Hipp, who last year was the team’s leading receiver. Hipp was all alone, caught the pass and motored all the way to the 1. On the next play, Gaffney scored his fourth TD, making it 30-27 with 6:10 remaining.
“Coach wanted to run the play earlier, but I thought there might be a bigger situation,” Hipp said. “That was it. Tyler gave me a perfect pass. It was a great play.”
The Cathedral lead lasted 16 seconds.
St. Mary’s junior Chad West took the ensuing kickoff and thought he was one-yard deep in the end zone, which would have been an automatic touchback. West delayed a full second, then realized he caught it at the 4. He zoomed left, cut up the sideline and outraced everyone for a 96-yard touchdown, giving the Rams the lead back, 34-30 with 5:54 remaining.
“What a play,” Vaz said. “(West) hasn’t brought one back all year but we knew he would at some point. What a time.”
West was a hero, but not for long. It took just three plays for the Dons to get the lead back for good 37-34 as Gaffney broke loose off the left side for a 51-yard touchdown with 4:45 remaining.
He followed blocks of massive offensive linemen Everett Benyard (6-7, 325), headed to Oregon, and junior Alex Crosthwaite (6-5, 290) to the end zone.
“We love blocking for Tyler,” Benyard said. “He’s just magic man. When he touches the ball, great things happen and today a lot of great things went on. This is the kind of game you live for.”
Gaffney agreed. He saw and felt the intensity from both sides throughout. It was agreed by all that it was too bad someone had to come out on bottom.
“It seemed like very play was fourth-and-one,” Gaffney said. “I mean it’s fun to get up people, but it’s more fun to win a game 37-34. This is definitely the best game I’ve ever been a part of. It killed every other game I’ve ever played in.”
Even in defeat, the Oregon State-bound Vaz had to agree. In a performance Franks called “heroic,” Vaz was brilliant throughout, threading the needle, managing the clock and heavy pressure flawlessly.
“He’s the best quarterback we’ve faced all year,” Doyle said. “He’s got a great arm, he gets away from pressure, he never gets rattled. He’s the real deal.”
So were the Rams, Vaz said.
“No one thought we had much of a chance, but we (darned) near pulled it off,” he said. “We played our butts off. I’m real proud of our team.”
Doyle said the unsung hero Saturday and much of the season was Hipp, a tremendous heady, athletic sort who completed 9 of 11 for 191 yards and no interceptions. He finished the season 125 of 192 for 2,452 yards, 23 touchdowns and just five interceptions.
Not bad for a kid who started as receiver last season.
“He’s gotten little recognition all year but he just makes play after play after play,” Doyle said.
Including the last key one.
Faced with 3rd-and-6 from its own 37 and hoping not to give Vaz the last crack, Doyle called for a rollout left and run by Hipp, who did exactly as told with one major exception.
He saw an aggressive secondary coming fast and Gaffney waving his hands 10 yards down field. Hipp flipped the ball to his star back for a 17-yard gain and this one was history.
“That’s the type of clutch and fearless kid he is,” Doyle said. “He made something out of nothing. That’s one bright kid.”
Bright enough to know who deserved most of the props on Saturday.
“(Gaffney) is just the real deal in every aspect,” Hipp said. “Honestly, I believe he’s the best player in California.”
Honestly, he would get no disagreement from any who witnessed Saturday’s game.
E-mail Mitch Stephens at mstephens@maxpreps.com.
Cathedral Catholic 37, St. Mary’s 34
St. Mary’s 14 0 6 14 - 34
Cathedral Catholic 14 6 3 14 - 37
First quarter
C – Gaffney 36 run (Ferreira kick), 10:25
SM – Michaels 28 pass from Vaz (Villareal kick), 6:58
C – Gaffney 1 run (Ferreira kick), 4:53
SM – Lechich 5 pass from Vaz (Villareal kick), 0:36
Second quarter
C – Gaffney 18 run (kick failed), 6:45
Third quarter
C – FG, Ferreira 37, 5:19
SM – Lechich 8 pass from Vaz (kick failed), 2:44
Fourth quarter
SM – Michaels 9 pass from Vaz (Villareal kick), 9:38
C – Gaffney 1 run (Ferreira kick), 6:10
SM – West 96 kickoff return (Villareal kick), 5:54
C – Gaffney 51 run (Ferreira kick), 4:45
Team Statistics
First downs: SM 26, CC 18
Rushes-yards: SM 28-125, CC 45-369
Passing: SM 31-46-0-336, CC 10-12-0-221
Total yards: SM 461, CC 590
Turnovers: SM 0, CC 1
Possession: SM 22:07, CC 25:53
Third down conversion: SM 9-14, CC 4-10
Penalties: SM 4-31, CC 10-80
Individual Statistics
Rushing
SM, Howze 11-91, Guyton 10-32, Davis 1-4, Vaz 6-(-2). CC, Gaffney 33-329, Thomas 3-24, Hipp 7-17, Balistrieri 1-1, Team 1-(-2).
Passing
SM, Vaz 31-46-0-336; CC, Hipp 9-11-0-191, Gaffney 1-1-0-30.
Receiving
SM, Lechich 15-157, C. Smith 6-87, Michaels 5-74, Cox 3-24, Howze 1-(-2), Vaz 1-(-4). CC, Harrington 3-58, Gaffney 2-23, Early 1-48, Pascale 1-57, Hipp 1-30, Conklin 1-3, Balistrieri 1-2.
Tackles
SM, Copriviza 10, Sanguinetti 10, Sarris 8; CC, Van Deventer 12, McLoughlin 9, Jacko 8.
