Serra pulls off unthinkable; Holds Cajon to 2 TDs to take first state title

Video: Highlights of Isiah Kendrick
The Serra star running back accounted for 180 yards and four touchdowns on Friday night.

SACRAMENTO — Serra (San Mateo, Calif.) football coach Patrick Walsh, drenched with Gatorade, had his arm wrapped tightly around his 9-year-old son Charlie, who was dressed in his lucky Chewbacca uniform.

His Padres had sort of done the unthinkable.

Behind four touchdowns from Isiah Kendrick and a gritty, tenacious defense led by Edmond Lahlouh, they had just won their first CIF State champion with a 38-14 triumph over Cajon (San Bernardino) on Friday in the Division 2-A finals at Sacramento State.

The victory — Serra's first state crown — wasn't all that implausible. They entered with a school-record 12 wins after winning the school's first West Catholic Athletic League outright title since 1969.

The Padres (13-2) set numerous school and league records for yards and points, including a 76-34 win over Tulare Union in last week's regional finals.

But they beat a Cajon team that Walsh said looked like an NFL team.

The Cowboys entered with a state-leading 735 points and junior 6-foot-1, 175-pound quarterback Jayden Daniels had accounted for an almost absurd 6,021 yards and 75 touchdowns.

"Think RGB or Deshaun Watson," Walsh said during the week.

His top target, 6-foot-8 Darren Jones, is called "Baby Moss," for his ability to come down with any pass, which he later showed on a Hail Mary catch at halftime. Jones entered with 92 catches for 1,962 passes and 27 touchdowns.

Their 6-6, 245-pound defensive end Jeremiah Martin, with offers from Alabama, Oklahoma and Michigan, entered with 30.5 sacks. Walsh likened him to a prep version of Lawrence Taylor.

So to lay a 24-point win and allow just two touchdowns to a 14-1 team that had averaged 504 yards and 49 points per game was rather unfathomable.

The 14 points allowed was 19 less than the least amount the Cowboys had scored all season. But Walsh had a simple explanation.

"This is the team of never," he said while squeezing his son a little tighter. "Serra has never done this. Serra has never done that. It's never won a state title. Never won 13 games. This is simply a long time coming."

It's not like Serra hasn't had good players stroll through the program.

At the top of the list were Tom Brady, considered the greatest quarterback in NFL history, and Lynn Swann, who some think was the most spectacular receiver.

But it wasn't until Walsh came along 17 years ago, that the Padres got it rolling. They had won just one WCAL title in 29 years. Over the last 17 they've now won 7. They had one just one CCS crown (1990) since 1992. Since 2011, they've won four.

But this was clearly the crowning jewel, and they did it in convincing fashion, thanks to the all-around play of Kendrick, who rushed 26 times for 110 yards and three scores, giving him 30 rushing touchdowns on the year.

He had a big game last season in a crushing 42-40 2-A title loss to Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth).

"This is a completely different feeling for sure," Kendrick said. "This is for that team, our team, all the Padre nation."

Junior middle linebacker Lahlouh was everwhere with 14 tackles, 2.5 sacks and an interception. Serra defensive coordinator Chris Vasser laid out a perfect game plan and the Padres executed to perfection.

That included Patrick Nunn, a 6-3, 210-pound receiver and defensive end, playing cornerback for the first time. He did the brunt on the work on Jones, who finished with nine catches for 127 yards.

But one of those was a 48-yard Hail Mary TD at the end of the half among four defenders. Other than that, he was largely held in check.

"So much preparation," Lahlouh said. "I'm so unbelievably proud of every one of our guys. I love them all."

Said Walsh: "That was a defensive masterpiece for the ages. We fought through so many injuries and adversity all year long. It's all about the bottom of the fire. It's the embers that light the entire fire."

Besides playing without WCAL Player of the Year, two-way Cal-bound lineman Atonio Mafi, starting linebacker Raymond Redman and two other starting offensive lineman, the Padres overcame adversity right from the get go.

Cajon took the opening kickoff and zoomed right down the field. Running back Joseph Yarber, burst through a big hole up the middle and looked destined for a 50-yard touchdown.

But at the last moment, junior linebacker Malakai Rango dove and stretched as far as he could and tripped up Yarber at the 12. Two plays later, Daniels escaped pressure, scrambled right, was hit hard by Chris Park, forcing a fumble.

Tevesi Vakalahi, filling in for Redman, pounced on the ball. Ten plays and 74 yards later, quarterback Luke Bottari (10 of 13, 117 yards) found Kendrick on a 14-yard screen pass for a touchdown and Serra led 7-0.

"That sort of effort (by Rango) epitomizes this team," Walsh said. "All out. Never give up."

After the Kendrick completed a 7-play, 93-yard drive with a 2-yard TD plunge midway through the second, the Padres looked to take complete command right before the half. They drove to Cajon 25 in the final minute, but under heavy pressure, Bottari was intercepted by Rodney Robinson, who returned it to his own 45.

Four plays later, on the last play of the half, Daniels (27 of 39, 340 yards) fired up a perfectly place 48-yard Hail Mary on the last play of the half to cut Serra's lead to 14-7.

Despite the dagger, Walsh said the locker room remained positive at halftime.

"I said before the game I would have paid $1-million to only allow seven points in the first half," Walsh said. "I don't care how they got it. We were stoked."

When Serra took the second-half kickoff and rambled right down the field to the Cajon 3, they were even happier. But the Padres fumbled at the Cajon 1, the Cowboys recovered, and Daniels made them play, leading a 15-play, 99-yard scoring drive, capped by his own 6-yard TD around left end.

Suddenly the game was tied at 14-14 midway through the third quarter and Cajon seemed to have all the momentum.

Instead, Rango took it back with a weaving, determined 72-yard kickoff return to the Cajon 3. Two plays later, David Coker (13 carries, 140 yards) pushed it in from the 1, and Serra was up for good, 21-14.

"That kickoff return was magical," Walsh said.

Kendrick added TD runs of 1 and 5 yards and Damon Lewis kicked a 39-yard field goal.

"This year, experience is priceless," Walsh said. "The experience of being here and being in the same exact locker room, and the same bus trip and the whole deal really, really paid off tonight. We had a better spirit about us and a better game plan of business."

CIF DIVISION 2-AA CHAMPONSHIP
Serra 38, Cajon 14
Cajon 0 7 7 0 — 14
Serra 7 7 7 17 — 17
First quarter
S — Kendrick 14 pass from Bottari (Lewis kick), 5:58

Second quarter
S — Kendrick 2 run (Lewis Kick), 5:30
C — Jones 48 pass from Daniels (Valencia kick), 0:00

Third quarter
C — Daniels 6 run (Valencia kick), 3:30
S — Coker 1 run (Lewis kick), 2:45

Fourth quarter
S — Kendrick 1 run (Lewis kick), 11:23
S — FG, Lewis 39
S — Kendrick 5 run (Lewis kick), 1:44

RUSHING
Cajon: Yarber 8-81, Daniels 22-73, Perkins 1-1, Fortune 1-1. Totals: 32-156. Serra: Coker 13-140, Kendrick 26-110, Lahlouh 6-62, Bottari 2-(-15). Totals 47-297.

PASSING
Cajon: Daniels 27-39-1-340, Barba 0-1-0-0. Serra: Bottari 10-13-1-117.

RECEIVING
Cajon: Jones 9-127, Perkins 7-68, Noriega 6-75, Moon 4-62, Gibson 1-8. Serra: Kendrick 4-70, Nunn 3-33, Villaroman 1-13, Park 1-2, Vakalahi 1-(-1).

TEAM STATISTICS
First downs: Cajon 23, Serra 23
Total plays/yards: Cajon 72-496, Serra 60-414
Penalties: Cajon 12-65, Serra 4-20
Sacks: Cajon 7-(-31), Serra 1-(-7)
Turnovers: Cajon 3, Serra 3.