Six-loss Del Oro stuns previously unbeaten Camarillo in CIF II-AA state championship bowl game

Video: Camrion Davis' highlights vs. Folsom
See the Del Oro star in action earlier this season.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The ugly duckling of the CIF bowl championships looks like a swan now.

Or, at least a Golden Eagle.

Camrion Davis, an afterthought early in the season, rushed 24 times for 198 yards and two touchdowns as Del Oro (Loomis, Calif.), which started the season 2-6, shocked previously undefeated Camarillo (Calif.) 16-13 in the Division II-AA title game before about 5,000 rain-drenched fans at Sacramento State University Friday night.

The unsightly record of the Sac-Joaquin Section Division II champions (10-6) caught many off guard, but their vastly improved play over the second half of the season continued against the Southern Section Northern Division champions en route to their first state bowl championship after two previous losses under coach Casey Taylor.

"When we were 2-6, I told the guys we had eight weeks left in the season and we could make what we wanted out of it," Taylor said. "They just kept grinding. They stayed the course. Their hard work paid off."

John Spencer and Justin Burrage led a huge Del Oro defensive effort with seven tackles each and Mason Hurst added a huge interception against an offense that averaged 48 points and 470 yards per game. Camarillo, which held a 355-341 edge in yards, played most of the game without leading rusher Isaiah Otis, who finished with just six carries for 15 yards. The Scorpions had just 35 yards rushing on 22 carries.

Down 10-0, Camarillo (15-1) finally got on the board on a nifty spin move by quarterback Jake Constantine (25 of 40, 320 yards, two touchdowns) to evade pressure before flipping an 18-yard touchdown pass to Francisco Tostado with 3:07 left in the third. The extra point failed, but the Scorpions finally had points to show after moving the ball effectively between the 20s.

On fourth down, Constantine spun, scrambled to his left and right before being tackled, flipping a pass toward the end zone. Tostado was defended well, but he came back for the ball 3 yards short of the goal line, then scooted into the end zone, closing the score to 10-6.

Camarillo looked to go up on its next drive following a wild sequence.

A long Constantine pass looked like it was intercepted by Dominic Pericin, but ruled a 41-yard reception by Colby Stevens, who out-wrestled the Del Oro cornerback for the ball. Camarillo eventually moved to the Del Oro 5, but Constantine was intercepted in the end zone by Hurst, leaving the score 10-6 heading into the fourth quarter.

The sequence proved costly for the Scorpions.

After converting a fourth-and-1 at Del Oro's own 40, Davis broke loose for a 58-yard touchdown the right sideline, giving Del Oro a 16-6 lead with 10:38 remaining. The rain began to fall harder after the run and Del Oro's improbable late-season carnation soon became complete.

"I came in thinking that there was no way we were going to be stopped, going to lose, and I was going to do everything I could to help us win," Davis told Joe Davidson of the Sacramento Bee.

Camarillo, however, didn't go down without a fight.

It recovered a muffed punt at the Del Oro 20, but the Golden Eagles held on downs, with Davis and Pablo Miller combining on a fourth-down stop. The Scorpions drove 63 yards on their next possession, capped by a 4-yard TD pass from Constantine to Thomas Janke to close to 16-13 with 2:38 left.

But Del Oro recovered the onside kick and then ran out the clock.

"I've never been more proud of a team," Taylor told Davidson.

Del Oro jumped on Camarillo right from the get-go. The Golden Eagles took the opening kickoff, marched 68 yards in nine plays, and capped it with a Davis 7-yard power touchdown run up the middle.

Just as Del Oro has done during its late-season run, it chewed up four minutes off the clock to keep Camarillo's high-powered offense off the field.

But Camarillo's offense didn't show up at all the rest of the half. Five straight possessions netted no points and just 147 yards of offense.

Del Oro didn't do much either, but Spencer's sack, strip and fumble recovery set up a Bryan Willhide 38-yard field with 1:15 left in the half, making it 10-0.

The Scorpions obviously missed the production of Otis, who rushed for 1,504 yards and 24 touchdowns before injuring his ankle last week. Constantine, who threw for 3,679 yards and 49 touchdowns coming in, completed 10 of 16 first-half passes for 116 yards, but much of that came on Camarillo's last drive of the first half.

The Scorpions drove 60 yards to the Del Oro 25, but from there the Golden Eagles stiffened and Camarillo ran out of time. Just like it did in the second half.

It didn't deter from a great season, Tostado told Eric Sondheimer of the Los Angeles Times: "We'll never forget this season, never forget this team and everything we've accomplished. This is it for me. No more pads. We made it to the state championship and it doesn't get much better."

It was just a little better for Del Oro.

"Just amazing," Colorado-bound senior wide receiver and defensive back Trey Udoffia told Davidson. "We just kept getting better Now we're champions."

Del Oro 16, Camarillo 13

Camarillo 0  0  6  7  — 13
Del Oro    7  3  0  6  — 16

First quarter
DO — Camrion Davis 7 run (Bryan Willhide kick), 4:01

Second quarter
DO — FG, Willhide 38

Third quarter
C — Tostado 18 pass from Constantine (kick failed), 3:07

Fourth quarter
DO — Davis 58 run (kick failed), 10:38
C — Janke 4 pass from Constantine (DellaLibera kick), 1:34

RUSHING
C — Lamb 8-25, Otis 6-15, Constantine 7-(-2), Tostado 1-(-3). Totals 22-35. DO — Davis 24-197, Smartt 8-31, Hurst 2-5, Gee 4-(-1). Totals 42-221.

PASSING
C — Constantine 25-40-1-320. DO — Smartt 11-20-0-120.

RECEIVING
C — Tostado 9-113, Mascarella 7-80, Stevens 4-74, Alexander 2-29. Del Oro — Hurst 5-75, Burrage 4-43, Decker 1-7, Eaquivel 1-(-5).

TACKLES
C — Triebold 14, Herron 8, Feldsott 8, Muscarella 7. DO — Spencer 7, Burrage 7, Davis 6, Lehner 6.

TEAM STATS
First downs: C 13, DO 16
Total yards: C 355, DO 341
Fumbles/lost: C 2/1, DO 2/1
Penalties: C 2-14, DO 6-35
TOP: C 20:24, DO 27:36
Third down conversion: C 4 of 11, DO 6 of 15