DP wins flag football thriller over rival San Marcos
Mike Klan
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KEYT) – For San Marcos it was the longest yard.
On the game’s final play sophomore quarterback Victoria Aldana was stopped just short of the goal-line and Dos Pueblos celebrated a thrilling 15-14 Channel League win.
With 9.9 seconds left, the Royals had the ball inside DP’s 15-yard-line with no timeouts.
Aldana scrambled and made a dash for the end zone but Chargers sophomore Kindah Ahmad-Reda pulled the flag just before Aldana stretched the ball out over the goal line.
(It’s a game of inches as Aldana is stopped just short of end zone on the final play. Entenza Design).
Initially the clock stopped at .9 seconds but that was an error and after a brief discussion the game was over and Dos Pueblos celebrated the showdown victory to move to 3-0 in league while the Royals slip to 2-1.
San Marcos took a 14-8 lead midway through the fourth quarter on a wild play as Aldana’s pass went off of receiver Peyton Sperling and fellow senior Rio Chesluk made a juggling catch in the end zone. The Royals failed on the point after attempt.
DP drove down the field late and quarterback Kacey Hurley threw a 15-yard touchdown strike just over a defender’s head and Brooklyn Hedricks made a nice catch to tie the game at 14. The visiting Chargers converted the point after to take the lead as Ruby Streatfeild lofted a left-handed pass to Ahmad-Reda with 1:20 remaining.
The game was a defensive battle all the way with just one big play in the first half.
Hurley completed a short pass to Ruby Streatfeild and after two Royals could not pull her flags, she raced down the field for a 59-yard touchdown in the opening minute of the game. DP got the two-point conversion and led 8-0 which was the score at halftime.
The Royals got their offense going in the third quarter. Aldana completed a pass over the middle that Chesluk tipped to herself for an acrobatic catch. Sperling scored on a short touchdown run and the Royals converted the two-point conversion to tie it at 8 to set up the dramatic fourth quarter.