Giants rally for second overtime victory
COS football team overcomes a 14-point deficit in the fourth quarter en route to a 23-20 overtime victory over Santa Rosa.
By Nick Giannandrea
For College of the Sequoias Athletics
Judah Ruckman, Mitch Maggini and Co. kept it close.
Omar Mesa made it tough.
And Gus Villareal got it done when it mattered most for College of the Sequoias' football team during a 23-20 overtime victory over Santa Rosa on Saturday at the Giant Chevrolet and Cadillac Mineral King Bowl.
Ruckman (Springville) and Maggini (Riverdale) were the leading tacklers on a defense that didn't yield a touchdown, Mesa (Monache) pinned the Bear Cubs inside their 20-yard line on four of his eight punts, and Villareal (Dinuba) threw touchdowns on his final two passes as the JC Athletic Bureau state No. 25-ranked Giants erased a 14-point deficit in the fourth quarter en route to their second straight win.
"This win was a great boost for us and what we are trying to accomplish this season," second-year COS coach Joe D'Agostino said of a team seeking its first bowl berth since 2008.
The Giants (3-1) streamed onto the field in celebration after Bryson Allen (Tulare Union) capped their second home overtime victory this season when he broke wide open on a deep crossing route and hauled on a 25-yard touchdown pass from Villareal.
Santa Rosa (0-4) had gone ahead 20-17 after the first possession of overtime on Keven Nguyen's 44-yard field goal.
COS forced overtime by rallying from a mostly self-inflicted 17-3 deficit.
The Giants opened the scoring on 31-yard Dominic Hernandez (Tulare Western) field goal early in the second quarter.
But COS found itself down two scores by halftime after giving up a Nguyen 41-yard field goal, followed by Fhestus Chomba's 31-yard interception return for a score and Kasey Kikuyama's fumble recovery in the end zone for Santa Rosa.
COS' defense, however, kept the score from getting out of hand by limiting the Bear Cubs to 71 yards (54 on one scoreless possession) and five first downs in the second half. Santa Rosa failed to muster a first down on its final five drives during regulation.
A forced fumble by Undra Coverson (Macon, Ga.) that was recovered by Bobby Peele (Edison) at the Santa Rosa 19-yard line led to a 9-yard touchdown run by Davonte Green (Hammond, La.) five plays later that allowed the Giants to pull within 17-10 with 9:04 remaining in the fourth quarter.
After the Giants' next possession stalled, Mesa booted a 42-yard punt that was downed at the Bear Cubs' 6-yard line.
COS' defense then forced a three-and-out and a short punt from Nguyen
The Giants final drive of regulation started at the Santa Rosa 33-yard line with 4:20 left and included two do-or-die conversions, a 2-yard Green run on fourth-and-1, and a 9-yard touchdown pass from Villareal to Sergio Pena (Selma) on fourth-and-goal with 30 seconds to play.
Before the game-tying strike, Villareal had completed just 6 of 25 passes for 70 yards, including one interception. He also was sacked eight times and lost a fumble.
"The true excitement is more about how we were able to overcome our mistakes and persevere and not give up," D'Agostino said. "That was the best part, to see our special teams and defensive units pick up the slack when we were struggling on offense. Then for the offense to make some really big plays in big moments is a tribute to the players not giving up and fighting until the end. It was a great team victory and I'm proud of the players and staff."
Green finished with 82 yards rushing on 19 carries. Allen led the Giants' receivers with three catches for 50 yards.
Ruckman paced COS' defense, which didn't allow a touchdown in a game for the first time since Sept. 26, 2015, with nine tackles, including one for a loss. Maggini had six tackles and one sack, while Coverson added four tackles and a sack.
The Giants conclude non-conference play Oct. 5 at Shasta. Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m.
COS opens the Valley Conference season Oct. 19 at Modesto and plays its next home game Oct. 26 against San Joaquin Delta.
