What a comeback! Campolindo erases 14-point deficit in fourth quarter, stuns Acalanes
LAFAYETTE — They chanted, “One more week. One more week.” They hoisted their sophomore hero Micah Parker, the running back who scored the touchdown that would decide the game.
They broke the hearts of a rival while presumably extending their season into next week’s section playoffs.
Friday night, the Campolindo Cougars rallied from two touchdowns behind in the final quarter to stun host Acalanes 25-24, an outcome that left the Diablo Athletic League Foothill Division in a three-way tie for the championship between these teams and Las Lomas.
Had Acalanes won, the Lafayette school would have captured its first outright league title in 42 years.
But it wasn’t to be after Scott Lyon caught a two-point conversion pass from Isaiah Ortiz, which followed Parker’s 23-yard touchdown run with 2:53 left.
Mack Fisher, a junior transfer from De La Salle, clinched the victory with an interception near midfield with 1:08 on the clock, causing a sea of red eruption in the visiting stands.
“We needed that for so many reasons, for our team, for our program, for our school,” Campo coach Kevin Macy said. “You can see the difference between their talent and ours. But our kids just know how to fight and grind and hang around. We’ve got nothing fancy, but we just won’t quit.”
When it ended, Campo students stormed the field, engaging in a wild celebration of hugs and smiles with the players and Macy pulling out his phone and taking video himself to commemorate the triumph.
Campo trailed 24-10 when Sully Bailey launched a deep pass that track star Paul Kuhner chased down for an over-the-shoulder 54-yard reception with 6:10 to play in the third quarter.
The lightning strike followed what looked like a turnover by Acalanes after a poor snap on a punt led to an incomplete pass. But the officials penalized Campo for a “disconcerting act” near the line of scrimmage, giving Acalanes five yards and a first down at its own 56.
One play later, Kuhner scored his second touchdown of the game. In the first quarter, he returned a punt 57 yards for a TD that gave Acalanes a 14-7 lead.
After the touchdown reception in the third quarter, Acalanes (6-4, 5-1) held the 14-point advantage until Campo went on a 52-yard, 12-play scoring drive that ended with Ortiz scoring on a 1-yard sneak with 7:34 left.
Ortiz credited Macy for the comeback.
“He’s just a legend,” the quarterback said. “He’s been putting it in our hearts, in our minds the whole entire year. We’re playing this grueling, boring type of football. Just running the ball. Aca doesn’t like that and we’re just going to be doing that all game.”
Campo (7-2-1, 5-1) forced a three-and-out punt after Ortiz’s touchdown and took over at its 41 with 5:09 on the clock.
Macy put the ball in the hands of Parker and the running back carried the Cougars to victory. He ran 11 yards to the Acalanes 48. He ran 22 yards to the 24.
Two snaps later, he charged across the goal line from 23 yards out to cut the margin to 24-23.
“You keep grinding,” Parker said. “The whole week, Coach said we were going to have to grind this game out. Bore them out.”
With 2:53 on the clock after Parker’s touchdown, Macy called timeout.
Instead of sending out kicker Egor Dobrolyubov, who made a 47-yard field goal in the first half, the coach sent out his offense.
“We didn’t think we’d score with that much time,” Macy said. “We were already talking that if we do strike, we’re going for two. Then we scored and gave them enough time to get the ball back. Everyone was trying to decide if we should take the one. I said, ‘No. No. We said we’re going to go for two.'”
Ortiz rolled right on the two-point play and hit Lyon in the right corner of the end zone.
Campo led 25-24.
Lyon said the team worked on the play all week in practice and even went through it again before getting onto the bus before the game.
“After that, I knew if we had the opportunity to win the game with the two-pointer, we were going to go for it and we were going to get it,” Lyon said. “I can’t describe the feeling that I have right now.”
Acalanes reached its own 41 on its last possession. But on first down, Fisher made the interception near the Campo sideline that iced the victory.
Fisher had nearly intercepted a pass a few plays earlier.
Frustrated, he got encouraging advice from a team captain, safety James Giordani. When the second opportunity arrived, Fisher didn’t miss it.
“It was amazing,” he said.
On the Acalanes side, it was a crushing end to what had been a dominating league season.
The Dons got touchdowns receptions from their track stars, Kuhner and Trevor Rogers. They got a 39-yard field goal from Rogers just before halftime to widen their lead to 17-10/
But just like last season, Campo celebrated at the end.
“We just didn’t score enough on offense and they had a great sophomore running back,” Rogers said.
With the win, Campo should receive a spot in the eight-team North Coast Section Division I playoffs. Acalanes figures to receive a good seed in the section’s Division IV bracket.
The matchups will be announced on Sunday.