SAN JOSE — The expectation was for a low-scoring sport between two defense-first groups. Add within the regular rain that fell all day, and doubts hovered as as to if both workforce would crack double figures within the scoring column.
As an alternative, Bellarmine turned in considered one of its finest offensive showings of the season in a 35-21 victory over Vanden-Fairfield in a Northern California 3-A playoff sport Saturday at San Jose Metropolis School.
So now Bellarmine (8-6), left for useless and midway buried with a 3-6 document on the finish of October, will get to play for a state championship. The Bells will host Laguna Hills subsequent Saturday at 6 p.m.
“There was some extent in the course of the season when that appeared fairly loopy,” Bellarmine coach Jalal Beauchman stated. “It nonetheless appears loopy, however these guys deserve it. We’re getting higher. It’s a protracted season. We’re a harmful bunch proper now. We’re taking part in good soccer, we’re taking good care of the soccer, not making the errors we made earlier within the season. Proper now we’re powerful to beat.
“Yet one more week of soccer.”
“I’m simply tremendous excited,” stated operating again Ben Pfaff, who rushed for 140 yards on 21 carries and scored two touchdowns. “This has been a dream of mine ever since I got here to Bellarmine.”
About all that went incorrect for Bellarmine whereas the sport was on the road have been two dangerous snaps from middle that sailed over punter Connor Tripp’s head. He scrambled to select up the ball in the long run zone on the primary event and obtained off a sideways punt that went out of bounds on the 10 for a internet lack of minus-19 yards.
The Bellarmine protection, terrific all sport, stored Vanden out of the tip zone, permitting only a 24-yard area objective that gave the guests the lead within the first quarter.
Vanden (12-2), a defending state champion, got here into the sport permitting a median of solely 12 factors per contest in its first 13 video games this season. Down the stretch the Vikings had been much more stingy, permitting a mixed 21 factors over their final 5 video games.
However Bellarmine, which went by its personal offensive struggles earlier within the season, attacked Vanden’s protection with energy operating up the center. Pfaff, whose absence for 4 video games with a excessive ankle sprain coincided with the interval of Bellarmine’s offensive difficulties, ran for 2 second-quarter touchdowns to offer the Bells a 14-3 lead at halftime.
“He’s constructed like a brick home,” Beauchman stated of the 190-pound Pfaff.
Bellarmine put the sport away with three touchdowns within the third quarter. On its first possession after receiving the second-half kickoff, the Bells ran Pfaff up the center on third and seven. He picked up 5 yards to convey up fourth and a couple of. The Vanden protection anticipated one other carry by Pfaff, however quarterback Nate Escalada stored the ball as an alternative and ran untouched for a 51-yard landing. Escalada completed with 11 carries for 103 yards.
“Our offense has discovered its id,” Escalada stated.
Vanden’s first possession of the third quarter ended on an interception by Billy Ladd, who returned it 48 yards for a landing. Then the Bells went 46 yards in 5 performs with Escalada hitting Sean McGuire with a 12-yard landing move.
So it was 35-3 heading to the fourth quarter when Vanden scored 18 unanswered factors to make the ultimate rating nearer. Vanden’s first rating of the fourth quarter was a security, making it 35-5 when Bellarmine’s second dangerous lengthy snap of the sport went over Tripp’s head and thru the tip zone. Vanden adopted that with two touchdowns and a pair of two-point conversion runs by quarterback Tre Dimes.
As the sport headed towards its conclusion frustration boiled over on the Vanden aspect and the pinnacle official referred to as a halt, signaling the sport was over with 1:13 left on the clock.
Bellarmine’s protection held Vanden to 43 yards dashing and 127 passing. Sophomore linebacker Reece McKeever was in on three of the 4 sacks the Bellarmine protection registered and had one other deal with for loss. John Piro additionally contributed on a pair of sacks. Jake Hanson recovered a fumble in addition to selecting up 21 yards on two carries spelling Pfaff.
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Autor Glenn Reeves
