MISSION VIEJO — Pittsburg’s magical season got here to a heartbreaking finish on Friday evening.
The Pirates gave all they might, however couldn’t end the job as they fell to Lincoln-San Diego 28-26 within the CIF Division I-AA state championship recreation at Saddleback Faculty.
The Pirates had an opportunity to tie the sport late, however couldn’t convert a two-point conversion to power extra time.
Working again Jamar Searcy had his greatest recreation in a Pittsburg uniform, scoring 4 touchdowns.
Lincoln took it to Pittsburg’s early.
The Hornets put the primary factors on the board when Akili Smith Jr. discovered Courtney Miller-Thompson on a six-yard swing go to the top zone.
Lincoln’s Junior Curtis (26) runs the ball towards Pittsburg’s Japheth Tofaeono (20) throughout the CIF Division 1-AA state championship recreation at Saddleback Faculty on Friday, Dec. 13, 2024 in Mission Viejo, CA. (Meg McLaughlin / The San Diego Union-Tribune)
The Hornets held Pittsburg’s offense scoreless within the first quarter because the Pirates may solely muster 62 yards.
Pittsburg’s offense obtained going within the second quarter.
On the primary play of Pittsburg’s third possession, Searcy rushed for a 47-yard rating down the sideline that tied the sport at 7.
Lincoln momentarily took again the lead after vast receiver Ty Olson made a spectacular catch in the appropriate nook of the top zone to place the Hornets up 14-7 with underneath two minutes left earlier than halftime.
However Pittsburg ended the half robust, driving 63 yards in simply over a minute and a half to tie the sport with a Searcy 2-yard plunge into the top zone.
On the finish of the primary half, Searcy accounted for 194 of Pittsburg’s 212 yards of offense.
After Lincoln pressured a cease on Pittsburg’s first possession of the third quarter, the Hornets struck once more when Smith threw his third landing go of the sport, this time to senior receiver Isaiah Grant who ran in for a 77-yard rating to place Lincoln up 21-14.
However Searcy continued to will his staff. On third-and-long within the crimson zone, the Washington State commit caught a one-handed go on the aim line and completed the drive along with his third landing of the sport on a one-yard rush. Pittsburg missed the additional level, however reduce the result in one with simply over 5 minutes left within the third quarter.
Within the fourth quarter, Lincoln’s explosive offense took a web page out of De La Salle’s playbook and determined to sluggish the tempo. The Hornets chewed up over six minutes of time and drove 80 yards in 12 performs to take an eight-point benefit.
In Pittsburg’s last drive of the fourth quarter, quarterback Marley Alcantara strung collectively his greatest possession of the sport. He led the Pirates into the Lincoln crimson zone and Searcy punched in a 4-yard rating on fourth-and-two. Needing to tie, Pittsburg went for the two-point conversion however Searcy couldn’t run it in.
Pittsburg tried to get well an onside kick, however couldn’t provide you with the ball and Lincoln iced the sport from there.
Initially Printed: December 13, 2024 at 11:03 PM PST
