SAN FRANCISCO – Mike Mitchell Jr. is dedicated to Vanderbilt due to his correct proper arm, one which threw for 129 yards and two touchdowns on Saturday afternoon in San Francisco.
However going through fourth-and-1 on the 15-yard line and trailing by three with 9 minutes left within the recreation, Riordan’s junior quarterback flashed that he has some SEC-caliber athleticism on a 15-yard run up the center.
Then he completed that show of pace by showcasing apparent toughness when the 5-foot-9 Mitchell absorbed a crunching hit from St. Francis linebacker Sefanaia Alatini on the objective line and nonetheless powered into the tip zone.
The host Crusaders took a lead that it might not relinquish on senior day, defeating league-leading St. Francis 34-24 in entrance of a packed crowd on Frida Kahlo Means and denying the Lancers the outright West Catholic Athletic League title.
“This win makes it so that we’ve beat every team in the WCAL since I’ve been here,” stated Mitchell, who ran for a team-high 67 yards on 5 carries. “It’s cool, because that’s a really good team. We don’t want to take anything for granted. This is a special win, but now its on to the playoffs.”
Riordan quarterback Michael Mitchell Jr. #9 scores the go-ahead landing within the 4th quarter regardless of a ferocious objective line hit by St. Francis’ Sefanaia Alatini #32, Saturday, Nov. 9, 2024, at Archbishop Riordan Excessive College in San Francisco, Calif. (Karl Mondon/Bay Space Information Group)
St. Francis, which led 24-21 coming into the fourth quarter, fell to 8-2 and can now share the WCAL crown with St. Ignatius with a 6-1 league report.
“We have to be better than we were today to win a game against a good opponent and program like Riordan,” Lancers coach Greg Calcagno stated. “We had to make plays when the time came, and they were the ones who did. We made some plays, but we didn’t make enough of them and they made more.”
Riordan improves to 6-4, 5-2 and has gained 4 in a row.
Chris Lawson caught 4 passes for 55 yards and a landing, and likewise had one interception. Fellow wideout Cynai Thomas caught a landing and had an absurd one-handed interception whereas falling out of bounds within the fourth quarter.
“I’ve seen him do that one before,” Lawson stated of Thomas. “That’s regular for him. He’s a dog.”
Archbishop Riordan celebrates their fourth quarter comeback win towards St. Francis, Saturday, Nov. 9, 2024, at Archbishop Riordan Excessive College in San Francisco, Calif. (Karl Mondon/Bay Space Information Group)
St. Francis working again Kingston Keanaaina ran for 97 yards and returned a kickoff for a landing, and quarterback Aaron Knapp threw for 121 yards and a landing, and likewise ran for an additional.
However it was the underrated Riordan offensive line, led by senior deal with Peter Langi, that imposed its will on the sport. Jeremiah Jones and Adonyae Brown mixed for 103 yards and a landing, seemingly at all times getting the powerful yard or two the Crusaders wanted in key spots.
After Thomas’ interception, Brown gave Riordan a 10-point lead on a 10-yard landing proper up the intestine with 3:51 left within the recreation.
“This feels good because last year they beat us, so it feels good to get them back,” Brown stated.
Riordan’ Adonyae Brown #32 dives into the tip zone for a 4th quarter landing whereas tackled by St. Francis’ Quentin Robinson, Saturday, Nov. 9, 2024, at Archbishop Riordan Excessive College in San Francisco, Calif. (Karl Mondon/Bay Space Information Group)
The Lancers began the scoring within the first quarter when Knapp completed off a five-play drive with a nine-yard keeper up the center.
Riordan answered a couple of minutes later when the Crusaders went on an 18-play, 81-yard drive that concluded with Mitchell scrambling to his proper and floating a looping go to Wesley Winn for a four-yard rating.
Keanaaina put St. Francis again on prime by returning the following kickoff for a landing, however the Crusaders responded when Mitchell linked with Thomas for a five-yard landing on a fade path to cap a 10-play drive with 5:28 left within the first half.
Lawson gave Riordan the lead with 56 seconds to go within the first half on a 25-yard landing reception, however St. Francis rapidly moved the ball downfield on its subsequent drive and went into halftime tied at 21 when Joey Paulson caught an 18-yard landing on a crossing route.
Protection dominated the third quarter, the one factors coming when Aaron Wong kicked in a brief subject objective with 0:32 left within the interval.
Riordan dominated the fourth quarter although, working 21 performs to St. Francis’ six and shutting out the sport.
Each groups will make the Central Coast Part Division I playoffs, which shall be unveiled on Sunday.
“We’re starting to turn the corner, and I like our momentum going into the playoffs,” Riordan coach Adhir Ravipati stated.
Riordan head coach Adhir Ravipati celebrates the ultimate seconds of the Crusaders’ fourth quarter comeback towards St. Francis, Saturday, Nov. 9, 2024, at Archbishop Riordan Excessive College in San Francisco, Calif. (Karl Mondon/Bay Space Information Group)
St. Francis’ Kingston Keanaaina #2 rushes towards Archbishop Riordan within the fourth quarter, Saturday, Nov. 9, 2024, at Archbishop Riordan Excessive College in San Francisco, Calif. (Karl Mondon/Bay Space Information Group)
St. Francis’ Perrion Williams #3 catches a go between the protection of Archbishop Riordan’s Skylar Tiatia #10 and Jeremiah Jones #2, Saturday, Nov. 9, 2024, at Archbishop Riordan Excessive College in San Francisco, Calif. (Karl Mondon/Bay Space Information Group)
Riordan quarterback Michael Mitchell Jr. #9 breaks free for a 16-yard rush towards St. Francis , Saturday, Nov. 9, 2024, at Archbishop Riordan Excessive College in San Francisco, Calif. (Karl Mondon/Bay Space Information Group)
