A dramatic 37-yard field goal against a strong crosswind as the game horn sounded ended the championship dream for the Twentynine Palms High School Wildcats. Traveling 311 miles to face the defending CIF Champion Nipomo Titans, the Wildcats battled to the end, only to lose a heartbreaking 17-14 quarter-final playoff game.
The ‘Cats had a chance to take an early lead in the game, as a big defensive tackle by Eneliko Tuli and Michael Clark on the Titans running back caused a fumble on the second play of the game. The ‘Cats drove inside the 10-yard line but were stopped on three consecutive plays. A 31-yard field goal attempt against a difficult crosswind sailed wide right. The two teams battled back and forth in a scoreless defensive struggle for the remaining time in the first quarter.
Early in the second, with the ‘Cats backed up on their own 15-yard line, a punt was returned 26 yards down to the Wildcats 18-yard line. The Titans managed to score on third down-and-1 on a quarterback sneak to take a 7-0 lead early in the second.
The Wildcats would answer back late in the quarter, as they marched 50 yards on six plays to tie the contest. The big play of the drive was a 15-yard pass by quarterback Jimmy Shragge to Demetrius Holmes on third and long. Two plays later, Shragge found D’Shaun Barrett in the end zone on an 11-yard touchdown pass. Ryan Stowers’ point-after tied the game at 7 with a 1:45 left in the half. The Titans managed to drive inside the 25-yard line, but a 40-yard attempt was short to end the half tied at 7.
On the ‘Cats third drive of the second half, they managed to move to the Titans 23-yard line after five successful plays. It looked like the ‘Cats had the momentum and were about to take the lead, when a diving interception was ruled at the Titan 16-yard line. The defender was ruled to have had possession of the ball and was ruled down before the ball bounced away. With the momentum from the interception, the home team went on a long running 11-play drive before being stopped at the 40-yard line. Senior defensive back Demetrius Holmes intercepted a pass on third and long and returned it to the 41-yard line to stop the drive. However, a bad break would strike the Wildcats, as a fumble was picked up and returned 46 yards for a score two plays later to give the defending champions the lead at 14-7 with 47 seconds left in the third quarter.
The Wildcats would respond and drive down to the Titans 5-yard line with 4:27 left on the fourth quarter clock. They would be turned away on fourth down at the 11 yard line. The Wildcats’ defensive unit came to the rescue; with a big hit by senior Kyle Hope and a fumble recovery by Andrew Wilson, the ball was back in the Wildcats’ hands at the 26-yard line. This time the Wildcats would find the end zone, as Jimmy Shragge would scramble for 16 yards on third-and-long down to the 5 yard line. Two plays later he would take the option play in for a tying score.
The Wildcats’ defense forced a quick 3-and-out and set the stage for a possible dramatic final drive. The ‘Cats took the ball at the 20 after the punt and drove 37 yards, crossing midfield with 1:47 left. However the Titans stopped the ‘Cats just short on third down at their own 42-yard line. On fourth and 2, the Wildcats were stopped short and the Titans took over for one last chance. On the first play, sophomore K.J. Magwood sacked the Titans quarterback for a 7-yard loss, and the ball was placed at the 34-yard line. On third and long, the Titans quarterback threw a long pass, just as two Wildcats players tackled him. The pass appeared to be tipped by a defender and the leaping catch on the sideline was ruled in bounds at the Wildcats’ 28-yard line with less than 20 seconds to go. Two plays later with just 2 seconds left in the game, and after the ‘Cats used their two final timeouts before the kick, the season was over as the ball sailed through the uprights.
The DeAnza league champions finished the season with an 11-1 record, and set several school records. “Our team played like champions all season long, and we are very proud of their efforts,” stated Head Coach Ernest Martinez. “We played an outstanding team in an outstanding example of high school football, but just fell a few plays short. The coaching staff is incredibly proud of this team and all they accomplished this season.”
Offensive and defensive stat leaders were Jimmy Shragge with 89 yards rushing and 153 yards passing. Demetrius Holmes had six catches for 95 yards to lead the team. Defensively, Donavan Esquilin, Colton Myers, Kyle Hope, and Andrew Wilson led the ‘Cats in total tackles. Esquilin and Myers had 13 tackles each, while Hope and Wilson had 10 tackles each, and two forced fumbles for the game. Demetrius Holmes had an interception and a 21-yard return.
HEARTBREAKING LOSS ENDS REMARKABLE TWENTYNINE PALMS HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL SEASON
