Sierra Canyon earns Gold Coast League football title, edges Paraclete

ANTELOPE VALLEY >> There comes a point when mistakes loom larger than just a shot in the foot. Sierra Canyon, which recently defeated powerhouse Grace Brethren and had just one loss on the season, punished itself often Friday.

And yet somehow, some way — none of it mattered.

Paraclete seized on several opportunities afforded it by the Trailblazers and yet Sierra Canyon danced at midfield after a 24-20 victory over the Spirits at Antelope Valley College in Lancaster on Friday night.

With the win, Sierra Canyon clinched the Gold Coast League championship over Paraclete for the second consecutive year.

“You know, I have to be honest with you. That’s about as bad as you can play and still win a game,” Sierra Canyon head coach Jon Ellinghouse said. “We weren’t ourselves, and we made a message at halftime that we were the better team. We just needed to play like it.”Sierra Canyon took the opening kickoff and drove the length of the field to take an early lead as quarterback Chayden Peery threw a check-down pass to JD Sumlin to give the Blazers a quick 6-0 lead. But things quickly nose-dived.

After Paraclete answered with a score of its own — a 4-yard TD lunge by running back Amir Bankhead — the Trailblazers fumbled the ensuing kickoff.

On Sierra Canyon’s next possession, a snap sailed over Peery’s head, settling at the Sierra Canyon 8-yard line. After two more negative plays, the Trailblazers punted from out of their own end zone.

With the short field, Paraclete effectively moved the ball but were gifted three first downs on Trailblazers’ penalties to take their first lead. Quarterback CJ Montes connected with Dawit Wasse to give the Spirits a 13-6 lead just before the half. And on the second play of the second half, Montes connected with Jacobee Taylor for a 58-yard touchdown and a 20-9 lead.

But with a raucous, crowd behind it, Sierra Canyon scored 15 fourth-quarter points to seal the win.

After its 41-yard field-goal attempt clanked off the crossbar, Sierra Canyon recovered a Paraclete fumble and quickly scored on a 4-yard run by Sumlin.

The defense held firm when the Spirits were given back the ball, and Peery led the Trailblazers down the field for a clinching score — a quick pass to Sumlin.

“That’s one thing about our program. We’ve been down before, we’ve been in close games. We weren’t worried,” Ellinghouse said. It seemed like nothing was going our way, but at the end of the day we did what we needed to win a game.”

Peery was 16 for 20 for 184 yards passing and two touchdowns, both to Sumlin.

For Paraclete, Montes went 13 for 23 for 152 yards and two scores.