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Saturday, Nov. 14, 2009

A new king: Interception seals Central California Conference football title for Los Banos

ATWATER -- With 20 seconds to play and his team staked to a one-point lead, Los Banos cornerback Dylan Marques got called over to the LB sideline.

The coaching staff had one instruction for him, shadow Dallon Muse wherever he went.

A delay of game penalty had pushed Buhach Colony back to the Los Banos 15-yard line and all but eliminated BC's option of going to the Fly sweep one last time.

Los Banos guessed right as Matt Small took the snap and lobbed a fade pass for Muse in the right corner of the end zone.

Marques saw the pass leave Small's hand and was in perfect position to secure the game-clinching interception and was dog piled by teammates as he hit the ground.

The dramatic 48-47 victory, coupled with Merced's 49-7 loss to Pitman, gave Los Banos the outright Central California Conference title.

With LB (6-1 CCC, 7-3) switching leagues next year, it's the first and last CCC title in school history.

"The coaches told me to just follow 5 (Muse) wherever he goes," Marques said. "We had a feeling they were going to pass and I guess the coaches were right.

"The quarterback threw it up and I knew I had it all the way."

The loss was a tough one for Buhach (4-3 CCC, 6-4), which clawed its way back into the game with a thrilling fourth-quarter effort.

With the score tied at 21-21 at the half, LB dominated the third quarter and took a 35-21 lead on a pair of Erik Martin (412 total yards and three touchdowns) TD passes.

BC immediately responded to open the fourth quarter.

Keith Ducey punched in a 1-yard TD run and, after a Los Banos fumble, Muse tied it up with a 4-yard score with 5 minutes and 50 seconds to play.

The two teams were just getting started.

Jerrell Minor returned the ensuing kickoff 90 yards to put Los Banos back on top.

Freddie Romero missed the extra point to make it 41-35 LB.

BC needed just four plays to counter. Muse (18 rushes for 121 yards) rumbled in from 28 yards out, but BC missed its extra point as well.

Minor fumbled on the first play of Los Banos' next possession and Jarrell Davis (game-high 234 yards on 21 carries) made them pay with a 49-yard TD run on the very next play.

An illegal shift penalty negated BC's two-point conversion and after making his first five extra points, Manuel Mendoza missed his final two attempts.

The last one would prove pivotal.

Down 47-41 with 3:55 to play, Martin marched LB down the field.

The senior broke a 56-yard run to the Buhach 21-yard line and then calmly hit Max Ornelas (11 catches for 248 yards and two touchdowns) for a 10-yard strike on a fourth-and-7.

Darron Brown capped the drive with an 8-yard run to put LB back up for good.

"With all the injuries and sickness and everything this team has been through, to come back and win the outright CCC title is special," LB coach Dennis Stubbs said. "Our timing was perfect too. We win and get out in time, because Buhach is going to be stacked next year."

BC had one last shot to grab a share of the CCC crown.

Starting from their own 35 and just 2:13 to play, Buhach marched to the LB 10, but chewed up all three of its timeouts along the way.

The delay of game penalty virtually made a field goal attempt impossible, so BC coach Kevin Swartwood rolled the dice and called for the fade pass.

The interception was Buhach's fifth turnover of the game.

"We fumbled the ball four times and still scored 47 points," Swartwood said. "If we play the game clean, we win going away.

"It was a heck of a game, though."

Central California Conference

LOS BANOS 48,

BUHACH COLONY 47

At Atwater

Los Banos 21 0 14 13 -- 48

Atwater 7 14 0 26 -- 47

First Quarter

BC -- Jarrell Davis 22 run (Manuel Mendoza kick)

LB -- Darron Brown 38 run (Freddie Romero kick)

LB -- Max Ornelas 80 pass fro Erik Martin (Romero kick)

LB -- Julio Iglesias 31 fumble return (Romero kick)

Second Quarter

BC -- Dallon Muse 27 run (Mendoza kick)

BC -- Muse 40 pass from Matt Small (Mendoza kick)

Third Quarter

LB -- Jerrell Minor 8 pass from Martin (Romero kick)

LB -- Ornelas 40 pass from Martin (Romero kick)

Fourth Quarter

BC -- Keith Ducey 1 run (Mendoza kick)

BC -- Muse 4 run (Mendoza kick)

LB -- Minor 90 kick return (Kick failed)

BC -- Muse 28 run (Kick failed)

BC -- Davis 49 run (Kick failed)

LB -- Brown 8 run (Romero kick)

Records: Los Banos 5-1 CCC, 7-3; Buhach Colony 3-3 CCC, 6-4.

JV -- Buhach Colony 45-0.