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San Jacinto football rallies to beat Yorba Linda with TD in final minute

September 6, 2024

YORBA LINDA — San Jacinto overcame a 10-point halftime deficit, held Yorba Linda scoreless in the second half and made big plays down the stretch on third and fourth downs to come away with a 19-16 victory over the Mustangs in a nonleague football game Thursday night at Yorba Linda High.

The Tigers (2-1) also took advantage of some critical miscues by the Mustangs (2-1) late in the game.

Yorba Linda had a difficult time containing Tigers quarterback Jaylen Patterson, who completed 23 of 34 passes for 277 yards and three touchdowns.

Patterson’s 20-yard touchdown pass to Daylen Love with just over one minute remaining wound up being the difference.

The touchdown came on a fourth-and-4 play, capping an 80-yard drive in which the Tigers converted on a third-and-5 from their 25, fourth-and-9 from their 45, third-and-11 from the Yorba Linda 40 and finally the 20-yard touchdown on fourth down.

“That’s something we work on in practice in certain situations when we’re backed up,” Tigers coach Aric Galliano said. “They did a great job of executing, off the week we had, the short week with the holiday, all the heat restrictions and not being able to get out and practice.”

In the third quarter, Patterson connected with Daishaun Davis for a 45-yard touchdown on a third-and-9 play.

“Everybody knows the one thing that he has is his feet to keep things alive,” Galliano said. “And that helps us out up front and the wide receivers continuing to work and doing a great job.”

After the go-ahead touchdown, a short kick on the ensuing kickoff gave the Mustangs possession on the Tigers 47 with a minute remaining, plenty of time to get into field goal range and tie the score with a field goal or even win with a touchdown.

But the Tigers recovered a fumble on first down and ran out the clock.

The Mustangs had chances to put the game away earlier but couldn’t capitalize on their opportunities.

The game-winning drive came after the Mustangs missed a 26-yard field goal, which would have put them ahead by a touchdown.

In the sequence that ended with the missed field goal, Yorba Linda blocked a punt and took possession on the San Jacinto 15.

But the Mustangs failed to convert on a third-and-9 which then prompted the field goal attempt.

In the first quarter, Yorba Linda’s Thomas Knutson scooped up a fumble and returned it 35 yards to the Tigers 36.

Yorba Linda converted the takeaway to a 2-yard touchdown run from Vaughn Sharp, giving the Mustangs a 7-0 lead.

Cole Nerio’s 25-yard touchdown run in the second quarter gave the Mustangs a 13-6 lead.

But the Mustangs could only manage a field goal from there.

“We were great at the start,” Yorba Linda coach Jeff Baily said. “We made enough mistakes to let them in the game, and then they took advantage of it. With our schedule, we’re not going to beat a team like that making those mistakes.”

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Orange County Register

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San Jacinto football rallies to beat Yorba Linda with TD in final minute

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