Defense aids Spartans in comeback victory
It was only fitting that the game ended on a sack.
Yes, there was the incredible go-ahead drive that culminated with a touchdown with 19.2 seconds to play. And yes, there were the highlight-worthy catches from wideouts Brian Johnson and Jessee Gardner that kept East Nicolaus in contention.
But the biggest reason the No. 4 seeded Spartans walked off Wahl Field with a 26-21 victory over No. 5 Mt. Shasta in the Northern Section Div. III playoffs has to be their defense.
"The defense stepped up, they really came together as a unit," Spartans coach Mark Varnum said. "I can't be more proud of those guys than I am right now."
When the Spartans offense completely fell into disarray for the majority of the second half, the defense was there to pick up the slack.
Down 21-20 in the fourth quarter, and with the offense sputtering, the Spartans defense forced a punt and on the next possession stifled a fake punt when all the Bears needed to do was run out clock. The latter allowed East Nicolaus to inherit the ball at their own 40-yard line and set up what would be a 60-yard comeback drive with 2:22 left in the game.
Andrew Rubalcava, who struggled in the second half after connecting on a 67-yard touchdown to Johnson in the opening minute of the third quarter, again gained the poise he exhibited in the first half when he absolutely dissected the Bears' secondary.
The senior kick-started the drive with a 17-yard run and on the next play fired a 28-yard completion to Gardner. He followed it up with a 15-yard pass to tight end Jared DePaul and after Anthony Bassett lost three yards on a run to the outside, Rubalcava connected with a jumping DePaul in the middle of the end zone to take the lead with seconds remaining.
"I told them the safeties were locking on (Johnson) and (Gardner)," DePaul said. "When I caught it I went wild."
But for DePaul, who also plays defensive end, the plays made on defense were just as special.
Four times in the second half, Mt. Shasta inherited the ball with impeccable field position. Three times they came away with nothing. And the one time the Bears got the best of the Spartans defense in the second half was after a botched East Nicolaus punt gave them the ball at the 5-yard line.
In the third quarter, the Spartans stuffed a pitch to the outside on fourth-and-goal at the six after the Bears returned a short punt to the 26-yard line to start the drive. Then on the next defensive stand East Nicolaus forced and recovered a fumble off a quarterback sneak from the 2-yard line. In all, the Bears finished with just 119 yards from scrimmage.
Rubalcava finished with 272 yards passing and three touchdowns. Johnson tallied 142 yards with two scores and Gardner notched 70 yards with a touchdown for the Spartans, who will move on to face No. 1 seed Willows next week.
"We are not done, we are not done baby," Varnum said.
