In a three-overtime thriller, the Morgan Hill Pop Warner Junior Midgets Raiders survived to play another round of the Division I playoffs by beating the Redwood City Forty Niners 22-14 last Saturday in Woodside.
Anthony Martinez pushed his way through the defense for a 5-yard touchdown run to lift the Raiders ahead. It was then up to the defense to preserve the lead and ice the win.
On first down, Jacob Ryder stopped the running back for no gain. On the second down, the Redwood City quarterback rolled out to attempt a pass, but Cole Sanders was there for the sack for a loss on the play. On the third down, Nathen Camacho and Cade Hall quickly overwhelmed the line and sacked the quarterback. A Hail Mary pass on fourth down fell incomplete.
“The boys work hard each practice preparing for these types of gut-check moments,” Raiders head coach Jeff Kalb said. “They kept their poise under pressure throughout each overtime period and had the confidence to prevail in the end. I’m extremely proud of what they have accomplished this year.”
A touchdown by Ryder and extra point by Bailey Schroeder put the Raiders on the board 8-0 after a successful opening drive.
It stayed 8-0 that way for much of the game with a defense led by Camacho, Hall, Isaiah Barajas, Ryder, Andy Uribe ans Sanders keeping the Forty Niners out of the end zone until late in the contest.
In the first overtime the Forty Niners scored quickly. However, Camacho was able to block the extra point. On the ensuing possession Raiders quarterback Cody Paresa scored a touchdown to tie the game 14-14. The Forty Niners blocked the Raiders extra point, leaving the first overtime tied again.
During the second overtime neither the Raiders nor the Forty Niners scored any points. Stellar defensive play by Alex Cornejo, Riley Owen, Schroeder and Joey Barnes at the goal line prevented a Redwood City touchdown from inside the 1-yard line.
The Raiders go on to play East Bay East in the semifinals Sunday at noon at Townsend Field in Santa Clara.
