SAN JOSE — The Bellarmine Bells had loads of causes to pack it on this season. However they needed no a part of that, even because the losses and accidents piled up.
They misplaced 4 in a row earlier than lastly breaking the skid of their regular-season finale towards Valley Christian.
Three weeks later, on a chilly late autumn evening at San Jose Metropolis School, the Bells have been rewarded for his or her perseverance.
They captured the Central Coast Part Division II championship Saturday, edging St. Ignatius 21-14 as Ben Pfaff scored the decisive landing on an 8-yard run with 1:01 to play.
Bellarmine, as soon as 3-6, is now 7-6 and sure for a Northern California regional subsequent week. The matchups might be introduced Sunday.
St. Ignatius completed 6-7.
“I'm simply so completely satisfied for these younger males,” Bellarmine coach Jalal Beauchman mentioned. “There have been many factors through the course of this season the place these guys may have stop. We had struggles and it appeared like all the pieces was going towards us — accidents, sicknesses. Simply dangerous luck right here and there in video games.”
The championship sport was no totally different. It was a wrestle. However, because the Bells prefer to say, they finally have been unstoppable.
“Ever since we have been freshmen out right here, we knew we have been going to do one thing particular,” mentioned defensive lineman Jae’von Reels, who was a disruptive power all sport. “The season is stuffed with ups and downs — accidents, illness. However our staff needed to bounce again a method or one other. I'm simply so pleased with the boys to come back out right here and battle all the best way out and clearly received with the end result we needed.”
The play of the sport arrange Pfaff’s profitable landing. Braden Cantlen’s jarring hit knocked the ball unfastened from a St. Ignatius runner and Brandon Broch pounced on it to present the Bells the ball 32 yards from the profitable rating.
Six performs later, Pfaff’s TD broke the 14-14 tie.
That it was Pfaff who scored the game-winner appeared acceptable, provided that the senior overcame a extreme high-ankle sprain to present the struggling Bells a lift down the stretch. He had 128 yards and the TD in 17 carries on Saturday, serving to the San Jose college win its first part title since 2015 and eighth total.
“It’s been a protracted season,” Pfaff mentioned. “We’ve been grinding it out all 12 months — going by a variety of adversity, a variety of accidents, a four-game dropping streak. We actually simply saved religion in our teammates, our coaches. We saved religion within the work that we put in earlier than.
“After that landing, man, it actually hits residence. Felt prefer it actually got here collectively. All that arduous work, all that pushing by the adversity, it’s indescribable. It’s an ideal staff win.”
St. Ignatius wanted simply three performs to strike first. Soren Hummel dropped a third-down snap, picked up the ball and heaved it deep downfield. Pierce St. Geme caught it and dashed into the top zone, the 71-yard play giving the Wildcats a 7-0 lead.
Bellarmine answered on its subsequent possession as Pfaff dashed 61 yards to maneuver the ball to the 8. Two performs later, Jake Hanson scored from the 5 to even the sport 7-7 with 8:50 left within the opening quarter.
St. Ignatius responded with one other large play on its subsequent sequence as Hummel linked with Moe Barnum for 58 yards to the 11. On the subsequent snap, the Wildcats fumbled, the primary of their 4 turnovers.
Later within the half, Broch intercepted a move that deflected off a St. Ignatius operating again, giving the Bells possession on the Wildcats’ 32. Nate Escalada adopted with a 3-yard run on a quarterback keeper to place Bellarmine in entrance 14-7.
The lead lasted two performs as St. Ignatius tied the rating when St. Geme caught a move from Hummel in the appropriate flat and sprinted down the sideline for an 80-yard landing.
“We knew it was going to be a good sport,” St. Ignatius coach John Regalia mentioned. “Clearly Bellarmine is sweet. They’re well-coached and have some youngsters that may play. We knew it was going to be a four-quarter sport and it was. Actually pleased with our children.”
The primary seven possessions after halftime (4 Bellarmine, three SI) ended with punts. Within the eighth sequence, Cantlen made the hit that pressured the fumble and saved the Bells’ season going for a minimum of another week.
“It’s most likely one of many best emotions I’ve ever had,” mentioned Cantlen, a senior. “Like profitable CCS, you’re by no means going to get this chance once more in highschool. It’s been nice.”
