HAYWARD – Eriq Fields and his 10 Moreau Catholic teammates knew what Ferndale’s old-school three-back offense was up to 20 yards from the end zone with just over three minutes left in the game for the title of Division VII of the North Coast Section.
So when the visitors made another run between the tackles, Fields belted the ball carrier with every ounce of strength he had left, freeing the ball.
The senior linebacker also recovered the fumble, then celebrated with his teammates after making the biggest play of the 21-19 victory.
“We had to make that stop, and I knew he was going to get the ball,” Fields said. “I ran straight at him, put my helmet down, hit the ball and fell on it.”
After Fields’ huge play, Moreau Catholic’s offense burned the rest of the way with a drive that included a gutsy fourth-and-1 conversion on a quarterback sneak from Jeremiah Charles and a game-ending reception from Miles Moore.
Seconds later, Moreau Catholic’s elated players celebrated their first-ever sectional title by dousing coach Keith Minor with a Gatorade bath and dousing each other with bottles of sparkling grape juice.
“As I said before, this was a senior management issue,” Minor said. “We have 16 or 17, and they did their job.”
Moreau Catholic was the top seed in D-VII, while Ferndale was the defending champion and No. 2 seed.
Fields may have had the play of the game, but senior catcher Jalen Arnold was undoubtedly the Mariners’ MVP. He started the scoring with a 67-yard touchdown run down the right sideline following a nearly missed throw pass on the first play of the game.
After Tanner Pidgeon capped a 15-play Ferndale drive with a seven-yard touchdown run, Charles connected with Arnold again for an 11-yard score with 1:29 left in the first quarter. Charles completed all 11 of his pass attempts for a Mariners team that went into halftime with a 14-7 lead.
Ferndale came out of halftime on a mission, turning two 12-play drives into touchdowns by Luke Dixon and 148-yard rusher Pidgeon to give the visitors a 19-14 advantage. Ferndale ran 65 plays to Moreau’s 27 and dominated time of possession.
But just as Ferndale appeared to be taking control, a key point after a blocked try by Seth Evans and a trick on a 2-pointer proved critical.
“My goal, no, our goal, was to send these seniors out with flying colors,” Evans said. “That’s what we wanted to do, and hey, we got the title.”
After making his mark through the air, Arnold gave Moreau a lead he wouldn’t relinquish when he returned a kickoff about 90 yards for a touchdown with 8:09 on the scoreboard in Hayward High School.
“I told my boys I was going to take him to the crib and they believed in me,” Arnold said. “I saw the hole, I hit it and I was out of there.”
After a good return gave the ball back to Ferndale at the 46-yard line, a 10-play drive drained the clock and put the guests in position to win a 14th Section crown and make the trip home from 280 miles as champions.
Instead, Fields finished Ferndale’s season with the biggest win of his high school career and put Moreau Catholic in position to play in its first NorCal championship game.
The Mariners will not be satisfied with a simple trip to attend a regional match. They want a state championship.
“Man, it’s amazing and I can’t wait to do it again at state,” Arnold said.
NCS Division VI
No. 1 Arcata 28, No. 2 Miramonte 21
Arcata combined a long kickoff return and 1-yard touchdown run with time running out in the fourth quarter to edge the Matadors in the NCS Division VI championship game. Miramonte (6-7) rallied from a 21-7 halftime deficit to tie the score before Arcata’s (12-1) game-winning touchdown drive. Receiver George Gilbert caught a 40-yard pass from the quarterback Carson Blair to make the score 21-13, but the extra point was no good. Miramonte tied the score on a 4-yard run by Derek Youn and Blair’s 2-point conversion.
The Matadors had one last chance late in the fourth quarter after the Tigers went up by seven points. They got the ball back with about three minutes left and marched to the Arcata 30-yard line, but Blair was sacked trying to pass on fourth-and-long, and the Tigers managed to run out the clock. Miramonte’s first touchdown came on a 25-yard pass from Blair to Andrew Bjornson.
Miramonte coach Nick Safir said his team played very well on defense in the second half, except for a long-range breakdown.
“If they don’t have that long kickoff return, I don’t know if they score,” Safir said.
For Arcata, it was its first-ever NCS football title in the MaxPreps era, which dates back to 2004. The Mats were seeking their second straight NCS crown and ninth overall. Last season, Miramonte won the Division V NCS championship.
Although the Matadors lose six key seniors, they should be a force next season with so many returning players. Blair and Bjornson are juniors and Gilbert is a sophomore. Three starting offensive linemen return, as do most of the defensive backfield, Safir said.
– Mike Lefkow
