St. Vincent High School’s Mustangs were the last team scoring and the last team standing Saturday night in a wild 51-44 win over California School for the Deaf.
Playing under temporary lights in their Yarbrough Field home, the Mustangs scored on a 68-yard pass connection between quarterback Jacob Porteous and wide receiver Jeremy Bukolsky with just 55 seconds remaining in the game tp pull out their ninth victory in 10 games.
St. Vincent now rests and recuperates as it awaits its fate in the North Coast Section Division 7 playoffs. The Mustangs could be in line for a first-round home game. CSD’s Eagles, despite a solid 5-3 season, could be on the outside looking in come playoff time. The Eagles are ranked No. 12 in the division with only eight teams making the playoffs.
CSD certainly performed like a playoff caliber team Saturday night, matching the Mustangs big play for big play in a wildly entertaining football teams between two independent schools.
CSD’s Calel Aramboles showed why he is a high-school All-American on the game’s opening kickoff, grabbing the ball in the middle of a bevy of would-be St. Vincent tacklers and racing 81 yards for a touchdown before an offensive play had been run.
A pass interception by Liam O’Hare set up a 40-yard drive by St. Vincent that culminated in Porteous’ 20-yard touchdown pass to Bukolsky that, coupled with Giovanni Vaca’s conversion kick put the Mustangs in front, 7-6, at the end of the first quarter and touched off a wild back-and-forth battle that continued into the game’s final minute.