MONTEREY — It’s not ideal. Clearly, it’s not part of Carmel’s game plan. Ultimately, it could be detrimental in the playoffs when the stakes are much higher.
Yet, for the second straight week, the Padres had an answer after staring at a 14-point deficit in the first half. As a result, they are going back to the postseason party.
Three second-half touchdown passes from Kaleb Herro and a strip and fumble recovery from Matt Maxon in the final four minutes Friday lifted the defending Central Coast Section Division III football champions to a 28-27 win over host Monterey.
“People thought we sucked after our league opener,” said Carmel coach Golden Anderson, in reference to a 49-0 loss to Soquel six weeks ago.
Since that loss, which featured a running clock in the fourth quarter for the first time in Anderson’s 17 seasons, Carmel has gone 4-1, with the one loss coming from 8-0 Palma.
“We still lack the ability to put a complete game together,” Monterey coach Alex Besaw said. “We just haven’t been able to do it. I felt we were in control for most it. The kids played hard. We just couldn’t finish.”
There were no assurances that the Padres would even sniff the playoffs this season and have a shot to defend their state divisional football title after being thrown into the Gabilan Division this year.
“We have 10 players on offense that didn’t play the same position last year,” Anderson said. “We’re not at this year around. Our kids play other sports in the off-season. Our practices are wrapped up at 5 p.m. We’d like to think we’re productive with our time.”
Since dropping two of its first three Gabilan Division games, Carmel has won three straight to secure enough points to advance to the section playoffs, where it will likely have a shot to defend its CCS Division III title.
“Our emphasis all season is based on improvement,” Anderson said. “Maybe it takes us a little longer because we’re not at this all year. It doesn’t always show up on the scoreboard. But we liked the direction we were going in.”
Turning the ball over twice in the first half, including in the red zone, the Padres found themselves staring at a 20-7 halftime deficit, prompting Anderson to have his kids jog to the far side of the end zone, rather than return to the locker room.
“We were blunt with our kids about our mistakes,” Anderson said. “It’s easy for kids to get flustered when it’s not going well. We said stop blickering. Lets clean it up. We get the ball to start the second half.”
Momentum clearly was on the side of the Toreadores, when Ethan Bonilla spun out of a tackle, reversed field and scored his third touchdown in the first half with nine seconds left to take them to a 13-point lead.
“We’re not in the game if it weren’t for Ethan,” insisted Besaw. “He did everything we’ve asked of him — on defense as well. “He’s a quiet kid, but a leader on the field.”
The juice that Monterey brought on senior night was something Anderson expected. Weathering the storm was critical in the second half.
“We knew Monterey would have energy,” Anderson said. “Their guys made some plays and created momentum. But we felt if we could run the ball and slow the pace, it would shift the energy of the game.”
Yet, through three quarters, the Padres were still down by 13 points after Dekota Ordonio scored from 2 yards out, as Monterey had answered the challenge.
“I thought we played like our playoff lives were on the line,” Besaw said. “We had a good week of practice and that translated to the field tonight. The effort was there. We just could not finish the job.”
With Max Goldsmith and Connor Reilly taking turns running through gaps, Herro began to find his rhythm behind center, connecting with Dean Briant and twice with Maxon on touchdowns, including the eventual game-winner with 6:31 remaining.
Maxon’s first touchdown catch to open the second half came on a 4th-and-12 call at the 30-yard line. His second touchdown was a play Carmel came back to after it failed on fourth down in the second quarter.
“We thought the play would be better in a longer situation,” Anderson said. “We took a gamble and Matt made a great diving catch in the back of the end zone. On the second touchdown, it was open in the second quarter. We just missed it.”
While Monterey had one more possession, it was Maxon breaking their hearts when he stripped the ball, then recovered it with 4:53 remaining, where Carmel was able to run out the clock by converting a pair of third down situations.
“I wasn’t worried about the clock,” Besaw said. “I actually thought it would work in our favor. I thought we could control it. We did it in the first half. But we ended up fumbling it and that sealed it. We could not stop them after that.”
The Toreadores, who are 1-5 after a 3-0 start, will need help to make the postseason, as they currently sit as the odd team out in terms of earning an at-large playoff spot out of the Gabilan Division with their point total.
No more than six teams from any league in the CCS can make the playoffs, regardless of their point total. The Toreadores would hold the tiebreaker if they finished with the same record as North Salinas, who still has two games remaining.
Monterey closes the season at undefeated Soquel, while North Salinas has meetings with Alisal and Aptos. Carmel closes the Gabilan Division season next Thursday at Salinas, before facing Pacific Grove in a non-league game for ‘The Shoe’.
