Wolfpack Stun Bulldogs in Overtime

On Friday night, the Claremont Wolfpack squared off against Chino Hills Ayala in a Sierra League contest. The Wolfpack entered the game 4-4 and winless in league competition, while the Bulldogs of Ayala were 3-5 coming off a thrilling 49-48 victory over West Covina South Hills. The rain cleared 15 minutes before kick-off but the November chill remained for the rest of the night.

Claremont started with the ball and appeared to be off to a fast start with an 85 yard pass from senior quarterback Gabe Schaper to wide receiver Klyvens Delaunay that appeared to be six points. It was all too good to be true for the Wolfpack and the score was called back on a holding call at the line of scrimmage. Claremont would go on to score later in the drive on a pass to senior wide receiver Deandre Manus. Senior offensive lineman Davis Harrison, who was lined up as a fullback, got the handoff and scored on the subsequent two-point conversion to give the Wolfpack the early 8-0 lead. Ayala would answer back in the second quarter with a touchdown of their own and tied the game on a two-point conversion run by senior running back Tevin Campbell. The game was all even at 8-8 at halftime.

The Bulldogs came out of the gate strong in the second half with a field goal by junior kicker Brandon Garcia to put Ayala up 11-8. Schaper, who tallied 378 yards in the air, answered back with a touchdown pass to Delaunay to put the Wolfpack ahead 15-11. Ayala would benefit from some careless penalties by the Claremont defense on their next drive, which ended with a touchdown pass from sophomore quarterback Brian Meyette to junior wide receiver Jordan Robinson. A 13 yard touchdown run by Campbell at the start of the 4th quarter put the Bulldogs ahead 25-15 and gave them all the momentum.

Although this season hasn't gone the way Claremont and coach Mike Collins would have liked after their 4-0 start, the Wolfpack have never given up and showed their character in the fourth quarter. With nothing going there way, Claremont turned to Schaper once again for a spark. The number two passer in the Inland Valley got the ball to Manus, who made a spectacular one handed grab to get the Pack within three points at 25-22. The Wolfpack defense held the Ayala offense to a field goal with a minute remaining to put the score at 28-22. With less than 60 seconds remaining and 80 yards to the end zone, the Wolfpack offense showed its poise and determination to convert two fourth down conversions on their way to a game tying touchdown run by Schaper. An extra point away from a last second victory, everything appeared to be going Claremont's way. Ayala proved that they had some magic of their own and shocked Claremont and its fans with a blocked extra point to send the game into overtime.

Claremont was able to get in the end zone first in overtime with a touchdown run by senior running back Will Reeves and senior safety/kicker Dylan Kegans converted the extra point. The Wolfpack defense was on the brink of stopping the Ayala offense when the Bulldogs scored on a 3rd and long to get within a point of sending the game to double overtime. With the momentum on Ayala's side, Ayala head coach Randy Reams called a timeout before the PAT attempt. The timeout didn't help the Bulldogs, as Claremont senior safety Andrei Tarankow blocked Garcia's extra point and gave Claremont the overtime win 35-34.

The game was a classic and one of the best in Southern California this season. The Wolfpack should be on a high after their victory and have the advantage going into a week 10 contest against South Hills. Although Ayala might be down after the heartbreaking loss, they still have a chance to make the CIF Inland Division playoffs if they can defeat La Verne Damien this Friday and South Hills can upset Claremont. The road to the playoffs will be even tougher for the Claremont. The Wolfpack need a victory and an Ayala win to enter a three-way tie for third with Ayala and Damien, but will need to win the subsequent coin toss to make the playoffs. No matter how the season ends, both teams will remember last Friday's contest as one of the best games in their football careers.