Where's the story?7 Points Mentioned

South Gate High School seemingly had the City Section Division II football championship in its hands. Then it didn’t.

About to make it a two-possession game late in the contest, the Rams mishandled a handoff and San Fernando recovered at the 14-yard line with 3:40 remaining.

That’s all the opening the defending champion and top-seeded Tigers needed.

Cristian Solano proceeded to direct an 86-yard, six-play drive that was capped by Alex Gonzalez’ seven-yard run with 2:02 left that gave San Fernando a 34-32 victory Friday at East L.A. College.

Solano, who passed for 284 yards to go past the 4,000-yard mark on the season, went 4-for-4 for 72 yards on the game-winning drive.

“That last drive just shows that these kids never give up,” Tigers coach Robert Garcia said.

Garcia was quick to give props to South Gate, which trailed by at least 13 points on three different occasions before rallying to take a lead for the first time in the fourth quarter.

“They never gave up,” he said.

The way this started, it appeared San Fernando (14-0) was intent on taking all of the suspense out of the contest early.

Charles Bell returned the opening kickoff 80 yards for a score. The first time the offense hit the field, Solano marched them 70 yards in nine plays with Gonzalez scoring from six yards out for a 13-0 lead.

South Gate (8-6) answered before the first period was over with a 66-yard, five-play drive that Lavell Thompson capped with a 17-yard run.

But Solano took the Tigers on another quick scoring drive that he ended with a nine-yard run.

Freshman Terrell Goins gave the Rams good field position when he returned the ensuing kickoff 47 yards to the Tiger 47. Alexander Flatos then got them within six points with a four-yard TD run.

Solano’s 18-yard scoring pass to Bell two minutes later gave San Fernando a 28-14 lead they would take into the locker room at the break.

Oscar Barba’s 61-yard kickoff return to start the second half set up a two-yard scoring run by Thompson (17carries for 127 yards).

When the Tigers muffed a punt, Oscar Flores recovered for the Rams at the 30. Goins scored from the two to make it a 28-26 game.

After forcing a San Fernando punt, the Rams drove downfield again.

A 35-yard pass from Andrew Toro to Hernandel Johnson gave them a first down at the 15. Goins scored from the two with 7:19 left to give South Gate a 32-28 lead.

South Gate would force another punt and began a long drive that would end with the lost fumble.

After the go-ahead score by the Tigers, the Rams had one last shot.

It came down to a fourth-and-long and Toro (12-for-25 for 178 yards) put a pass on target to Flatos, but it was jarred loose by a big hit in the secondary, giving San Fernando final possession.

“We just made too many mistakes,” is the way Thompson summed it up from South Gate’s perspective.

Garcia’s assessment of the second in which the Tigers largely struggled came down to “missed assignments.”

City Division II final

San Fernando 34, South Gate 32

SF-Bell, 80 kickoff return (Rodriguez kick), 7-0

SF-Gonzalez, 6 run (kick failed), 13-0

SG-Thompson, 17 run (run failed), 13-6

SF-Solano, 9 run (Rodriguez kick), 20-6

SG-Flatos, 4 run (Flatos run), 20-14

SF-Bell, 18 pass from Solano (Solano run), 28-14

SG-Thompson, 2 run (run failed), 28-20

SG-Goins, 2 run (run failed), 28-26

SG-Goins, 2 run (run failed), 32-28

SF-Gonzalez, 7 run (kick blocked), 34-32

Stats

Passing

San Fernando-Solano18-26-0 284; South Gate-A. Toro 12-25 178, Flatos 1-1 22

Rushing

San Fernando-Nunez 7-66, Gonzalez 2-13, Solano 14-11, Camargo 1-2; South Gate-Thompson 17-127, Flatos 8-36, Goins 6-20, Shaw 4-18, Toro 2-(-3)

Receiving

San Fernando-Bell 7-97, Camargo 5-73, Salazar 2-72, Hernandez 2-29, Nunez 2-13