Week 13: Scripps Ranch Falcons 42, West Hills Wolf Pack 7

The undefeated, top-seeded Scripps Ranch Falcons were stunned when the visiting West Hills Wolf Pack executed a near-perfect opening touchdown drive in Friday night’s San Diego CIF Division III quarterfinal.

But the county’s stingiest defense made sure it didn’t happen again in a 42-7 win over the ninth-seeded Wolf Pack.

“The defense came over and said they owed us an apology,” Falcon head coach Marlon Gardinera said. “Coming off a bye week can be tricky, but our defensive coordinator John Taylor did a great job, they were ready and really made big plays all night.”

Junior running back Nicholas Gardinera rushed for 131 yards and four touchdowns, as the dream ride continues for a Scripps Ranch varsity that will play in a division semifinal for just the second time, aiming for a first-ever berth in a section title game.

The Falcons will host the fifth-seeded Central Union Spartans, who were 30-26 winners over fourth-seeded host San Diego High on Friday night, in a Division III semifinal next Friday at Scripps Ranch High

Scripps Ranch (11-0), which has allowed the fewest points in the section this season with 64, had two interceptions, a forced fumble and recovery, and a pair of sacks to dominate after that wake-up call on the first series.

West Hills scored on its first drive, taking 4:25 off the clock, with an 11-play, 80-yard march, highlighted by a pair of option passes from Kole Klingerman to Steve Cristini – one for 22 yards on the first play of the game, and the other a 3-yard toss for a touchdown.

The Falcons’ initial drive was just as impressive – a 13-play, 90-yard series that was engineered by Gardinera, who carried eight times for 49 yards on the march.

After senior Joey Murgo made a third-down interception to stop West Hills’ second time with the ball, Gardenera capped a 30-yard drive with a 7-yard score to make it 14-7.

The Wolf Pack, a disciplined team that has enjoyed much of its success this season by taking care of the football in grind-it-out games such as this, turned it over for the second time in three series when senior Jack Fine forced the ball out of a carrier’s grasp and senior end Joshua Boamah recovered it, again at the West Hills 30.

Gardinera scored from nine yards out to convert the miscue once again and take a 21-7 lead with eight minutes to play in the first half.

West Hills took a needed drive to the Falcon 30 late in the first half, but Boamah had a fourth-down sack to terminate the possession and send Scripps into the locker room with a 14-point halftime lead.

The Falcons scored on their opening drive of the second half, easily moving the Wolf Pack aside for an 80-yard touchdown drive on eight plays, which ended on a 10-yard pass from junior Luke Durkin to senior Grant Norberg.

West Hills’ last-ditch effort came midway through the third when they tried to convert a fourth-and-2 from its own 25, but junior Riley Merrigan tracked down a horizontal run that never got started.

The undefeated, top-seeded Scripps Ranch Falcons were stunned when the visiting West Hills Wolf Pack executed a near-perfect opening touchdown drive in Friday night’s San Diego CIF Division III quarterfinal.

But the county’s stingiest defense made sure it didn’t happen again in a 42-7 win over the ninth-seeded Wolf Pack.

“The defense came over and said they owed us an apology,” Falcon head coach Marlon Gardinera said. “Coming off a bye week can be tricky, but our defensive coordinator John Taylor did a great job, they were ready and really made big plays all night.”

Junior running back Nicholas Gardinera rushed for 131 yards and four touchdowns, as the dream ride continues for a Scripps Ranch varsity that will play in a division semifinal for just the second time, aiming for a first-ever berth in a section title game.

The Falcons will host the fifth-seeded Central Union Spartans, who were 30-26 winners over San Diego High on Friday night, in a Division III semifinal next Friday at Scripps Ranch High

Scripps Ranch (11-0), which has allowed the fewest points in the section this season with 64, had two interceptions, a forced fumble and recovery, and a pair of sacks to dominate after that wake-up call on the first series.

West Hills scored on its first drive, taking 4:25 off the clock, with an 11-play, 80-yard march, highlighted by a pair of option passes from Kole Klingerman to Steve Cristini – one for 22 yards on the first play of the game, and the other a 3-yard toss for a touchdown.

The Falcons’ initial drive was just as impressive – a 13-play, 90-yard series that was engineered by Gardinera, who carried eight times for 49 yards on the march.

After senior Joey Murgo made a third-down interception to stop West Hills’ second time with the ball, Gardenera capped a 30-yard drive with a 7-yard score to make it 14-7.

The Wolf Pack, a disciplined team that has enjoyed much of its success this season by taking care of the football in grind-it-out games such as this, turned it over for the second time in three series when senior Jack Fine forced the ball out of a carrier’s grasp and senior end Joshua Boamah recovered it, again at the West Hills 30.

Gardinera scored from nine yards out to convert the miscue once again and take a 21-7 lead with eight minutes to play in the first half.

West Hills took a needed drive to the Falcon 30 late in the first half, but Boamah had a fourth-down sack to terminate the possession and send Scripps into the locker room with a 14-point halftime lead.

The Falcons scored on their opening drive of the second half, easily moving the Wolf Pack aside for an 80-yard touchdown drive on eight plays, which ended on a 10-yard pass from junior Luke Durkin to senior Grant Norberg.

West Hills’ last-ditch effort came midway through the third when they tried to convert a fourth-and-2 from its own 25, but junior Riley Merrigan tracked down a horizontal run that never got started.

The tackle-for-loss resulted in son Gardinera’s fourth touchdown of the night – a 20-yard score with 5:14 in the fourth that increased the lead to 34-7.

Durkin finished up the scoring with a 3-yard run on the first play of the fourth quarter.

Senior Deandre Mackey has a sack and senior Josh Manivone had an interception in the fourth quarter for Scripps Ranch.

The trip to the finals equals a program-best playoff finish.

The Falcons reached the Division II semifinals in 2009, where they lost to Helix, 17-6, but finished with a 7-6 overall record with a dramatic playoff run that included a dramatic 30-27 win over then-Eastern League foe Lincoln behind star running back Brennan Clay.

For coach Gardinera and his Falcon family, putting together the team’s finest season in school history is a great accomplishment at a school that had never won more than eight games in a season and had managed just two six-win seasons since that great ’09 run.

Senior Josh Alagata had a sack for West Hills (7-5).

The tackle-for-loss resulted in son Gardinera’s fourth touchdown of the night – a 20-yard score with 5:14 in the fourth that increased the lead to 34-7.

Durkin finished up the scoring with a 3-yard run on the first play of the fourth quarter.

Senior Deandre Mackey has a sack and senior Josh Manivone had an interception in the fourth quarter for Scripps Ranch.

The trip to the finals equals a program-best playoff finish.

The Falcons reached the Division II semifinals in 2009, where they lost to Helix, 17-6, but finished with a 7-6 overall record with a dramatic playoff run that included a dramatic 30-27 win over then-Eastern League foe Lincoln behind star running back Brennan Clay.

For coach Gardinera and his Falcon family, putting together the team’s finest season in school history is a great accomplishment at a school that had never won more than eight games in a season and had managed just two six-win seasons since that great ’09 run.

As for the expectations that come with hosting the next-to-last game of the season as the division’s top team.

“I don’t know about that and these guys don’t care about it,” said the coach, who had a two-win season in his first year but improved to six wins in 2018. “Central is a disciplined team but we will be ready for next week.”

Senior Josh Alagata had a sack for West Hills (7-5).