PASADENA — Los Gatos had reached the California Interscholastic Federation 2-A state title game by showing championship grit against a varied cast of opponents.
The Wildcats had survived Archbishop Riordan’s air raid, St. Ignatius and Wilcox’s power, and El Cerrito’s athleticism to earn the right to face Central Valley Christian of Visalia on Saturday night.
Los Gatos had played close games throughout both the regular season and that playoff run, and even authored a couple of memorable second-half comebacks along the way.
But against the brutal Central Valley Christian running attack and its precise passing game, there would be no comeback in the South Bay school’s first state title game.
Los Gatos sure did try, though.
Central Valley Christian defeated Los Gatos 45-42 in a thriller at Pasadena City College.
“Obviously it stings and it hurts like hell, but what are you gonna do,” Los Gatos coach Mark Krail said. “Football is like life. You get up.”
Los Gatos head coach Mark Krail brings his team together after the CIF state football championship Division 2-A game at Pasadena City College in Pasadena, Calif., on Saturday, Dec. 9, 2023. (Brandon Vallance for the Bay Area News Group)
Los Gatos trailed 24-7 at halftime after it committed two turnovers and turned it over on downs one time. Though the Wildcats offense kept it competitive into the fourth quarter, that was just too much of a hole to dig out of, even for the seniors who carried the program to the title game.
Jaylen Thomas caught a 63-yard touchdown and Boxer Kopcsak-Yeung rushed for a 27-yard touchdown. Quarterback A.J. Minyard even started the fourth quarter with a nifty 12-yard reverse-field touchdown run to cut the deficit to 38-28 with 10 minutes left.
“The moment wasn’t too big for us, and there was no panic,” Jaylen Thomas said.
But it seemed like every time the Wildcats got close, CVC’s offense would go on a long drive that inevitably ended with a touchdown.
Even when Los Gatos got a rare stop and had a chance to get the ball back with seven minutes left and down 10 points, the Wildcats muffed the punt. Bryson Donelson, a Fresno State commit, made them pay with his third rushing touchdown of the night, a 10-yard run with four minutes to go.
Donelson rushed for 195 yards and three touchdowns on 32 carries.
Henry Masters (48) attempts to tackle Central Valley Christians’ Bryson Donelson (6) in the second quarter of their CIF state football championship Division 2-A game at Pasadena City College in Pasadena, Calif., on Saturday, Dec. 9, 2023. (Brandon Vallance for the Bay Area News Group)
When Max Thomas scored on a 24-yard touchdown reception with three minutes to go to cut CVC’s lead back to 10, the Wildcats didn’t get a lucky bounce on the onside kick.
But Los Gatos got a quick stop, using all three of its timeouts, and Minyard led the team on a 97-yard touchdown drive, His 24-yard pass to Owen Panu cut the margin to three with a little over a minute left.
“It was in all of our hearts, and we wanted it so bad,” said Minyard, who threw for 244 yards and two touchdowns, and ran for a touchdown, in the fourth quarter alone.
Los Gatos AJ Minyard (16) shares a moment with his mom, Shannon, during the finals seconds of the CIF state football championship Division 2-A game at Pasadena City College in Pasadena, Calif., on Saturday, Dec. 9, 2023. (Brandon Vallance for the Bay Area News Group)
CVC, though, recovered the onside kick to end the game.
“I was like, ‘Dude, if they get this, they’ve been driving, so we gotta get this,’” CVC receiver Gunnar Piepgrass said.
Aside from Jaylen Thomas rushing for a 36-yard touchdown on an inside reverse midway through the second quarter, nothing went right for the Wildcats in the first half.
Donelson entered the game with over 3,700 yards from scrimmage and 53 total touchdowns — and showed why when he shrugged off tacklers to set up CVC’s efficient passing attack.
After starting the game with a field goal, the CVC defense forced a stop on fourth down on its 11-yard line. Scott Garwood briefly slowed Central’s roll with an interception, but Los Gatos threw a pick on the very next play to negate it.
The Cavaliers finished the short four-play drive with a Donelson touchdown run. After Los Gatos coughed the ball up on a fumble at the 37-yard line, Donelson caught a 63-yard touchdown from quarterback Brent Kroeze.
The running back shrugged off the Wildcat defender on the sideline and sped into the end zone. Thomas answered with his touchdown run with five minutes remaining in the half, but the Los Gatos defense could not get a stop.
Los Gatos Jaylen Thomas (3) hugs head coach Mark Krail after their CIF state football championship Division 2-A game at Pasadena City College in Pasadena, Calif., on Saturday, Dec. 9, 2023. (Brandon Vallance for the Bay Area News Group)
Kroeze threw back-breaking third-down completions to Piepgrass and Ryan Lewis on the drive, his 34-yard looping dime to Lewis in the corner of the end zone that gave the Visalia team a 24-7 lead going into halftime.
After the second half rally, coming so close to the program’s first state title, its star running back reflected upon what his team had just done.
“I don’t have any regrets with this football team, because I gave it everything I had, and I know everyone around me did, too,” Kopcsak-Yeung said.
Los Gatos holds up their helmets and thanks the crowd after their CIF state football championship Division 2-A game at Pasadena City College in Pasadena, Calif., on Saturday, Dec. 9, 2023. (Brandon Vallance for the Bay Area News Group)
Boxer Kopcsak-Yeung (22) runs the ball in the third quarter of their CIF state football championship Division 2-A game at Pasadena City College in Pasadena, Calif., on Saturday, Dec. 9, 2023. (Brandon Vallance for the Bay Area News Group)
AJ Minyard (16) sits on the bench during the finals seconds in the fourth quarter of their CIF state football championship Division 2-A game at Pasadena City College in Pasadena, Calif., on Saturday, Dec. 9, 2023. (Brandon Vallance for the Bay Area News Group)
Los Gatos Boxer Kopcsak-Yeung (22) runs the ball in the fourth quarter of their CIF state football championship Division 2-A game at Pasadena City College in Pasadena, Calif., on Saturday, Dec. 9, 2023. (Brandon Vallance for the Bay Area News Group)
Los Gatos AJ Minyard (16) is pressured by Central Valley Christians’ Will Salisbury (90) in the fourth quarter of their CIF state football championship Division 2-A game at Pasadena City College in Pasadena, Calif., on Saturday, Dec. 9, 2023. (Brandon Vallance for the Bay Area News Group)
Los Gatos AJ Minyard (16) shares a moment with Nate Goldsbury (12) after the CIF state football championship Division 2-A game at Pasadena City College in Pasadena, Calif., on Saturday, Dec. 9, 2023. (Brandon Vallance for the Bay Area News Group)
Los Gatos defense stop the run from Central Valley Christians Bryson Donelson (6) in the third quarter of their CIF state football championship Division 2-A game at Pasadena City College in Pasadena, Calif., on Saturday, Dec. 9, 2023. (Brandon Vallance for the Bay Area News Group)
Los Gatos AJ Minyard (16) celebrates his touchdown in the third quarter of their CIF state football championship Division 2-A game at Pasadena City College in Pasadena, Calif., on Saturday, Dec. 9, 2023. (Brandon Vallance for the Bay Area News Group)
Los Gatos Jaylen Thomas (3) stands with the team flag before the CIF state football championship Division 2-A game at Pasadena City College in Pasadena, Calif., on Saturday, Dec. 9, 2023. (Brandon Vallance for the Bay Area News Group)
AJ Minyard (16) shares a moment with Nicholas Hobson (83) after the CIF state football championship Division 2-A game at Pasadena City College in Pasadena, Calif., on Saturday, Dec. 9, 2023. (Brandon Vallance for the Bay Area News Group)
Los Gatos Boxer Kopcsak-Yeung (22) shares a moment with Justin Mazzaferro (5) after their CIF state football championship Division 2-A game at Pasadena City College in Pasadena, Calif., on Saturday, Dec. 9, 2023. (Brandon Vallance for the Bay Area News Group)
