EL CENTRO – Milpitas drove 54 yards late in the fourth quarter to post a come-from-behind 45-41 win over Southwest-El Centro in the CIF State 4-A championship game Saturday night.
It was the first state football championship in school history for the Trojans.
“We played a great team and they came back hard on us but in the end we made the plays,” said Milpitas coach Kelly King.
The game started slowly for the Trojans as Southwest deferred and kicked off to the visitors.
Milpitas drove but ultimately punted, and Tyler Saikhon caught a 69-yard pass for a touchdown and 7-0 lead.
The Trojans answered on their next play from scrimmage with a 70 yard touchdown run by Tariq Bracy.
Southwest went back on top 14-7, but Bracy scored again to make it 14-14.
Senior kicker Mariano Robles then hit a 20-yard field goal and Milpitas was ahead 17-14. It was the first of three field goals by Robles, who also connected from 27 and 37 yards.
“I knew I was going to play a big part in this game,” Robles said. “I came into the game thinking that if it came down to making a kick to win I could do it.”
Milpitas then took a 24-14 lead into halftime as Tyree Bracy found brother Tariq on a 35-yard pass play.
With Tariq Bracy rushing for 161 first-half yards on 12 carries and with the Milpitas defense having held Southwest’s Saikhon to just four yards, things looked good for the Trojans.
Things looked even better for the Trojans when senior defensive captain Gabriel Erickson intercepted a pass that Robles converted into three points and a 27-14 lead.
“I watched film and so I keyed on the fullback and saw him creeping out and the linemen moving forward and I figured screen and made a play on the ball,” Erickson said.
And it looked even better when the Trojans forced an Eagle punt that Tariq Bracy returned 57 yards for a touchdown.
Leading 34-14 just minutes into the third quarter, Milpitas looked primed to put the game away.
That’s when Southwest’s Derrek Guzman split the seam of the Trojans secondary for a touchdown, then Southwest scored again when Milpitas fumbled a hand off. The ball popped out of the air and a Southwest defender raced 79 yards to score.
In less than two minutes Milpitas’ 20 point lead had been cut to six points.
“I thought we were taking the game … we’ve done that this season,” Erickson said. “Then we blew a couple of coverages and they made plays.”
Robles’ third field goal on the first play of the fourth quarter put Milpitas up 37-28, but Southwest came back to cut the lead to 37-35.
The Trojans were forced to punt on their next possession and Saikhon scored from 49 yards out on a pass play with 3:42 to play. Suddenly, Milpitas trailed 41-37.
“The way they battled back down by 20, that’s the way this team is,” said Southwest coach Tom Mitosinka. “They came back on heart. They are a resilient group of kids and I’m proud of them and their coaches.”
Milpitas’ Noah Rodriguez made a strong kickoff return to the Trojan 46-yard line and Tyree Bracy then found Tuni Fifta on a 39-yard touchdown pass. Tariq Bracy’s two-point conversion run gave Milpitas a four-point lead.
“This is an amazing feeling,” Tariq Bracy said after the game. “This team came together when we had too. We dealt with adversity, but that’s what good teams do.”
“I know the story of these guys who have played together for four years,” Robles said. “To help them win it was very special.”
