Football: Campolindo Perfect, Claims DFAL Title After Beating Las Lomas

Campolindo 31, Las Lomas 22

The Stars: Campolindo’s quarterback Brett Stephens and wide receiver Griffin Piatt are a filthy duo. Friday night they gave Las Lomas fits. On the Cougars’ second play from scrimmage, the pair connected on 91-yard touchdown pass. But they were far from done. Stephens threw for 226 yards and a touchdown, while also leading the team in rushing with eight carries for 67 yards to go with a pair of ground scores. Piatt continued his ball hawking ways in the secondary, intercepting two passes, pushing his total to seven picks in the past three games.

The Turning Point: With 2:22 remaining in the third, Las Lomas pulled within three points at 17-14, on a Jake Villa one-yard touchdown run. The Knights were closing the gap and seemed to have the momentum on their side after re-discovering their running game. But Campo quickly responded on their next drive with a 37-yard touchdown score from Reiner Ebarle, pushing the lead back to 10. Minutes later, Stephens put the nail in the coffin, capping a long drive with a naked-boot leg (executed to perfection) after finding success on the ground with a heavy dose of Connor Rosenbaum.

The Quote: “Griffin Piatt had the best season I have ever seen. Karl Thornton was a steady rock on offense and defense. [Vince] Graziano made some big catches. Reiner ran the ball hard. Everyone really chipped in tonight in a total team effort.” –Campolindo quarterback Brett Stephens.

What's Next? Campolindo has a bye week before the start of NCS Division II playoffs. Las Lomas looks to finish their regular season strong with a road contest against Acalanes on Nov. 10 at 7 p.m.

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Campolindo High capped its perfect, 10-0, dream season with a 31-22 victory over Las Lomas and captured the Diablo Foothill Athletic League Championship.

The Cougars ran the table with a 6-0 mark in conference play with an explosive, big play offense and a ball-hawking, opportunistic defense.

“Wow! What an accomplishment,” exclaimed quarterback Brett Stephens. “I do not think we were a (physically) bigger team in any game. I do not think anyone expected us to do this. We were projected to go 0-6 in league and we go 6-0. So how about that!”

Las Lomas managed to get star runner Jake Villa over 100 yards but never found consistent success on the ground. They were forced into long second and third down situations, and Campo’s pass defense once again rose to the challenge.

Safety Griffin Piatt intercepted a pair of Knights passes and killed two separate promising drives. Both plays were out-routes, where the receiver seemed to have an opening, but the wily Piatt timed his jump on each play perfectly.

Piatt’s instincts and awareness on defense are second to none in the DFAL conference.

“That kid has just been the story of the year,” said Campo coach Kevin Macy. “(Piatt) is just so unassuming and quiet and you wonder why other teams don’t notice him, and why teams just keep going after him. He is not flashy or showy. He just goes out there and makes plays. For a kid to have that kind of season on offense and defense is incredible.”

The Cougars changed their game plan early in the contest to account for the Knights’ dominant defensive front and pass rush. Normally a pass happy team, Campo made most of their third and fourth quarter first-down conversions on the ground. 

The Campo line limited Las Lomas to only one sack by Khirey Carson, but for a good part of the game Stephens was running for his life. He converted runs of 7 and 3 yards for touchdowns and also snuck around the edge for long jaunts of 13, 14 and 21.

Stephens showed a burst and several shifty juke moves to get him into the secondary. He also used outright deception.

Stephens said he was the only player on his own team that knew he would keep the ball on his naked-bootleg touchdown. The coaches wanted the players to execute the play like a goal line dive and they unknowingly sold it to perfection. Stephens faked the handoff, sprinted left and waltzed into the end zone untouched, putting the game out of reach, up three score with seven minutes remaining in the fourth quarter.

“Having Brett find a sliver to run through and having a mobile quarterback has really made the offensive line look better. He has really made everyone look better, our offense, defense,” added Macy.

Campolindo should enter the NCS Division II playoffs with a high seeding and a gigantic bulls-eye on their back. They can no longer be considered an underdog, especially after their complete dismantling of the DFAL and impressive 36-point blowout of Miramonte.

“You normally do not like a bye week heading into the playoffs — it’s not ideal,” said Macy. “But it gives us a chance to relax and recuperate. I think we need it. This team loves game planning, so we will definitely give them something to chew on in the next week.”

The Campolindo Cougars earned the right to celebrate. On a chilly night in Walnut Creek, they rejoiced. Coaches exchanged hugs all around, players slapped five and posed for pictures.

“I am so proud of everyone on our team,” said Stephens. “This was such and amazing thing to be a part of and I am so proud to be a part of it.”

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Campolindo 31, Las Lomas 22

Campolindo           10  0  14  7  — 31

Las Lomas               0    7  7  8  — 22

Records: Las Lomas 7-2 (3-2). Campolindo 10-0 (6-0).

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