Prep Football: Granite Hills' phenomenal run ends at Mission Viejo, Del Norte falls to last-second Hail Mary

Mission Viejo ends Granite Hills’ state title hopes

The 2023 CIF Southern Cal Regionals kicked off with a disappointing start for San Diego Section teams. In the Division 1-AA regional, Granite Hills (12-1) got off to a great start going up 14-0 over Mission Viejo (12-3) to end the first quarter. But the Diablos exploded with 42 unanswered points and will advance to the 1-AA state championship game. For the Eagles, this ends their 21-game winning streak and their chance at back-to-back state titles.

Granite Hills got on the scoreboard halfway through the first quarter when Maxwell Turner rushed for a five-yard touchdown. The Eagles extended their lead to 14-0 by the end of the quarter with a goal-line dive by Pablo Jackson from the Wildcat formation.

But Mission Viejo began mounting a comeback in the second quarter, narrowing Granite Hills’ lead to just 14-13 off a 33-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Luke Fahey to receiver Dijon Lee Jr.

The Diablos dominated the second half, racking up four unanswered touchdowns to put the game out of reach. Two touchdowns were scored by running back Phillip Bell, while quarterback Luke Fahey found the end zone both rushing and passing, ending with over 150 yards through the air.

Granite Hills got back on the board late in the fourth quarter when freshman quarterback Zachary Benitez connected with Brenden Lewis for a four-yard touchdown. But it was too little too late against the rolling Mission Viejo squad.

Last-second Miracle ends Del Norte's historic campaign

With just six seconds left, Birmingham Patriots quarterback Kingston Tisdell launched a Hail Mary pass that was tipped by his top receiver Peyton Waters and caught by Devyn Jackson, who took it 52 yards for a miraculous game-winning touchdown as time expired, sealing a 30-28 win over the stunned Del Norte Nighthawks.

It was a heartbreaking loss for playoff contender Del Norte, who led for most of the game including 28-24 with under 10 minutes left after Ty Olsen returned a kickoff 75 yards for an electrifying touchdown.

But Birmingham's offense came alive late, erasing a mid-game 11-point hole. Tisdell passed at an efficient clip, racking up over 200 yards and four touchdowns without a pick. His top target was Waters who had seven catches for 108 yards.

Del Norte moved the ball well early behind quarterback Jack Schneider, who connected with Tyler Becker for a 64-yard score and led the team to points off a muffed punt.

The Patriots will move on to play for a state title while Del Norte ends their season at 11-3.