Vintage Football season ends in stunning 21–20 semifinal loss to Ukiah

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Sports have such a way of being cruel. It’s hard when you’re on the side of sports that can be brutal and, at points, just plain wrong.

In Friday night’s CIF North Coast Section Division 3 semifinal, this was the case as the No. 5 seed Ukiah beat the No. 1 seed Vintage, 21-20, at Memorial Stadium.

The Wildcats (8-4) took the lead with just 22.3 seconds left to play when Beau David found Zach Martinez for a six-yard scoring play. This made the score 20-19. On the ensuing two-point try, David was nearly sacked before getting the ball out as he fell to the ground, where it then bounced off the back judge in the back of the end zone and fell into the hands of Dareon Dorsey, giving Ukiah the lead.

Following the play, two unsportsmanlike conduct plays were called against the Crushers to push the kickoff to the other side of the 50. However, Vintage (7-5) was able to move the ball down the field when Blake Porter found Ruben Sanchez for gains of 40 and 30, which would’ve set up a game-winning field goal attempt, but the clock expired to end the game.

Before this, the Crushers controlled much of the game. They got on the board with 7:49 left in the second quarter when Hunter Weis hit a huge hole and scored on a 39-yard run.

“We knew we wanted to get him and Ruben (Sanchez) involved early,” Vintage head coach Dylan Leach explained. “So that’s what we tried to do. Between him, Bo (Lode), and Ruben, they’re really good running backs. Hunter, he’s a man out here. Had a great defensive game as well.”

Vintage took its first lead of the game with 2:25 left in the first half when Blake Porter dropped the snap and then recovered before plunging into the end zone on a two-yard run.

But right before the half, the Wildcats scored extremely fast when David found Martinez on a long 80-yard scoring play. The point after the attempt was missed.

In the second half, the Crushers extended their lead when Porter again rushed for a touchdown, this time from one yard out. Vintage went for two to go up by two scores, but the run by Hunter Weis was stopped a yard short.

Ukiah opened up the scoring when David found Martinez for a long 69-yard scoring play with 3:08 left in the first quarter. David ended the game by completing 11 of 18 passes for 231 yards in the game. Meanwhile, Martinez ended the game with five catches for 187 yards.

While these numbers are impressive, the Vintage defense also did a good job of stopping Ukiah when they would move the ball. The big key was to get the hands up on a pass rush, which helped slow the passing attack.

“I mean, we were just trying to disrupt passing lanes and make sure that we got our hands up and try to disrupt routes,” Leach explained.

This is also the end of the line for 21 seniors for the Crushers. In their time, they have done a lot for the program that won’t be overlooked.

“So much work,” Leach said, as to what he’ll remember about the senior group. “These guys have been doing it for four years. They’ve been showing up. They’ve been working hard. They put everything they can into the program. Like I told them right there, I have so much love and admiration for the program, for the group, but especially these seniors that have put themselves in this position.”

Ukiah will now face the No. 3 seed El Cerrito next week in the section title game. El Cerrito beat No. 2 seed Rancho Cotate 26-9 on Friday night.