Crespi Falls in Fourth Quarter, 21-14

It has been 16 years since Crespi High won its only Del Rey League football championship.

The Celts have even won a major division title since 1973 but no league banners in almost two decades. Even Russell White, the state’s all-time leading rusher, could help the Celts do no better than three consecutive second-place finishes.

On Friday night at Pierce College, Crespi had a chance to change all that.

Playing two-time defending league champion Loyola, the Celts led well into the fourth quarter before succumbing, 21-14, in a Del Rey opener for both teams.

“It’s a very disappointing loss,” Crespi Coach Tim Lins said. “We thought we had them and just didn’t do what we had to do at the end of the ballgame.”

The Celts had taken a 14-7 lead on the second play of the fourth quarter when tailback Leonice Brown scored on a 30-yard run.

However, The Cubs (5-1), ranked fourth in Division I, put together a 10-play, 71-yard drive on their next possession to tie the score. Tailback Kahlil McAlpin scored from seven yards to finish the drive with 5:33 left.

The most painful play was yet to come for the Celts (4-2).

A tie could have meant a potential co-championship down the road. When you haven’t won in 16 years, that doesn’t sound too bad.

Crespi, ranked fifth in the division, went for the win.

On the Celts’ second play after McAlpin’s touchdown, quarterback Bill Canalez overthrew two receivers. The ball settled into the hands of McAlpin in the left flat. McAlpin, who had scored the Cubs’ first touchdown, returned it 22 yards to the Crespi 12.

Four plays later, Loyola quarterback Brian Dennis scored on a one-yard sneak, giving the Cubs a 21-14 lead with 2:55 left.

“They were going for the win,” Loyola Coach Steve Grady said. “If we had the ball, we might have done the same thing.”

Instead, the Cubs walked away with their third consecutive win over the Celts. Grady’s career mark against Crespi improved to 11-2-1.

Until the fourth quarter, both teams played a field-possession game while the defenses dominated. And both teams were satisfied with that.

The Cubs didn’t appear worried.

“We’ve been behind before,” said McAlpin, who rushed for 81 yards in 21 carries. “We’re confident we can come back. We usually wear people down by the fourth quarter.”

Said Lins: “We knew they came to play four quarters. This is how Loyola beats people. We wanted to play their ball and beat them in the fourth quarter. We just came up a little short today.”

When the game started, the Celts looked primed to take charge of the league race. Crespi took a 7-0 lead on its first possession. Jerry Thompson scored on a nine-yard run to cap a 13-play, 72-yard drive.

Loyola tied the score in the second quarter on McAlpin’s six-yard run.

Brown, who entered with 467 yards, was ineffective much of the night and finished with 75 yards in 15 carries.