RIALTO — Victory was there for the taking. All the Temescal Canyon football team needed was a couple of stops from its defense.
The Titans have been susceptible to big plays this season, so it wasn’t a sure thing. But the defense held strong down the stretch, stopping Eisenhower’s offense twice on fourth downs to preserve a 24-23 nonleague win Thursday.
“To see the defense step up when we really needed it, I am extremely proud of them,” Titans coach Cody Roelof said.
The scoreboard showed a loss for Eisenhower, but Thursday evening also was a victory for the Eagles. Eisenhower was among a handful of Inland teams who did not play in the spring. Thursday marked the program’s first game in 21 months.
“You don’t know how much you miss it until you get back out here,” Eagles coach Al Brown said. “Being part of that game-night experience and seeing everyone pumped up to play a game again was great to see. That truly was a victory in itself.”
Eisenhower’s offense got off to a strong start, as Kevon Osborne tossed touchdown passes to Alonzo Brown (60 yards) and Jacari Parker (34 yards) to give the Eagles a 14-0 advantage at the end of the first quarter.
Temescal Canyon (2-0) took advantage of a short field and a pass interference penalty to get on the board at the start of the second quarter. Koa Apana capped the quick drive with a 2-yard quarterback keeper to halve the deficit. The Titans drew level with 2:06 in the half, when Apana shoveled a pass to Ray LaFontaine for a 9-yard touchdown.
“These kids are amazing. They fight until the end and never quit,” Roelof said. “You love seeing that as a coach.”
Temescal Canyon wasn’t done scoring. Cesar Ruiz recovered a fumble to give the Titans the ball at the Eisenhower 32. On the next play, Apana lofted a pass into the end zone, and Grant Givens made a spectacular catch, hauling in the ball after it was tipped into the air by the defender. The touchdown gave the Titans their first lead of the game.
LaFontaine then blocked a punt with less than a minute remaining on the clock, and Temescal Canyon had possession at the Eisenhower 37. Ismael Figueroa hit a 28-yard field goal as time expired to extend that advantage to 24-14 at halftime.
“They punched us in the mouth in the first quarter, and we just had to counter in the second quarter,” Apana said.
Eisenhower had a touchdown wiped out because of a holding call in the third quarter, so the Eagles had to settle for a 30-yard field goal by Brandon Laguna to cut the deficit to 24-17. Eisenhower faced a second-and-37 after a bad snap, but Osborne hit Brown in stride for an 82-yard touchdown on the final play of the third quarter. The extra-point attempt sailed wide, however, leaving Temescal Canyon with a one-point advantage.
Eisenhower had two opportunities to regain the lead in the fourth quarter, but both drives ended when the Eagles were stopped short on fourth-and-1. LaFontaine made the tackle on the first of those two fourth-down plays.
“It was a dog fight,” LaFontaine said. “It could have gone either way, so it just came down to who wanted it more. This team is so close, and we don’t turn our backs on one another when something goes wrong. We just pull through like we did tonight.”
Osborne completed 11 of 18 passes for 258 yards and three touchdowns and also rushed for 67 yards on 12 carries. Alonzo Brown caught seven of those passes from Osborne and finished with 213 yards Thursday.
“For most of these players, this was the first time they have played a varsity game,” Al Brown said. “It is going to be a learning experience, but we’ll come back tomorrow and get right back to work. We’ll get better from this.”
Apana completed 10 of 19 passes for 137 yards and also lead the Titans with 98 yards on 12 carries.
