Late Terra Nova rally falls short

Terra Nova (0-4, 2-7) made a late run at it, scoring twice in the final five minutes. But things took a somber turn after the first of those touchdowns when, on the ensuing two-point conversion try, Terra Nova junior lineman Jacob Chapline suffered a serious knee injury. Chapline was attended to at the goal line while paramedics were dispatched to the field.

“It’s sad,” Terra Nova quarterback Joey Donati said. “It looked worse than it actually was. Thank God he came off, he was smiling. So it’s all good.”

While the rain starting misting late in the first half, Tigers fans found a couple reasons to cheer after a prolonged Senior Night halftime show. Senior slot back Ryan Cory got things cooking, showing off his arm for two touchdown passes as Terra Nova turning to the option trickeration.

With the Tigers trailing 36-6, Cory aired one out to Isaiah Corona for an 80-yard touchdown chuck. Terra Nova got the ball back five minutes later, and it took Cory three plays to try it again, this time hitting Corona with a crisp spiral in tight coverage for a 40-yard scoring strike.

“Cory was throwing dimes,” Donati said. “Two touchdowns, those were some good throws.”

Chapline was injured on the ensuing two-point conversion try. Play was paused for nearly 20 minutes. Donati said he was surprised the game was not called at that point with 4:21 to play.

“Yeah a little, but I’m glad we did,” Donati said. “We put up another touchdown. So, I think that’s a good thing. Only positives came from it, so that’s good.”

Trojans running back Jacob Souza enjoyed a fine second half. After handling the ball just once in the first half, the senior carried 16 times for 61 yards in the contest.

“We try to do what we can do and put the kids in the best spots,” Milpitas head coach Kelly King said. “The game just kind of went that way, and he had a great night tonight.”

Souza tallied two touchdowns in the second half, capping the opening drive of the half with a 9-yard scoring run. Then after Milpitas took the ball right back after a Terra Nova three-and-out, Milpitas turned a short field into a score on Souza’s 3-yard scoring run to go up 30-6 with 4:16 left in the third quarter.

Milpitas added another score early in the fourth quarter, converting on third-and-13 with a 42-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Patrick Lucero to senior Xander Lecours. The lead would prove enough to snap a four-game losing streak in Ocean Division play for the Trojans.

“It’s important anytime we win,” King said. “So, it’s not so much in league, it’s important anytime we suit up and play.”

The Trojans got on the board early with some razzle-dazzle of their own, scoring on their first play from scrimmage. Milpitas took possession at the Tigers’ 34-yard line and executed a perfect double reverse, with the pitch going back to Lucero, who aired it out to a wide-open Ersdalle David for a 34-yard touchdown to take a 7-0 lead.

Terra Nova’s defense stepped up, forcing a three-and-out on Milpitas’ next possession. When the Trojans took over late in the first quarter, they moved it across midfield before defensive tackle JT Snead stopped the momentum with two straight tackles for a loss — first with a QB sack to push it back 10 yards, and a break through the line to hit a draw play for a 1-yard loss — setting up an interception by Corona, who picked off a long pass around the Terra Nova 40 and returned it to the Milpitas 33.

Milpitas surged late in the half, though. The Trojans took over at their own 12 and drove into field goal range for a 29-yard boomer from Ricky Miramontes to push the lead to 10-0. Then after forcing a turnover on downs in Terra Nova territory at the 39-yard line with 2:27 to go in the half, the Trojans reeled off three quick plays, capped by a 38-yard scoring pass from Lucero to David to make it 16-0 Milpitas.

The Tigers finally got on the board at the end of the first half. A good punt return by Zachary Perez across midfield put Terra Nova at Milpitas’ 48 with 1:04 remaining in the half. Five plays later, Cory carried it in for a 7-yard score on a jet sweep to cut the Trojans’ lead to 16-6 going into halftime.

In the closing minutes, Terra Nova scored on a last-gasp effort, with Donati completing passes of 11 and 8 yards, sandwiching an 18-yard scramble. Then after two Milpitas pass inference penalties moved it to the 2, Donati connected with sophomore Holden Najar for a 2-yard touchdown pass with 1:31 to play. A two-point conversion would have cut it to a one-score game, but Donati’s scamper through the middle was stopped short of the goal line to effectively end the game.

Cory finished with 139 total yards, including the first two pass completions of his varsity career, going 2 for 2 for 120 yards and two TD throws. Corona finished with four catches for 152 yards and two touchdowns. Snead paced the Terra Nova defense with two sacks.