Little Big Game: San Mateo claims ‘The Paw’ for the first time since 2009

Saturday, the Bearcats snapped a 13-game losing streak to Burlingame in the 96th edition of the “Little Big Game,” holding on for a 17-14 victory in San Mateo for the first time since 2009.

“It’s about time,” Scheller said.

Burlingame still leads the series 59-33-4.

And similar to that 2009 finish — one in which a San Mateo Hail Mary was answered when quarterback Mitch Labbie fired a 44-yard jump ball to John Niupalau in the end zone to put the Bearcats up 25-20 with 42 seconds to play — Saturday’s game wasn’t decided until the very last play.

After a wild sequence that saw Burlingame nearly give away a punt, the Panthers had the ball at the San Mateo 44-yard line with one second left and the Bearcats clinging to a 17-14 lead.

But Luke Levitt’s heave downfield was picked off by Felipe Sorbara, his second of the game, to set off a joyous Bearcats’ celebration.

“This means the world. Means everything,” said Fone Fakava, a San Mateo senior and three-year varsity lineman who was three years old the last time San Mateo beat Burlingame.

“We’ll talk about this game the rest of our lives.”

Fakava was a key piece of a defensive effort that will be talked about among the San Mateo coaching staff for a while. While Burlingame managed to move the ball against the Bearcats, San Mateo did just enough at the right time to keep the Panthers at bay.

San Mateo got a Sorbara interception at the 3-yard line to thwart a potential Burlingame score at the end of the first half. Cameron Palma then came up with an interception at his own 18 on the Panthers’ first drive of the third quarter.

Meanwhile, the Bearcats’ front four — including Fakava, Titi Fungavaka and Diego Reyes — put a lot of pressure on Burlingame quarterbacks Levitt and Eddie Gill.

The biggest play of the game for San Mateo, however, might have Jordan Lichaa second sack of the game late in the fourth quarter.

Burlingame, which had stuffed the San Mateo offense in the second half, had already scored to close to 17-14 and were driving. Facing a third-and-7 at the San Mateo 34, Lichaa shot the gap and came untouched, swarming over Levitt for a 10-yard loss, which forced Burlingame to punt with just over five minutes to play.

“It was all defense (that brought us the win),” Scheller said. “Brian Bold. Put his name in (the newspaper). He’s the best D coordinator in the league and it showed in this game.”

Gill’s boot was downed at the San Mateo 5-yard line, setting up the final showdown.

The Bearcats had racked up 151 yards of offense in the first two quarters – going touchdown, field goal, touchdown. In the second half, they went three-and-out on their first three possessions.

With their fourth possession, the Bearcats picked up their only two first downs of the second half. On third-and-5, Gabe Buenrostro took an option pitch and cut it up for an 8-yard gain and a first down.

Three plays later, quarterback Palma pushed forward for a 2-yard gain and another first down. Burning the clock and using his timeouts strategically, Scheller and the Bearcats managed to work the clock down to 13 seconds before punting the ball away and relying on its defense to make one last stop.

“San Mateo deserves a lot of credit. They did enough to win the game,” Burlingame head coach John Philipopoulos said. “We missed on some opportunities and they took advantage of some opportunities.”

Burlingame (3-7 overall) took the opening kickoff, started from its own 31 and drove to the San Mateo 34 before turning the ball over on downs.

San Mateo (6-4) responded with a classic Bearcats’ drive, culminating in a 7-0 lead. Starting at their own 21, the Bearcats marched 79 yards on 14 plays, taking 7:10 off the clock and scoring on a Xavier Zaragoza 1-yard run.

Zaragoza was filling in for star fullback Emmanuel Fitzgerald, who had to miss the game to attend an out-of-town family event.

Zaragoza held his own as the junior rushed for 85 tough yards on 24 carries.

“He never really had an opportunity (to run the ball this season), with Emanuel running so hard and so well,” Scheller said. “But [Zaragoza] stepped up.”

Burlingame, however, answered right back. Sam Felton took the ensuing kickoff at his own 4, picked up a clear-out block along the right sideline and raced 94 yards for an apparent touchdown.

A block-in-the-back call at the Bearcats’ 20-yard line, however, nullified the score. Instead, the Panthers went 30 yards on six plays, with Angelo Medina burrowing into the end zone from 2 yards out.

A failed pass on a 2-point conversion left the Panthers trailing 7-6.

They attempted to get the ball right back with an onside kick. But the ball did not go the required 10 yards and San Mateo took over the Burlingame 49. Zaragoza had runs of 12, 10 yards on the drive, which eventually stalled out at the Panthers’ 8 and the Bearcats settled for a Jack Neciuk 25-yard field goal.

A roughing-the-kicker penalty was assessed on the kickoff and Scheller decided to give Burlingame a taste of its own medicine as he dialed up onside kick of his own.

Neciuk’s kick didn’t go the required 10 yards either, but a Burlingame up man touched it and the Bearcats recovered the free ball.

And they took advantage. Starting from the Burlingame 38, the Bearcats needed just four plays for a 17-6 lead as Palma completed his only pass of the day — a 25-yard scoring strike to a wide open Matt Radulovich over the middle with 1:38 left in the half.

Burlingame drove to San Mateo 22 before Sorbara’s interception basically ended the half.

Burlingame closed to three points on its second drive of the third quarter, going 63 yards on eight plays, capped by a Levitt-to-Jake Flood 11-yard touchdown on a crossing pattern with 11 seconds left in the third.

Flood finished with six catches for 58 yards, while Medina led Burlingame’s ground game with 75 yards on 13 carries.

“I’m so happy for the school, for the alumni, the community,” Scheller said. “[Losing to Burlingame every year] gets old after a while.”

Added Fakava: “Just a great effort on both sides of the ball.”

Editor's note: This story has been updated to show to correct spelling of Jake Flood.