South City rallies after coach taken to hospital

“It was like something shocked me in my back and knocked me to my knees,” Pua said.

South City’s second-year head coach was taken to Kaiser Permanente San Francisco Medical Center with the game in progress, accompanied by his wife Tala and daughter Nia. There, he was given an electrocardiogram and had his blood pressure taken. He said both were good.

Pua was not admitted to the hospital, but he did watch the second half of South City’s game on his cellphone via webcast while in the waiting room. He arrived home at approximately 1 a.m.

“I just felt dizzy and my wife was saying it was probably because of the blood sugar level, but I figured why not go to the hospital and get checked out?” Pua said.

Pua, who is diabetic, has previously suffered three minor heart attacks, the last one in 2021. He said he began to feel better Friday after drinking an orange soda.

“[The doctor] said everything looked good, and told me: ‘Your blood pressure is better than mine,’” Pua said.

On the field, the Warriors’ reaction took an early toll on the scoreboard. Gunderson jumped out to a 7-0 lead midway through the second quarter when quarterback Andrew Fernandez hit Jayden Wallace for a 15-yard touchdown pass. South City answered back with a 13-yard touchdown run by junior quarterback Thomas Miller to send it to halftime tied 7-7.

Offensive coordinator Kolone I. Pua — one of Kolone Pua’s four sons on the the Warriors’ coaching staff — said the team was “shellshocked” going into the halftime locker room.

“I think it kind of shellshocked us in the second quarter,” Kolone I. Pua said. “We weren’t really on our game.”

The message to his players at halftime was heartfelt and direct.

“If you guys want to, play for him,” Kolone I. Pua said. “So, I felt like there was a feel of accomplishment. I feel they really did want to win for him.”

The Warriors (9-2) returned to the field to score three unanswered touchdowns in the second half.

Junior safety Fernando Benavides gave the Warriors a spark on defense when, on fourth-and-3, Gunderson (7-4) misfired and Benavides was there to pounce with an interception near midfield, returning it to the Grizzlies’ 29.

South City quarterback Anthony Howell then put his team ahead, rolling left and faking a pitch, but the junior pulled up, locked and loaded, and delivered a play-action pass to the back of the end zone for a 10-yard touchdown strike with a leaping catch by senior Darren Miller.

Senior running back Marcus Mercurio added another third-quarter score, bouncing around the left edge and bolting for a 20-yard touchdown run to up the lead to 21-7.

The Warriors saved the best for last, though. Midway through the fourth quarter, sophomore receiver Cesar Vasquez Moreno ran a cross pattern to the front of the end zone and leapt in the air to pull down a spiral from Thomas Miller for a one-handed grab. Moreno hit the ground while somehow maintaining possession for the 20-yard touchdown catch. He then hopped to his feet and struck a classic Superman pose to celebrate.

“Cesar ran the route, wide open,” Kolone I. Pua said. “Gunderson was really keying on Darren Miller for the passing, really keying on Anthony Jara for the sweeps. So, all the under-the-radar guys were who we relied on heavy today.”

Thomas Miller finished with two touchdowns, one rushing and one passing.

“He was the one that really shined tonight,” Kolone I. Pua said.

With the win, defending CCS Division V champion South City advances to the semifinal round. The Warriors will host No. 4 Sequoia this coming Friday.