2014 CIF State Bowl Game, Division III: Campolindo storms back to defeat El Capitan

CARSON, Calif. — Campolindo (Moraga, Calif.) co-captain Adam Remotto had no words for it. With the game tied and less than a minute to go in the state championship game, there the ball sat on the StubHub Center turf and 85 yards of clear sailing in front of him.

The 5-foot-10, 210-pound senior, called the "Funk Factor" affectionately by his coaches for his uncanny ability to make big plays, scooped up a fumble forced by Tiger Garcia and raced the distance untouched, completing the greatest comeback in CIF State Bowl history.

See many more pro photos from this game

The Cougars scored 28 uanaswered points in the final 12 minutes, 45 seconds to pull off a nearly miraculous 35-28 Division III win over El Capitan (Lakeside, Calif.).

"It's just shocking to think a game like this could come down to a play like that," Remotto said. "I'm still at a loss to explain it."

Campolindo coach Kevin Macy did.

"I have to thank Bob Wilson for that fumble. There was some intervention definitely taking place," he said.

Wilson, the school's longtime athletic director and freshman coach, died Wednesday after a long bout with cancer. Macy never told the team to win the game for Wilson, who coached most of these Cougars, "but to play with his spirit."

Coming back from a 28-7 deficit against a bigger and more physical El Capitan (14-1) team took more than a little spunk.

Quarterback Jack Stephens (19 of 32, 291 yards, four touchdowns), Remotto (five catches, 121 yards, two TDs), Tyler Petite (seven catches, 102 yards) and Max Flower (two TD catches), along with an bend-but-don't break defense, led the Cougars (16-0) to the first state title by a Contra Costa County team not named De La Salle.

"We definitely played in the spirit of coach Wilson," Stephens said. "Down 28-7, we weren't going down without a fight. We've won, fought and failed together before. But this, … this was just the greatest game I've ever been a part of."

It wasn't that Campolindo was just down. It was the manner in which it fell behind. A blocked field goal and 80-yard return by Sam Melero put El Capitan up 21-7 and on the next possession, a bad punt snap led to a 13-yard scoring drive for the Southern California champs on run by Isaiah Capoocia.

The two scores came 1:08 apart and Campolindo looked like it was going down to defeat in Carson for the second time in four years.

"I pulled them together and just told them to play for personal pride," Macy said. "I thought we might scrap and score a time or two. Never imagined this."

View the Qwixcore game log

It was fitting that the unlikely Remotto led the charge. He scored the first two touchdowns in the burst on passes of 38 and 13 yards from Stephens, before Flower hauled in a 14-yard TD score with 4:30 left to tie it at 28.

The 38-yarder to Remotto kickstarted it all on a beautiful throw-back screen.

"We put that play in just for this week," Stephens said. "We threw the entire playbook at them. They were really, really good, especially their corners and safeties."

El Capitan didn't waver and drove down to what looked to be at least a game-winning field goal attempt. But on second down, Garcia, who last week had two interceptions, knifed in and stripped the ball from Isaiah Copoocia in the middle of the field.

The rest was Remotto. Or maybe something else.

"Adam Remotto – what an incredible player," Macy said. "I've been telling people all year he's the best player on the field. And he scores a touchdown like that. Sweet justice."

Not so for El Capitan, which took its big lead despite a severe ankle injury late in the first half to quarterback Brad Cagle, who accounted for 3,200 yards and 37 touchdowns heading into the game. He played well in the second half but the dual threat wasn't much of a running concern late.

"We're San Diego and Southern California champions and no one can take that away from us," El Capitan coach Rob Burner said. "But this is heartbreaking. Their guys made a hell of a play to strip it. It's what we try to teach our players." 

Campolindo took a 7-0 lead on its second possession, driving 68 yards in nine plays, capped by a beautiful leaping 10-yard TD catch by Flower in the left corner of the end zone.

Stephens completed three passes to USC-bound Petite on the drive, then lobbed a pretty 50-50 ball that the 6-3 Flower went up and pulled down under heavy duress.

El Capitan, which came up empty on two deep drives earlier, tied it at seven on a 3-yard slant pass from Cagle to Joseph Lachappa with 4:32 in the half. A 30-yard completion from Cagle to Capoocia set up the score that came on third-and-goal.

Cagle hurt his ankle on the next possession and sat out the rest of the half.

Whoever patched him up at halftime deserves a game ball, because he completed a pretty 24-yard touchdown pass to Frankie Lima. Conner McNally had superb coverage and even tipped the laser to the left corner of the end zone.

That made it 14-7 with 6:32 in the third quarter.

The game completely changed over the next four minutes.

Campolindo drove 62 yards to the El Capitan 19, but a 36-yard field goal attempt by Matt Blair was blocked by Capoocia, teammate Melero scooped it up and sprinted 80 yards untouched to complete a 10-point swing and give the Vaqueros a 21-7 lead.

The play seemed to shock Campolindo and after going three-and-out, a bad punt snap and tackle by the ever-present Melero gave El Capitan the ball at the Campo 13. On the next play, Capoocia sprinted into the end zone untouched and the Vaqueros were up 28-7 with 2:32 left in the third.

It looked over.

But Campolindo, 50-4 over the last four seasons, didn't get to Carson by accident. The Cougars went 80 and 79 yards on their next two possessions and took five and six plays, respectively, to get to the end zone. Both times Stephens found the team's heart and soul.

After Flower's second TD tied the game, El Capitan showed great resolve and looked in great position to win. But Garcia's strip turned the outcome.

"We worked so hard to drive downfield and were going for the win," Burner said. "It's hard because our quarterback could barely move. He's a scrambling quarterback. We were limited. But our hats are off to Campolindo. We were ahead 28-7 in the third quarter and they fought back."

Said Macy: "In a game like that you hate to see a loser. Both teams played their guts out and left everything on the field."

Campolindo 35, El Capitan 28

Campolindo 7   0  7  21  -  35
El Capitan    0  7 21   0  -  28

First quarter
C — Flower 11 pass from Stephens (Blair kick), 1:00

Second quarter
EC — Lachappa 3 pass from Cagle (Takota Curo kick), 4:32

Third quarter
EC — Lima 24 pass from Cagle (Curo kick), 6:32
EC — Melero 80 blocked kick return (Curo kick), 3:40
EC — Capoocia 13 run (Curo kick), 2:32
C — Remotto 38 pass from Stephens (Blair kick), 0:46

Fourth quarter
C — Remotto 13 pass from Stephens (Blair kick), 9:11
C — Flower 14 pass from Stephens (Blair kick), 4:30
C — Remotto 85 fumble return (Blair kick), 0:52

Individual statistics
Rushing
C — Nick Fadelli 13-56, Stephens 4-8, Cassidy 1-7, McNally 2-7, Remotto 3-5. EC — Dennis Smith 17-80, Capoocia 10-41, Melero 1-22, Cagle 6-17, Z. Cagle 1-(-2), Smith 2-(-6).

Passing
C — Stephens 19-32-1-291. EC — Cagle 7-13-0-89, Smith 3-4-0-12.

Receiving
C — Petite 7-102, Remotto 5-121, Flower 5-52, Whalen 1-9, Farrand 1-7. EC — Lima 3-31, Lachappa 3-19, Capoocia 2-37, Z. Cagle 1-13, Smith 1-1.

Tackles
C — Jack Shurtz 10, Todd Blakely 9, S. Strother 5. EC — Smith 9, Jarred Turner 8, Melero 7.

Team statistics
First downs: Campolindo 23, El Capitan 13
Attempts-net rushing: Campolindo 27-61, El Capitan 37-152
Passing: Campolindo 19-32-1. EC 10-17-0.
Yards Passing: Campo 291, EC 101
Total yards: Campo 352, EC 253
Fumbles/lost: Campo 1-1, EC 2-2
Penalties: Campo 3-15, EC 4-39

Records: Campolindo 16-0, El Capitan 14-1