CLAREMONT — Claremont’s defense already had put in a phenomenal day’s work Friday.
And yet, with 2 1/2 minutes remaining, that unit was asked to step on the field and come up with another stop.
The Wolfpack dug their heels in and turned Alta Loma away one more time to preserve a 21-13 nonleague win.
“We gave up 42 points to Diamond Bar last week. So I had a team meeting this morning and told everyone that won’t cut it tonight,” Claremont senior linebacker Luke Labbe said. “(Alta Loma) has beaten us three years in a row. Everyone on our sidelines wanted this win. … And the defense knew we had to step up and get those stops.”
Alta Loma’s defense shined early, picking off Claremont quarterback Brandon Coronado three times during the opening half. Santiago Vasquez had two of those interceptions for the Lions (2-1) and Owen Lyons had a third.
However, the offense was unable to convert any of those turnovers into points. Alta Loma twice turned the ball over on downs, and Claremont’s defense forced the Lions to punt on the other possession after an interception.
Claremont (3-0) grabbed a 7-0 lead early in the second quarter when Coronado scored on a 1-yard keeper.
Alta Loma took advantage of a short field later in the second period to draw level. Kristopher Biggers carried the ball four times for 36 yards, and Maximus Fierro capped the drive with a 2-yard touchdown pass to Bryant Avila.
That score came with 38 seconds showing on the clock, so the teams appeared headed to halftime deadlocked.
Claremont was facing third-and-12 from its 18 with 22 seconds remaining when Alta Loma used its final timeout. The Wolfpack picked up a first down on a 14-yard run by Gavin Marine. That’s when the improbable happened. Doug Yegge caught a ball over the middle from Coronado, stayed on his feet and turned it into a 63-yard score.
“We had turned the ball over three times, so we were thinking about getting out of the half tied,” Claremont coach Jake Caron said. “But we’re going to play to win. Big-time players make big-time plays, and we got one there.”
Claremont extended the lead when Coronado fired a 3-yard touchdown to Max Leeper with 7:33 left in the third.
Alta Loma answered with an 18-play, 80-yard scoring drive to cut into the deficit. Fierro and Vasquez connected five times on the possession, the final one a 7-yard touchdown to make it 21-13 with 1:23 left in the third period.
The Lions’ defense forced a quick three-and-out, and the offense took over with 11 seconds left in that quarter. Alta Loma had fourth-and-goal at the 1, but Claremont’s defense stopped Fierro short of the line on the sneak.
Claremont took possession with 8:19 left to play and ran nearly 6 minutes off of the clock on the ensuing drive. Coronado and Leeper, a 6-foot-7 tight end, connected four times for 45 yards to move the chains. That drive eventually stalled, and Carter Montgomery’s 44-yard field goal attempt clanged the crossbar.
Alta Loma again had life. Fierro found Vasquez over the middle for a 38-yard gain on third down that moved the ball into Claremont’s half of the field, and Fierro fired a 9-yard pass to Josiah Smith-Hart on another third down. Claremont’s defense sniffed out a screen on third down and then forced an incomplete pass on fourth down.
“That’s how we roll out here,” Labbe said. “One guy makes a big play and we all just feed on that momentum.”
Coronado completed 20 of 35 passes for 278 yards, and Leeper finished the night with 10 catches for 81 yards.
Fierro threw for 188 yards and added 66 yards on the ground, while Vasquez had 10 receptions for 110 yards.
