An overtime victory for Juan Diego in semi-final

Courtesy photo/Chris Bell, Judge 2011

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Juan Diego quarterback Brock Garn (#8) carried the Soaring Eagle to victory in the 3A semi-final game against the Judge Memorial Bulldogs. Garn was in for first-string quarterback Nathan Elorreaga, who sat out the game due to a concussion.

Juan Diego tight end Eric Heinz raised his hands in triumph after catching the game-winning pass against rival Judge Memorial in overtime on Nov. 12. He knew what catching that football meant: a trip to the state championship game. With an 11-1 record for the season, Juan Diego has paved its way to a third consecutive state title game. Not only will Juan Diego be competing for the state crown, but the team will be up against rival Hurricane, who has met Juan Diego in the state game for the previous two years.

The first state game between the two teams back in 2008 ended with a one-point victory for Juan Diego, courtesy of a field goal kick. In 2009, Hurricane stayed in the lead until the scoreboard read 2.9 seconds and Juan Diego completed a Hail Mary pass for its first back-to-back title in the school’s history.

Led by team captains Nathan Elloreaga, Eric Doughty, Trevor Greene and Eric Heinz, the Soaring Eagle crushed practically every team it played this year, including Judge Memorial by 14 points during the regular season.

Judge Memorial, however, gave Juan Diego a scare during the semi-final game on Friday. After being held scoreless, with only 1:23 left in the game, Judge scored a touchdown to tie the score, leaving the Juan Diego team with little time to catch their breath. After a blocked field goal attempt and a catch in the end zone, Judge lost its chance to defeat the defending state champions.

"I’ve got nothing to say but great job to our boys," said Judge coach James Cordova. "I hope Juan Diego will be able to keep their momentum going next week."

Soaring Eagle quarterback Nathan Elorreaga has thrown for just over 1,000 yards this season, coming close to last season’s quarterback Cody Stevenson’s accomplishment of 1,754 yards. That’s despite the fact that Elloreaga was sidelined due to a concussion for the recent semi-final game. Second-string quarterback Brock Garn stepped into the huddle and took over the head position for the close game against Judge.

To carry on the Juan Diego tradition of nail-biting, last-second victory, Garn completed an 11-yard pass in overtime to the end zone to end the night

"We like that end zone down there," said John Colosimo, Juan Diego head coach. "To take home another state trophy would be quite the accomplishment."

Following last season’s record of 13-1, the Soaring Eagle is hoping to end this season with one final win to top their record off at 12-1.

Now on their way to compete in the state title with familiar faces, many of the Juan Diego players are still in disbelief that they have done it once again.

"Two years ago when I was a sophomore my dad told me I was lucky to be able to play on a team with a state title," said senior running back Wyatt Wilson. "Now, I’m heading towards our third state game and my jaw is still dropping."