Ryden Herrera’s 37-yard field goal with 17 seconds remaining lifted the Warren Warriors to a 31-28 victory over the O’Connor Panthers at the Dub Farris Athletic Complex on Friday night. The kick capped a tense final two minutes after O’Connor had erased a two-touchdown deficit to tie the game.
Warren coach Matthew Arrufat said his team showed a fighting spirit that had been missing earlier in the season. “I’m just really proud of the fact they fought all the way to the end,” Arrufat said. “That’s something we really haven’t shown this year so far—having the ability to fight for four quarters. Obviously, O’Connor gave us everything they could. It was a great game, could have gone either way. We’re just happy to come out on top.”
The Warriors (4-3, 3-2 District 29-6A) started strong, taking the lead on their opening drive with quarterback Mac Anderson completing five passes for 45 yards, including a 17-yard touchdown to wide receiver Kevin Phoenix on a wheel route. Anderson continued to make plays, connecting with running back Donevin Thornton on a screen pass that resulted in a 41-yard gain to the O’Connor 9-yard line. Thornton then broke free for a 3-yard touchdown run, putting Warren up 14-0.
O’Connor (3-3, 2-2 29-6A) responded after a Warren punt snap went awry, giving the Panthers possession at the Warriors’ 13-yard line. Running back Wyatt McKenzie powered through for a touchdown, cutting the deficit to 14-7 with just under two minutes left in the first quarter.
Warren answered early in the second quarter, with Anderson throwing a 2-yard fade to wide receiver Julius Daniel to make it 21-7. Arrufat praised Anderson’s leadership, calling him “the senior captain that he is.”
The Panthers narrowed the gap before halftime as quarterback Wade Carpenter found tight end Luke Rigby for a 34-yard touchdown. Warren extended the lead to 28-14 on a 2-yard rushing touchdown from Daniel in the third quarter. But turnovers began to sway momentum. After a Warren interception, Carpenter connected with Rigby again for a long touchdown. O’Connor’s successful onside kick energized the Panthers, though Warren’s defense held firm on several occasions.
Warren faced challenges late in the game when Daniel fumbled, but their defense repeatedly forced turnovers on downs to keep O’Connor from scoring. McKenzie punched in the game-tying touchdown with 1:54 left to make it 28-28.
Anderson then led the Warriors down the field, setting up Herrera’s game-winning field goal. “Man, it felt amazing,” Anderson said. “I love winning.” He also credited the defense, saying, “Whenever we messed up, they had our backs. And whenever they messed up, we had their backs. That’s how it goes in football.”
Herrera’s kick sailed through the uprights as time expired, delivering Warren their fourth win of the season. The Warriors will look to build on this narrow victory as District 29-6A competition continues.
According to Yahoo Sports.
