‘Miracle at Milpitas’ earns Falcons a spot in CCS playoffs

The Falcons pulled off a miraculous win last Friday, taking down powerhouse Milpitas with an almost unimaginable comeback and earning a spot in the CCS playoffs.

Milpitas came into Friday’s game with a record of 6-2 as well as the lead in the race for the De Anza division league title. All they had to do to keep Palo Alto at bay for the title was to win their last two games. 

The Falcons’ offense started out slowly, punting the ball to the Trojans after the first series. The Trojans scored a touchdown on their first offensive play when running back Squally Canada bust through the middle for a long run.

However, on the Trojans’ second offensive series, the

Falcon defense played tough, forcing the Trojans to punt. 

The offense began to move the ball well, but the drive ended when junior quarterback J.J. Walters threw an interception that was returned for a touchdown by the Trojans’ defensive back Tre Hartley, making the score 14-0 Milpitas. 

While the Falcons’ offense was slow in the first half, they finally managed to score a touchdown in the first quarter from a 62-yard punt return for a touchdown by senior wide receiver Kyle Dozier.

 Dozier weaved through the Trojan defense and easily trotted into the end zone, making the score 14-7 Milpitas. With two Trojan field goals and a Falcon field goal by senior kicker Fred Feyzi, the score going into halftime was 20-10 Milpitas.

The Trojans came out strong to start the third quarter, with Hartley catching another touchdown pass to extend the lead to 27-10.

The Falcons moved the ball well on their next offensive position, but the drive stalled because of a turnover, this time a fumble from senior running back Bryson Yates on the Trojan 25-yard line.

However, the Falcon defense stepped it up, and on the Trojans’ next drive senior safety Daniel Castronovo intercepted the Trojans’ quarterback, setting the Falcons up with good field position at about the Trojan 29-yard line. 

The Falcons’ offense capitalized on this turnover and scored their first touchdown of the game on a pass from Walters to senior wide receiver Stephen Ruff.

The Trojans struck back on their next offensive drive with another rushing touchdown from Canada, making the score 34-17 Milpitas. Late in the third quarter, the Falcons answered with a touchdown pass from Walters to Dozier, and after a blocked extra point, the Falcons cut the Trojans’ lead to 34-23.

With five minutes left in the fourth quarter, the Trojans scored a field goal, extending their lead to 37-23. The Falcons drove down the field, but the Trojan defense forced a turnover on downs and got the ball back. 

However, with three minutes left, the Falcon defense forced and recovered a fumble by Canada, beginning the comeback. The Falcons, in need of a big play, turned to coach Tim Lugo, who dug deep into his play book and called a double pass. Walters threw the ball backwards to Dozier, who then unleashed a bomb to Ruff. The play worked perfectly and resulted in a 55-yard touchdown pass from Dozier to Ruff, cutting the lead to 37-30.

Another turnover cost the Trojans dearly when the Trojan center snapped the ball over the quarterback Ronnie Reed’s head. Junior safety Davis Berryhill pounced on the ball, giving it back to the offense.

The Falcons again came through as they scored on a fourth and goal pass from Walters to Dozier. With a key extra point from Feyzi, the Falcons tied the game with 28.8 seconds remaining. 

On the ensuing kickoff, special teams came through again when junior Jacob Camp forced a fumble recovered by senior Austin McMath, setting up the offense in a position to put the game away. On the very next play, Walters and Dozier hooked up on another touchdown pass, and with another crucial Feyzi extra point, took the lead 44-37 with 16 seconds remaining.

The Falcons’ defense closed out the game, and as the clock hit double zeroes, the whole team ran on the field, reminiscent of the Los Gatos game of 2010. Cheers of joy rang throughout the sideline as the Falcons clinched their first CCS playoff berth since the 2009 season. 

Dubbed the “Miracle at Milpitas” by senior linebacker Henry Wei, this win was a truly incredible one for the Falcons, who look to close out their season with a win against cross town rival Los Gatos on Nov. 9. 

  The first round of CCS will take place either Nov. 16 or 17.