Salpointe rallies past CDO to win region title

CDO (6-4) put up the first 14 points of the game behind a powerful running attack and several deep passes.

Just plays before both of the early touchdowns, CDO senior quarterback Garrett Woodlock hit senior wide receiver Lloyd Griffen for a 56-yard reception and senior tight end Cameron Crandell for a 41-yard reception.

Woodlock finished off each of the team’s two scoring drives with a 1-yard rushing touchdown and had the Dorados up 14-0 in a hostile environment.

The Lancers finally got on the board with 2:59 left in the first half on an 18-yard touchdown rush from sophomore running back Mario Padilla, who eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark on the ground with the run.

Salpointe added a field goal as time expired for the halftime break to cut the Dorado lead to 14-10 and give the Lancers momentum heading into the locker room.

From that point on, it was all Salpointe.

The Lancers scored 21 second-half points to move the team’s streak of unanswered points to 31 points.

“We had 31 unanswered points … and I was glad our kids finally settled down and started playing,” Salpointe coach Dennis Bene said. “I’m super happy for the kids and the program after the win."

While the seniors were honored before the game, it was Salpointe freshman running back Bijan Robinson and Padilla, a sophomore, who scored key touchdowns during that second-half run.

Robinson did his damage on a single possession midway through the third quarter when he scored a 22-yard rushing touchdown to put the Lancers up 17-14 just two plays after a highlight juke got his teammates and the crowd back in the game.

For a player who started his high school football career on Salpointe’s freshman team earlier this season, Robinson said he couldn’t be more excited to contribute for his teammates.

“As a freshman, it’s still surreal," Robinson said. "I’m maturing with all these guys and it brings tears to my eyes.”

Padilla added his second and final touchdown of the game midway through the fourth quarter when he returned a CDO punt 79 yards to the house. The Salpointe bench erupted as the sophomore put the team up 24-14 with 6:31 left in the fourth quarter.

Salpointe added another touchdown with 2:07 left in the game, a 1-yard rushing touchdown from junior running back Arturo Alcaraz, to firmly shut the lid on a potential comeback by the Dorados.

“(We) just need to look at the first (postseason) game and don’t look past that game,” Robinson said. “Then keep rolling and try to get to state and win that, too.” http://tinyurl.com/hme78my