Santa Clarita Christian football came up short in a 61-47 CIF-Southern Section Division 13 quarterfinal shootout against South El Monte at College of the Canyons on Friday.
The Cardinals ended the season 6-6, while the Eagles improved to 11-1.
SCCS quarterback Tristan Miller was 34-for-43 with 636 yards, seven touchdowns and an interception. Jacob Moss had 20 catches for 381 yards and five touchdowns. Tyler Kalinske had seven catches for 180 yards and two touchdowns.
While the Cardinals dominated through the air, the Eagles were unstoppable on the ground. Sal Tovar led the way with 30 carries for 281 yards and seven touchdowns.
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Miller completed his first 10 passes of the game as the Cardinals got off to a flying start and jumped out to a 20-7 lead in the first quarter.
The teams traded touchdowns in the first 67 seconds. SCCS marched down the field in three plays on the opening drive with Miller finding Moss on a 13-yard touchdown pass. It took South El Monte the same number of plays to answer with Tovar scoring his first from three yards out.
SCCS scored the next two touchdowns with Miller throwing a 14-yard scoring pass to Moss and one from 61 yards to Kalinske.
South El Monte responded by outscoring SCCS 61-7 until late in the fourth quarter. South El Monte’s Daniel Olmos, who only attempted a handful of passes, had a touchdown to Julian Salcedo, while Ernesto Estrada scored the away team’s final points on a 22-yard run.
Kalinske’s second touchdown came early in the second half on a 37-yard pass.
Moss scored two touchdowns in the final four minutes.