In a classic showdown between perennial powerhouses, the Gardena Serra Cavaliers and Oceanside Pirates locked horns Friday night at the 2013 Honor Bowl in Oceanside. When it was all said and done, Serra pulled out a hard fought 50-39 victory over Oceanside.
The host Pirates got out to an early 8-0 lead after a short touchdown catch by Jace Whittaker and a successful fake PAT try.
Serra responded with a nice drive that was capped off by a short touchdown plunge by Boise State commit Jalen Greene to cut the deficit to 8-7. The Cavaliers took the lead with a touchdown strike from Greene to UCLA commit Jordan Lasley to make the score 14-8 Serra.
Serra vs Oceanside: Full Game Highlight Mixtape
Oceanside star running back Thai Cottrell took a short pass 50 yards up the left sideline to give the Pirates a 15-14 advantage. A long touchdown strike to junior receiver Johnny Arzola extended the Pirates lead to 22-14 early in the second quarter.
Another touchdown run from Greene followed by Lasley's second touchdown catch gave the Cavaliers a 28-22 lead with less than a minute remaining in the half but an amazing long touchdown catch by Oceanside's Micah Holder put the Pirates in front 29-28 at halftime.
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After a Serra fumble gave the Pirates solid field position, a 28-yard touchdown burst from junior running back Josh Bernard gives Oceanside a 36-28 advantage early in the second half. A 52-yard field goal from Jackson Koonce extended the lead Oceanside to 39-28.
The turning point in the game came when Malachi Mageo intercepted the ball and returned it for a touchdown to cut the Cavs deficit to 39-34. Jalen Greene added a short run for the two-point conversion and Serra trailed 39-36 with 10 minutes to play. After that play, the Pirates did not score again. Olajuwon Tucker came up huge for Serra with three interceptions on the night, along with a few sacks and plays on special teams. Tucker was the CLA Defensive Player of the Game.
With the game on the line, Jalen Greene mounted an impressive drive for the Cavs. Greene linked up with Greg Webb on several key receptions. After avoiding the rush, Greene connected with Lasley on a deep touchdown strike that gave Serra a 43-39 lead with a few minutes to go.
Incredibly, the Cavaliers recovered the ball on the ensuing kickoff after a short pooch kick from Sifa Maama. With a chance to put the game on ice, 5-star superstar Adoree' Jackson displayed his athletic prowess with a front flip into the end zone on a touchdown run that sealed the win for Serra.
Both teams played their hearts out and treated everyone in attendance to a classic high school football battle to kick off the 2013 Honor Bowl.
