Torrance, Ca – Dorsey scored two fourth quarter touchdowns to make it a seven point deficit but the San Fernando defense held on in the final minute to defeat the Dons, 28-21, in the L.A. City Section Division I final at El Camino College on Saturday night.
Top-seeded San Fernando used a strong ground game to run away with their eighth City Section title in school history.
Junior running back Trevor Gill rushed for 134 yards while fellow backfield mate Kyle Bryant added 87 yards and a touchdown.
“They both run tough and complement each other,” San Fernando coach Robert Garcia said on his running backs. “They don’t make it about themselves, it’s about the team.”
Dorsey running back Charles Mincy Jr. scored from a yard out on fourth down to give Dorsey a 7-0 lead on the opening drive.
The Tigers answered when quarterback Andrew Frías scored on the keeper from a yard out on fourth down to tie it at 7 in the first quarter.
After San Fernando returned the short punt to the Dorsey seven, Trevor Gill scores on a 7-yard run to give San Fernando a 14-7 lead with just over two minutes in the first quarter.
Dorsey’s offense struggled in the first half, punting three times and losing a fumble.
Andrew Frias threw an 11 yard touchdown pass to Robert Valdez, extending San Fernando’s lead, 21-7, heading into halftime.
San Fernando capped a a 12-play, 70-yard drive with Bryant’s 4-yard touchdown run, giving the Tigers a 28-7 lead in the third quarter.
Dorsey stormed back in the fourth quarter with 70-yard touchdown reception by Dion Bascom. On the Dons next drive, Mincy Jr. turned on the wheels to score on a 67-yard reception. Dorsey cut the lead, 28-14, with 3:24 remaining in the game.
“We’ve been grinding for this since summer,” Bryant said. “It feels really good, especially since everybody was doubting us. They thought the valley didn’t have players like the city does.”
Dorsey was in search of their sixth City title after reaching the Division I finals in back-to-back seasons.
“Playing Garfield in the semifinals really prepared us for this game,” Garcia said. “I used what I learned from every coach I faced and put into my own thing.”
