Late comeback leads Downey to 55-54 win to advance to CIF title game

Downey’s Aidan Chiles threw four touchdowns and ran for 101 yards in the Vikings’ win over Cathedral. (File photo by Keith Durflinger)

DOWNEY – For the sixth time in school history, the Downey High School football team is headed back to the CIF-Southern Section Championship game.

After an incredible comeback in the Division 4 Semifinals, the Vikings will take on Cypress (13-0), a 17-14 winner over Newport Harbor in the other semifinal game, Friday (Nov. 25) at Handel Stadium on the campus of Western High.

Downey, which improved to 11-2 and trailed by 13 points early in the fourth quarter, scored 20 points to come from behind and defeat visiting Cathedral, 55-54, last Friday.

Downey’s Jack Williams, in his 13th year as head coach, guided his 2012 team to a 33-25 CIF win over La Serna.

The next two championship game appearances were losses to Crescenta Valley (21-14) and Cajon (54-28) in 2014 and ’17, respectively.

However, it all began in 1956-57 with two consecutive titles.

The first title in 1956, under coach Dick Hill, was a co-championship with Anaheim.

That title was followed the next year with a 24-7 win over San Diego, under co-coaches Guss Heading and Roland Eilerts.

In this years’ first two playoff games, Downey defeated Santa Barbara, 38-21, in the opening round and downed Camarillo, 31-28 in the quarterfinals.

Leading the way against Cathedral for Downey was senior quarterback Aidan Chiles, who completed 13 of 18 passes for 286 yards. He threw one interception and had four touchdown passes. He also ran for 101 yards on seven carries and a touchdown.

Senior running backs Jaylen Crutchfield (17 carries, 159 yards, touchdown) and Keion Andrew (9 carries, 87 yards) led the way for Downey on the ground. Andrew led with 299 all-purpose yards (87 rushing, 212 kick returns). Crutchfield also caught a pass for 48 yards and a touchdown.

Senior wide receiver Bryant Carey led all receivers with four catches for 131 yards and a touchdown. Senior Ian Hernandez caught six passes for 79 yards and two touchdowns.

Cathedral was led by senior quarterback Aidan Moss, who was 24 of 35 for 297 yards and two touchdowns. Moss also ran for 137 yards on 11 carries and a score and sophomore running back Ramahj Jones (14 carries for 112 yards) led all backs with three touchdowns.

Five different receivers totaled 24 receptions for the Phantoms, led by senior Raymon Galvez with 117 yards on eight catches.

“It was an awesome game if you were in the stands,” said Williams, who also won his 100th game. “Our kids were resilient. It shows the character of the kids.

“I have not been part of a game like that. This is what I coach for – championships.”

A game like that was a roller coaster ride from beginning to end for both teams.

Both teams combined for 109 points, 14 touchdowns and 1,179 yards, with Downey leading the way with 633 yards.

Downey wasted no time scoring, as they took an 8-0 lead in the first few minutes as Chiles passed for the first of his four TDs on the night. Hernandez, with his first of two scores, hauled in a 15-yard touchdown and senior kicker Isaac Madrid ran in a two-point conversion.

That was followed by field goals from each team, as Cathedral senior Jaiden Espadas kicked a 37-yard field goal and Madrid kicked a 23-yard field goal for the 11-3 Downey lead.

On the ensuing Vikings kickoff, Cathedral sophomore wide receiver Antonio Walton ran back an 88-yard return to trail Downey by a point, 11-10.

And as the first quarter ended, the fireworks began as both teams combined for 12 touchdowns in the next three quarters.

The next six scores alternated between the two teams in the back-and-forth affair.

Chiles, who has committed to Oregon State next year, opened the second quarter with his second TD pass of the game. Crutchfield caught his second touchdown pass of the season on a 35-yarder from Chiles to lead, 18-10.

After a couple of third-down conversions, Cathedral closed the gap with a 10-yard run to trail, 18-17.

Three more scores in the quarter would conclude the first half, as Carey caught his 33rd TD pass of the season for 43 yards, followed by a 29-yard field goal by Espadas and a 42-yarder by Madrid for the 28-20 Downey lead.

Cathedral took its first lead of the game, 34-28, in the third quarter with two scores. An 11-yard touchdown pass by Moss, that chewed up four minutes, to senior wide receiver Ross Nickson and a 3-yard TD run by Jones. That TD was set up by a long pass from Moss to Galvez.

Crutchfield set up the go-ahead TD with a 45-yard run, culminating with his 3-yard touchdown for the 35-34 lead late in the quarter.

On the next Cathedral possession, Jones scored the second of his three TDs with a 2-yard run with less than two minutes left in the quarter and the 41-35 advantage heading into the final quarter.

Early in the fourth quarter, Chiles threw only his fourth interception of the season on 228 attempts, in the end zone as the Vikings were trying to regain the lead.

On the very next play by the Phantoms, Moss threw his second score of the game on an 80-yard pass to Walton for what looked like a comfortable 13-point, 48-35 lead with 10 minutes to play. Not so fast.

The best was yet to come for the Vikings in the final stages of the game.

Another quick answer by Downey came by way of Chiles’ running ability, as he sprinted 56 yards for the touchdown. “He just outran everyone on that run,” Williams explained.

Downey players and coach at the CIF-Southern Section championship luncheon on Monday at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena. Teams from all 14 divisions were in attendance. (L-R) Coach Jack Williams, BJ Carey, David Perez, Jaylen Crutchfield and Aidan Chiles. Photo courtesy of Downey High.

Cathedral scored what they and their fans thought was the back-breaker for a possible win and trip to the finals, as Jones ran in a 5-yard score for the 12-point, 54-42 lead. The all-important extra point was blocked by Downey, which would prove crucial in the end.

At that point, the Cathedral fans began a chant that has been heard at many football games through the years – “Nah, nah, nah, nah, nah nah nah, good bye.”

Another quick answer by the Vikings seemed to silence the Cathedral fans, as Carey returned the ensuing kickoff 85 yards for a touchdown. The Vikings trailed, 54-49.

That set up the exciting final minutes for the Vikings. In those final minutes, Williams heard Carey and Chiles tell the team, “you gotta believe” and they did.

With two minutes left, Chiles tossed the go-ahead touchdown pass to Hernandez for the 55-54 lead.

The Vikings went for a two-point conversion for a possible three-point advantage, but the pass was dropped, and Hernandez had thought they were losing because of the failed two-point conversion.

“We threw the ball and it was dropped,” Williams said. “(Hernandez) thought we lost (the game.”

That wasn’t the case and after a failed fourth-down try by Cathedral, the celebration began. But it was a little premature as players were dousing Williams with water and celebrating on the field with time on the clock.

The wild game ended on a wild note, as the Vikings were penalized almost 75 yards for excessive celebrating and the ball ended up on their own four-yard line with seconds remaining. Not to worry, as Chiles took a knee and now the celebration could begin.

“The football Gods were on our side,” Williams said. “We’ve been on the other side of it before.”

Williams thought back to the season and pointed out an important fact that might have played a big part in the Vikings resurgence.

“It really helped us, losing to Warren,” Williams said. “It solidified the team as they bonded and when they said “break” and yelled out “family” it was meaningful.

“I’m extremely excited and the seniors put everything in motion.”