At this point in the prep football season, everyone has seen a few Hail Marys. Similarly, everyone has seen their share of wide receiver option passes. Wide receiver option Hail Marys? That's not so common.
Yet that's precisely what happened during the CIF Southern Section championship, with Solana Beach (Calif.) Santa Fe Christian facing off against Arcadia (Calif.) Rio Hondo Prep. The teams were tied with seconds remaining before halftime when Rio Hondo found itself with just enough time for one final play before intermission.
After taking the snap, Rio Hondo quarterback Colby Rivera threw a backward pass to wide receiver Jake Holguin. The receiver then launched a perfect bomb to the middle of the end zone, where the ball deflected off multiple pairs of hands. That kept the ball alive for just long enough to land in the hands of fellow receiver Christian Torrico.
The unexpected touchdown and subsequent extra point gave Rio Hondo a 21-14 halftime lead, an edge which left Santa Fe shocked ... but not down and out. In the second half, Santa Fe rallied for a 30-28 victory, a win which put the team in a State Bowl, where it will face Central Catholic (Calif.) High.
That Santa Fe victory came despite one of the more disappointing passing performances in recent history. Santa Fe quarterback Hunter Vaccaro finished the game 0 for 4 with two interceptions. Luckily for him, he also racked up 165 yards and two touchdowns on the ground.
As it turns out, that was enough for a win, remarkable Hail Mary and all.
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