After building a 19-point lead in the second half, the Scotts Valley High football team allowed Santa Cruz High to rally back for a 27-26 nonleague win on Friday night.
AJ DaCosta finished with three rushing touchdowns for the Cardinals, including the go-ahead score late in the fourth quarter.
With the win, Santa Cruz improved to a 2-0 overall record, while Scotts Valley dropped to 1-1 in the early fall campaign.
Scotts Valley quarterback Bryce McDonnell connected with Nick Acton for a pair of touchdowns in the first half, giving them a 12-7 lead over Santa Cruz going into halftime.
Senior running back Ben Luckey put the game more out of reach with an 11-yard rushing touchdown late in the third quarter. The Falcons followed up with a 1-yard touchdown run by senior Jake Locatelli that put them ahead at 26-7.
Santa Cruz quickly responded on the ensuing kickoff as the special teams unit returned it 95 yards for a touchdown, providing a spark it desperately needed.
DaCosta kept the rally going after sprinting 46 yards to the end zone, cutting Scotts Valley’s lead down to 26-21 with 3:25 remaining in the contest.
The magical comeback continued when Santa Cruz recovered a fumble off a bungled handoff by Scotts Valley’s offense.
Moments later, DaCosta put the Cardinals ahead for the first time in the game, and for good, after scoring his third touchdown of the night.
The game was far from over, though. Scotts Valley was set up with great field position at the 50-yard line when Santa Cruz was called for an unsportsmanlike penalty.
Known for their trick plays, the Falcon offense busted out the old hook and ladder to set themselves up closer to the goal line.
But their comeback was cut short when sophomore Grant Leavitt intercepted a pass attempt at Santa Cruz’s 20-yard line, giving the Cardinals their first win over Scotts Valley in four years.
Next up, Scotts Valley (1-1) plays Stevenson (1-1) in nonleague play at Harbor High School on Sept. 12 at 7:30pm.
At Mountain View 31, San Lorenzo Valley 13: Senior quarterback Brayden Scoma tossed for 94 yards with one touchdown and one interception in the Cougars’ loss to the Spartans in nonleague play Thursday night.
Scoma connected with Landon Pifer on a 3-yard touchdown pass in the first quarter that opened the scoring for SLV, which dropped to an 0-2 overall record this season.
Teammate Cody Goulart added a 1-yard score, also in the opening stanza. He finished with a team-best 70 yards rushing on 13 carries.
Next up, SLV (0-2) hosts King City (2-0) in nonleague play on Sept. 12 at 12:30pm. The Mustangs are coming off a 35-0 win against Gonzales on Thursday.
*Editor’s note: Additional reporting by Raul Ebio. Check back later for an update with quotes and more photos.
