'We're the best': CVC captures CIF Division 2-A state championship
PASADENA — State champions.
Central Valley Christian defeated Los Gatos 45-42 on Saturday at Robinson Stadium at Pasadena City College to win the 2023 CIF State Division 2-A title.
The Cavaliers (15-1) are the first high school football team from Visalia to capture a state trophy and are just the third squad in Tulare County history to be crowned state champs. Strathmore's 2017 team and this season's Spartans squad also claimed state titles in their respective divisions.
CVC kicker Teague Brandenburg's 30-yard field goal gave the Cavaliers an early 3-0 lead early in the first quarter and they never looked back against Los Gatos. The Cavaliers led from nearly start to finish and were up by as many as 17 points. It was 17-0 Cavaliers midway through the second quarter.
Brandenburg's boot turned out to be the difference. It was just his fourth attempt of the year and the third one he has connected on the season.
"Unbelievable," CVC head coach Mason Hughes said. "How about that?"
CVC senior running back Bryson Donelson put on another stellar performance. The Fresno State verbal commit rushed for a game-high 203 yards and scored on touchdown runs of 11, 70 and 10. He also found the end zone on a 62-yard bomb from senior quarterback Brent Kroeze. That connection set the tone and handed the Cavaliers a 17-0 edge.
Kroeze played nearly flawlessly. He completed 20-of-27 attempts for 238 yards and three touchdowns. The first-year starter also tossed a touchdown pass each to Ryan Lewis (24 yards) and Gunnar Piepgrass (20 yards).
Donelson finished with six catches for 87 yards. Piepgrass had eight receptions for 91 yards.
"We're the best," Donelson said. "I mean, we're one of the top teams in the state. It's an amazing feeling."
The drive of the game came in the third quarter.
CVC milked nearly 8 minutes off the game clock — 7:45 to be exact — on a 16-play, 84-yard march. Piepgrass culminated that possession with his 20-yard scoring snag and the Cavaliers added to their lead — 38-21.
But Los Gatos (12-3) didn't go away in the fourth period.
The Wildcats answered on quarterback A.J. Minyard's 12-yard touchdown scramble to help make it a 10-point game, 38-28.
On the ensuing possession, Los Gatos forced a CVC three-and-out and the Cavaliers kicked it away but luck was on their side as they recovered the muffed punt.
Five plays later, Donelson powered in for a 10-yard touchdown and the Cavaliers extended their advantage to 45-28.
Los Gatos scored two late touchdowns on a pair of 24-yard catches from Max Thomas and Owen Panu but CVC recovered two onside kicks to seal the historical win.
The Cavaliers also turned two first-half takeaways (interception, fumble recovery) into two touchdowns.
In the second quarter, junior defensive lineman Grant Shannon intercepted a pass to set CVC up at the Los Gatos 22-yard line and Donelson capitalized with his 11-yard touchdown run.
Then on the very next drive, the Cavaliers fell on a fumble and Donelson made the Wildcats pay immediately with his 62-yard snag and a 17-0 lead.
CVC led 24-7 at halftime.
"The turnovers, that's why we won," Hughes said. "We could not stop them. If there was any more time, I don't know if we would have stopped them in this game. Man, our hands team, getting two onside kicks, that kid could really kick onside kicks. Our kids, they pulled it through, and then honestly, Bryson was incredible. Brent was awesome tonight. Gunnar was awesome tonight. So many great standouts on the offensive side of the ball."
CVC set a Visalia city record with 15 wins in a single season.
The Cavaliers capped off their outstanding campaign with 12 victories in a row, including six straight in the playoffs, en route to a state championship.
"Who better of a team to do it than this team right here, right?" Hughes said. "These seniors have just done an amazing job. I'll tell you what, I told this team last night, 'This is not the most talented team I've ever had but, man, they are the best team I've ever had.' They are so cohesive. They love each other. Gosh, if there was going to be a team to get it, it was this team."
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CVC 45, Los Gatos 42
LG 0 7 14 21 - 42
CVC 3 21 14 7 - 45
First quarter
CVC – Teague Brandenburg 30 field goal, 8:16
Second quarter
CVC – Bryson Donelson 11 run (Brandenburg kick), 10:52
CVC – Donelson 62 pass from Brent Kroeze (Bradenburg kick), 6:31
LG – Jaylen Thomas 36 run (Sam Pearman kick), 5:02
CVC – Ryan Lewis 24 pass from Kroeze (Brandenburg kick), :06
Third quarter
LG – Thomas 63 pass from A.J. Minyard (Pearman kick), 11:02
CVC – Donelson 70 run (Brandenburg kick), 10:02
LG – Boxer Kopcsak-Yeung 27 run (Pearman kick), 7:46
CVC – Gunnar Piepgrass 20 pass from Kroeze (Brandenburg kick), :01
Fourth quarter
LG – Minyard 12 run (Pearman kick), 10:17
CVC – Bryson Donelson 10 run (Brandenburg kick), 4:06
LG – Max Thomas 24 pass from Minyard (Pearman kick), 2:52
LG – Owen Panu 24 pass from Minyard (Pearman kick), 1:09
Individual statistics
RUSHING – LG: Boxer Kopcsak-Yeung 11-69, Justin Mazzaferro 3-24, Jaylen Thomas 2-39, A.J. Minyard 3-20. CVC: Bryson Donelson 32-203, Brent Kroeze 5-43, Drew DeGroff 1-0, Team 2-(minus) 2.
PASSING – LG: Minyard 20-27-1 361. CVC: Kroeze 21-28-1 238.
RECEIVING – LG: Nicholas Hobson 2-34, Thomas 8-146, Kopcsak-Yeung 4-44, Owen Panu 3-91, Mazzaferro 1-0, Max Thomas 2-46. CVC: Gunnar Piepgrass 8-91, Ryan Lewis 3-34, Donelson 6-87, Bryce Crook 3-12, DeGroff 1-14.
Records – Los Gatos 12-3, CVC 15-1.
This article originally appeared on Visalia Times-Delta: 'We're the best': CVC captures CIF Division 2-A state championship
