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Segerstrom quarterback Noah Martinez hands off to Noah Tagaloa Friday night. (Photos courtesy Mark Bausman).
Segerstrom High School’s football team suffered a 23-22 upset loss to St. Pius/St. Matthias Academy in the quarterfinal round of the CIF Division 8 playoffs Friday night at Segerstrom.
The No. 2-seeded Jaguars (8-4) rallied from a halftime deficit to take the lead before the visitors regained the lead and closed out the win. St. Pius/St. Matthias Academy (3-9) moves on to the semifinals Friday at Salesian.
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“Our guys played their hearts out and left it all on the field,” said Segerstrom Coach Joseph Tagaloa on Saturday. “At the end of the day, the team who made the least amount of mistakes won, so I am not taking anything away from PMA, but I really feel like we let that one slip away. We had tremendous efforts put out there by everyone, which is all I can ask. We battled for four quarters and competed every single snap as always.
“Offensively we had great performances by Cristian Ramos, Noah Tagaloa, Nicholas Cervantes, Ayden Morales, and Andrew Diaz. These guys all made plays throughout the game that gave us a chance to win. Ramos opened up the scoring for the Jaguars with a big touchdown catch from a Jesse Lopez pass. Noah Tagaloa punctuated the opening drive of the second half with a touchdown run.
“Nicholas Cervantes added another long touchdown run on third and long. Ayden Morales and Andrew Diaz did a great job breaking off first down runs and also making key blocks all night. Noah Martinez came in for the injured Jesse Lopez, leading the team to two touchdown drives and successfully converted on a 2-point conversion.”
Coach Tagaloa said the Jaguars defense put up a fight.
“Defensively we battled all night,” he said. “Our defensive line led by Gilbert Peralta, Henry Beiza, Vicente Rivera, and Damian Anuu really played well. We were able to stay fresh by platooning Diego Hernandez (starting center) and Josh Preciado (starting right tackle), which really put pressure on the guys up front. Jullian Hernandez and Alfredo Rivas also played well by helping shutdown the run from their linebacker positions.”
The coach said he was proud of his team’s effort this season.
“Overall it’s unfortunate that we came up short, but our guys have nothing to be ashamed of,” he said. “They showed true grit by always stepping up and never backing down from any situation. I am truly proud of this team and the way they continually overcame adversity.
“We dealt with injuries to key players throughout the season, but found a way to compete and win. Our team embodied the mentality of the next man up. We competed every single snap and that is what Jaguar football is all about. Our senior class set a new standard for our program and I am truly grateful for them.”
