MODESTO – Downey High’s Antwain Harper swatted away the final desperation pass, and the Knights jumped up and down and celebrated like they were catching cash falling from the sky.
Nearby, two members of the Edison Vikings fell to the turf in anguish. A three-hour melodrama was done, and not often does one witness major-league emotion in the first round of the Sac-Joaquin Section playoffs.
Downey (10-1), trailing 34-15 at halftime and scrambling to just keep it close, rallied for a stirring 44-41 win Friday night. Victory feels the best when you tightrope over defeat. The Knights never led until the final five minutes.
“We knew we had to stay composed,” Downey senior quarterback Carson Lamb said after he lit up Edison for 415 passing yards, three touchdowns and a 2-point conversion. “Stay composed and wait for the opportunity.”
They waited until RayMelo Thurman raced 3 yards around the left side for the go-ahead points with 4:56 left. To press Downey’s advantage, Lamb found Joseph Ramirez in the back in the end zone for the important deuce.
Edison (4-7) responded with a potential decisive drive behind rangy junior quarterback Devin Rasmussen. But from the Downey 11 yard line, emerging sophomore Elias Haynes read the short pass and stepped in front of the receiver for the clutch interception.
Downey’s thankless reward is a Division I second-round game at Folsom, the section’s top-seeded heavyweight. The Knights will play on house money, however, after a win that coach Jeremy Plaa ranked among the top five of his decorated 18-season career in Downey blue.
“Winning is all that matters. There are no style points,” he said. “We’re fortunate to get the win. They (Edison) forced us to win the game…When it mattered the most, the kids came through.”
The Downey coaching staff posed for a photo to commemorate the night. The win was Plaa’s 132nd, in fact, to surpass the late Chuck Hughes—the man for whom the Downey stadium is named—as the program’s all-time winningest coach.
“I never met him, but I’ve talked to a few guys who played for him. They talked with the highest amount of respect for him,” Plaa said. “It simply means that I’ve been here for a long time and we’re doing it the right way.”
The rematch, a classic eight vs. nine seed, figured to be one of the night’s most intense. Downey was hardpressed to survive the teams’ first meeting 35-20 in September. Edison, clearly improved, nearly iced Edison-Downey Part 2 before halftime.
The 6-foot-1 Rasmussen, a transfer from St. Mary’s, strafed the Downey secondary for 396 yards and five touchdowns via a mix of accurate short passes and long looping bombs. Before Downey gained a single first down, Rasmussen connected with 3-star prospect Langdon Horace (8 catches, 116 yards, 3 TDs) on scoring strikes of 28 and 10 yards.
Downey staggered like a weary boxer through the first half. Lamb’s 39-yard touchdown pass to Ethan Woodmansee (6 catches, 101 yards) was countered quickly by Marcus Harrison’s 69-yard kickoff return to the house. The Knights also were sobered by the loss of Ryne Moore, their best lineman, who re-injured his knee.
Edison, the runner-up behind St. Mary’s in the Tri-City Athletic League, turned three Downey turnovers into 14 first-half points. In the locker room at the break, Plaa preached the power of a short memory.
“We can still play a good second half,” Plaa told his team. “We told the kids to stack plays and stack series, and maybe we'll have a shot at this thing at the end.”
Downey launched its comeback when Ramirez (7 catches, 169 yards) streaked over the middle to snag Lamb’s 51-yard catch-and-run for the TD. The Knights escaped further problems seconds later. A second Edison kickoff return for a touchdown was erased by a holding penalty.
The flag typified a game long on thrills and short on artistic merit. Edison was whistled a staggering 21 times for 147 yards. Downey wasn’t far behind with 13 penalties for 104 yards.
“We couldn’t kick the ball anywhere on the field without the threat of them running it back for a touchdown,” Plaa said. “We tried everything.”
Downey closed to 34-29 after an Edison turnover on the first of two rushing touchdowns by Haynes. But the second Rasmussen-to-Zo Ward strike kept the Vikings in control.
That touchdown, however, was the only points allowed by the Knights after halftime. Rasmussen nursed a knee injury and Downey dialed up the pressure.
Edison led 41-36 and positioned itself for the dagger midway through the fourth quarter. The momentum switched for good when Downey senior Noah Sacuskie twice sacked Rasmussen within a three-play span.
“Our offense was keeping us in the game. I knew it was a big moment and I had to step it up,” Sacuskie said. “Their offensive line was getting tired and we were just getting started.”
Sacuskie’s heroics ignited Downey’s 68-yard six-play game-winning march.
“Hard pill to swallow. Our guys played their hearts out,” said Edison coach Booker Guyton, whose Vikings recovered from an 0-5 start. “It was tough to be in control that long and let it get away from us.”
Lamb’s tenacity was one reason why Edison fell short. The senior, the section leader with 37 touchdown passes, moved up to No. 4 on Downey’s impressive list in career yardage.
“We’ll go up to the blue turf (Folsom’s home field) and keep battling,” he said. “They are an amazing team. We know we’ll have to play tough and make zero mistakes.”
Regardless, the Knights rejoiced like champions. After all, a win can be great without a blue banner attached.
Downey 44, Edison 41
Edison 20-14-7-0—41
Downey 7-8-14-15—44
1st Quarter
E—Langdon Horace 28 pass from Devin Rasmussen (Manuel Ayon kick)
E—Horace 10 pass from Rasmussen (Ayon kick)
D—Ethan Woodmansee 39 pass from Carson Lamb (Jacob Wallace kick)
E—Marcus Harrison 69 kick return (kick blocked)
2nd Quarter
D—Jayceon Sloan 8 pass from Lamb (Ryne Moore run)
E—Zo Ward 11 pass from Rasmussen (Ayon kick)
E—Horace 28 pass from Rasmussen (Ayon kick)
3rd Quarrter
D—Joseph Ramirez 51 pass from Lamb (Wallace kick)
D—Elias Haynes 7 run (Wallace kick)
E—Ward 10 pass from Rasmussen (Ayon kick)
4th Quarter
D—Haynes 7 run (Wallace kick)
D—RayMelo Thurman 3 run (Ramirez pass from Lamb)
Records—Edison 4-7, Downey 10-1
