The St. Thomas More Knights pulled off a miracle finish to advance to the semifinals of the B.C. high school AAA varsity football championships.
The No. 1-ranked Knights showed why they have been able to hold on to the top billing throughout the season, pulling out a thrilling 35-32 comeback victory over the unranked Centennial Centaurs in the final minutes of what perhaps should have been a quarter-final upset at Thunderbird Statium on Friday night.
"We wouldn't have done it without the Lord's help, said Grade 11 defensive end Dante Vigini after the game.
Vigini, who played all game as if divinely inspired, blocked a punt on Centennial's opening possession that led to STM's first score - a two-yard run by Eliot Nelson.
Vigini also got himself in the way of a second Centaurs' kick in the fourth quarter that seemed to ignite STM's comeback march.
"That miracle drive, that's the word for everything he (the Lord) has given us," Vigini added.
Eastern conference defensive player of the year, Kyle Madden, finished the play, catching a nine-yard touchdown pass from Knights' quarterback Mikey Carney that fooled the Centennial secondary, pulling the Knights to within five points of the lead.
But with everything on the line and just 10 yards to go for a first down, Centennial's vaunted running game went soft against a suddenly inspired Knights' defence and were forced to punt the ball.
STM then mounted its one-and-only long drive of the game, marching 70 yards downfield in 11 plays before Nelson chugged into the end zone from three yards out for the go-ahead points to give the Knights a 35-32 advantage with still two minutes left in regulation time.
Key third-and-10 catches for first downs by Alex Golding and all-conference receiver Giovani Trasolini helped keep the STM drive alive.
However, despite good field position from their own 40 yard line, the Centaurs were stopped again and forced to turn the ball over on downs by key defensive plays by the Knights.
Vigini made a huge third-down stop on Cent's player of the game Nathan Lund, tackling the gifted running back for a two-yard loss.
Carney and Golding then teamed up to stop Centennial quarterback Cole Milton short of the ten-yard pole on a fourth-and-four gamble.
Vigini said at no time in the game did he feel a win was out of reach.
"At the point where we were struggling, I looked up and thought of the Lord," he said.
And struggle at times they did.
STM's first two TDs came off turnovers on good special teams play, including the first of two forced fumbles by Madden.
But the Knights seemingly had few answers for the Centaurs's rushing game that racked up 327 yards along the ground, including 206 yards and three scores by Lund.
In comparison, STM managed just 98 yards rushing, while Carney completed 11 of 30 passes for 145 yards.
Centennial took the lead 26-21 in the third quarter on a low kick-off that accidently rebounded off the boot of a Knight player. Justin Buren, who riddled the New Westminster defence for three touchdowns in the first round of playoffs a week earlier, spun off the initial stop at the STM line and then shed tackle after tackle before rambling 36 yards for the go-ahead score.
Lund made it a two-touchdown advantage, sprinting 36 yards for a TD on a third-and-11 call on the team's next possession.
When Centennial got the ball back again, Madden stopped another promising Centaurs' drive with a forced fumble recovery on the STM 38-yard line.
Although STM eventually turned the ball over on downs, the momentum had clearly shifted.
"When you're down two scores in the fourth quarter, there is always that doubt, but the feeling of losing is the worst feeling and everyone dug down," said Carney.
Trasolini had five catches for 74 yards for the Knights, while Nelson ran for 41 yards and three TDs.
STM will play Mt. Douglas in the semifinals at UBC on Saturday.
