By Joe Snyder
A few weeks ago, Serra High’s football team was stunned as it had to forfeit its 13-7 win over host Sherman Oaks Notre Dame High due to use of an ineligible player on Sept. 30.
The Cavaliers came back to top a very good Bishop Amat High team from La Puente 27- 21 in their homecoming game on Oct. 7.
Last Friday, Serra had to host another outstanding squad in Sierra Canyon from Chatsworth.
Several miscues cost the Cavaliers in their 35-21 loss to the Trailblazers.
The contest was mostly a seesaw battle. Serra trailed Sierra Canyon (4-4 overall and 2-1 in the Mission League) 21-13 to start the fourth quarter before tying the game when sophomore quarterback Jimmy Butler completed a 38-yard pass play to senior wide receiver Roderick Pleasant. Butler, then, completed the two-point conversion pass to Zachoryus Williams to tie the game at 21.
Shortly after, the Cavaliers (4-4, 1-2) had a chance to take the lead but Kai Honda missed a short 27-yard field goal.
The Trailblazers cashed in on the missed opportunity. Running back Terrell Cook started the eventual winning drive with a 45-yard run to the Serra one-yard line. From there Dane Dunn took the ball in from there giving Sierra Canyon a 28-21 lead with 4:32 left in the game.
Serra attempted to drive for a potential tying or winning touchdown but that all ended when Jae’on Yoind intercepted a pass by Butler and returned the ball 55 yards for the TD with 1:04 remaining.
That all but ended the Cavalier hopes and now are in a position of having to win both road games against Alemany and Chaminade for an automatic playoff berth. Serra has a shot at an at-large berth if it wins one of the games. Serra has not missed the playoffs since 1998.
Butler completed 19 of 30 passes for 258 yards and two touchdowns but one interception that went for a pick-six.
The Cavaliers will visit an Alemany team which was the Mission champion and CIF-Southern Section Division II runner-up to Orange Lutheran last year but is currently 0-3 in league and 3-5 overall and faced with a rebuilding year. Game time is 7 p.m. in Mission Hills.
Serra visits Chaminade (3-0 in league and 8-0 overall) in its league and regular season finale on Oct. 28 in West Hills. The Eagles are currently ranked seventh in the CIF-Southern Section by Maxpreps.
