Downey falls, 22-21, to Mater Dei Catholic in first-ever CIF State Regional
Downey quarterback Aidan Chiles is consoled after a 22-21 loss to Mater Dei. (Photo by Alex Dominguez)
DOWNEY – It was a historic season for the Downey High School football team in 2022, as they won a CIF-SS title and advanced to a CIF State Regional playoff game for the first time in school history.
With a big first-half, 21-8 lead, the Vikings were one half away from a spot in a CIF State Championship game.
It was not to be, as the visiting Mater Dei Catholic Crusaders of Chula Vista kept the Vikings out of the end zone in the second half and rallied for a 22-21 win in a CIF-State Regional 2-AA Championship game Friday (December 2) at Downey High.
With Downey leading 21-15 late in the fourth quarter, Crusaders (10-4) senior defensive back DJ Overstreet intercepted the first of two passes in the quarter. Four plays later they scored a touchdown to take their first lead of the game, 22-21, with 3:51 remaining in the game.
An 87-yard reception by senior wide receiver Rollin George (5 catches, 112 yards) set up the touchdown at the Downey 3-yard line. Mater Dei Catholic junior running back Anthony McMillian, Jr. scored on the next play.
With many teams already concluded their seasons, Downey finished with a 15-game season and ended up at 12-3 for the year.
“I’m so proud of these guys, regardless of what the scoreboard says,” Downey coach Jack Williams said. “Things happened throughout the game that put us in that situation.
“We got the ball back and started driving, and hey, things didn’t work our way. The kids didn’t give up. In the second half (Mater Dei Catholic) made some adjustments. You got to give hats off to them. They didn’t give up as well.”
Leading the way for the Vikings was senior quarterback Aidan Chiles, with 17 of 27 passing for 254 yards, two touchdowns and an interception. Chiles, an Oregon St. commit, also rushed for 35 yards on three carries.
Photo by DeWayne Parker
“I’m just proud of everybody here,” Chiles said. “I just thank Downey for the legacy and career they have given me. I just appreciate every single one of these guys and I’m so proud of everybody here.
“We just tried to put Downey on the map and its sad we couldn’t do it. We did it but couldn’t do it the way we wanted to.”
After a tough defeat in the CIF-Regional game, Chiles received word that he was invited to play in the 22nd Annual U.S. Army High School All-American Bowl game. He will join the West team, with three other quarterbacks. The top 100 high school football players in the country will be playing in the game.
Coaching the West team will be St. John Bosco coach Jason Negro.
The annual East-West All-Star game will be played Saturday January 7, 2023 at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas. The game will be broadcast on NBC at 10:00 am PT.
Senior running back Jaylen Crutchfield (13 carries for 47 yards) and Carey (2 carries for 24 yards, TD) accounted for the bulk of the ground yardage that totaled 108 yards.
“Aidan (Chiles), Keion (Andrew), BJ (Carey), Ian Hernandez. I love every single guy on this team,” Crutchfield said. “Everybody put their heart and soul out on this field, and they left everything out there. I can’t ask for anything more of those guys.
“We game-planned very well in practice. We really wanted to come out and get this win. The seniors really wanted to go and win state and make history at Downey High. That was the plan for tonight.”
Carey (5 catches, 101 yards, TD) and Hernandez (5 catches, 86 yards, TD) were Chiles’ favorite targets in the game. Juniors Matthew Picado and Manuel Albidrez had 27 and 16 yards receiving, respectively, while Andrew caught two passes for 24 yards.
“We won a ring and played a beautiful season,” said Andrew, of their CIF title and season. “It feels great to still be playing. Coming to practice over Thanksgiving was one of the best feelings ever. Just knowing that a lot of people are home right now and we’re still out here grinding and practicing. It was fun.
“To have a year like Aidan had, he’s outstanding. He made the plays. I’m going to see him balling on Saturday nights at Oregon St.”
On defense, senior linebacker Pedro Debora led the way with 10 solo tackles and five assisted for 15 total in the game. Crutchfield added five solo and assisted on five.
Senior corner back Angelo Miranda and junior corner back Jordan Arias had one interception each. Both interceptions led to Viking touchdowns.
Leading the way for Mater Dei Catholic was senior quarterback Dominic Nankil (13 of 23, 195 yards, TD, 2 Int., 30 yards rushing), along with two rushing touchdowns by McMillian (16 carries, 70 yards).
Downey took a 14-0 lead in the first quarter, both on scores by Carey.
Carey, who caught his 22nd touchdown of the season, gave the Vikings a 7-0 lead on their opening possession of the game. Chiles, with his first of two touchdowns in the game, threw a 40-yard score to Carey. Carey was on the field the whole night, as he also plays on defense.
Carey’s total receiving yardage for the season was 1,517 yards.
Midway through the quarter, Miranda intercepted Nankil in Mater Dei Catholic territory. The drive culminated with a 16-yard touchdown run by Carey for the 14-0 lead with 2:50 left in the quarter. The touchdown run by Carey was his first of the season.
After only a couple of plays by the Crusaders, Arias came up with the second Downey interception on consecutive possessions by Mater Dei with the ball near midfield late in the quarter.
After a run by Crutchfield and an 8-yard reception by Hernandez on the drive, the Vikings took what seemed like a commanding 21-0 lead, with the second TD pass by Chiles.
Hernandez, with his eighth scoring grab of the season, was ahead of the defense by a step and sprinted in with the 35-yard toss by Chiles with 11:54 left in the second quarter.
After a long 14-play drive by Mater Dei Catholic on the ensuing possession, the Crusaders were deep in Downey territory and were faced with a fourth and six at the 11-yard line.
The pass was incomplete by Nankil and Downey took over on downs.
The Vikings offense stalled on the drive and on the fourth-down punt, the snap went over the punters head into the end zone. Punter Logan Bledsoe recovered the ball, and the Crusaders got their first points in the game. Downey led 21-2 with 4:11 left in the half.
Mater Dei Catholic, which won a state title last season and has won 10 games in a row, came right back after a 30-yard run back of the Downey punt by senior wide receiver Jerry Flo McClure that put the ball at the Vikings 27-yard line.
Four plays later, McClure scored on a 5-yard touchdown pass by Nankil, to trail, 21-8, with 2:18 left in the half.
McClure had another long return to start the second half, bringing the ball near midfield.
However, after a short 7-play drive the Crusaders failed to convert a 26-yard field goal.
Midway through the quarter, Mater Dei Catholic continued with its successful second-half offense and culminated a long drive that ate up the clock and McMillian bulled over the middle with :23 seconds left in the quarter to bring the Crusaders within six points of Downey, 21-15.
The Vikings, trying to extend their short lead, went on a long 12-play drive, that started at the end of the third and ended with the interception by Overstreet.
Highlighting the drive was a 12-yard run by Chiles and 9-yard reception by Hernandez.
After Mater Dei Catholic took the lead, Downey made one last attempt to pull out a win.
An 8-play drive ended just inside midfield in the Crusaders territory when Overstreet came down with his second interception of the quarter with just :13 seconds to play.