South El Monte has made history by advancing to its first-ever CIF Division 14 football championship after defeating AB Miller 13-7. The game took place at South El Monte”s home field, where quarterback Michaele Maldonado excelled, scoring two rushing touchdowns and completing 10 of 14 passes for 109 yards. Running back Damian Cordova was instrumental, carrying the ball 24 times for 122 yards on Friday night.
Cordova expressed the significance of the achievement, stating, “It”s a crazy accomplishment for this school. No matter the division. First time being in the championship in the whole entire history of South El Monte is … overall one of the greatest experiences I”ve ever been a part of.”
Following three consecutive home games in the playoffs, South El Monte will travel next week to face Pioneer in the championship match.
The Eagles” field, often referred to as “the swamp,” provided a unique advantage during this contest, as the muddy conditions hindered AB Miller“s offensive efforts. South El Monte”s initial score came after a strong showing from Cordova, who carried the ball six times before Maldonado executed a quarterback keeper from 15 yards out, giving the Eagles a 7-0 lead.
After South El Monte”s touchdown, Miller appeared ready to respond, but an interception by Eagles cornerback Miguel Rivera off a pass from quarterback Jacob Sauceda halted their momentum. Rivera commented, “I saw the ball get thrown, stayed on my man, and the ball came to me, just took it. I just felt so relieved.”
As the third quarter opened, Miller”s offense struggled to find its rhythm, leading to a punt back to South El Monte. The Eagles capitalized on this opportunity, extending their lead with a 1-yard touchdown run from Maldonado, following a significant 43-yard pass to Isaac Gonzalez that set up the score. Maldonado noted, “First half, they were bringing that safety down, and they would play their outside backer out. That play, he fakes that block, and he just runs it up. It worked because they brought that safety down. It was a free play.”
After the Eagles” second score, Miller faced a series of setbacks, including a holding penalty and an offensive pass interference that led to a turnover on downs. The Rebels finally managed to get on the board late in the fourth quarter with a 15-yard touchdown run by Sauceda. Miller”s head coach Andrew Amosa praised his quarterback, saying, “Jacob knows what to do; he knows our entire offense. He”s our captain, and he tells our guys to get going.”
In a last-ditch effort, Miller attempted an onside kick, but South El Monte successfully recovered and managed to run down the remaining clock, securing their historic victory.
