High School

La Serna 21, Grant 19: Live update recap — Lancers win first CIF state title

Fourth-quarter juggling catch by Owen Long, plus two-point conversion stop lifts the Lancers in hard-fought CIF 2-AA championship game

Mitch Stephens, SBLive Sports

MISSION VIEJO, Calif. — CJ Ceron avoided a heavy rush, scrambled right and scored on a tenacious 13-yard touchdown run. 

Owen Long, who has been doing everything all season, made a juggling 19-yard touchdown catch to start the fourth quarter. 

And the La Serna defense held Grant to 150 yards below its average and prevented a 2-point conversion with 2:17 remaining. 

It all added up to a 21-19 victory over Grant in the CIF Division 2-AA championship at Saddleback College on Friday. 

It was the first state title for the Lancers (13-3) who were outgained 287-187 but found a way to prevail. 

"Not many people gave us a shot against these guys, but you know what? You can't measure La Serna's heart. It's off the charts," said La Serna coach Andy George (See complete interview above). "That's what we're all about. I don't think (Grant) expected us to be that physical but that's what we do." 

Grant took its opening drive and traveled 57 yards in just six plays, capped by a 4-yard pass from Luke Alexander to Koby Shabazz, a freshman, making it 7-0. La Serna closed to 7-6 on a 22-yard run off a reverse by Kaimana Tufaga midway through the first.

Wayshawn Parker (27 carries, 145 yards) scored on a 7-yard run to give Grant a 13-6 lead, but Ceron's fantastic 13-yard touchdown followed by a 2-point conversion pass to Lazlo Haas gave La Serna the lead for good, 14-13 with 1:57 left in the half. 

(photo gallery below from Joe Bergman)

Photo: Joe Bergman
Photo: Joe Bergman
Photo: Joe Bergman
Photo: Joe Bergman
Photo: Joe Berman

Alexander, who came in with 42 touchdown passes, got hit hard on the next possession, the game was delayed 10 minutes and he never returned. He appeared out with a head injury. 

Long, an Idaho commit, who entered with 1,431 rushing yards and 26 total touchdowns, made his circus touchdown catch to give the Lancers a 21-13 lead with 11:03 remaining. 

Devin Green ripped off a 45-yard run, setting up his own 6-yard TD run with 2:17 setting up the potential game-tying 2-point conversion. But Parker took a handoff off left tackle and he was stopped yard short. 

The Lancers recovered an onside kick, got one first down and this one was over. 

Grant, a defending state 3-AA champion, finished 12-3. 

PREGAME: Longtime Sac-Joaquin Section and state power Grant takes on first-time state-title game entree La Serna in the CIF State 2-AA championship game at Saddleback College. 

Grant hit hard times from 2017-2021, going a combined 11-31 including a combined 2-19 over three seasons starting in 2019. But the program has recaptured all its glory with a state 3-AA title in 2022 with a sterling 36-34 championship game home win over San Jacinto when Oregon bound Kingstong Lopa caught two TD passes. It’s a return to the big stage for the Pacers, who pulled one of the biggest upsets in State Bowl history, shocking Long Beach Poly 25-20 in the 2008 Open final at the Home Depot Center.k

California (CIF) State high school football championships at Saddleback College: Previews, game times

La Serna makes its first state appearance after starting the season 1-2 and 2-3, winners of 10 straight, scoring at least 42 points in every game with explosions of 58, 62, 50 and 52 points. In his ninth season, Coach Andy George has led the Lancers to a combined record of 84-23 in that span. This is the 11th season La Serna has won at least 10 games since 2008.

(Refresh for the latest updates.)

LIVE UPDATES BELOW

Kickoff set for 4 p.m. ...

FOURTH QUARTER

Final: La Serna 21, Grant 19

La Serna Grant box 12-8-2023
Courtesy CIF

- La Serna recovers onside kick, then Owen Long with 12-yard run do the Grant 34. Grant takes final timeout. 1:52 left. 

- La Serna 21, Grant 19 (2:17) — Devin Green 6-yard touchdown run finishes off 10-play, 92-yard drive. Green had 45-yard run to set up score. Wayshawn Parker comes up short on 2-point conversion try. 

- 3-and-out for Grant, short punt gives La Serna first down at Grant 46. 9:15 4Q. 

La Serna 21, Grant 13 (11:03) — CJ Ceron with 19-yard touchdown pass to Owen Long, who makes juggling catch. Finishes off 4-play, 48-yard drive. 

THIRD QUARTER

- No scoring. Lot of movement between the 20s. Grant QB Luke Alexander is ruled out with concussion-like symptoms. 

SECOND QUARTER

- Backup freshman QB Shiren Crump's pass on last play of first half falls imcomplete. Halftime: La Serna 14, Grant 13.

- Game delayed 10 minutes tending to Grant QB Luke Alexander, who appears to be woozy from hard hit. Grant down to the La Serna 19. Seven seconds left in half. 

Luke Alexander (7) completed 7 of 14 passes for 82 yards and a touchdown  before enduring a game-ending head injury late in the second quarter.  / Photo: Joe Bergman

La Serna 14, Grant 13 (1:57) — CJ Ceron with remarkable 13-yard TD run capping 12-play, 54-yard drive that took 5:18. Lot of long drives. (Lazlo Haas catches 2-point conversion from Ceron). 

- Parker fumbles, Owen Long recovers for La Serna at own 46.  

Grant 13, La Serna 6 (10:21) — Wayshawn Park with a spinning, 7-yard touchdown run. Completes remarkable 18 play, 70-yard drive that took 7:39 off clock. XP blocked.  

FIRST QUARTER

- Grant has rattled off 14 plays, converted two fourth-down plays to end the quarter. 1st-10 from the La Serna 22. End of quarter.

Grant 7, La Serna 6 — Kaimana Tufaga 21-yard touchdown off a reverse. XP fails. 7 plays, 35 yards, 3:45. 6:08 1Q. TD set up by 52-yard kickoff return by Jayden Northrup.  

Grant 7, La Serna 0 — Luke Alexander fires 4-yard touchdown pass to Koby Shabaaz, a freshman. (XP good). Great start for Pacers. 6 plays, 57 yards, took only 1 minute, 58 seconds. 10:02 1Q.  

La Serna QB CJ Ceron had a 13-yard touchdown run in the first half.
La Serna QB CJ Ceron had a 13-yard touchdown run in the first half / Photo: Joe Berman

SBLive Sports senior editor Mitch Stephens will be on site all day from Saddleback 

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Mitch Stephens, SBLive Sports
MITCH STEPHENS, SBLIVE SPORTS

Mitch Stephens is a senior editor at SBLive Sports for California, a state he's covered high school sports since 1984. He won multiple CNPA and CPSWA writing awards with the Contra Costa Times, San Francisco Chronicle and MaxPreps.com before joining the SBLive staff in 2022. He's covered the beat nationally since 2007, profiling such athletes as Derrick Henry, Paige Bueckers, Patrick Mahomes, Sabrina Ionescu, Jayson Tatum, Chiney Ogwumike, Jeremy Lin and Najee Harris as preps. You can reach him at mitch@scorebooklive.com.

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