Ferndale downs Fairfax for first CIF State title in comeback victory

Ferndale scored 29 unanswered points to take down Fairfax in the CIF State final

TORRANCE, CALIFORNIA - It would be easy to use the cliché, 'it was a tale of two halves.' 

Although true, the better cliché or illustration might be the story of the tortoise and the hare. Slow and steady wins the race. That's what Ferndale did.

"If you don't know about Ferndale football, now you know," Ferndale coach Clint McClurg said.

The Wildcats erased a 21-point deficit to beat Fairfax 29-21 in the CIF State Division 7AA final at El Camino College Friday night to capture the program's first CIF State crown in its history.

Ferndale vs. Fairfax live updates recap for California CIF State 7AA championship

Ferndale is a school that's 660 miles away from Los Angeles and has an enrollment of just 130 students (9th through 12th). Fairfax' enrollment is just under 2,000.

Ferndale was down 21-0 in the first half and 21-2 at halftime.

"It's the wildcat way," McClurg said. "We scratch, we claw, we crawl. We find a way. And we lean on our values. We are a value-based programs.

Despite the large deficit, Ferndale never strayed from its power-run game that anchored 29 unanswered points.

Quarterback Tanner Pidgeon ran for 162 yards on 22 carries and two touchdowns. Preston Langer added 98 yards on 24 carries and a touchdown. The Wildcats totaled 284 yards on the ground and out possessed Fairfax 35-minutes, 5 seconds to 12:55.

Fairfax took a 21-0 lead after Ivan Levant found Sebastian Ikolo for a 75-yard touchdown midway through the second quarter. But Fairfax was scoreless in the second half with just 32 yards of offense.

"There was a lack of execution on our part," Levant said about the opposite halves. "We had turnovers in the second half and they capitalized on those. We weren't able to pick up the momentum again."

Levant finished with 283 yards passing on 14 of 27 passing and two touchdowns. Ikolo hauled in six receptions for 191 yards and a score for the Lions.

"I'm proud of my team and the history we made at Fairfax this season," Levant said.

Fairfax had never reached a CIF State title in its history. The Lions were the LA City Section Division II champions.

FULL BOX SCORE

Full box score and stats from Ferndale's 29-21 win over Fairfax in the CIF State Division 7AA final