From concussed losing quarterback to state-championship hero, Grant's Luke Alexander just tried to be great

The senior signal-caller stays poised under pressure to lead the Pacers to third straight, last minute game winning drive — this one for the whole enchilada

Grant senior QB Luke Alexander threw for more than 300 yards and three touchdowns in his final high school game, a wild 35-28 win over Oxnard Pacifica for the CIF Division 2-AA championship Dec. 13, 2024 at Saddleback College in Mission Viejo / Photo: Todd Shurtleff

MISSION VIEJO, CALIFORNIA — Grant senior quarterback Luke Alexander wasn't expecting the question. It caught him off guard. It choked him up.

Describe what it was like last season injured the second half of the state championship game and not being able to play to what happened Friday night — going on a picture-perfect 6-play, 72-yard drive finished off with a game-winning 18-yard touchdown pass to Koby Shabazz to capture the state Division 2-AA title over Oxnard Pacifica.

"I don't even know what to say," he said, pausing for a moment. "I'm just so glad we could get back again. Last year we should have got it anyway. I got knocked out of the game, which was unfortunate. So for me to come back here and rewrite that script. ... it's just a sweet, sweet victory."

It was particularly sweet for the first half for the Pacers, racing to a 28-7 lead behind two touchdown passes from Alexander to Zo Edwards and Brandon Lambert. But when the Tritons rallied for three straight TDs, all passes from Dominic Duran to Alijah Royster, to tie the game at 28-28 with 3:54 remaining.

Eternity to these young Pacers, who had traveled the length of the field to win a pair of regional games.

But for the entire second half, they were stuck in the mud. Or in neutral.

Alexander just reminded his team to wipe that slate clean, to start over on this drive and mostly to "Let's go be great and make history," he said.

And that the Pacers did.

Alexander's 18-yard strike over the middle on a post was on the money. He had an earlier 9-yard TD pass to Brandon Lambert and a pretty 26-yard strike to Edwards. That gave him 41 touchdowns on the season to go along with 3,456 yards — numbers that are amongst the best in the state.

None of that really mattered to the 6-foot, 185-pounder who transferred from Folsom after his sophomore season. He would have likely been sitting behind 5-star quarterback Ryder Lyons at Folsom. Instead he's thrown for more than 6,000 yard s (6,561 to be exact) and 85 touchdowns.

Way more important to Alexander was securing that final ring is winning his final game.