San Fernando claims first City Section football title since 2017

Junior cornerback Ayden Celis recovered a fumble at the San Fernando 22-yard line with 1:27 left and the second-seeded Tigers held on to beat No. 1 seed Cleveland 21-14 at Birmingham High.

It was City’s ninth title for San Fernando (11-3) and its first since 2017.

Melvin Pineda drove into the end zone on fourth-and-goal from the one-yard line to end San Fernando’s first drive and, after teammate Brandan Marshall recovered a fumble at the Tigers’ 46, Pineda capped the ensuing possession with another one-yard touchdown run, his sixth of the playoffs, to make the score 14-0.

Cleveland marched to the San Fernando eight-yard line late in the second quarter, but a 25-yard field goal attempt by Samael Cerritos hit the left upright.

Oluwafemi Okeola intercepted a tipped pass at the San Fernando 46 early in the third quarter and nine plays later, quarterback Domenik Fuentes scored on a three-yard keeper to bring the top-seeded Cavaliers within eight.

Brandon Maldonado’s three-pointer gained 37 yards to set up Fuentes’ 1-yard plunge and a two-point conversion by Joseph Hurtado that tied the score, 14-14, with 9:33 remaining.

San Fernando responded with a 75-yard drive, regaining the lead on a two-yard run by Andrew Newchurch, his 16th touchdown of the season, and an extra point by Isaac Ortega with 4:36 to play.

“It was probably my last [high school] football game and we got the win,” Newchurch said. “The game was overloaded and it was wide open. We are proud to add to the school’s legacy – we haven’t won City for a long time.

The Tigers lost to eventual champion Chatsworth in the first round of the Division II playoffs last season.

Cleveland (5-9) was looking for its first City title.