LONG BEACH — Rio Hondo Prep’s football team came as close as you can to winning a state championship, coming up a yard short in a gut-wrenching finish.

After Noah Penunuri scored his fifth touchdown in overtime on a 2-yard run, the Kares decided to go for a game-winning, 2-point conversion with Fairfield’s Vanden leading by one point Saturday in the CIF State Division 3-A championship game.

But Penunuri, on a sweep to his left, couldn’t find the end zone, stopped a yard short, setting off a wild Vanden celebration after its 42-41 victory at Long Beach City College.

Penunuri, who finished with 223 yards to go with his five touchdowns, fought all the emotions afterward.

“It sucks I couldn’t get it for my seniors,” Penunuri said. “That’s what hurts the most. But credit to their team, they were good, they were here for a reason. They played a great game, that’s how it goes.”

Rio Hondo Prep coach Mark Carson, whose team won its 16th CIF Southern Section title a couple weeks ago, felt good about the decision to go for the win.

As he saw it, neither team could stop the other’s offense, so why not.

“Noah is the guy we wanted with the ball in his hands at the end,” Carson said. “It was a great call and they made a great play.

“That was a decision we made a long time ago, way back in the summer that we were going for two if we got in this spot. To win a state championship or CIF championship we were going for it. We had our play call, they just stopped it.”

Rio Hondo Prep (13-2) had a chance to win the game in regulation, but Marco Chan missed a 36-yard field goal with eight seconds left to leave the game tied, 35-35, and it went to overtime.

Vanden had the ball first in overtime and it looked like the Kares might get a stop. But on fourth-and-4, Vikings quarterback Kalani Mcleod hit Keitaro Davis for a 5-yard touchdown pass to take a 42-35 lead.

Mcleod showed why he was a 4,000-yard passer this season, finishing with 365 yards and two touchdowns and he ran for a score.

“It was back and forth, a great game,” Carson said. “We were one stop away from winning it, we just couldn’t get that stop when we needed it. Our guys played hard all year and this typified who we are.”

Rio Hondo Prep’s Nate Curtis also had a big game with 145 yards rushing as the Kares piled up over 300 rushing yards. But as well as they ran the ball, Mcleod and Fairfield matched them score for score throughout.

The Kares opened the second half converting an onside kick and using more than five minutes of game time to take the lead.

Penunuri picked up where he left off in the first half, following a 26-yard run with a 1-yard touchdown run to give the Kares a 28-21 lead.

Mcleod continued to match the Kares, making several big throws before finishing with a 13-yard touchdown pass to Chris Clark to tie the score at 28.

It stayed that way going to the fourth quarter.

The Kares, on fourth-and-4, went to Penunuri and he delivered with a 14-yard touchdown with 8:16 left to push them ahead 35-28.

Vanden’s Zach Tayeh scored on a 1-yard run with 3:49 left and it was going to go for two, but a penalty pushed them back. Vanden settled for the extra point to tie the score 35-35 with 3:49 left.

Rio Hondo Prep quickly marched into field goal position with seconds left, but it didn’t convert.

The Kares and Vikings went back and forth in the first half, with the Vikings scoring in the final seconds of the half to tie the score at 21.

Vanden scored first after forcing Rio Hondo Prep to a three and out on the Kares’ first possession.

McLeod went to work, completing three of four passes, then threw a 25-yard pass to the Kares’ 1. Tayeh finished it, plowing in for a 6-0 lead.

It looked like Vanden was going to stop the Kares on the ensuring possession too, forcing a third-and-9. But Penunuri cut left when everyone went right and took it 67 yards for a touchdown and 7-6 lead.

Mcleod, already over 100 yards in the first quarter, completed a 6-yard touchdown pass to Jaishon East to put the Vikings back in front 13-7.

The Kares answered with a long drive and Penunuri scored his second touchdown on a 2-yard run to push the Kares ahead 14-13.

After forcing Vanden to punt for the first time in the half, the Kares went back to their punishing run game. Caeden Holcomb powered through from a yard out to extend their lead to 21-13.