No one said winning an outright Baseline League title would be easy.

Damien was not only trying to finish that off Friday night, but the Spartans were trying to do it by beating Rancho Cucamonga, a team they had not beaten since joining the league in 2014.

And not only that, they were going to have to do it by overcoming a 10-point halftime deficit.

Isaiah Arriaza threw a 35-yard touchdown pass to Xavier Keyzers with 1:49 left and Damien held on for a 34-31 victory at Rancho Cucamonga High.

Damien finishes the regular season 8-2 overall and 5-0 in league. The Cougars (6-4, 3-2), who could have earned a three-way tie for the league title with a victory, finishes in third place.

“I’m really proud of the guys,” said Damien coach James Stewart, who took over as head coach during the summer. “It’s been a rough three months. They stuck together and now it’s the third time this year they’ve come back to win. It’s a resilient group. I’m proud of them, I’m proud of the staff.”

The victory wasn’t secure until the final play, when a 41-yard field-goal attempt by junior Romano Annecchini was blocked.

Emotions spilled over after the final play and players on both teams had to be separated. The teams did not do a handshake line after the game.

— Pete Marshall

CATHEDRAL 16, ST. PAUL 14: After a rough start to the season, which saw the St. Paul football team fall to 2-4, the Swordsmen rallied to win four consecutive games to give themselves a chance to play for the Angelus League title on Friday against Cathedral.

However, the clock struck midnight on the Swordsmen as their 36-yard game-winning field goal attempt sailed wide left as time expired and Cathedral held on to claim the league title.

Cathedral finished 9-1 and 5-0 in league play while St. Paul finished 6-4 and 4-1. Both teams have qualified for the CIF Southern Section football playoffs.

St. Paul head coach Mike Moschetti said his team’s inability to move the ball in the second half was the deciding factor.

“The second half, they (Cathedral) put it to us,” Moschetti said. “Offensively they shut us down, but our kids battled. We just came up short.”

St. Paul quarterback Gabriel Castaneda ran for 61 yards and two touchdowns.

— Gabriel Duarte

DUARTE 28, LA PUENTE 27: Duarte came from behind in the second half to knock off previously undefeated La Puente to finish in a three-way tie for the Miramonte League title with the Warriors and Ganesha.

The Warriors, (9-1, 4-1) missing their starting quarterback Ezekeil Zamora, who had thrown for 25 touchdowns, turned to junior running back Aaron Silva. He carried the ball 16 times for 146 yards and two touchdowns to give the Warriors a 14-0 lead before leaving the game with an injury.

“They ran the ball against us really well,” Falcons coach Sergio Gradilla said. “We didn’t play very well in the first half but that kickoff return was a huge turnaround for us.”

Senior Jashian Wade took the kickoff following Silva’s second score and returned it 92-yards for a touchdown to keep the Falcons (9-1, 4-1) in the game.

Duarte quarterback Avenn Ortiz completed 9 of 17 passes for 125 yards and a touchdown. He carried the ball 17 times for 128 yards and two scores.

The Falcons scored on their first two possessions of the second, on a 1-yard run by Ortiz and a 51-yard pass from Ortiz to Alex Perez to tie the score at 21.

“We knew coming in here it was going to be a tough game,” Ortiz said. “When their players went down, we took advantage. It was unfortunate for them but we just had to do what we had to do.”

— John Honell

SCHURR 49, BELL GARDENS 7: An anticipated matchup between two of the Almont League’s best, with the league title up for grabs, quickly unraveled for Bell Gardens as Schurr secured its second straight league title.

“This was a tremendous achievement for this group of seniors, I am so proud of them,” Schurr head coach David Ramos said. “We started talking back in January about continuing the Schurr football tradition and we worked really hard to maintain the standards.”

Schurr (9-1, 5-0) and Bell Gardens (7-2, 4-1) entered Friday’s regular-season finale as the Almont League’s two heavyweights, averaging 51.3 points per game and 36 points per game, respectively.

Schurr and its stout defense made the stark contrast apparent from the opening kickoff. The Spartans defense often was the main catalyst for the Spartans scoring drives, handing the offense excellent field position.

The Spartans did not allow an offensive touchdown during Friday’s contest. Schurr set the Almont League record for least points allowed — seven — in the process.

— Jorge Ramos

LA SERNA 49, SANTA FE 7: The La Serna is once again Del Rio League champions after a dominant victory over Santa Fe at Pioneer High School.

Lancers quarterback Grady Long threw for 107 yards and two touchdowns and also caught a 36-yard touchdown pass from Jordan Bonilla.

“We’ve just been rolling as an offense,” Long said. “Our O-line has been playing great. Giving me good time in the pocket. Receivers have been making plays. We’re just playing football and having fun.”

Coming into Friday’s game, both La Serna (7-3, 4-0) and Santa Fe (7-3, 3-1) were undefeated in league play. But the Lancers earned the victory with help from six consecutive touchdowns to start the game.

— Thomas Murray