GLENDORA — There was no late-game comeback for the Glendora football team in Saturday’s CIF Southern Section Division 6 championship game against Murrieta Mesa at Citrus College.

Glendora, which had overcome big deficits in the quarterfinals and semifinals to reach its first championship game since 1989, had a chance to inch close in the final minutes, but couldn’t pull through.

Murrieta Mesa’s Daniel Ritchie stopped Glendora’s comeback attempt by intercepting a pass from Tartans freshman quarterback Sebastian Lawrence in the end zone with 2:30 left. The Rams held on to beat the Tartans 17-7 to win their first championship in school history.

“We all knew they were going to run or try to get us into the box and try to throw it,” Ritchie said. “I just made a good read, but hats off to my defensive line and linebackers. They were perfect.”

Glendora’s two-way standout, Austin Coronado, rushed for 113 yards on just 10 carries and scored the Tartans’ only touchdown. But on third-and-goal from the 5, Tartans coach Brandon Rohrer wished he could have had that call back.

“That was a bad call on my part,” Rohrer said. “We should have just tried to pound it in there, but that’s part of the game.”

Glendora’s defense did its job for the most part. It limited Murrieta Mesa running back’s Royal Randolph to just 42 yards and Artyon Celestine to just 14. Rams quarterback Trey Gamble completed just 11 of 20 passes for 99 yards.

But the Tartans couldn’t sustain drives and turned the ball over three times. Lawrence completed just 6 of 18 passes for 72 yards and Simon Zwick ran for 80 yards.

The Tartans outgained the Rams, they just couldn’t find the end zone enough.

“We definitely struggled, but our defense kept us in it all night,” Rohrer said. “We struggled to come up with points. They’re big, they’re physical and they’re fast, which is a tough combination to face.”

Ritchie had only two carries for 16 yards, but they were both touchdowns, scoring on 14- and 2-yard runs to go with his interception in the final minutes.

“He’s just an outstanding football player,” McBride said of Ritchie. “We could put him at long snapper, short snapper, he can play quarterback or running back. He can play receiver, DB or linebacker. I’m just glad he’s on my team.”

Murrieta Mesa’s first play was a big one, and its only big pass play of the first half.

Gamble tossed a 52-yard pass to Cooper Murphy to the Tartans 18. But the Rams drive stalled there and they settled for Alexander Krishan’s 34-yard field goal for a 3-0 lead.

Ritchie ran left for a 14-yard touchdown with 13 seconds left in the first quarter to extend it to 10-0.

Glendora finally put together a solid drive midway through the second quarter to trim the Rams’ lead to 10-7

The Tartans turned to Coronado, and he delivered with 19- and 36-yard runs. That set up Coronado’s 15-yard touchdown run.