Rio Hondo Prep falls yard short of title

HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL

Kares go for win instead of tie in OT but fall to Fairfield’s Vanden High

Noah Penunuri of the Rio Hondo Prep Kares runs for a touchdown against Fairfield’s Vanden High Vikings in the fourth quarter of a CIF State Division 3-A championship game Saturday at Long Beach City College. The Vikings hung on to win 42-41 in overtime, stopping Penunuri a yard short of the end zone on a would-be winning run. Photos by Libby Cline Birmingham

Nathaniel Curtis of Rio Hondo Prep runs for yardage against Fairfield’s Vanden High in the first half of Saturday night’s game.

Image

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

Trailing by a point and going for the win instead of a tie, Noah Penunuri was stopped a yard shy of the end zone as Fairfield’s Vanden High held on for a 42-41 victory in the CIF State Division 3-A title game at Long Beach City College’s Veterans Stadium.

Rio Hondo Prep (13-2) had a chance to win the game in regulation but missed a 36-yard field goal with 8 seconds left, leaving the score tied 35-35 heading into overtime. After Vanden scored first in OT, Penunuri responded with his fifth touchdown of the game to get the Kares to within a point, only to have his 2-point conversion run stopped short of the end zone.

Rio Hondo Prep won its 16th CIF Southern Section title and the regional final to reach the state championship game.