Missed Extra Point in Overtime Costs Canyon in Loss to Santa Barbara

An emotionally turbulent and competitive football game before about 8,000 spectators at Santa Barbara High was decided by the narrowest of margins as Canyon kicker Chris Wilson’s extra-point attempt sailed wide left, giving Santa Barbara a 28-27 overtime victory in a Southern Section Division II semifinal Saturday night.

Canyon, on its fourth try to match the Dons’ touchdown in a California tiebreaker, scored on a 14-yard pass from quarterback Tim Beidle to tailback Chris Peery. But with spectators--many of them perched directly behind the goal posts--in a frenzy, Wilson, who had a streak of 33 successful point-after attempts, missed just a foot left of the left upright.

Pandemonium followed. Players and spectators swarmed across the field. Police officers attempted to separate boisterous fans while Canyon coaches and players left the field in a rage.

Afterward in the Canyon locker room, Santa Barbara officials found a broken blackboard, a broken drinking fountain, a smashed glass trophy case and two broken doors.

Santa Barbara Coach Lito Garcia said that the school would send Canyon a bill for the damage.

“You win with dignity and you lose with dignity,” Garcia said. “I would never contemplate doing that.”

It is a game that the Cowboys, bidding for their fourth Southern Section title in seven years, will not soon forget.

Canyon (8-4-1) apparently had won the game on the final play of regulation when Santa Barbara quarterback Pancho Renteria fumbled the snap from center on fourth and goal at the one-yard line. Canyon’s sideline celebrated, but a late flag was thrown and the Cowboys were ruled offside.

After the ball was spotted at the one-foot-line, the final four seconds ticked off the clock before the Dons (12-1) could get off a play.

Again Canyon celebrated. But again Santa Barbara was given another chance. The officials, ruling that the clock should have remained stopped, awarded Santa Barbara a final play.

Renteria then hit Derek Elbert with a touchdown pass as time expired.

Santa Barbara scored first under the tiebreaker rules. Renteria, who finished with 16 completions in 20 attempts for 191 yards and three touchdowns, passed 14 yards to split end Simon Banks for a touchdown on second down.

Canyon lost four yards in three plays on its series before Beidle connected with Peery.

“It came down to the last play, that’s the way it should be with two good teams,” Garcia said. “But we were fortunate and we did it.”

Canyon, riding a seven-game winning streak, led 21-14 with 3:51 to play after an exhausting 17-play, 80-yard drive that began in the final minute of the third quarter and chewed up 9 minutes, 7 seconds. Peery, who rushed for 92 yards in 19 carries, ran 23 yards for the touchdown.

Canyon punched deep into Santa Barbara territory on its opening drive before the march stalled on a fourth-down incomplete pass at the 18-yard line.

The Cowboys, however, held Santa Barbara on four plays, then marched 56 yards in 10 plays to take a 7-0 lead. The drive appeared to have stalled at the 17, where Canyon faced fourth and six. But Beidle threw a screen pass to Peery and the tailback broke several tackles before tumbling into the end zone.

Santa Barbara countered with a 13-play, 74-yard drive to even the score. Faced with a first and 15 at the 50, Renteria tossed a screen pass to his fullback, Chris Sanchez, who rumbled all the way to the Canyon 22.

Six plays later, Renteria threw a seven-yard pass over the middle to wide receiver Garrett Smith for the touchdown.

Santa Barbara nearly entered the locker room at halftime with a seven-point lead but wasted a scoring opportunity in the final 18 seconds. Clint Beauer threw an interception on an option pass, giving the Dons a first down at their 34. Two plays later, Renteria launched a bomb to Banks, who had clearly beaten Canyon’s coverage. The ball, however, banked off Banks’ chest at the goal line as time expired.

Renteria, who entered the game with only one interception in 158 attempts, completed nine of 11 passes in the first half for 97 yards. Beidle was six of 12 for 81 yards in the half.

Peery, under savage pursuit whenever he touched the ball, was held to 13 yards in six carries in the first half, and Santa Barbara outrushed Canyon, 39 yards to 35, in the first half.