Aggies finish strong, top Cougars in overtime

It’s been said many times across all sporting events: “It’s not how you start, but how you finish.”

Arbor View’s football team will certainly be proud of its beginning and ending Saturday night against Coronado.

The Aggies scored on their first two possessions, but needed a 3-yard run from Charles Louch in the third overtime to earn a hard-fought 37-31 victory over the visiting Cougars in a showdown of top-10 teams.

After No. 6 Coronado fumbled on its final possession of the third overtime, No. 2 Arbor View seized the opportunity in just three plays.

Coronado receiver Brian Johnson appeared to score on the team’s final possession on a reverse, but when he leaped for the goal-line, the ball rolled through the back of the end zone.

The referees signaled a turnover on downs, giving Arbor View (4-0) its opportunity.

“It was a bang-bang play,” Arbor View coach Dan Barnson of the fumble. “I just saw the ball rolling in the end zone and I wanted us to fall on it. What a great football game, what a great atmosphere all around.”

On Coronado’s final possession of regulation, quarterback John Farella moved the Cougars down to the Aggies’ 22 before spiking the ball with 0.5 seconds left. Spencer Cofer then hit a 39-yard field goal to send the game into overtime. He also connected on a 54-yarder in the third quarter and a 27-yarder in the second overtime period.

Coronado took its first lead of the game on the opening play of overtime as Farella found Nick Trejo for a 10-yard score to make it 28-21.

But Herman Gray responded with his second touchdown of the night, a 1-yard run, to tie the game at 28.

The team’s traded 27-yard field goals in the second overtime to set the stage for the wild finish.

“We knew we were going to be in for a dog fight,” Barnson said. “We knew we were going to get tested by their passing game. Considering we have three young players in the secondary, we held up pretty well.”

Farella completed 29 of 46 passes for 266 yards and a pair of touchdowns for Coronado (2-2), which rushed for only 113 yards after the opening period.

All of Arbor View’s yards came on the ground, as the Aggies rushed for 246 yards. Andrew Wagner led the way with 97 yards on just eight carries, and Gray added 94 yards on 30 rushes.