High school football: Casa Grande hangs on to beat Windsor

PETALUMA - At this point in the season last year, Casa Grande encountered a fork in the road.

Winless after five games, the Gauchos knew they needed to take the right path. They did, and turned their season around.

Friday night in Petaluma, they found themselves in a similar situation: 0-4 and in need of a change in direction.

They found it, defeating Windsor 21-20 when cornerback Stephan Dennis knocked down the Jaguars’ potentially game-winning two-point conversion pass deep in the end zone with less than three minutes to play.

The win sparked an emotional celebration on the field afterward by the Gauchos and their head coach, Trent Herzog, who danced with his players amid their raucous victory chant.

“Helluva football game,” Herzog told his team. “That’s how you play with heart. You trusted each other.”

Windsor trailed the entire game, but it never felt safe, Casa players said, knowing longtime Windsor coach Tom Fitzpatrick is no stranger to flamboyant big plays.

Indeed, it was bold coaching that made the difference.

Trailing 21-14 in the fourth quarter, Windsor took possession with 7:45 left at its 27. Running back David Escarcega ran for three consecutive first downs on rushes of 14, 11 and 15 yards to push into Casa territory.

A pass interference call on Casa put the Jaguars on the 12, before Windsor quarterback Max Brown scored on a 1-yard touchdown with 2:57 left to trail 21-20. An extra point would likely send the game into overtime. Or a two-point conversion could win it.

Fitzpatrick had no doubts.

“I wouldn’t play for a tie,” he said. “We planned for that.”

Brown handed off to running back Jackson Baughman, who threw a looping pass toward Curtis Johnson in the back corner of the end zone.

But Casa’s Stephan Dennis, at 5-11 - 5 inches shorter than Johnson - was able to knock the ball away.

“What a roller coaster,” said Casa quarterback JJ Anderson. “Coach had us practice all week on trick plays. (Stephan) just read it like a dream.”

The win puts Casa back on the right path, Herzog said. The Gauchos are 1-4 now.

“To be 0-4 and to get this win is huge,” he said. “We’re headed in the right direction.”

The Gauchos scored early in the game, when on Windsor’s third play from scrimmage, Nic Petri intercepted a Brown overthrow and ran it back for 30 yards to put Casa Grande up 7-0 after Brandon Keefer’s point-after.

Casa’s Holten Johnson, just back from an injury, set up the Gauchos’ second score with a fake punt midway through the second quarter. Instead of punting, Johnson swept around the right side before being stopped at Windsor’s 29. It led to Anderson’s touchdown pass to Elijan Chirco and a 14-0 lead.

Casa struck quickly again at the outset of the second half as Garrigan caught an Anderson pass up the middle and outran two deep defenders for a 65-yard touchdown.

Keefer’s kick put Casa ahead, 21-7.

On its next possession, though, Windsor took advantage of a 15-yeard late-hit penalty and Brown connected on a 33-yard pass to Rea and an 11-yard pass to Johnson to reach the 10-yard line.

Baughman then scampered in for a 10-yard score, to bring the Jaguars to 21-14 after Mullins’ point-after.

You can reach Lori A. Carter at 521-5470 or lori.carter@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @loriacarter.