Prep football: Windsor’s dramatic comeback bid falls short in NCS title game

Windsor nearly put together a comeback for the ages in Friday’s North Coast Section Division 3 title game against top-seeded El Cerrito, turning a 28-point second-half deficit into a one-score game in the closing minutes and having a chance to tie or take the lead late in the fourth.

Ultimately, the Gauchos held on for a dramatic 34-27 win thanks to a game-sealing interception with a minute left on the clock at Benicia High School.

Windsor, which ends the season at 10-3 overall, trailed 34-6 early in the third quarter but rattled off 21 straight points from the middle of the third until late in the fourth.

Judson Anderson’s 13-yard touchdown pass to Max McFerren made it 34-27 with two minutes left. Then, the Jaguars recovered the ensuing onside kick at midfield and looked for one final scoring drive.

But the Gauchos (13-0), who had allowed just 62 points all season entering Friday and boast a defense fill with future Division I college players, picked off Anderson for the third time in the game on a deep ball with a minute left to bring an end to the dramatic rally.

“I don’t think there was a person on our sideline that didn’t think we were going to come back and win the game,” Windsor head coach DJ Sexton said. “… We were going to go for 2 if we scored; we weren’t playing for overtime, that’s for sure. To outscore a team like that 21-7 in the second half, that says a whole lot about our football team.”

The Gauchos built their big lead with an avalanche of huge plays just before halftime. They led 14-6 after a 53-yard touchdown run for running back Tony McAdoo early in the second quarter, then turned their first interception of the game into another score to make it 20-6 two possessions later.

Their second interception of the game ended the following drive for Windsor and ultimately made it 27-6 after a 45-yard catch-and-run score for Aaron Woodward.

Out of the half, McAdoo broke off a 54-yard touchdown run to make it 34-6 early in the third and suddenly made the prospect of a running clock seem very real. McAdoo finished with 282 rushing yards on 21 carries with three scores.

But Windsor responded with a 12-play, 67-yard scoring drive, capped by a three-yard touchdown run for Hayden Anderson, who barely played in the first half due to illness.

The Jaguars followed that score with a stop and then further cut into the deficit with a 31-yard connection between the Anderson brothers to open the fourth.

Looking to respond and put the game on ice, El Cerrito drove deep into Windsor territory on the ensuing drive, but Windsor’s Gunnar Erickson came up with a goal-line interception with about seven minutes left in the game.

The Jaguars quickly worked their way downfield but turned the ball over on a fumble at El Cerrito’s 30.

Still, Windsor’s inspired play continued as the Jaguars came up with another stop, getting the ball back at their own 43 with 3:40 left on the clock. Six plays later, they scored again as Judson Anderson hit McFerren for the 13-yard score.

Then, a perfectly executed onside kick gave Windsor one last chance at midfield. But with the game on the line, El Cerrito’s defense made one final impact play as Kamani Jackson hauled in the game-winning interception with a minute left.

“Our guys battled a team that’s probably one of the best teams I’ve ever seen, and I don’t think anyone in our area could have done what we did tonight,” Sexton said. “I’m proud as heck to be coaching our kids and to be the head football coach at Windsor High School right now. Walking off this field, I feel like we won this game because of how hard our kids played and how hard they battled.”

Judson Anderson passed for 258 yards with three scores and ran for another but was picked off three times. Hayden Anderson had 82 receiving yards and two touchdowns, a majority of which came in the second half.

The 27 points scored by Windsor is double the previous season high the Gauchos had allowed in a game all season.

Windsor players and coaches watched through tears as the Gauchos celebrated at midfield but appear poised to compete for another section title next season, with more than 30 of their varsity players set to return.

“We’re just getting started with our program right here,” Sexton said.