St. Vincent claims state championship with victory in Pasadena

St. Vincent head football coach Trent Herzog closed his eyes and lifted his arms into the cool Pasadena sky.

His players, surrounding him as he walked out onto the field at the end of Friday night’s game, started spraying their water bottles all over the place — but mainly at their coach.

The Mustangs had just defeated Wasco 27-6 in the Division 6-AA state championship contest at Pasadena City College, ensuring the end of a long wait for their town: Petaluma has a state champion.

“It’s amazing, man; it’s amazing,” Herzog said. “We’re state champs! It’s an unreal feeling ... I’m so proud, and I’ve never been so happy.”

As St. Vincent players finished shaking hands with their defeated Wasco counterparts, they started running in celebration. Not in any specific direction — just out of sheer joy that their team had finally reached the mountaintop.

It wasn’t easy, but St. Vincent used a second-half offensive onslaught to beat Wasco, the Division 6-AA regional champions from Southern California.

The Mustangs put the game on ice with a 5-yard score by sophomore quarterback Gabe Casanovas with 2:21 remaining. The touchdown also capped a 20-point unanswered run for St. Vincent after scoring just once in the first half.

That score also came via Casanovas, who found Jack Davis in the back of the end zone on the Mustangs’ first drive.

But Wasco immediately answered after Ramiro Lopez broke out for a huge run that put the Tigers on the Mustangs’ 4-yard line. A couple of plays later, Jude Granados punched it in, but the point-after attempt was blocked — preserving a Mustangs lead, 7-6, that stood through halftime.

St. Vincent got the ball to start the second half and looked to ignite its sputtering offense, needing to score against a team known for thriving in close games. And they got a score the old-fashioned way, by pounding the rock down the Tigers’ throats — an approach sure to make plenty of St. Vincent football alums happy.

They opened up the second half with a 10-play, 80-yard drive that featured eight run plays to just two pass calls — but that second pass found receiver Mason Caturegli falling into the end zone, securing the ball for a touchdown.

The point after was blocked — but St. Vincent had a cushion.

On the ensuing possession, the Mustangs’ defense did its part, stuffing Wasco on fourth-and-1 to force a turnover on downs. St. Vincent was not going to be stopped.

And indeed they weren’t, getting a second score from Davis before the final TD from Casanovas to give the Mustangs their first state title in program history.

“We faced so much adversity this year,” senior lineman Nour Elbelisy said. “I love these boys so much. This room that I have, this defensive line, I wish we could suit up and play college ball together.”

In the aftermath of the victory, Herzog — a Petaluma native — was thinking of two people who meant so much to the school and the town.

“G-Von is so happy right now, smiling on us, and he’s celebrating harder than everyone,” Herzog said of the late Gary Von Raesfeld, a longtime St. Vincent athletics employee who died a year ago.

The Mustangs have also been remembering longtime Petaluma Argus-Courier sports editor John “JJ” Jackson, who died before the season began in August.

“This is for G-Von and JJ up there,” Herzog said. “They’re up there together watching this, and we did this for them. Miss those guys, love them, and this is for you. Gary, thank you for everything.”

You can reach Staff Writer Kienan O’Doherty at 415-887-8650 or kienan.odoherty@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @kodoherty22.