Miramonte Football Rallies Late to Defeat College Park, 41-37

Mark Bell, Photographer

Miramonte Football Secures Thrilling 41-37 Victory Over College Park with Last-Minute Heroics
October 4, 2024
www.GoMats.org

In a heart-pounding Friday night football matchup at Paul Yriberri Field in Orinda, Miramonte High School pulled off a thrilling 41-37 win against College Park High School. The back-and-forth contest featured big plays from both teams and wasn't decided until the final minute.

College Park struck first, taking a 7-6 lead after a closely contested first quarter. Both offenses then exploded, trading touchdowns throughout the first half, with College Park heading into the break clinging to a narrow 30-27 lead. The third quarter saw more of the same, as College Park extended their lead to 37-34, positioning themselves to close out a hard-fought victory.

But Miramonte had other plans. Their defense tightened in the fourth quarter, shutting out College Park when it mattered most. With less than a minute to play, the Matadors defense made a crucial stop, holding College Park on downs and giving Miramonte the ball deep in Falcons territory. Junior quarterback Charles Metherd, filling in for injured starter Carson Blair, wasted no time. Seconds later, he connected with senior wide receiver Jack Quinnild for the go-ahead touchdown that sent the home crowd into a frenzy.

College Park made a desperate attempt to score in the final seconds, but the Matadors' defense held firm, sealing the victory.

After the game, Metherd reflected on his clutch performance. "You just have to trust your teammates and give your best players a chance," he said. "That's what I did tonight."

Miramonte's first-year head coach Nick Safir was impressed with his team's performance across the board. "What a great full team win for our program," he said. "We preach family and next man up and we had so many backups step up and help us win this game. The game was a testament to the hard work and dedication these kids have shown since February. I'm so proud of this team and how we played."

The win improves Miramonte's record to 4-2 as they head into Diablo Athletic League play. Next up, the Matadors travel to Lafayette to face league rival Acalanes (4-2) on Friday, October 11. College Park (0-6) has a bye week before hosting Alhambra (2-4) on October 18.

Miramonte 41, College Park 37
By Joseph Dycus, The East Bay Times
October 5, 2024

Backup quarterback Charlie Metherd threw a touchdown to Jack Quinnild with 45 seconds remaining to give Miramonte a thrilling victory over a spirited College Park team in a game between teams from different levels of the DAL. Metherd threw for 200 yards and two touchdowns while also rushing for 55 yards and a score. Charlie Hwang also ran for 85 yards and two touchdowns. Tres Buster stopped College Park on fourth down to set up the game-winning drive, and Lleyton Brown – in his first ever varsity game – sealed the victory by breaking up College Park's final pass in end zone. Izaac Jinks rushed for a TD and also returned a kick for a touchdown for College Park. Demo McCray ran for a CP score, and Jackson Rojas caught a touchdown. Miramonte improved to 4-2, and College Park dropped to 0-6. – Joseph Dycus

https://www.eastbaytimes.com/2024/10/05/bay-area-high-school-football-roundup-2024-best-of-week-6-action/

MIRAMONTE: GOOD LUCK CHARLIE
By Joseph Dycus, The East Bay Times
October 7, 2024

Charlie Metherd's first varsity start was one to remember for the Miramonte junior quarterback. With 45 seconds left on the clock and down by three points to College Park, he threw a touchdown pass to Jack Quinnild to give the Matadors a 41-37 victory.

Miramonte coach Nick Safir said that Metherd didn't know he was going to start in place of the injured Carson Blair until Wednesday, and that the young man was "understandably nervous."

"Charlie's teammates gave him all the confidence that he would succeed immediately," Safir said. "They praised his success in practice and all went out of their way to tell him how much they believed in him. He came out and played with a confidence we had not seen in him before."

Metherd completed 10 of 18 passes for 239 yards and two touchdowns and also rushed for 41 yards and another score.

Just a year removed from sharing the JV quarterback job with two freshmen, Metherd has now proven that even though Blair is expected to be back soon, that Miramonte now has someone ready to produce if called upon.

https://www.eastbaytimes.com/2024/10/07/monday-morning-lights-our-midseason-honors-from-players-of-year-to-games-of-year/

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Players Mentioned

Jack Quinnild: Junior

Carson Blair: Sophomore

Lleyton Brown: Freshman

Charles Metherd: Sophomore

Charlie Metherd: Junior

Players Mentioned

Jack Quinnild
: Junior

Carson Blair
: Sophomore

Lleyton Brown
: Freshman

Charles Metherd
: Sophomore

Charlie Metherd
: Junior

Players Mentioned

Players Mentioned

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