Exeter steals victory, keeps perfect season alive

Exeter isn’t used to this.

The Monarchs spent a season crushing opponents in the second half, but Friday night, it was Kingsburg that had the late momentum.

Kingsburg had a 12-point lead and was cruising toward a CSL-clinching upset in Exeter’s home stadium, but the Monarchs’ defense finally stopped the spread attack that had been a step ahead the entire game.

Cameron Loeffler scored his third touchdown of the night and Vikings kicker Jordan Mendoza’s 45-yard field goal fell far short, giving the Monarchs’ offense one last chance.

Loeffler gained the majority of the team's 74 yards in less than two minutes to set up second-and-goal from the six. Instead of another Loeffler plunge, it was an unlikely target that gave the Monarchs their biggest score of the season. 

Clay James' six-yard touchdown reception gave the Monarchs (9-0) a 30-27 lead that they wouldn’t relinquish, capping an improbable comeback that ignited thousands of gold- and blue-clad supporters. James' catch also sealed the CSL Championship.

“That’s probably one of the best games I’ve been involved in in the past 15-20 years,” Exeter coach Ben White said. “Especially with the magnitude of the game and being down two scores in the fourth quarter to an 8-0 team. That just shows the heart of a lion. No matter what happens the rest of this season, that is a great game by our players.”

The ending was nothing short of gut-wrenching for Kingsburg (8-1), who outplayed the home team for more than three quarters. Vikings junior quarterback Tyler Bray led two second-half scoring drives to put his team in the driver’s seat, 27-15.

But after failing to stop the Vikings’ spread attack throughout, the defense awoke. Linebacker Larry Turner intercepted a Bray pass at the Exeter 36 and put his offense in business.

“It was unbelievable just to step up and make plays (in the fourth quarter) because they’ve got a great offense,” White said. “They’ve got probably one of the best quarterbacks in the whole Valley. He’s in the top two or three. That was very difficult (to stop them) but we did it.

“Then Cameron did his thing.”

Loeffler, who is California’s leading touchdown scorer with 37, began to do what he’s done to every defense he’s faced: wear them down. The senior broke off a 52-yard touchdown run to pull the Monarchs to within a score.

White’s top player finished with 304 yards (2,251 on the season) and three rushing touchdowns.

“The guy’s a stud, he’s a freaking animal,” White said. “He’s the best player in the whole Valley. There’s nobody better than him.”

Loeffler said his team did not accept the loss even when it seemed inevitable.

“No one put their heads down,” Loeffler said. “We’ve dug ourselves a hole early in a few other games and we’ve had to fight back and no one ever gets down.”

After Mendoza’s miss gave the Monarchs the ball at their own 20, Loeffler continued battering the Vikings. Quarterback Andrew Anderson found his running back on a cross-field screen pass, which Loeffler took for 39 yards. But Anderson caught a break on the next play, as Kingsburg’s London Lacy dropped a sure interception on a mistimed fade route.

Loeffler then took the ball down to the six and White knew he had the matchup he wanted with the defense keying on his tailback.

Anderson faked a handoff to Loeffler, bootlegged to his left and found James standing alone in the corner of the end zone. 

White immediately knew what play was going to win his team the game.

“That’s a play we practice every Thursday,” White said. “I asked Andrew if he wanted to go to the right or to the left and he said he wanted to go left. We went left and Clay made a nice catch.”

James, however, was surprised when he heard the play call in the timeout and instead of having to battle defenders for the catch, he simply had to battle himself.

“I was just thinking ‘I better not drop this pass,’” James said. “‘I’m wide open. Just make the play.’”

Clay and Loeffler, who start at cornerback and strong safety as well, were on the wrong end of many Bray passes in the first three quarters. The 6-foot-6 signal-caller ripped apart the usually stout Monarchs secondary, throwing for more than 250 yards and three touchdowns. His second TD toss came on a post route where tight end Jason Linman streaked past Loeffler and gave the Vikings a 14-9 halftime lead.

But nobody would remember that lapse as the Monarch senior once again displayed his all-state talents to a top-ranked opponent.

“I knew it was going to be a battle. It was one of the greatest games I’ve ever played in,” he said.

Exeter travels to Central Valley Christian for a chance to finish the regular season unbeaten, next Friday.