San Fernando football holds off Cleveland to win City Division II crown

VAN NUYS — Emotions can change quickly in championship football. One moment on Friday night, Cleveland High’s sideline erupted in cheers after tying the game at 14-14 midway through the fourth quarter.

Eleven plays later?

Silence.

San Fernando drove down the field, led by wideout Andrew Newchurch, who carried the ball six times for 32 rushing yards, and scored from 2 yards out to take the lead back from Cleveland.

The touchdown by Newchurch was enough to put away Cleveland, as San Fernando won 21-14, securing the CIF City Section Division II championship at Birmingham Charter. The win gives San Fernando (11-3) its ninth city title in program history.

“I’m really proud of these guys,” San Fernando head coach Charles Burnley said postgame. “I came here in 2022. This is my alma mater. I set out with a goal when I came in to put this team back on the map, and that’s exactly what I did. I’m proud of these guys.

Both teams dominated on the ground, totaling over 190 rushing yards each, but San Fernando edged out Cleveland (5-9) in rushing with 204 total yards to 197. The real backbreaker was the wildcat formation San Fernando ran, with Newchurch taking the snaps.

A more consistent threat throughout the night for San Fernando was running back Melvin Pineda, who finished with 18 carries for 164 yards and two touchdowns. He started the night strong, taking his first carry for 64 yards in the first quarter. Both of his touchdowns came in the first half, giving San Fernando a 14-0 lead going into halftime.

“That’s something like our little secret weapon,” Burnley said of the wildcat formation. “Whenever we get in trouble, we have a problem moving the ball. We know that [Andrew] Newchurch is such a big impact player that people have to take him. So, when we put him back there, we know there’s a whole lot of options, and when we put him back there, he did not let us down.”

For Cleveland, it was all the rushing attack; the passing game totaled 56 yards on the night. One of those pass plays was a 37-yard pass from quarterback Domenik Fuentes to Cobe Green on a slant route in the final five minutes. The play took place on the ensuing drive after Newchurch gave the late lead to San Fernando.

The San Fernando defense found itself in a familiar place late in the game. On its heels, with the Cleveland offense driving on them. But, like they did all night long, players stood tall and rallied. On the next play after the 37-yard gain, Cleveland’s Joseph Hurtado fumbled, and the Tigers’ defense jumped on it, securing the game.

“Coach [Broderick] Williams did a hell of a job,” Burnley said. “He had the team ready for this game tonight. He always puts guys in the right places, and they did a hell of a job tonight.”

Cleveland leaves this game still seeking its first City title in program history. Despite the flowing tears postgame from the Cavaliers, head coach Mario Guzman couldn’t be prouder of his team.

“Extremely proud of these kids. They’re a super resilient bunch,” Guzman said. “We finished season 2-8. They could have easily just packed it in and said, ‘Oh well.’ But they fought to the end. They bought into our brotherhood. And it’s things we could continue to build on. It isn’t the last anyone’s heard of Cleveland. We’ll be making noise again. It’s unfortunate we couldn’t bring it home tonight.”