Highlights: Granite Hills beats Carlsbad 46-45 in OT, advance to Open Division championship
CARLSBAD, Calif. – The Granite Hills Eagles were on the brink of elimination. Trailing 45-38 in overtime, the Eagles faced a fourth and goal from the seven-yard line to keep their season alive.
Freshman quarterback Zachary Benitez proceeded to connect with senior Josh Zander for a touchdown. Instead of tying the game and playing another overtime period, Granite Hills went for the win. The Eagles motioned junior running back Pablo Jackson from left to right and gave him a handoff around the right edge. Diving into the end zone, Jackson gave the Eagles a walk-off 46-45 win over host Carlsbad.
The win was their 20th straight dating back to last season and their first at the Open Division playoff level. They will be the 10th different team represented in the Open Division championship game when they take the field at Snapdragon Stadium next Saturday, awaiting Friday's semifinal between Lincoln and Helix.
(Feature photo by Steven Silva)
-- Bodie De Silva | bodie@scorebooklive.com | @sbliveca
