Last-Minute Score Saves Pacifica

GARDEN GROVE — Pacifica High School’s Scott Lesser caught a 10-yard touchdown pass from Chris Castellano with 10 seconds to play to cap a wild fourth quarter and give the Mariners a 27-26 Garden Grove League victory over Santiago Friday night at Bolsa Grande High.

Santiago had taken a 26-21 lead when Scott McGarrh’s caught a 23-yard scoring pass from quarterback Mike Carrasco with 1:22 to play, but Castellano drove the Mariners 70 yards for the winning score.

Earlier in the final period, Dave Anderson connected on a 28-yard field goal with 2:50 to play for Pacifica (3-3 overall, 2-1 in league play) to make the score 21-19. But Santiago (1-5, 0-3) rallied behind Carrasco’s passing, driving 66 yards in nine plays to set up McGarrh’s go-ahead touchdown.

In all, the lead changed hands four times during the last 6:24 of the game. Castellano, who completed 15 of 25 passes for 250 yards and two scores, connected with Lesser for a 36-yard first quarter touchdown to open the scoring. Running back Dereck Nicholson added an 11-yard second-quarter touchdown run, and Anderson kicked a 37-yard third-quarter field goal for Pacifica’s other scores.