Branham survives furious Silver Creek rally, clinches spot in CCS playoffs
Branham, with its balanced attack, amassed 253 rushing and 235 passing.
SAN JOSE, Calif. — Branham won 35-28 over Silver Creek on Friday to clinch at least a share of the Blossom Valley Athletic League Santa Teresa-Foothill Division title.
Branham’s 35 points against Silver Creek were the fewest in any of its seven victories. The Bruins (7-2, 4-0) have averaged 44 points per game this season, including 51.7 points per game in their seven victories.
“It’s a testament to our year-round commitment to our philosophy,” Branham coach Stephen Johnson said. “Offensive coordinator Tommy McMahon does an outstanding job developing quarterbacks.” He was here in 2012 as the quarterback and, like me, got into coaching right out of high school. We’ve grown up together in this program since we were in our early 20s or late teens.”
Branham’s victory secured a spot in the Central Coast Section playoffs. Branham fell to Santa Teresa in the CCS Division IV championship game a year ago, 23-15.
“We’re very happy to be back,” Johnson said. “After a heartbreaking loss in the final last year, I believe this group is desperate for a second chance.” They are constantly thinking about it and discussing it.”
Branham totaled 488 yards of offense against Silver Creek, with 253 yards rushing and 235 yards passing.
“Branham is a really good football team,” said Silver Creek coach Eric Luescher. “The guys were just exhausted from defending their hurry-up. They devised a good strategy for us.”
Jack Lewis threw for 235 yards on 20 of 28 attempts. He scored twice through the air and once through the ground.
Elias Antillion, a 140-pound running back, carried 31 times for 163 yards. He ran for two touchdowns and caught a pass for a third. A running back his size is most often used on the perimeter, running away from traffic. However, as evidenced by his 31 carries, Branham used him as a workhorse feature back, sending him up the middle as frequently as he did to the outside.
“I’ve always been an under-sized running back and I’ve always had to prove myself to other teams and even to my own team,” Antillion told ESPN. “I can run up the middle when everyone else is wondering, ‘Why is that little kid running up the middle?'” “I believe I can run the ball as well as someone who is 100 pounds heavier than me.”
Branham took the opening kickoff and drove 80 yards in 11 plays, scoring on a 27-yard pass from Lewis to Preston Conrad. Conrad had a game-high six receptions for 83 yards.
Silver Creek tied it later in the first quarter on a fourth-and-three run by Gabriel Lim of 56 yards.
Antillion scored twice in the second quarter, once on a 21-yard pass from Lewis and once on a 2-yard run, as Branham led 21-7 at halftime. His third touchdown, a 2-yard run, made the score 35-14 with less than 10 minutes remaining.
Silver Creek had no passing yards in the first half, but QB Trajan Sinatra threw three touchdown passes to Austin Price in the second half, including a 7-yarder with 3:17 remaining to pull the Raiders within 35-28. However, the Bruins recovered an onside kick and ran the clock out on the ground, with Antillion carrying on five of their seven remaining plays.
Lim, Silver Creek’s leading rusher with 133 yards on 13 attempts, left the game with a separated shoulder after a 32-yard run in the fourth quarter that set up a Sinatra-to-Price touchdown.
“I give a lot of credit to the boys,” said Luescher. “They showed character and kept fighting until the end.”
Silver Creek (6-3, 3-1) must now win at Independence on Thursday to secure the division’s second automatic bid to the CCS playoffs.
“It will be a challenge coming off a game like this and with a short week,” he said. “We’ll get in here tomorrow morning, do some stretching and lifting and start getting ready for Thursday.”
