| | Published December 10th, 2008
| Cougars Advance, then Finally Fall
| | By Alex Crook |  | | Tommy Stevens (8), Cookie Kazzaz (25) Photo Doug Kohen
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All was well for Campolindo football until the Cougars faced #1 seeded Cardinal Newman in the third round of NCS Division II playoffs.
Second Round -- Campo v. Ygnacio Valley
Campo came off a bye week going into the second round home game match-up with Ygnacio Valley on November 29. To start the game, the Warriors carried the ball slowly down the field in the first quarter to score on an 8-yard touchdown run from Sapaund Khan with 10 seconds to go in the quarter. Campo's equalizer came in the second quarter with Cookie Kazzaz running for an 8-yard touchdown, leading to the half-time score of 7-all.
In second-half play, Tommy Stephens' 21-yard beauty to Anthony Fadelli put the Cougars up 14-7. With just under a minute left in the 3rd, Ygnaccio's Khan scored on a 3-yard run, tying the game at 14 going into the 4th. Campo started the 4th quarter at the Warriors' 45. Two runs from Kazzaz put them on the 8, and he then ran it into the end zone for a 21-14 Campolindo lead.
Campo started to wear down the Warriors' ensuing possession, coming up with a 4th down sack to give the Cougars the ball. Ben Rudolph's 38-yard missed field goal put life back on Ygnacio's bench, only for Campo once again to take it away, and the final score of 21-14, advanced the Cougars into the next playoff round, a Friday night game against Cardinal Newman on this tough competitor's Santa Rosa home field.
Third and Final - Cougars face Cardinal Newman
#1 seeded Cardinal Newman came to this third round Division II playoff game undefeated with an 11-0 record compared to Campo's 10-1, the Cougar's only loss coming early in the season.
Cardinal Newman came out of the gate explosive. About 4 minutes into the contest, Newman quarterback Randy Wright scored on a 6-yard touchdown run with Wright adding the extra point to give his Cardinals an early 7-0 lead. 52 seconds later, Casey Miller recovered the Campo fumble and the Cardinals took over at Campo's 13. This time Cardinal Newman coughed up the ball, so with the teams exchanging turnovers, the Cougars took over from their 1 yard line.
Cardinal Newman later struck again with a 2-yard run from Jeff Badger to extend the lead 14-0, and that's how the quarter ended.
40 seconds into the 2nd quarter, Campo got on the board with a 2-yard run from Cookie Kazzaz, to pull within a touchdown, 14-7.
The Cardinals answered right back with a quarterback keeper for a 24-yard touchdown run from Randy Wright. With 3 seconds left, Wright converted a 24-yard field goal, so the halftime score read 24-14, Cardinals.
Early in the 3rd, Jeff Badger was at it again with another 2-yard touchdown run. It was 31-14, Cardinal.
In the final quarter, Campo came up with a big 4th down stop, but the Cougars couldn't capitalize, and they had to punt back to Newman, who later converted. Joe Ferguson ran in a 24-yard touchdown to put his team up 38-14. Kazzaz came back with a 4-yard score, plus the 2-point conversion. The Cougars had cut the lead to 38-22.
Campo then scored on a 7-yard pass to Garrett Holmes, but Michael Knott picked off the 2-point conversion to kill Campo's chances of winning. Cardinal recovered the onside, and Campo finally fell from the Division II playoffs.
A tough loss against a tough competitor, but a Cougar season well played.
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Lamorinda Weekly, Moraga CA