Downey football survives late Cajon rally to reach Division 4 semifinals

Max Acosta ran for 207 yards and Downey withstood a fierce fourth-quarter comeback attempt by Cajon to earn a 28-26 victory in a CIF Southern Section Division 4 football quarterfinal on Friday night in San Bernardino.

The Vikings (8-4) pushed through rainy conditions and a string of turnovers to reach the semifinals for the first time since 2022, the season they captured the Division 4 championship.

Acosta shouldered a heavy workload with 34 carries, and he got Downey's ground attack going early. He picked up 75 yards on 16 attempts before halftime as the Vikings built a 21-point advantage, scoring three touchdowns in the first half while Cajon (8-4) had trouble sustaining drives because of penalties.

Downey coach Jack Williams said his team leaned on creative formations to seize control. "We did a lot of unbalanced sets to try and catch (Cajon) in a funky defense," Williams said. "They made some adjustments at halftime, but our little running back just goes."

The rain grew heavier after halftime and contributed to a series of turnovers by both teams in the third quarter. Acosta nearly broke free for a long touchdown late in the period after slipping two tackles and getting behind the Cowboys' defense, but he lost control of the ball in the open field and Cajon recovered.

Downey's defense answered right away, pouncing on a fumble during Cajon's next possession to set up a touchdown run by Acosta. "(Max) fumbled in the wide-open field," Williams said, "and our whole defense went out there and said, 'We got you. We're gonna make a stop.'" Cajon coach Nick Rogers conceded the weather made things hard but gave the Vikings credit for managing it. "We had several bad snaps, but that's part of the game," Rogers said. "They had to deal with the same conditions."

Down 28-14 heading into the fourth quarter, the Cowboys rallied behind sophomore quarterback Marcus Washington. Washington scored on a touchdown run early in the period, though Cajon missed the extra point and trailed 28-20. After forcing a Downey three-and-out, the Cowboys put together an 11-play drive that senior running back Maleek Nolley finished with a touchdown run with 3:46 left.

Cajon looked like it had tied the game on a 2-point conversion off a double reverse, but a holding penalty wiped out the play, and the follow-up attempt failed, keeping Downey in front 28-26. "Just dumb penalties," Rogers said. "That was a big holding call, but it is what it is. The missed extra point forced us to go for two. We had an opportunity and got in there, but they called a holding call and we have to move on from that."

Downey will host Chino Hills in the Division 4 semifinals on Friday, Nov. 20. The Huskies advanced by beating Dana Hills 31-21 behind junior running back William Bryant. "We scrimmaged Chino last year, so I'm familiar with them," Williams said. "We'll enjoy this tonight and get on the books and see tomorrow how things work out."