‘The G is back’: Grant blasts El Cerrito in NorCal final to reach CIF state championships
Grant’s defense was backed up in its own territory Friday night, needing a stop to prevent El Cerrito from tying the game with a touchdown at the end of the second quarter.
On fourth-and-6, Pacers pass rusher Antonio Vaughns pushed through the Gauchos’ offensive line for a sack, resulting in a turnover on downs.
That gave Grant’s potent offense the ball at its 39-yard line with a minute left, setting up a touchdown that propelled the Pacers to a resounding 36-7 victory on a frigid Friday night in the East Bay and their first CIF state championship appearance since 2008.
The first half was tight in the Northern California regional Division III-AA final. The game’s intensity could be felt on the sideline. The Pacers were frustrated they hadn’t put up more points in the biggest game of the season to date. There was a sense of urgency to make a play before halftime to take control, and so they did.
Quarterback Joseph McCray, one of the best passers in the Sacramento area all season, found one of his many elusive targets. He hit speedy receiver Kyrell Goss-Pruitt over the middle. Goss-Pruitt made one man miss, got a block and then spotted three defenders out of the corner of his eye, but he was off to the races.
“I just knew that I had to turn it on,” he said.
The scouting report on this 13-0 El Cerrito team throughout the week was centered on team speed. The Gauchos were a fast bunch on both sides of the ball. Goss-Pruitt had already seen his offense get stopped without scoring on two previous possessions. He had to reach the end zone before the first half ran out.
“I know they’re not a slow team. I know they’re fast,” Goss-Pruitt said. “So I had to turn on that extra gear.”
He did. He raced down the right sideline for a 61-yard touchdown and had enough breath to run in the ensuing two-point conversion, giving the Pacers a two-score lead before they hit the locker room.
That proved to be the biggest play of the game.
The Pacers will now have an opportunity to win a second CIF state championship at 6 p.m. Dec. 10 on their home field in Del Paso Heights. They will play San Jacinto, a 49-45 winner over University City of San Diego in Friday’s Southern California regional final.
It also means head coach Carl Reed’s team went from 0-9 in 2021 — the most disappointing season in Grant’s history — to unquestionably one of the best teams in the state.
“The staff, the team, this is all their hard work,” a euphoric Reed said after lifting the Northern California championship plaque with his team. “It showed how hard this group worked.”
Said Goss-Pruitt: “The brotherhood is there. The G is back. We were tired of losing. We don’t want to do that no more. We’re bringing it back.”
After winning the Sac-Joaquin Section D-III championship last week, Reed recounted a meeting with players about changes that needed to be made following the 2021 season. At that time, he couldn’t have imagined being 11-2 with a chance to win a state championship just 12 months later.
“I would have won Powerball for a billion dollars!” Reed joked. “This group absolutely bought in. A year ago, we were in the weight room talking about this time. ‘We gotta get to this day.’ Boy, I tell you, we earned it. We got there.”
McCray had a rushing touchdown and two passing touchdowns, with his other going to 6-foot-4 wideout Kenyon Shabazz. Grant’s other scores came on the ground via a 20-yard jaunt from Semaj Mafu-Hart and a 5-yard run from Joshua Hamilton, who was playing through a painful leg injury.
McCray’s improvement from his junior year to his senior season has been instrumental in Grant’s turnaround.
“If you looked at him last year, people don’t believe that’s the same quarterback,” Reed said. “That tells you a lot right there.”
McCray credited his new quarterback coach, Josiah Johnson, who came from Folsom in the offseason.
“He set me up for success,” McCray said. “He’s the main reason I’m doing what I’m doing now.”
Grant’s defense, with a physical front and star linebacker Dubee Lopa in the middle, shut out El Cerrito over the final three quarters after Kamani Jackson got behind the defense for a juggling 45-yard touchdown reception. That was Grant’s only blemish as the Pacers prevented star running back Tony McAdoo from getting anything going after he ran for over 500 yards in the Gauchos’ two previous playoff games.
Grant is already known for having one of the best home atmospheres in Sacramento at Mike Alberghini Field. With another state championship on the line, next Saturday night should be a memorable one in Del Paso Heights.
“Our community’s gonna be there and pack it out,” Reed said. “I know it.”
This story was originally published December 3, 2022 at 12:20 AM.