LONG BEACH – Though he’s played in only eight games for Cypress, Blake Cousimano might have etched his name into Centurions lore Friday.
He caught Aiden Houston’s 15-yard touchdown as the clock expired, then grabbed the 2-point conversion to secure a 28-27 victory over Millikan in the CIF Southern Section Division 4 quarterfinals.
Cypress’ quarterback Aidan Houston keeps Millikan’s Angelo Miranda at bay on a run in Long Beach on Friday, Nov. 11, 2022. CIF-SS Div. 4 quarterfinals. (Photo by Scott Varley, Contributing Photographer)
Cypress players celebrate their win as Millikan’s Matthew Martinez sits in disbelief in the end zone in Long Beach on Friday, Nov. 11, 2022. Cypress won 29-28 in the CIF-SS Div. 4 quarterfinals. (Photo by Scott Varley, Contributing Photographer)
Millikan’s Ryan Pellum breaks up a pass to Cypress’ Matthew Morrell in Long Beach on Friday, Nov. 11, 2022. Cypress won 29-28 in the CIF-SS Div. 4 quarterfinals. (Photo by Scott Varley, Contributing Photographer)
Millikan QB Myles Jackson tries to get rid of the ball as he’s sacked in Long Beach on Friday, Nov. 11, 2022. Cypress won 29-28 in the CIF-SS Div. 4 quarterfinals. (Photo by Scott Varley, Contributing Photographer)
Millikan quarterback Myles Jackson puts Millikan in the lead in the 4th quarter with this 17 yard touchdown run in Long Beach on Friday, Nov. 11, 2022. Cypress won 29-28 in the CIF-SS Div. 4 quarterfinals. (Photo by Scott Varley, Contributing Photographer)
Cypress players celebrate their last second win over Millikan in Long Beach on Friday, Nov. 11, 2022. Cypress won 29-28 in the CIF-SS Div. 4 quarterfinals. (Photo by Scott Varley, Contributing Photographer)
Cypress players celebrate their win as Millikan’s Matthew Martinez sits in disbelief in the end zone in Long Beach on Friday, Nov. 11, 2022. Cypress won 29-28 in the CIF-SS Div. 4 quarterfinals. (Photo by Scott Varley, Contributing Photographer)
Cypress’ Rocco Burdett picks up a first down against Millikan in Long Beach on Friday, Nov. 11, 2022. CIF-SS Div. 4 quarterfinals. (Photo by Scott Varley, Contributing Photographer)
Cypress’ Matthew Morrell evades a tackle attempt by Millikan’s Jaden Hunt in Long Beach on Friday, Nov. 11, 2022. CIF-SS Div. 4 quarterfinals. (Photo by Scott Varley, Contributing Photographer)
Millikan’s Ryan Pellum is stopped by Cypress players after a gain in Long Beach on Friday, Nov. 11, 2022. CIF-SS Div. 4 quarterfinals. (Photo by Scott Varley, Contributing Photographer)
Cypress’ Jesse Mauldin received a penalty for interfering Millikan’s Ryan Pellum in Long Beach on Friday, Nov. 11, 2022. CIF-SS Div. 4 quarterfinals. (Photo by Scott Varley, Contributing Photographer)
Cypress quarterback Aidan Houston throws a touchdown pass as time runs out as he’s pursued by Millikan’s Maximus Fatu in Long Beach on Friday, Nov. 11, 2022. Cypress won 29-28 in the CIF-SS Div. 4 quarterfinals. (Photo by Scott Varley, Contributing Photographer)
Millikan’s Robert Luzzi, left, fumbles a kickoff to Cypress’ Blake Cousimano (8) in Long Beach on Friday, Nov. 11, 2022. CIF-SS Div. 4 quarterfinals. (Photo by Scott Varley, Contributing Photographer)
Millikan’s Ryan Pellum escapes the grasp of Cypress’ Peyton Johnson in Long Beach on Friday, Nov. 11, 2022. CIF-SS Div. 4 quarterfinals. (Photo by Scott Varley, Contributing Photographer)
Millikan’s Angelo Miranda escapes a tackle on a Cypress punt in Long Beach on Friday, Nov. 11, 2022. CIF-SS Div. 4 quarterfinals. (Photo by Scott Varley, Contributing Photographer)
Cypress blocks an extra point attempt by Millikan’s Jayden Icasiano in Long Beach on Friday, Nov. 11, 2022. CIF-SS Div. 4 quarterfinals. (Photo by Scott Varley, Contributing Photographer)
Millikan’s quarterback Myles Jackson throws a 77-yard touchdown pass against Cypress in Long Beach on Friday, Nov. 11, 2022. CIF-SS Div. 4 quarterfinals. (Photo by Scott Varley, Contributing Photographer)
Cypress’ Matthew Morrell jumps over Millikan’s Ryan Pellum in Long Beach on Friday, Nov. 11, 2022. CIF-SS Div. 4 quarterfinals. (Photo by Scott Varley, Contributing Photographer)
Millikan QB Myles Jackson dumps the ball off against Cypress in Long Beach on Friday, Nov. 11, 2022. CIF-SS Div. 4 quarterfinals. (Photo by Scott Varley, Contributing Photographer)
Millikan’s Jordan Anderson keeps away from Cypress’ Bobby Castillo in Long Beach on Friday, Nov. 11, 2022. CIF-SS Div. 4 quarterfinals. (Photo by Scott Varley, Contributing Photographer)
Cypress moves on to the semifinals and will have a home game against Newport Harbor (8-4) on Friday, Nov. 18.
“Blake had only played about five plays and he made the catch in the corner of the end zone, then we called the play for him (on the conversion),” Cypress coach Rick Feldman said.
The Centurions (12-0) and Rams (5-7) put each other through an emotional wringer in the fourth quarter.
Millikan quarterback Myles Jackson, who threw two first-half TDs, put the Rams ahead for the first time, 28-21, with his 17-yard run with 8:22 left in the game.
The Rams got the ball back two minutes later when Ryan Chester intercepted Houston’s twice-tipped pass at the Millikan 26. But the drama was far from over, with an exchange of fumbles and a missed field goal by Millikan in the next three minutes.
Cypress took over from its 20 with 2:15 left in the game and one timeout left. It was looking bleak when Ethaniah Steffany sacked Houston for a 9-yard loss to the Millikan 49.
An 8-yard completion to Matthew Morrell got part of that back, then Morrell pulled down a 26-yard catch-and-run on fourth-and-11,giving Cypress a first down at the 15 with 12 seconds remaining.
Houston was incomplete on second down after a spike to stop the clock.
With four seconds left in someone’s season, Houston then stepped away from pressure on third down and found Cousimano wide open in the right corner of the end zone. He went the other way for the conversion, with Cousimano beating tight coverage to haul in the conversion attempt.
“We always go for two in that situation,” Feldman said. “I like our chances better to go for two right now than to go back and forth in overtime.”
Houston threw for 185 yards with a 21-yard touchdown to Rocco Burdett, and ran for 50 yards and a touchdown.
The game might not have been as close if not for Steffany. He had three tackles for loss to go along with his interception, and anchored a defense that recorded nine tackles for loss.
Cypress’ defense wasn’t as flashy, but contained a team that had scored no less than 49 points in its previous four games.
Jackson showed why the Rams are so potent, throwing touchdowns of 67 yards to Ryan Pellum and 42 yards to Riley Tuggle in the first quarter. The Rams ran the same play each time, beating single coverage deep along the right sideline.
Those two strikes, both within the last three minutes of the first quarter, were an answer to two quick scores by Cypress. After a 20-yard run by Nathan Schneider, Cousimano recovered an onside kick.
Two minutes later, Burdett took a swing pass from Houston and hurdled defensive back Angelo Miranda en route to a 21-yard touchdown and a 14-0 lead.
“You give up 28 points and you think you’ve played pretty good defense,” Feldman said. “I mean, they’ve been scoring 50 points a game.”
Pellum and Hunt were tough to stop. Pellum caught seven passes for 105 yards and Hunt caught six for 102, but did only minor damage aside from their two long scores.
