On Saturday, Nov. 11, Jesuit High School Sacramento lost 40-34 at home in a triple overtime thriller versus the Del Oro High School Golden Eagles. This game was a quarterfinal matchup in the Division 2 California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) Sac-Joaquin Section Playoffs.

With a little under nine minutes left in the first quarter, DOHS quarterback Caden Pinnick connected with wide receiver Jackson Malbrough for a 31-yard passing touchdown. Kicker Cameron Smith made the Point after Touchdown (PAT) to make the score 7-0 DOHS. 

Jesuit’s first offensive possession was hindered by three straight penalties and ended in a sack, forcing a punt. The punt was short and DOHS found themselves within striking distance yet again. After advancing to the 1-yard line, Pinnick ran into the end zone for a touchdown with four minutes left. The PAT was successful, giving DOHS a 14-point lead. 

Jesuit’s next offensive possession was quick, ending in a 64-yard touchdown pass from quarterback CJ Lee ’24 to wide receiver Caleb Dixon ’24 with 2 minutes left in the quarter. Kicker Colin Davey ’24 made the extra point and at the end of the first quarter, the score was 14-7 in favor of Del Oro.

DOHS’s next offensive drive brought them to Jesuit’s 17-yard line. Jesuit managed to force a fourth down. DOHS decided to go for it, and Caleb intercepted the 4th down pass attempt.

Neither team would score for the rest of the quarter. At the end of the first half, the score was still 14-7 DOHS.

Jesuit received the ball to start the second half, and with five minutes left in the quarter, Jesuit running back Johnnie Brannon IV ’24 scored a 4-yard rushing touchdown. Colin made the PAT, and the game was tied,14-14. 

Jesuit’s defense forced DOHS to punt on the next possession. And Jesuit’s offense responded to the defensive effort with a 52-yard touchdown run by Jesuit running back Kayden Flemmin ’24. DOHS managed to block Colin’s PAT, leaving the score 20-14 in favor of Jesuit.

After trading possessions, Del Oro had the ball again. In a wild sequence that resulted in a 32 yard gain for DOHS, Pinnick scrambled from the right side of the field to the left while being chased by Jesuit defenders; he fumbled the ball, recovered it, and was finally brought down. This run set up a 15-yard touchdown pass from Pinnick to DOHS tight end Landon Parry. Jesuit linebacker Tyler Garcia ’25 blocked DOHS’s PAT in a crucial play that prevented the Golden Eagles from taking the lead.

On the kickoff, Johnnie had a 90-yard kick return called back due to a penalty that left Jesuit at their own 35-yard line. This wouldn’t stop Jesuit from scoring and taking the lead; C.J. found tight end Cooper Babb ’24 wide open for a 39-yard touchdown pass. Colin was successful on the PAT, making the score 27-20 Jesuit. 

With less than three minutes left, DOHS was able to advance down the field, and with only 13 seconds left in the game, DOHS running back Robert Garcia ran 1-yard into the endzone for a touchdown. Smith made the PAT, and the game was tied at 27. 

At the start of the first overtime, DOHS won the coin toss and deferred. Both teams would start 25 yards away from the endzone, and they would have only one possession each. 

On their possession, Jesuit scored on a 19-yard touchdown run by Johnnie. Colin made the extra point to make the score 34-27 in favor of Jesuit. 

With both teams’ season on the line, DOHS delivered by scoring a touchdown on a 1-yard run by Pinnick. Smith made the PAT tying the game at 34, and the game went into a second overtime.

In the second overtime, DOHS had the first possession. Jesuit managed to stop DOHS, giving Jesuit a chance to win the game. After a series of runs, Colin lined up for a game winning  field goal but missed. As a result, the game went into a third overtime period.

Jesuit started off with the ball but turned it over on downs. DOHS suffered a penalty after their last play which forced them to start at the 40-yard line. Pinnick connected with Malbrough on a 38-yard pass, however, putting DOHS close to the endzone. On the very next play, DOHS’s Garcia found a hole and ran it for 2 yards into the endzone, winning the game and pushing DOHS to the semifinal.

Pinnick finished the game with 330 passing yards, two passing touchdowns, and two rushing touchdowns for Del Oro. Malbrough had 113 receiving yards, and 2 receiving touchdowns. Jesuit’s C.J. Lee finished the game with 158 passing yards and two passing touchdowns. He also had 92 rushing yards. Additionally, Johnnie had 82 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns.

This loss marks Jesuit’s last game of the season. They finished 9-2 overall, and 6-0 in league play.