Julian Prevails in 8-Man

RAMONA — After winning its first football championship in 15 years, Julian never seemed so high.

“Ecstasy,” was the way running back Frank Stewart described the Eagles’ 34-14 victory against Francis Parker in the San Diego Section eight-man championship game Friday night in front of 1,500 at Ramona.

“That’s all I can say,” Stewart continued. “Ecstasy. This is the best.”

“I couldn’t have dreamed of a better outcome,” quarterback J.D. Yohner said. “This is a perfect ending to our senior year.”

Indeed.

After marching 60 yards in six plays with its first possession and taking a 7-0 lead on a Cory Burnett 21-yard touchdown run off left end, the Eagles never trailed, eventually capping a 9-1 season with back-to-back victories over the Lancers (5-6).

“They’re a tough team,” Scott Schneider, Francis Parker’s record-breaking quarterback, said. “We just couldn’t stop them. . . . But we never gave up. I’m proud of all these guys. They played great.”

So did Julian, which won its first eight-man title and first football championship of any kind since 1977.

“This is the best moment of my life,” defensive lineman Jason Glass said. “I’ve never been so happy. Our team is just one big family.”

As the family celebrated, Eagle Coach Mike Cunningham stood off to the side, soaking up the atmosphere of his first section championship.

“I was just glad to be along for the ride,” Cunningham said. “It was a heck of a party for the last three months, and this was a nice dessert.”

Seventeen of Julian’s 18 players are seniors, and most have gone to school together since the third grade.

One exception is Glass, the defensive standout of the game, who recorded three sacks for minus-33 yards and perhaps the game’s most important tackle.

With Parker trailing, 26-14, and facing a fourth and goal from the four-yard line, Glass stopped Schneider for a two-yard gain, and Julian took its ensuing possession 72 yards in eight plays over 4:22 to finish the scoring.

Glass, who is 5-feet-10 and 150 pounds, was playing organized football for the first time this season.

“Basically, I know how to run the line and get the get the guy with the ball,” said Glass, blood dripping from a severe cut on his hand.

As for his size, Glass said simply, “Dynamite comes in small packages.”

Julian’s running game was explosive as well.

Behind running backs Stewart (15 carries, 136 yards, one touchdown), Anthony Howard (15-110, two touchdowns) and Burnett (16-82, two touchdowns), the Eagles rushed for 351 yards.

Schneider, the most prolific passer in eight-man history, topped the 3,000-yard mark for the season with 301 yards on 23-for-43 passing. He was intercepted twice. Both interceptions--by Stewart and Steve Lara--came at the Julian one-yard line. Lara’s was his 14th of the season, only two shy of the section record set by El Capitan’s Dave Duncan in 1963.

Charles Pope, who caught 70 passes for 1,206 yards during the regular season, hauled in 12 passes Friday for 204 yards, including a 24-yard touchdown.

Andrew Ruff had Parker’s first touchdown on a spectacular 16-yard reception.

Julian had beaten the Lancers 37-20 in the season finale to win its first Coastal League championship in seven years.