El Dorado football battles Mayfair to the end but loses in CIF-SS Division 7 final
El Dorado pulls within three points with 4 minutes left, but its final drive ends with an incomplete pass on fourth down.
Mayfair’s Josiah Willis (22) hauls down El Dorado’s Nate Bento (12) during a game between Mayfair High and El Dorado High in the CIF Southern Section Division 7 football championship contest at Valencia High School on November 25, 2023.
(Photo by Michael Goulding, Contributing Photographer)
El Dorado’s Isaiah Quintero (36)takes off on a long scoring run during a game between Mayfair High and El Dorado High in the CIF Southern Section Division 7 football championship contest at Valencia High School on November 25, 2023.
(Photo by Michael Goulding, Contributing Photographer)
El Dorado’s Nate Bento (12) keeps the ball for a long first-down run during a game between Mayfair High and El Dorado High in the CIF Southern Section Division 7 football championship contest at Valencia High School on November 25, 2023.
(Photo by Michael Goulding, Contributing Photographer)
El Dorado’s Nate Bento (12) escapes a tackle for a big first down during a game between Mayfair High and El Dorado High in the CIF Southern Section Division 7 football championship contest at Valencia High School on November 25, 2023.
(Photo by Michael Goulding, Contributing Photographer)
El Dorado’s Isaiah Quintero (36) celebrates his long scoring run during a game between Mayfair High and El Dorado High in the CIF Southern Section Division 7 football championship contest at Valencia High School on November 25, 2023.
(Photo by Michael Goulding, Contributing Photographer)
El Dorado’s head coach Zack LaMonda after a game between Mayfair High and El Dorado High in the CIF Southern Section Division 7 football championship contest at Valencia High School on November 25, 2023.
(Photo by Michael Goulding, Contributing Photographer)
Mayfair’s Josiah Willis (22) hauls down El Dorado’s Nate Bento (12) during a game between Mayfair High and El Dorado High in the CIF Southern Section Division 7 football championship contest at Valencia High School on November 25, 2023.
(Photo by Michael Goulding, Contributing Photographer)
Mayfair’s head coach Derek Bedell celebrates his team championship win after a game between Mayfair High and El Dorado High in the CIF Southern Section Division 7 football championship contest at Valencia High School on November 25, 2023.
(Photo by Michael Goulding, Contributing Photographer)
Mayfair’s team gather for a team photo with the championship trophy during a game between Mayfair High and El Dorado High in the CIF Southern Section Division 7 football championship contest at Valencia High School on November 25, 2023.
(Photo by Michael Goulding, Contributing Photographer)
El Dorado’s Lucas Raya (25) sits alone watching Mayfair’s celebration dafter losing a game between Mayfair High and El Dorado High in the CIF Southern Section Division 7 football championship contest at Valencia High School on November 25, 2023.
(Photo by Michael Goulding, Contributing Photographer)
El Dorado’s Robby Hagar (20) can’t catch Mayfair’s Max Mitchell (5) as he scores during a game between Mayfair High and El Dorado High in the CIF Southern Section Division 7 football championship contest at Valencia High School on November 25, 2023.
(Photo by Michael Goulding, Contributing Photographer)
Mayfair’s Jeremiah Calvin (17) runs for a first down during a game between Mayfair High and El Dorado High in the CIF Southern Section Division 7 football championship contest at Valencia High School on November 25, 2023.
(Photo by Michael Goulding, Contributing Photographer)
Mayfair’s Isaiah Rivera (50) flies through the air after El Dorado’s offense turned the ball over on downs at the end of the fourth quarter during a game between Mayfair High and El Dorado High in the CIF Southern Section Division 7 football championship contest at Valencia High School on November 25, 2023.
(Photo by Michael Goulding, Contributing Photographer)
Mayfair’s head coach Derek Bedell celebrates the win with Mayfair’s Evan Enriquez (53) aftera game between Mayfair High and El Dorado High in the CIF Southern Section Division 7 football championship contest at Valencia High School on November 25, 2023.
(Photo by Michael Goulding, Contributing Photographer)
Mayfair’s Michael Cazares (77) celebrates with fans after winning a game between Mayfair High and El Dorado High in the CIF Southern Section Division 7 football championship contest at Valencia High School on November 25, 2023.
(Photo by Michael Goulding, Contributing Photographer)
Mayfair’s Max Mitchell (5) goes in with the first score during a game between Mayfair High and El Dorado High in the CIF Southern Section Division 7 football championship contest at Valencia High School on November 25, 2023.
(Photo by Michael Goulding, Contributing Photographer)
Mayfair’s head coach Derek Bedell calls time out during a game between Mayfair High and El Dorado High in the CIF Southern Section Division 7 football championship contest at Valencia High School on November 25, 2023.
(Photo by Michael Goulding, Contributing Photographer)
Mayfair’s Jeremiah Calvin (17) celebrates the win with a fan after a game between Mayfair High and El Dorado High in the CIF Southern Section Division 7 football championship contest at Valencia High School on November 25, 2023.
(Photo by Michael Goulding, Contributing Photographer)
Mayfair’s head coach Derek Bedell celebrates his team championship win after a game between Mayfair High and El Dorado High in the CIF Southern Section Division 7 football championship contest at Valencia High School on November 25, 2023.
(Photo by Michael Goulding, Contributing Photographer)
PLACENTIA — El Dorado’s football team had the ball in the final minutes with a chance to win, but failed to convert a fourth down and went on to lose 31-28 to Mayfair in the CIF-SS Division 7 championship game Saturday at Valencia High.
The Golden Hawks (8-6) forced a punt with less than four minutes remaining in the game. On fourth down with 1:11 left on the clock, quarterback Nate Bento scrambled and threw a pass to Evan Campuzano that was incomplete.
“Our kids battled their tails off until the end which is all I could ask of them,” El Dorado coach Zack LaMonda said. “I know that years from now they can look back and say they left it all out there.”
Bento completed 10 of 17 passes for 124 yards with a touchdown and was El Dorado’s leading rusher with 151 yards.
“He’s the ultimate competitor and has a bright future at whatever school lands him,” LaMonda said of Bento.
Isaiah Quintero ran for 106 yards with three touchdowns. All three of his touchdowns came in the first half.
Saturday was the first CIF championship for Mayfair (11-3) since 2001 when it beat La Mirada for the Division 6 championship. The Monsoons most recently played for a CIF championship in 2008 when they lost to Laguna Hills.
This is the third championship in the school’s history.
Mayfair quarterback Jeremiah Calvin completed 16 of 23 passes for 315 yards with a touchdown. Sophomore Chaz Gilbreath was his primary receiver with 180 yards on nine receptions.
Mayfair kicked off the scoring with a 48-yard touchdown pass from Calvin to Max Mitchell to give the Monsoons an early 7-0 lead.
El Dorado responded with a 45-yard touchdown run by Quintero to tie the score.
Ryan Heredia had a 16-yard touchdown run for Mayfair late in the first quarter to put the Monsoons back in front 14-7.
Quintero ran for a 1-yard touchdown run on the first play of the second quarter to tie the game.
CJ Johnson ran for a touchdown for Mayfair in the second quarter and Quintero ran for his third touchdown for El Dorado to tie the score at 21.
Rocco Mercado made a 35-yard field goal for Mayfair late in the second quarter to give the Monsoons a 24-21 lead at halftime.
Johnson ran for a 25-yard touchdown late in the third quarter to give Mayfair a 31-21 lead.
Bento threw a 10-yard touchdown pass to Campuzano to make the score 31-28 with 4:05 remaining in the game.
El Dorado was making its first CIF championship appearance since winning back-to-back championships in 2006-2007.
The Golden Hawks were the second-place representative from the North Hills League this season and beat Laguna Beach, Redondo and Riverside King in the playoffs.
“These are lifelong friends who played Pop Warner together,” LaMonda said. “They all grew up together and it’s a real tight group.”
