What a comeback: Pittsburg overcomes 21-point deficit, stuns Folsom for NorCal 1-AA title

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Pittsburg head coach Charlie Ramirez celebrates with his players after defeating Folsom during their CIF NorCal Division 1-AA regional championship game at Pittsburg High School in Pittsburg, Calif., on Friday, Dec. 6, 2024. Pittsburg defeated Folsom 28-27. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)

PITTSBURG — Down 21 points early in the second quarter on Friday, there was an uneasiness on the home side of Pirate Stadium.

The usually ruckus crowd was quiet, the West Coast tunes were mute and the feeling of the same ol’ Pittsburg lingered.

But in the biggest game of the year, there was no way Pittsburg was going to watch another team clinch its spot into a state title game on its home turf.

That’s not the cloth the Pirates are cut from.

In comeback fashion, Pittsburg defeated Folsom 28-27 to capture the NorCal Division I-AA title and punched its ticket to the 1-AA title game where it will play Lincoln-San Diego at Saddleback College in Mission Viejo.

“I think this is the biggest win that the school has had in since 1991,” said Pittsburg coach Charlie Ramirez, who was on the Pirate team that beat De La Salle 33 years ago. “We had basically East Contra Costa County against Greater Sacramento. And our guys showed out.”

Pittsburg quarterback Marley Alcantara (12) lifts up the first place plaque after defeating Folsom during their CIF NorCal Division 1-AA regional championship game at Pittsburg High School in Pittsburg, Calif., on Friday, Dec. 6, 2024. Pittsburg defeated Folsom 28-27. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)

Southern Oregon commit Marley Alcantara completed 19 of 28 passes for 255 yards and four touchdowns. Wide receiver Rolph Mosley was dominant, catching eight passes for 154 yards and two scores.

“The media was trying to write us off,” Mosley said. “They were trying to act like we couldn’t win big games. But we showed out here and we won the big game.”

Early Friday, things did not go well for host Pittsburg.

Folsom had the first drive of the game and marched 68 yards in 11 plays, ending with a 1-yard plunge from star quarterback Ryder Lyons.

Folsom quarterback Ryder Lyons (3) runs with the ball against Pittsburg during the fourth quarter of their CIF NorCal Division 1-AA regional championship game at Pittsburg High School in Pittsburg, Calif., on Friday, Dec. 6, 2024. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)

On the ensuing possession, Pittsburg fumbled on the first play of the drive and gave Folsom the ball in prime field position. Folsom answered with a Lyons 5-yard touchdown pass to Daymion Rivera to go up 14.

Just when Pittsburg looked like it was going to get a stop, Lyons conjured up his magic as he scrambled away from Pittsburg defenders on a fourth-and-15 in the red zone and completed a perfect pass to sophomore receiver EJ Coleman to take a commanding 21-0 lead early in the second quarter.

But Pittsburg wasn’t going to lay down.

Alcantara found freshman speedster Kenny Ward for a 20-yard touchdown pass with 8:16 left in the second quarter to put the Pirates on the board.

Later in the quarter Alcantara hooked up with R.J. Mosley to cut the Folsom lead to 21-14 going into halftime.

Pittsburg quarterback Marley Alcantara (12) throws a pass under pressure by Folsom's Theo Greule (9) during the fourth quarter of their CIF NorCal Division 1-AA regional championship game at Pittsburg High School in Pittsburg, Calif., on Friday, Dec. 6, 2024. Pittsburg defeated Folsom 28-27. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group) — Pittsburg quarterback Marley Alcantara (12) throws a pass under pressure by Folsom’s Theo Greule (9) during the fourth quarter of their CIF NorCal Division 1-AA regional championship game at Pittsburg High School in Pittsburg, Calif., on Friday, Dec. 6, 2024. Pittsburg defeated Folsom 28-27. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)

Pittsburg took the momentum into the third quarter.

The Pirates tied the game after Alcantara found Mosley again, this time from 25 yards out. Later in the period, junior receiver Truly Bell caught a 5-yard slant in the end zone to give Pittsburg its first lead of the game.

The quiet Pittsburg crowd quickly filled the field with energy with every score. As the Pirates started to push the game back in their favor, the sounds of E-40, 2Pac, Mistah Fab and Too Short reverberated throughout the stadium.

Folsom made a run in the fourth quarter, but Pittsburg’s defense came up big in every clutch spot. Lyons scored on a 2-yard run into the end zone to make the score 28-27. But when Folsom called Lyons’ number on sweep to right side for the two-point conversion to take the lead, Pittsburg stopped the California Gatorade Player of the Year in his tracks.

“The kids were committed to not only just executing schemes, but executing the fundamentals,” Ramirez said on his defense in the second half.

Pittsburg's Ulyssis Barsabal (23) strips the ball away from Folsom quarterbackRyder Lyons (3) forcing a fumble during the final minutes of the fourth quarter of their CIF NorCal Division 1-AA regional championship game at Pittsburg High School in Pittsburg, Calif., on Friday, Dec. 6, 2024. Pittsburg defeated Folsom 28-27. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group) — Pittsburg’s Ulyssis Barsabal (23) strips the ball away from Folsom quarterbackRyder Lyons (3) forcing a fumble during the final minutes of the fourth quarter of their CIF NorCal Division 1-AA regional championship game at Pittsburg High School in Pittsburg, Calif., on Friday, Dec. 6, 2024. Pittsburg defeated Folsom 28-27. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)

Folsom had one more chance with under a minute left to drive down the field and win the game. On fourth-and-20, Pittsburg forced a fumble and senior Jamar Searcy recovered to ice the game for Pittsburg.

From there it was all smiles and celebrations.

Senior safety Caronn Patterson laid on the turf in relief. Alcantara shouted down the doubters. Linebacker Juju Walls took celebratory photos. And the song “We are the Champions” by Queen reigned down on the field as Pittsburg clinched its spot in the 1-AA title game.

Pittsburg's Caronn Patterson (4) drops to the field in exhaustion after defeating Folsom during their CIF NorCal Division 1-AA regional championship game at Pittsburg High School in Pittsburg, Calif., on Friday, Dec. 6, 2024. Pittsburg defeated Folsom 28-27. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group) — Pittsburg’s Caronn Patterson (4) drops to the field in exhaustion after defeating Folsom during their CIF NorCal Division 1-AA regional championship game at Pittsburg High School in Pittsburg, Calif., on Friday, Dec. 6, 2024. Pittsburg defeated Folsom 28-27. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)

“We just had to prove what we already knew already,” Alcantara said. “We stayed with ourselves today and Folsom is a great team, we executed at a higher level.”

Folsom coach Paul Doherty said he knew going into Friday that Pittsburg was going to be one of the team’s biggest challenges this year.

Folsom head coach gestures while calling out a play during the fourth quarter of their CIF NorCal Division 1-AA regional championship game at Pittsburg High School in Pittsburg, Calif., on Friday, Dec. 6, 2024. Pittsburg defeated Folsom 28-27. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)

“I think we knew playing them last year, as young as they were and having everybody back, we knew that they were going to be here again,” Doherty said. “They got guys everywhere, and it’s hard to start to adjust and activate to the speed that they play with.”

Pittsburg’s senior class will be attempting to accomplish a goal it had set when they were freshman four years ago when they play Lincoln on Friday.

“We’ve been all playing together since eighth grade,” Walls said. “We came a long way with ups and downs the last three years. It was all an experience for us. We finally get to put on for all the rest of the seniors who left who didn’t have a state title.”

Pittsburg will be aiming to win its first state title in school history. The Pirates came up short in 2017 against Narbonne and in 2022 against Liberty-Bakersfield.

Friday’s win is certainly a big accomplishment, but Pittsburg will be trying to put the bow on a magical season next week in Orange County.

“The job’s not finished yet,” Alcantara said. “So, we got to come in this week like we’ve never had before and prepare to go get a state title.”