Down 20-7 at halftime, Servite rallied behind a defense that limited Long Beach Poly to one first down in six possessions in the second half. Linebacker Chris Galippo ’07 was all over the field making tackles and denying the big play.
D.J. Shoemate ‘08 turned in a game remembered by Servite fans who charged the field afterward. Shoemate caught touchdown passes of 81, 59 and 15 yards. He had three sacks at defensive end and stripped the ball from Poly quarterback Millicent Olawale with 1:15 left to secure the victory.
Poly had reached the Division I final in seven of the previous eight years. The Friars hung together even though their offense was overwhelmed by Poly’s defense in the first half. The key play came with 5:47 left. Poly was leading, 20-14, when a snap went through the legs of their punter. Servite took possession on Poly’s 17-yard line. Three plays later, Danny Klein ‘07 connected with Shoemate for a 15-yard touchdown pass, and Kevin Goessling’s ’07 extra point gave the Friars the lead for good. Ray Rangel ’06 added a 27-yard touchdown run with 1:34 left.
