PITTSBURG — It wasn’t stunning that Pittsburg beat Folsom on Friday night.
But how the Pirates did it was simply draw-dropping.
They spotted the powerhouse visitors from the Sac-Joaquin Section a three-touchdown advantage before making a first down, then caught fire behind quarterback Marley Alcantara and relentless defense that rattled the explosive Bulldogs offense.
When it ended, Pittsburg won 28-27 to capture the NorCal Division 1-AA championship. The Pirates will play for the 1-AA state title next Friday against Lincoln-San Diego or Newbury Park at Saddleback College in Mission Viejo.
Alcantara threw four touchdown passes in his final home game in a Pittsburg uniform as he helped avenge the Pirates’ loss at Folsom in the 1-A regional championship game last season.
Folsom cut the deficit to 28-27 on a short run by quarterback Ryder Lyons with 2:03 left but was stopped on the two-point attempt.
The visitors got one more chance but Pittsburg’s defense made the stop to clinch the epic victory.
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 Lyons 1-yard plunge.
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.
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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.
