Arbor View survives triple-OT thriller against Coronado, 37-31

By Tristan Aird

Saturday, Sept. 27, 2014 | 11:59 p.m.

Arbor View coach Dan Barnson sensed his team would be challenged tonight by Coronado.

“We knew Coronado was going to be good,” Barnson said.

The Aggies wound up getting all they could handle from the Cougars in a game that will go down as one of the most memorable of the season.

Charles Louch scored on a short run in triple overtime to deliver Arbor View a 37-31 home win and cap a game filled with wild plays and some controversy.

“It was a huge win for our program,” Barnson said. “It could have gone either way, could have ended in regulation.”

The controversy came on the first possession of the third overtime, when Coronado ball carrier Brian Johnson elevated toward the goal line for what could have put the Cougars up by a touchdown. Officials ruled Johnson fumbled out of the end zone, giving the Aggies the ball and a chance to end the game.

Cougars coach Brad Talich felt Johnson broke the plane for a touchdown before the ball came loose.

“He did cross the plane. He was in,” Talich said. “It’s unfortunate. We shouldn’t have got ourselves in that position to let the game come down to that. It’s very disappointing.”

Arbor View (4-0) and Coronado (2-2) traded touchdowns and extra points in the first overtime, then exchanged field goals in the second overtime to push the thriller to a third extra period.

As is a staple with their program, the Aggies relied on strong balance in their rushing attack, as Herman Gray carried 30 times for 96 yards and two touchdowns and Andrew Wagner added 97 yards and a TD on eight carries. Louch finished with 35 yards on 12 carries, and quarterback Bryce Poster added a rushing TD.

“The idea for us was to keep them off the field,” Barnson said. “If we kept the clock moving, we knew it would limit the amount of time they would touch the ball.”

Talich said Coronado kicker Spencer Cofer hit four field goals, including a 45-yarder to force the first overtime.

“It was probably a good game to watch on TV,” Talich said, referring to the locally televised "Thursday Night Lights" series that this week fell on a Saturday.

Coronado has emerged as a budding power. The Cougars opened the season with a 41-26 victory at Huntington Beach (Calif.), and their two losses have been tight — a 14-13 defeat at Liberty and Saturday’s loss.

“This is tough,” Talich said. “Hopefully when we get to our division, we can learn from what’s happened with the tough nonconference schedule.”

Tristan Aird can be reached at 702-259-8829 or [email protected]. Follow Tristan on Twitter at twitter.com/tristanaird.