Salinas football

  As players for Placer High raced to their sidelines, arms swinging in jubilation, Salinas stood in outer disbelief, unsure of what just happened
 A football season, one filled with numerous milestones and countless memories and records, ended in a split second.
 "You can't prepare for this,'' Salinas football coach Steve Zenk said.
 Not this kind of ending.
 A missed extra point in overtime Friday sent Placer into pandemonium and reduced the Cowboys to tears, as they fell 43-42 in the State Northern California D4-AA bowl game.
 "I've never been involved in anything like this,'' said defensive end Nathan Martorella said. "Crazy.''
 Indeed.
 For the first time since Sept. 15, Salinas (11-3) suffered a loss. This one will sting a little more as it ended a magical season that took them to a Central Coast Section Open Division I title.
 "I just thanked them for a wonderful year, for what they did for the school and community,'' Zenk said.
 The loss snapped a school record 10 game winning streak for Salinas. Placer (13-1) will be going to the state championship for the first time.
 "Placer is a good team that played hard,'' Zenk said. "We played hard. We just came up a point short. That's how it goes sometimes.''
 When Zenk looks at film, he will ask himself where did a 21-point first quarter lead go? Or how did his team uncharacteristically commit 175 yards in penalties.
  Yet, the question that will pop up will be a decision to go for two in the fourth quarter in an attempt to take a 10-point lead instead of kicking the extra point.
 "I was just trying to increase the lead to 10,'' Zenk said. "Sometimes chasing points is a bad idea.''
 When Salinas couldn't convert, the lead was back to eight and a one possession game.
 That was the opening Placer needed as quarterback Michael Stuck tossed a 54-yard touchdown pass with 3:47 left. Converting the two-point conversion tied the game at 36.
 The Hillman, who were down 21-0 and 28-7, outscored Salinas 29-6 in the final 28 minutes to force overtime.
 "Maybe a month from now when I look at this film, I'll enjoy the game,'' Zenk said. "Right now it hurts to see these kids hurting.''
  While Placer scored first in overtime, the Cowboys answered when Ritchie Cerda carried a pair of defenders into the end zone for a 3-yard touchdown run.
 Yet, the extra point attempt sailed just to the left of the upright, ending the game, sending Placer to the state championship game.
 "You know we accomplished every one of our goals this year,'' Zenk said. "We won our league. We beat Palma. We won a CCS title. This was extra. It's football. It's a game.''
 The Cowboys came out with fire, scoring on their first three possessions as Cerda scored from 10 yards out on the opening drive.
 Brett Reade opened the game hitting his first five passes, all to Jeff Weimer, including a 30-yard scoring strike to make it 14-0.
 Weimer had seven catches for 123 yards in the first half.
 When Reade kept it himself for a 10-yard touchdown run following a fumble recovery from Nick Marquez, the Cowboys were enjoying a 21-0 lead with 5:15 left in the first quarter.
 "We started well,'' Zenk said.
 The momentum continued when Andrew Calder returned a interception 35-yards or touchdown to put them up 28-7 in the second quarter.
 But a series of penalties -- three straight at one point and 135 yards worth in the first half -- changed the complexion of the game.
 At one point, Zenk called his players together for a quick meeting on the sidelines.
 "I told them to calm down and do what you well,'' Zenk said.
 Placer built momentum off of the Cowboys mental mistakes, scoring twice before halftime to cut the deficit to seven.
 When it scored to open the second half and converted a two-point conversation, it had its first lead at 28-27.
 The Cowboys answered when Adrian Hernandez kicked a 35-yard field goal.  When Cerda scored his second touchdown of the game, they had an eight point cushion with 10:08 remaining.