Under the lights of Cougar Stadium, Saugus came out ready to battle for their second win of the season. While the Centurions weren’t able to get the win, they fought until the very end.

During their 32-24 loss to Oak Park, Saugus showed resilience and Head Coach Jason Bornn says that’s their mantra: keep fighting.

“We’re going to fight, compete and battle until the very end to give ourselves the best opportunity to win a game,” said Bornn. 

That was tested when the Centurions were down 31-17 with 11 minutes left to play. The offense hit the field with energy, knowing that if they wanted a chance to stay alive, a touchdown was needed.

After a lengthy drive that saw junior receiver Degan Grant rack in over 70 yards through the air, it ended on the ground with a 2-yard rushing touchdown from Ty Hall.

Down by 8 points, the boys in blue tried to catch the Eagles off guard with an onside kick, but Oak Park was prepared.

After a failed onside kick attempt, the Centurions had their backs against the wall on their own 48-yard line. They pushed back, forcing Oak Park into an uncomfortable 4th and 6.

On fourth down, the Eagles brought their offense back on the field but surprised Saugus by dropping back their quarterback and punting the ball on the 3-yard line.

With a few minutes left in regulation, the Centurions needed a touchdown and a 2-point conversion to tie the game. In two-minute mode, Saugus was driving down the field and got themselves within the red zone with more than enough time to score.

On third and about six, Jake Nuttall found Grant through the air in what looked like a touchdown but was ruled short. While the Centurions didn’t get a touchdown, they were able to move the sticks and put themselves in a first and goal position on the 1-yard line.

After coming close to the endzone a couple more times, the Eagles defense was able to prevent Saugus from tying the game.

With 40 seconds left, Oak Park got set in the victory formation and walked off with a 32-24 win. 

While Bornn believes that the ball crossed the line on the final drive, he said the game shouldn’t have reached a point where the outcome could be determined by any outside factors.

“The bottom line is we need to take care of our responsibilities. If we do that, then we can control our own destiny. When you don’t do that you lay it in the hands of the officials or other factors that are beyond our control,” said Bornn.

 Saugus looks to get back on track next Friday when they travel to take on the Camarillo Scorpions at 7 p.m.

KHTS FM 98.1 and AM 1220 is Santa Clarita’s only local radio station. KHTS mixes in a combination of news, traffic, sports, and features along with your favorite adult contemporary hits. Santa Clarita news and features are delivered throughout the day over our airwaves, on our website and through a variety of social media platforms. Our KHTS national award-winning daily news briefs are now read daily by 34,000+ residents. A vibrant member of the Santa Clarita community, the KHTS broadcast signal reaches all of the Santa Clarita Valley and parts of the high desert communities located in the Antelope Valley. The station streams its talk shows over the web, reaching a potentially worldwide audience. Follow @KHTSRadio on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.