HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL PLAYOFFS / SOUTHERN SECTION SEMIFINALS : DIVISION VIII

Temescal Canyon 28, Sierra Vista 21--Tony Perez tackled Sierra Vista’s Oscar Interiano a yard short of the goal line to give the Titans a victory in a California tie-breaker overtime at Los Altos.

Interiano had rushed for 348 yards in 44 carries during regulation play, but was unable to match the Titans’ overtime score on four consecutive carries.

Under the California tie-breaker system, each team has four plays to score from the 10-yard line and Temescal Canyon scored on its third play when Dustin Griffin recovered a fumble by Matt August at the one-yard line.

Sierra Vista spotted Temescal Canyon (12-1) two first-quarter touchdowns, one on a 96-yard opening kickoff return by Ben Horton and the other on a one-yard run by August.

Interiano, who has rushed for 2,421 yards and 28 touchdowns this season and for 5,884 yards and 60 touchdowns in his career, rallied the Dons with two second-half touchdowns to help them take an 18-14 lead.

Temescal Canyon, however, took a 21-18 lead with 3:33 remaining in the fourth quarter on a 13-yard touchdown pass from Hess to Horton. With Interiano carrying on nearly every play, Sierra Vista drove to the Titans’ nine-yard line with seven seconds remaining to set up Interiano’s game-tying 25-yard field goal.