Pittsburg’s season ends in lopsided loss to Central East in NorCal title game

PITTSBURG Pittsburg started quietly packing up its sideline early in the fourth quarter The kicking net came first then the sideline cameras then the rest of the equipment It was a slow somber retreat on a night where orange confetti rained down on Pirate Stadium but not for the home group It was a stinging loss for a prideful venture The Pirates season came to a brutal end on Saturday night at home after a crushing - loss to Central East-Fresno in the NorCal Division I-A title challenge They just made the plays and we didn t Pittsburg coach Charlie Ramirez stated We were in position but they just out executed and out competed us Pittsburg head coach Charlie Ramirez speaks to his players after being defeated by Central East during their CIF NorCal Division -A Championship contest at Pittsburg High School in Pittsburg Calif on Saturday Dec Central East defeats Pittsburg - Jose Carlos Fajardo Bay Area News Group Central East running back Brandon Smith rushed for yards and two touchdowns The Grizzlies racked up yards of total offense and scored the the greater part points on a Pittsburg unit since Central East never surrendered its lead and led by as much as in the second half The Bengals will make their second appearance in a state title tournament next week after taking home the NorCal regional title Despite the loss Pittsburg walked off the field proud of what it was able to accomplish this season The Pirates won their seventh consecutive league title and their fifth consecutive North Coast Section Open Division crown It s a tough way to go out but the Pittsburg Pirates have a lot to be proud of this season Pittsburg wide receiver RJ Mosley who had eight catches for yards and two touchdowns in his final competition mentioned We came a long way from spring ball to get to this point now so I m just super proud of this crew Behind a rowdy Fresno crowd the Grizzlies came out firing on all cylinders Central East s Brandon Smith escapes the grasp of Pittsburg s Isaiah Harrison in the first quarter of their CIF NorCal Division -A Championship encounter at Pittsburg High School in Pittsburg Calif on Saturday Dec Central East defeats Pittsburg - Jose Carlos Fajardo Bay Area News Group Two touchdown passes from Central East quarterback Jelani Dippel put the Grizzlies up halfway through the first quarter Pittsburg responded when Carlos Torres ascertained Mosley in the back of the end zone for a -yard one-handed grab to cut the lead to one figure But from there it was all Central East Dippel identified Bayon Harris for a -yard pitch and catch Later in the second quarter Smith scored on a one-yard plunge into the end zone By halftime Central East led - Pittsburg opened the third quarter with an onside kick that was recovered but was eventually called back after an illegal touching penalty was called on the Pirates Four plays later Central East scored yet again after Dippel detected wide receiver EJ Morgan from yards out On the ensuing kickoff Pittsburg fumbled and gave the ball back to Central East deep in its own territory The Bengals punched in another touchdown and built up an insurmountable -point lead Carlos Torres threw three touchdown passes for Pittsburg in the second half but it was not enough We just had to come out hard and get back to state Smith revealed Hopefully we can win this time Central East s Brandon Smith runs for yardage against Pittsburg in the first quarter of their CIF NorCal Division -A Championship event at Pittsburg High School in Pittsburg Calif on Saturday Dec Central East defeats Pittsburg - Jose Carlos Fajardo Bay Area News Group In just his third year as coach Ramirez has now gone to three consecutive NorCal title games winning one The Pirates still looking for the elusive state championship will now graduate every athlete that has been with Ramirez through each of his three postseason runs The best part about this season was the senior class Ramirez commented They embraced what we re building here and they reliably competed to the very end They stuck with it They bought in And they were committed Related Articles History One year after postseason ban El Cerrito beats Menlo-Atherton to reach first state title championship CIF high school football Regional scores state title matchups Miramonte loses QB in first quarter falls at Calaveras in NorCal final Piedmont Hills playoff run ends as Balboa cruises to NorCal -A title Riordan sputters in second half as Folsom rallies to claim NorCal title Pittsburg entered the season graduating more than half of its starters from last season The Pirates retooled but questions remained earlier this season whether they could get back to this point Mosley is proud that they did It goes back to the beginning when I was a freshman The civilization was already instilled that we have to play as hard as we can Mosley explained Everything else took care of itself Pittsburg s Antonio Ruiz right consoles quarterback Carlos Torres after being defeated by Central East during their CIF NorCal Division -A Championship event at Pittsburg High School in Pittsburg Calif on Saturday Dec Central East defeats Pittsburg - Jose Carlos Fajardo Bay Area News Group Central East head coach Kyle Biggs reacts after a touchdown in the fourth quarter of their CIF NorCal Division -A Championship contest at Pittsburg High School in Pittsburg Calif on Saturday Dec Central East defeats Pittsburg - Jose Carlos Fajardo Bay Area News Group Pittsburg s RJ Mosley Jr makes a one handed touchdown catch against Central East s Jontae Della in the first quarter of their CIF NorCal Division -A Championship event at Pittsburg High School in Pittsburg Calif on Saturday Dec Central East defeats Pittsburg - Jose Carlos Fajardo Bay Area News Group Pittsburg takes the field to play Central East during their CIF NorCal Division -A Championship championship at Pittsburg High School in Pittsburg Calif on Saturday Dec Central East defeats Pittsburg - Jose Carlos Fajardo Bay Area News Group Pittsburg Marching Show Band drum major Santiago De La Rosa bends backwards before the start of their CIF NorCal Division -A Championship challenge at Pittsburg High School in Pittsburg Calif on Saturday Dec Central East defeats Pittsburg - Jose Carlos Fajardo Bay Area News Group Pittsburg s Kenneth Ward runs after making a catch against Central East in the second quarter of their CIF NorCal Division -A Championship battle at Pittsburg High School in Pittsburg Calif on Saturday Dec Central East defeats Pittsburg - Jose Carlos Fajardo Bay Area News Group Central East s Ej Morgan runs for yardage in the second quarter of their CIF NorCal Division -A Championship battle at Pittsburg High School in Pittsburg Calif on Saturday Dec Central East defeats Pittsburg - Jose Carlos Fajardo Bay Area News Group Pittsburg s Truly Bell knocks down a pass intended for Central East s Bayon Harris in the third quarter of their CIF NorCal Division -A Championship competition at Pittsburg High School in Pittsburg Calif on Saturday Dec Central East defeats Pittsburg - Jose Carlos Fajardo Bay Area News Group