In the Nick of time -- Milani's late heroics lift Poway to win

By: TERRY MONAHAN - Staff Writer | Thursday, September 20, 2007 11:20 PM PDT ∞

El Camino High School wide receiver Travis Venzant runs the ball during Thursday night's game against Poway High School.
J. KAT WORONOWICZ For the North County Times
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OCEANSIDE ---- Until his final two carries of the football game, Nick Milani had three carries for minus-3 yards.

The Poway High senior was still called on for the biggest two plays of the game Friday.

With the No. 2-ranked Titans trailing by seven points, Milani scooted around left end for a touchdown and then burrowed into the line behind left guard to hand Poway a 15-14 nonleague win at El Camino on Thursday at Herb Meyer Stadium.

Milani, who also had an interception, capped off the 11-play, 54-yard drive that culminated with his two-yard run with just 1:25 to play.

"I had to get in was all I was thinking,'' Milani said. "Coach let us call the PAT try and the lineman called it right.

"I just followed the guys up front. I had to do whatever it took to get there at that point.''

El Camino (2-2) mounted one last drive that finally ran out of gas at the Poway 45 with 10.8 seconds left, turning it over on downs.

"We had to go for the two-pointer,'' Poway coach Damian Gonzalez said. "We were so inconsistent most of the night, there was no way we could put together another drive.

"We had to go for it there.''

The biggest play of the final drive for Poway ---- now 4-0 for the first time since 1980 ---- was a 35-yard hook-and-ladder play that went from quarterback Tynan Murray to Jared Relyea, who lateraled to Nick Ricciardulli.

That got the Titans to the El Camino 18. Milani ended it eight plays later.

"Both plays were tough,'' Milani added. "Either way we lose if I don't get in.''

El Camino, 10th-ranked in the county, had taken a 14-7 lead on Tim Willis' 58-yard TD strike to receiver Nelson Rosario with 8:44 left in the third quarter.

It stayed that way until Milani's last-minute heroics.

"That PAT try was a pretty bold play,'' El Camino coach Trace Deneke said. "We thought the quarterback would roll out one more time.

"We let them off the hook.''

The first half was a defensive struggle that featured more turnovers than big plays. Poway threw an interception and lost two fumbles while El Camino was intercepted three times and fumbled once.

Milani's interception set up Poway's only score of the first half. Starting from the Poway 19, the Titans needed 12 plays to cover 81 yards with Ricciardulli going the final 11 yards around left end with 1:59 left in the first quarter.

The fifth turnover in the second quarter, a fumble recovery at the Poway 23, set up El Camino's tying touchdown with 2:04 to go before halftime.

Junior quarterback Colton Morrison's 23-yard strike to Rosario in the heart of Poway's secondary tied the game 7-7.

"Having played the three games we played prepared us for this one,'' Gonzalez said. "The hook-and-ladder, we were just trying to catch a break.

"It was ugly, but it was a 'W'.''

Contact staff writer Terry Monahan at (760) 739-6648 or tmonahan@nctimes.com.

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