Eagle Rock pulls off City Section stunner, eliminating unbeaten San Pedro

It was a night unlike any other in City Section football playoff history.

The No. 1 and No. 2 seeds, San Pedro and Venice, were beaten in overtime in the opening games of the Open Division playoffs on Thursday night.

San Pedro lost to Eagle Rock 38-31. Venice lost to Birmingham 28-27. And No. 3-seeded Wilmington Banning barely got past Roosevelt 25-24.

“I think San Pedro and Venice were odds-on favorites to meet in the finals, and to have the No. 7 and No. 8 seeds win and take them to overtime is pretty remarkable,� Eagle Rock coach Andy Moran said.

Eagle Rock rallied from a 31-17 fourth-quarter deficit. Brooklyn Pasten, a linebacker, receiver and wild-cat quarterback, scored the final three touchdowns, tying the score on a one-yard run in regulation with 27 seconds left. Quarterback Tanner Erwin passed for 272 yards and four touchdowns.

Then there was Ryland Bailey-Roque. He lost the ball on a fumble when Eagle Rock was trailing 31-17. Then he made an interception, followed by recovering an onside kick and making the score-tying conversion kick. San Pedro had a bad snap on its final play in overtime and then the Eagles celebrated.

“Kids were exhausted,� Moran said. “It was pretty remarkable. Our kids were running all over the field.�

Eagle Rock advances to play at No. 4-seeded Garfield next Friday night in the semifinals, a rematch of the 2018 semifinals. Birmingham will play at Banning. The Eagles (10-1) will be the underdog again.

“That’s the role we’re born to play,� Moran said.