Citrus Valley Learns Lesson Hard Way

It was a season of firsts for Citrus Valley High School's football program.

Its' first CIF-Southern Section playoff berth.

Its' first league championship.

And its' first playoff lesson learned the hard way.

When you cannot keep your emotions in check on the field, YOU. WILL. LOSE.

And that's the lesson that the Blackhawk program needs to take away from Friday night's meltdown that came as Aquinas scored twice in the final 32 seconds to win the first round game 19-9.

Penalties, a problem at various times this season, reared its ugly head Friday night. The Blackhawks were flagged at just about every turn, and it was often for a personal foul or unsportsmanlike conduct. Every time, giving Aquinas more yards and more time to take off the clock.

But for all the penalties, the game was one that Citrus Valley could have won -- should have won, its supporters probably thought. They had a 9-6 lead late in the game when a fumble went the other way, leading the winning touchdown with 32 seconds left.

And that's when the wheels really fell off.

Citrus Valley was penalized on the touchdown. Then racked up a couple of more when another fumble was returned for the final score, as a helmet flew onto the field from the sideline, and there was more at the end of the play. Heated exchanges developed on the sidelines between players and coaches. Then more penalties on the point after kick. Then another on the final kickoff return, which is when the referees had enough and ran off the final 10 seconds.

The postgame handshake didn't happen, as Aquinas refused to come out ... which set off another outburst that security, administrators and coaches had to defuse.

It was not a pretty picture, and not the way coach Pete Smolin wanted to end the team's first playoff experience.

"We've got to keep our composure," he said after the game. "We're a young team. We have some seniors that have never had any leadership above them."

It was an dark end to what had been a bright season for the third-year program. There are a lot of new schools that would be envious to end its third season with only two blemishes on its record.

Unfortunately, that last blemish is going to be a tough one to look at in the mirror tomorrow -- and for weeks to come.

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