COC CAN'T CLIMB THIS MT. : MT. SAN JACINTO 42, CANYONS 16.

Byline: Lee Barnathan Daily News Staff Writer

All week, Tim Feirfeil readied himself for his second debut.

His knee and ankle injuries that severely limited him through the second half of the season finally had healed, and he was excited to unleash his diverse talents on Mt. San Jacinto in the McDonald's Charity Bowl at Antelope Valley College.

Feirfeil caught the first pass Canyons threw, a 7-yarder. He caught the first touchdown, a 9-yard slant to open the scoring. And he earned the team's player of game honors with his 10 receptions for 92 yards.

But there was one play that stood in the way of his day being complete, the play that sparked Mt. San Jacinto to a 42-16 victory.

Ask Feirfeil about ``the play,'' and he knows what you mean: the deflected interception return for a touchdown with 13 minutes, 28 seconds remaining that changed the momentum and turned a possible victory into defeat.

Canyons (7-4) had just scored to cut the Eagles' (9-2) lead to 21-16 and was driving early in the fourth quarter. Kevin Carrasco threw backward to Feirfeil, who looked to throw long. Jude Oliva was wide open 30 yards down the field. A completion meant a touchdown.

Only Feirfeil didn't get the throw off. Three Mt. San Jacinto players converged, and Feirfeil's pass was deflected backward to defensive back Sheldon King, who ran 53 yards for the score.

After that, it was all Mt. San Jacinto. The Eagles returned a second interception for a score and forced two fumbles. Plus, they completed a similar double-pass play for a touchdown and found their running game, with player of the game David Minnich gaining most of his 109 yards in the fourth quarter.

``I couldn't get a good grip on the ball,'' Feirfeil said. ``I couldn't feel the ball. My hands were numb.''

The frustration was evident on the face and in the voice of Canyons' coach Chuck Lyon.

``That play right there,'' Lyon said, pointing in the general direction of the play, ``That play was the defining moment. They took over the game after that. These conditions (cold, windy) weren't conducive to our style of play. This is more suited to the Midwest: three yards and a cloud of dust.''

Before that play, Canyons gave its best defensive effort of the year. It held the Eagles, the Foothill Conference's best running team, to 45 rushing yards. Mt. San Jacinto didn't get a first down until there was 5:23 left in the half.

But in the second half, things fell apart for the Cougars. Mt. San Jacinto finished with five forced turnovers and 177 rushing yards.

Carrasco finished 30 of 50 for 291 yards, falling short of 3,000 for the season.

Eagles quarterback Damon Puckett completed 7 of 8 for 129 yards and two scores.

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Photo

PHOTO College of the Canyons' Corandole Daniels is wrapped up by Mt. San Jacinto's Tim Cannon in the first quarter.

John Lazar/Special to the Daily News