Crespi’s Prayers Answered, 26-21 : Prep football: Hail Mary pass by Canyon into Celts’ end zone fails on final play.

It all boiled down to the last play Friday night, a jump ball in the end zone at the gun.

And in a game decided by the slimmest of margins, you just don’t beat the Catholic school on a Hail Mary-type pass on the final play.

The Crespi High defense held off a last-ditch rally in the game’s final moments as the Celts edged Canyon, 26-21, in a nonleague thriller at Canyon.

It just doesn’t get any closer.

With two seconds to play and Canyon on the Crespi 11-yard line, quarterback Sean Connelly was flushed from the pocket by Mike McCarthy and tossed a hurried lob into the left side of the end zone.

The ball hung in the air for what seemed an eternity as several players from both teams converged. In the end, a trio of Crespi defenders held off Canyon receivers Lucas James and Brant Botton to save the day.

It was a bitter defeat for Connelly and crew, who took possession at their 20 with 1 minute 12 seconds remaining and nearly pulled it out.

“I really thought we were going to put it in,” said Connelly, who completed 12 of 28 passes for 229 yards and a touchdown and rushed for another score. “I was real confident on that last drive.”

Probably because neither defense did much to slow the momentum of the opposition. The lead changed hands six times as the offenses cruised up and down the field almost at will.

Crespi (2-0) took a 26-21 lead with a remarkable ball control. Taking over with 6:37 left and Canyon holding a 21-20 lead, the Celts, led by quarterback Matt Walker, went on an 11-play, 64-yard scoring drive. Tailback Torie Lee, who finished with 134 yards in 23 carries, ran eight yards around left end to finish the drive with 1:12 left. A pass by Walker on a two-point conversion attempt was intercepted.

Connelly completed a pair of clutch fourth-down passes in the final possession by Canyon (1-1) to keep the threat alive. On the second-to-last play of the game--with eight seconds left--Connelly hooked up with Sean McDermott for a 19-yard gain to the Crespi 11.

“We almost performed a miracle,” said Canyon Coach Harry Welch, a Crespi graduate.