Huntington Beach wins first CIF-SS championship

ANAHEIM — Kai Ross delivered a spectacular performance to lead Huntington Beach High’s football team to its first CIF Southern Section championship in the Southwest Division final Saturday at Angel Stadium.

Ross threw three touchdown passes and returned two interceptions for TDs in leading the Oilers past Newport Harbor, 42-28, in front of 7,097.

Huntington Beach (9-5), the Sunset League’s fifth-place team that knocked off defending Southwest Division champ Edison in the semifinals, entered the playoffs as an at-large squad.

The teams were tied, 14-14, at halftime and again, 21-21, late in the third quarter. Ross threw a 52-yard touchdown pass to Nolan Thompson, who did most of the work after breaking a tackle with 6:26 left in the game.

Ross didn’t give the Sailors (8-6) a chance to respond. He intercepted a pass and broke/avoided six tackles for 36 yards to give Huntington Beach a 35-21 lead.

Ten seconds later, Ross struck again with another pick-six, jumping all over a pass and taking it back 28 yards for a 42-21 lead.

Incredible sequence.

Newport couldn’t recover, as the Oilers celebrated their momentous victory.

Huntington Beach also won a CIF Southern Section title in 1935, in the “B” Division.