I went to Lakewood (Class of '70). The '70 team lost to Pat Haden's Bishop Amat team in the CIF championship game in OT (30,000 people at the Coliseum was a HS record).
They used something called the 'California Tie Breaker System'. You place the ball at mid field, each team alternates four plays. Final field position of the ball determines the winners. Worst system ever. A penalty for roughing the passer in OT cost Lakewood five yards (and likely the game). That player was virtually inconsolable in the locker room after the game.
But to his credit, in a good sport gesture, Pat Haden, J K McKay, the coach and a few others came over to the locker room to give their condolences to the Lancers. It was indeed a tough loss.
A few years later, I and my future wife were at the Rose Bowl on New Years Day rooting for the same Pat Haden and the Trojans against Ohio State..
I always though Haden to be a good guy, but he may have been in over his 5'9" head as AD.
Thanks for the Coach O clip!
I was at that same game, which would have been either in '74 or '75. The Trojans lost the '74 game--the first of 15 Rose Bowl games that I attended--but won on a two-point conversion in '75.
Class of '66 here. Our '67 team, under head coach John "Model T" Ford, lost in the CIF semifinals in the Coliseum. My brother was a two-way starter, as was future Trojan Ron Ayala. I was a freshman at USC, so attending the game was easy.