LA MESA – The Calvin Christian football team, in just its second year of existence, was four seconds away from a perfect regular season last night.

But like he did all game long, Foothills Christian quarterback/kicker Garret Campbell broke the Crusaders' hearts. The dynamic junior, who had 336 total yards, kicked a 28-yard field goal as time expired to give the Knights a 16-14 win as well as the Southern League championship.

“It was scary,” said Campbell, who missed a PAT in the third quarter. “Everything was in slow motion. When I saw it was going straight I was ecstatic.”

After a shaky first half in which Foothills failed to score, Campbell ignited the offense, finishing 14-for-23 with 192 yards through the air and 144 on the ground, including a 22-yard touchdown scamper in the third.

The Knights' signal caller did all of this while nursing a shoulder sprain suffered in the first quarter.

“We knew we had to contain Garret,” said Calvin head coach Wally Zittle, whose team looks to get a high seed in the section Division V playoffs, which start next week. “I think we did a good job in the first half, but it got away from us.”

Calvin star quarterback David Stout had a rare off-game. The 6-foot-6, 210-pound senior threw two interceptions – equaling his season total.

Still, Stout finished with 237 passing yards and led the offense on two scoring drives in the first half, which ended with the Crusaders leading 14-0.

“We believed we were just a few plays away in the first half,” said Foothills head coach Steve Perdue. “We made some adjustments in the second half and finally wore them down.”

Foothills had a chance to cut the lead in half in the waning seconds of the first half. Campbell completed a 48-yard pass to receiver Gage Provencher, putting the Knights deep in Calvin territory. But the Crusaders were able to kill the drive, forcing a turnover on downs to end the half.

The Foothills offense wasted no time getting on the board in the second half, though. The Knights marched 60 yards downfield on their first drive, which was capped off by a 2-yard touchdown plunge by Mattison Rundlett.

After a turnover on downs by Calvin on the ensuing possession, Foothills scored again, this time thanks to speedy QB Campbell. But Campbell's missed extra point left the game in the Crusaders' favor.

The junior made up for it with the clutch field goal, ending Calvin's bid for perfection.

“Sometimes a humbling experience is good,” Zittle said. “It'll make us tougher for next week.”