PREP FOOTBALL / DIVISION III

West’s season-ending loss to Bishop Diego was an emotional one for Coach Kerry Crabb, who described a postgame meeting with his team, which won two playoff games after finishing third in the Pioneer League.

“I told my players that I love them very much and that I’m proud of them,” said a choked-up Crabb, whose team finished 9-4. “They’re a great group of young men.”

Time ran out on Division IX’s Cinderella team with just under 10 minutes to play.

Trailing 27-20 in the fourth quarter, Warrior quarterback Ryan Marshall threw a pass that was intercepted by linebacker David Alvarado, who returned the ball 30 yards to the West 15. On the next play, running back Abel Salcedo ran for a touchdown to give Bishop Diego a 34-20 lead.

“When it was 34-20, I kind of knew we were in a lot of trouble,” Crabb said. “I didn’t know if we could rally back, but we tried. We did as much as we could.”

Marshall, a senior, completed 15 of 33 passes, with two interceptions, for 238 yards and two touchdowns. His strong play during the playoffs--he passed for 775 yards and 10 TDs in three games--reportedly has improved his standing with college recruiters.

“Ryan Marshall had a great year, I can’t take anything away from him,” Crabb said. “He finished on a very high note for us.”