Cal defeated Kutztown on a sudden-death overtime try from Jake Anderson to win the Cup Final of the CRC 17-12 Sunday at PPL Park in Chester, Pa.

This was the third straight time that Cal has won the tournament, and caps a string of six tournaments in which they have finished 1st three times, 2nd once, and 3rd once.

Faison-Donahoe was a key attacking force for Kutztown.

Alec Gletzer against Life.

In a game that featured several potentially game-changing plays, in the end, two key moments of indiscipline cost Kutztown. 

KU made the final by defeating Indiana 31-12 in the quarterfinals, and Arizona 19-14 in the semis. In that semifinal, KU came back from an early 7-0 deficit to see Nu’u Aiava, Robert Stortz, and Alex Faison-Donahoe punish Arizona out wide.

Cal, meanwhile, made the championship game after shutting out Michigan 31-0 and slicing up Life 33-5 in a superb display - big plays from Harry Adolphus and Nik Boyer in the open field, and with Anthony Salaber doing good work in the breakdowns, led the Bears.

So on to the final. Early on Cal committed too many turnovers, looking a little frantic with the ball, and the result was a KU counter-attack that ended in a penalty, and a quick-tap by Stortz to put him over for a 7-0 lead.

Cal settled down after that and got some help from Salaber, who broke through the middle and showed the kind of moves that made him a star for Dixon HS and the HS All Americans. He went in under the posts from 50 meters out and the game was tied 7-7. Cal almost took the lead at halftime when Andrew Battaglia was in at the corner. But Aiava just got has hands around the Cal wing’s ankles, pulling his feet into touch and preserving the tie.

But early into the second half there was no such reprieve, as Anderson, and Salaber and Alec Gletzer pushed Kutztown back and then hands out gave room for Battaglia to score.

Battaglia had another shot at glory, but a nice tackle from Johnathan Sage kept the game close. Sage put in another tackle on the opposite side of the field, and this was a bg one, as it forced Anderson to lose the ball. Sage gathered it up, and fed Faison-Donahoe for a long romp to the corner. 12-12.

Near the end of the game, then, Cal was attacking. But California was penalized for holding onto the ball. KU’s Bilal Hasssen tried to go quickly, but Cal’s Paul Bosco held onto the ball, and Hassen ended up lifting the ball and Bosco onto and over his shoulder, before tossing him to the ground.

Referee Leah Berard reversed the penalty and gave Cal the ball and Hassen a yellow card. Cal tapped but knocked it on to end regulation 12-12.

It was an interesting call. Berard said she had no choice because the action was essentially a tip tackle. But Cal was preventing a quick tap, easily grounds for a yellow based on how referees had policed that behavior during the weekend. Picky observers might have said the incident warranted a yellow to each side.

As it was, it was all moot. Kutztown won the toss, took the overtime kickoff, and started to work their way down the field. All they needed to do was keep the ball and execute, but they didn’t. A needless sealing-off penalty gave the ball to Cal just inside the Cal half, and with a man advantage it was a case of using their excellent passing and awareness of matchups to get the job done. Anderson stepped out of one tackle, and with no sweeper to track him down, he was in under the posts to win it for California.

In other action, UCLA punished Dartmouth with superior size to take the Plate. Notre Dame won an exciting Bowl Final with the highlight being the Irish player scoring from halfway while wearing only one boot. In a Shield Final that was somewhat error-strewn and stop-start, Temple edged Boston College.

Final Order of CRC Finish

1. Cal

2. Kutztown

3. Life, Arizona

5. Arkansas State, Indiana, Navy, Michigan 

9. UCLA

10. Dartmouth

11. Virginia Tech, Air Force

13. Notre Dame

14. St. Joseph’s

15. Penn State, Alabama 

17. Temple

18. Boston College

19. Clemson, Texas