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Backup QB leads Claremont comeback over Los Osos, as Wolfpack stays unbeaten – San Bernardino Sun

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Claremont’s Kingston Fajardo (9) looks for room to run as Los Osos’ Evan Abeln (2) and Amari Jones (11) move in for the tackle during the first half at Los Osos High School in Rancho Cucamonga on Friday, Oct. 3, 2025. Los Osos hosts Claremont in a Sierra League prep football league opener. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)

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RANCHO CUCAMONGA — Claremont’s undefeated football season was in serious jeopardy.

Not only were the Wolfpack down 10 points in the fourth quarter, they didn’t have the luxury of having their starting quarterback to lead the way.

But backup quarterback Carter Montgomery led Claremont on two touchdown drives in the final four minutes. Montgomery’s third touchdown pass of the game, an 8-yard pass to Max Leeper lifted Claremont to a stunning 28-24 victory over host Los Osos in a Sierra League opener Friday night.

“It feels pretty great. I kept telling myself that I truly am just a kicker (and) just have fun, do the best I could,” said Montgomery, who is the team’s starting kicker and punter. “The boys had my back. This is the best team I could be a part of.”

Trailing 24-14, Claremont (6-0 overall, 1-0 league) got the ball at its own 32 with 6:50 to play, but it looked like the drive might be over when the Wolfpack faced a fourth-and-10 at their 43.

Claremont lined up to punt with 4:52 to play, but quickly shifted into an offensive formation.

The move prompted Los Osos to call a timeout, although Claremont coach Jake Caron said he initially had no intention of going for it on fourth down.

“We were just going to try and draw them offside,” Caron said. “We had no intention of trying to pick up the first down on that punt. So they called timeout. I talked to the special teams guys. We looked at the clock and we were struggling stopping them, their run game. We decided to go with one of our best (passing) concepts, since we thought they were going to be in a soft cover four.”

Montgomery completed a 16-yard pass to Leeper for a first down and four plays after that, Montgomery’s 8-yard touchdown pass to Doug Yegge brought Claremont within 24-21 with 3:43 to play.

Claremont attempted an onside kick, but Los Osos recovered. Yet on the second play after that, a botched handoff was a fumble recovered by Claremont at the Grizzlies’ 44. It was Los Osos’ fourth turnover of the game.

“We just gave them too many extra possessions,” Los Osos coach Rudy Berumen said. “At the end, our defense was pretty tired.”

It took six plays for Montgomery to find Leeper again for an 8-yard touchdown with 1:07 to play for the 28-24 lead. Montgomery threw for 218 yards, 170 of which came after halftime. He also threw three touchdowns and had three interceptions.

Los Osos (2-4, 0-1) had a final chance, but that ended with the Grizzlies’ fifth turnover, an interception by Josiah Badger with 9.7 seconds to play.

Claremont was playing without starting quarterback Brandon Coronado, who was involved in a car accident during Claremont’s bye week a little more than a week ago and injured his left (non-throwing) shoulder. Coronado had thrown for 1,196 yards already this season.

Caron expects Coronado to return before the end of the regular season, but isn’t sure when.

“We were preparing if he (Coronado) was going to play all week,” Berumen said. “I don’t think it changed our approach (with Montgomery playing).”

Los Osos dominated the first half, but not on the scoreboard. The Grizzlies outgained Claremont 210-79 in yards of total offense in the first half but led only 14-7 because Leeper returned an interception 98 yards for a touchdown.

“We felt we should’ve been up 28-0,” Berumen said of the first-half dominance.

The lead did grow to 21-7 in the opening moments of the third quarter when the Grizzlies recovered an onside kick to start the second half and drove 46 yards for a touchdown, capped by a 1-yard sneak by quarterback Isaiah Guerrero.

Claremont’s offense finally got going after that and Montgomery found Leeper for a 63-yard touchdown midway through the third quarter to make it 21-14. Los Osos’ final score was a 39-yard field goal with 4:08 left in the third quarter, setting the stage for Claremont’s rally.

“The league is no joke. What a privilege it was to play Los Osos on their home field,” Caron said. “What a great environment. We’ll enjoy tonight, but it’s humbling knowing we’ve got Charter Oak next week.”



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