TUSTIN — Beckman coach Marcello Giuliano prepared his team for the challenge of defeating a league opponent twice in one season.
The Patriots rose to the occasion in a rematch with Fullerton, played a balanced game and were able to win, 30-13, in a CIF-SS Division 8 quarterfinal Friday night at Tustin High.
Beckman (9-3) will host Palm Desert in the semifinals next week. It will be Giuliano’s first time in a semifinal as a head coach.
“It’s something I’ve never done before,” Giuliano said. “I’ve been a head coach for a long time, and, you know, getting over this hump, this barrier, is really meaningful to me. I’m excited to play one more week.”
The Patriots were led offensively by running back Makhi Czaykowski, who ran for 200 yards and two touchdowns, and quarterback Noah Nam, who threw two touchdown passes.
“First thing is he has such a steady presence in the huddle,” Giuliano said of Nam. “He doesn’t get too high, he doesn’t get low. And obviously, he can really throw and he’s a super smart football player, he is an exceptional quarterback.”
Beckman set the tone on its first offensive play from scrimmage, as Czaykowski broke a few tackles en route to a 58-yard gain.
A few plays later, Czaykowski scored on a 5-yard run from the wildcat formation to make it 6-0.
Nam’s 32-yard scoring pass to Sawyer Nickelson, on a play that started with a well-executed, play-action fake, gave Beckman a 13-0 lead early in the second quarter.
The Indians (9-3) responded with a 15-yard touchdown pass from Sergio Andrade to Luke Viramontes to make it 13-7 with 1:07 left in the half.
The Patriots got a nice kickoff return and then a 29-yard catch by Aidan Tran to get in position for Aiden Wimberly’s 25-yard field goal before halftime.
They also began the second half with another touchdown drive when Nam hit Zak Hazboun for a short TD pass to make it 23-7.
Fullerton coach Pete Karavedas admitted that sequence was a bit too much to overcome but he is so proud of the turnaround his team completed.
“That field goal made it a two-possession game and then they come out and get that touchdown to start the second half,” Karavedas said. “But, you know, I’m proud of our kids. It’s been a great run. I think we got a lot to build out for the future and I’m excited.”
Beckman is just one win away from its third trip to a CIF-SS championship game. The Patriots were finalists in 2010 and 2011, losing both games by one-point each.
The Patriots are riding an eight-game winning streak, but Giuliano kept things in perspective.
“I certainly love winning and it’s better than the alternative,” he said. “But then, you know what, you’re right back to the grindstone the next morning, and there’s not a whole lot of time to sit and reflect or enjoy, you know, because it’s like onto the next. Especially at this part of the season, right? Like every game is potentially your last game.”