Any hope of a Tri-County Athletic League championship went out the window for the St. Patrick-St. Vincent High varsity football team after a 40-27 loss to visiting El Cerrito on Friday.

It was the third straight loss for the Bruins (6-3), who dropped to 1-3 in the TCAL with only one game remaining in the regular season. The Bruins hurt themselves with five turnovers and allowed two kickoff returns for touchdowns against the first-place Gauchos (6-3, 3-1 TCAL).

SPSV got off to a good start when Marquel Johnson caught a 16-yard TD pass from Michael Pappas and Marshel Martin scored on a 35-yard run for a 13-0 lead. El Cerrito’s Jaylen Phelps returned the ensuing kickoff 70 yards for a touchdown to make it 13-7 after one quarter.

Martin recovered a fumble and returned it 14 yards for a TD to put SPSV up 20-7 early in the second quarter. El Cerrito’s Damon Cole Jr. answered with a 75-yard kickoff return for a TD, only to have SPSV’s Johnson answer right back with an 81-yard kickoff return for a TD. Touchdown runs by El Cerrito’s Lanique Wilkes and Glen Cotton made it 27-27 at halftime.

The Bruins wouldn’t score again, and fourth-quarter touchdown runs by Wilkes and Armauni Archie proved to be the difference.

Pappas completed 17-of-38 passes for 168 yards but threw a pair of interceptions. Johnson caught 10 passes for 107 yards.

SPSV closes out the regular season at home against Swett this Friday.

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