SAN MATEO — Archbishop Riordan coach Adhir Ravipati likened his team’s 42-35 win over Serra to a heavyweight bout.

“This is a title match,” he said. “You’re gonna have to throw some jabs, some counterpunches.”

And then?

“You gotta throw the knockout.”

The Crusaders fell behind 14-0 in the early going and were “out of sorts” by their coach’s own admission. But steadily, Riordan rallied to tie the game at 14 early in the second half.

The San Francisco school never trailed again. Buoyed by a resurgent second-half performance led by quarterback Michael Mitchell Jr. and running back Adonyae Brown, the Crusaders connected on the knockout blow with 3:15 to play, when Brown ran up the middle untouched for a 53-yard touchdown, giving Riordan (10-0) a 42-28 lead and its first West Catholic Athl

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