Less than a month ago, La Costa Canyon and Carlsbad locked horns for their annual league showdown.

The longtime rivals shared the field once again Friday as part of the CIF Open Division semifinals.

Behind 13 unanswered second-half points, Carlsbad took down its cross-town rivals 27-23, punching its ticket to the program’s third CIF Open Division finals in the last six seasons.

“There is an expectation to win and carry on a great tradition,” said Carlsbad coach Thadd MacNeal. “This was a team that humbled us three weeks ago. But when we found out we were playingthem again, our players’ excitement was unmatched.”

La Costa Canyon provided immediate fireworks on its opening possession. Quarterback Quinn Roth hit Coby Herman on a wheel route for a 76-yard touchdown on the game’s third play

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