For five seconds Friday night that old bleacher-stomping magic was back at Huyck Stadium.
After trailing Righetti 9-0 at halftime the Lompoc Braves’ running game began to stir behind BOBBY COLLINS’ 113 second-half yards. The blues marched 70 yards to a 3-yard Collins touchdown to narrow the gap to 9-7.
With that the small home crowd, shrunken by a televised Angels baseball playoff game and a bitter wind surprisingly cold for Oct. 5, began to warm to life.
At 11:05 of the fourth quarter when FAVI VARGAS sacked Warrior quarterback Justin Level for a huge 10-yard loss the crowd began to finally make noise and when a Righetti punt went backward a few fans actually began to rise to their feet. In the next series on 3rd-and 8 quarterback DARYL AGUILAR scrambled along the western sideline for 34 yards to the Righetti 17 to bring the whole crowd to its feet.
When RALPH GONZALES (pictured) booted a 28-yard field goal to give Lompoc a 10-9 edge the relieved Brave partisans (“Oh that’s why I came out here tonight!”) began to recall the giddy CIF championship years of 2002 and 2003. A hint of the magic had returned.
Four minutes later when Collins broke loose for a 77-yard TD run, fond memories stretched a decade further back to explosive No. 8-- NAPOLEON KAUFMAN. The scoreboard read 16-9 and the Brave magic was in full fragrant flower. Shoulders were pounded, fists rose into the air.
But only for five seconds… before a flag fluttered to the ground.
A personal foul called away from the action and well behind Collins, erased the play. Back to 10-9.
“It was a dumb penalty,” muttered Brave coach ROBIN LUKEN. The referees called it a cheap shot, and it was. It was behind the play, why do you need to hit anybody? When you make dumb mistakes it costs you.”
Level seized his team’s reprieve and used his final four minutes to drive Righetti 80 yards in 10 plays with pass completions of 23, 25, 17 and the coup de grace of 10 yards for a TD with just 41 seconds remaining on the clock. For those Brave enough to look at the scoreboard it read 15-10 in favor of the visitors. With a 2-point PAT it ended 17-10.
Brrrrrrrrrrr the wind became colder than ever, the magic evaporated, and the recollection of 2006 when the Braves did not win a single Pac-7 game, crowded out the warm fuzzies of 2002.
Collins finished with 141 or 157 yards depending on whose stats you use, but with Righetti defenders climbing all over him Aguilar was limited to three completions in nine tries for 48 yards.
On the good side all the academically-challenged starters who worried Luken earlier in the week were present and in action.
“We played hard,” reflected Luken afterward. “But we did not do the right thing when it counted. We’ve got to suck it up now, and fight back.”
The Braves, now 0-1 in Pac-7 play, host Paso Robles (4-1 pre-league) next Friday in another hunt for the charm of yesteryear.
In other games Arroyo Grande dumped San Marcos 37-20 and San Luis Obispo tied Nordhoff 17-17 in non-league contests. Paso Robles and Atascadero were idle.
PAC-7 Standings
Righetti 1-0 (5-1)
Paso Robles 0-0 (5-0)
Atascadero 0-0 (4-1)
San Luis Obispo 0-0 (3-1-1)
Arroyo Grande 0-0 (2-3)
Lompoc 0-1 (2-3)
IN SANTA YNEZ CABRILLO FALLS AGAIN
Friday night at Pirate Stadium in SantaYnez the same Cabrillo failing as in previous contests bore the same sour fruit.
Four turnovers-- two fumbles and two interceptions-- negated another phenomenal running game by BENNIE GARRETT and led to two Santa Ynez touchdowns and a 24-14 Pirate win.
Santa Ynez’ Jeff Rosecrance rambled for 56 yards in the first quarter to set up a field goal in the first quarter. Then in the second a fumble recovery gave SY the ball at their own 44 from where Justin Iniguez made a 31-yard run and the Pirates soon scored to go up 10-0.
Garrett carried on nine straight plays to take Cabrillo 78 yards for a plunge by PAT COOK to narrow the gap to 10-7 by halftime. By then Garrett had already amassed 137 yards.
But in the second half Pirate coach Josh Cunningham installed a five-man front and held Garrett to only 49 more yards on 13 carries. Meanwhile the home team tallied a third quarter TD on a 58-yard drive on just four rushing plays and another Cabrillo fumble at the Cabrillo 29 led to an insurance score to make the count 24-7 with six minutes left.
The Conqs showed a late spark with a 65-yard ramble by DAVID FRAATS which led to a two-yard TD run by SEAN ALLEN.
“Turnovers have been the story all year,” said Cabrillo coach DON CROSS as he has several times earlier.
Cabrillo, now 1-4 overall, visits league-leading St. Joseph next Friday.
In other LPL games Morro Bay remained on top at 2-0 with a 27-23 victory at Templeton, Nipomo nipped Pioneer Valley 14-12 to remain tied with MB, and St. Joseph blasted Santa Maria 55-0 to also join the trifecta at the top of the chart.
LPL standings
Morro Bay 2-0 (5-0)
St. Joseph 2-0 (4-1)
Nipomo 2-0 (3-2)
Templeton 1-1 (4-1)
Santa Ynez 1-1 (2-3)
Pioneer Valley 1-2 (3-2)
Santa Maria 0-2 (2-3)
Cabrillo 0-3 (1-4)
After trailing Righetti 9-0 at halftime the Lompoc Braves’ running game began to stir behind BOBBY COLLINS’ 113 second-half yards. The blues marched 70 yards to a 3-yard Collins touchdown to narrow the gap to 9-7.
With that the small home crowd, shrunken by a televised Angels baseball playoff game and a bitter wind surprisingly cold for Oct. 5, began to warm to life.
At 11:05 of the fourth quarter when FAVI VARGAS sacked Warrior quarterback Justin Level for a huge 10-yard loss the crowd began to finally make noise and when a Righetti punt went backward a few fans actually began to rise to their feet. In the next series on 3rd-and 8 quarterback DARYL AGUILAR scrambled along the western sideline for 34 yards to the Righetti 17 to bring the whole crowd to its feet.
When RALPH GONZALES (pictured) booted a 28-yard field goal to give Lompoc a 10-9 edge the relieved Brave partisans (“Oh that’s why I came out here tonight!”) began to recall the giddy CIF championship years of 2002 and 2003. A hint of the magic had returned.
Four minutes later when Collins broke loose for a 77-yard TD run, fond memories stretched a decade further back to explosive No. 8-- NAPOLEON KAUFMAN. The scoreboard read 16-9 and the Brave magic was in full fragrant flower. Shoulders were pounded, fists rose into the air.
But only for five seconds… before a flag fluttered to the ground.
A personal foul called away from the action and well behind Collins, erased the play. Back to 10-9.
“It was a dumb penalty,” muttered Brave coach ROBIN LUKEN. The referees called it a cheap shot, and it was. It was behind the play, why do you need to hit anybody? When you make dumb mistakes it costs you.”
Level seized his team’s reprieve and used his final four minutes to drive Righetti 80 yards in 10 plays with pass completions of 23, 25, 17 and the coup de grace of 10 yards for a TD with just 41 seconds remaining on the clock. For those Brave enough to look at the scoreboard it read 15-10 in favor of the visitors. With a 2-point PAT it ended 17-10.
Brrrrrrrrrrr the wind became colder than ever, the magic evaporated, and the recollection of 2006 when the Braves did not win a single Pac-7 game, crowded out the warm fuzzies of 2002.
Collins finished with 141 or 157 yards depending on whose stats you use, but with Righetti defenders climbing all over him Aguilar was limited to three completions in nine tries for 48 yards.
On the good side all the academically-challenged starters who worried Luken earlier in the week were present and in action.
“We played hard,” reflected Luken afterward. “But we did not do the right thing when it counted. We’ve got to suck it up now, and fight back.”
The Braves, now 0-1 in Pac-7 play, host Paso Robles (4-1 pre-league) next Friday in another hunt for the charm of yesteryear.
In other games Arroyo Grande dumped San Marcos 37-20 and San Luis Obispo tied Nordhoff 17-17 in non-league contests. Paso Robles and Atascadero were idle.
PAC-7 Standings
Righetti 1-0 (5-1)
Paso Robles 0-0 (5-0)
Atascadero 0-0 (4-1)
San Luis Obispo 0-0 (3-1-1)
Arroyo Grande 0-0 (2-3)
Lompoc 0-1 (2-3)
IN SANTA YNEZ CABRILLO FALLS AGAIN
Friday night at Pirate Stadium in SantaYnez the same Cabrillo failing as in previous contests bore the same sour fruit.
Four turnovers-- two fumbles and two interceptions-- negated another phenomenal running game by BENNIE GARRETT and led to two Santa Ynez touchdowns and a 24-14 Pirate win.
Santa Ynez’ Jeff Rosecrance rambled for 56 yards in the first quarter to set up a field goal in the first quarter. Then in the second a fumble recovery gave SY the ball at their own 44 from where Justin Iniguez made a 31-yard run and the Pirates soon scored to go up 10-0.
Garrett carried on nine straight plays to take Cabrillo 78 yards for a plunge by PAT COOK to narrow the gap to 10-7 by halftime. By then Garrett had already amassed 137 yards.
But in the second half Pirate coach Josh Cunningham installed a five-man front and held Garrett to only 49 more yards on 13 carries. Meanwhile the home team tallied a third quarter TD on a 58-yard drive on just four rushing plays and another Cabrillo fumble at the Cabrillo 29 led to an insurance score to make the count 24-7 with six minutes left.
The Conqs showed a late spark with a 65-yard ramble by DAVID FRAATS which led to a two-yard TD run by SEAN ALLEN.
“Turnovers have been the story all year,” said Cabrillo coach DON CROSS as he has several times earlier.
Cabrillo, now 1-4 overall, visits league-leading St. Joseph next Friday.
In other LPL games Morro Bay remained on top at 2-0 with a 27-23 victory at Templeton, Nipomo nipped Pioneer Valley 14-12 to remain tied with MB, and St. Joseph blasted Santa Maria 55-0 to also join the trifecta at the top of the chart.
LPL standings
Morro Bay 2-0 (5-0)
St. Joseph 2-0 (4-1)
Nipomo 2-0 (3-2)
Templeton 1-1 (4-1)
Santa Ynez 1-1 (2-3)
Pioneer Valley 1-2 (3-2)
Santa Maria 0-2 (2-3)
Cabrillo 0-3 (1-4)
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