Braves Unmoveable; Conqs Tripped

BLUES OF OLD

For the first time since their grandfathers were playing, the Lompoc Braves have begun their season with two straight shutouts.

Friday night at Huyck Stadium the blues played airtight defense to whitewash SantaYnez 34-0, this after a 32-0 shutdown of Nipomo last week.

The only other time in school history such a defensive effort has been seen was 67 years ago. In 1941 LHS played and shut out Los Prietos Boys School and then Atascadero to open the season.

This time the Brave D accounted for a whopping six turnovers, four fumble recoveries and two interceptions, and even though the Pirates racked up more first downs they never neared the Lompoc goal line. Spearheading the defense were linebacker JAKE MOREHART with an interception and a recovery, defensive back RUDY YRUEGAS with a pickoff, and linebackers ROMAN CAMPOS and FAVI VARGAS and cornerback GILBY CORNEJO.

Meanwhile on offense junior quarterback RICHIE HIRZEL returned from an appendectomy which sidelined him from the opener and threw three touchdown passes, one each to BOBBY COLLINS and to Yruegas in the second quarter and one to SCOTT AGUAILAR in the third. Collins had opened the scoring floodgates early with a 44-yard run and Vargas closed them with a three-yard plunge late in the third quarter. Sophomore DREW SAPP contributed four extra points.

“It was as much as I could have asked for,” Hirzel told reporter Al Hunt. “I had my timing. My line made sure of that.” Hirzel connected on six of seven passes for 130 yards while Collins led Lompoc rushing with 85 yards on 14 carries.

Collins' opening score came from 44 yards out and his second, on the Hirzel pass, was manufactured after a screen pass found him open ground on the right side 34 yards out. Yruegas’ scoring reception went for 45 yards so the Braves did not require the first downs that the visitors piled up.

The only downer on the evening was that Lompoc Locker Room's highly-touted streaming audio, intended to broadcast the game worldwide on the internet, did not work properly and the contest was heard only on local cable.

The Braves go for three next week at San Marcos.

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CONQS WIN THE TURNOVERS, BUT….

At Warrior Stadium in Santa Maria the Cabrillo Conquistadores made new coach Craig Knowles’ words seem prophetic as they raced out to a 28-14 lead over Righetti, but the Warriors rallied and with 10 minutes left Javon Davis scored the gamewinner as ERHS prevailed 35-28.

Knowles told a Lompoc Locker Room audience that his black-and-gold could not wait another day to open the season and they played like it early.

They converted four first half turnovers into scores by BRANDON WHITAKER from the two, by MATT ROTONDI from the five, and by quarterback SEAN ALLEN from the one. TONY ELLIOTT added another on an interception return runback.

The Conqs challenged late as they moved to the Righetti ten yard line with less than two minutes remaining but the Warriors held on.

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In other area games San Marcos nipped Rio Mesa 10-8, San Luis Obispo stopped Dos Pueblos, Gonzales snuck past Santa Maria 34-29, Morro Bay knocked off Carpinteria 29-11, St. Joseph bounced Bishop Diego 31-13, Pacifica downed Templeton 35-21, Nipomo ambushed Arroyo Grande 24-0, Pioneer Valley rallied to overcome Nordhoff 34-19, Paso Robles blew away Central of Fresno 44-7, and St. Bonaventure slowed Atascadero 35-14.

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In college quarterback BOO JACKSON amassed a school record 413 yards in a single game but it was not enough as his Ohio Bobcats were nipped by Central Michigan. More on that to come.