ONE MORE HEART BREAK
Once more a heartbreak loss to San Luis Obispo. It has been like this since 1996 when the Braves last defeated the Tigers. But they’ve always been close.
That was the fate of the Lompoc Braves again Friday night as they suffered their first defeat of the season 42-33 at Frank Holt Field in SLO.
A botched PAT and a batted and intercepted pass run back for a TD were the difference after the Braves trailed by only two at 35-33 with barely more than two minutes to play.
The Tiger fans were chewing their nails and the Brave side was rocking as Ryan Bower connected with Scott Aguailar to close to that two-point margin.
SLO came back and appeared prepared to ice the matter but the Braves turned them back on a interception by Rudy Yruegas in the end zone at 2:05, so Tiger fans gasped and Brave fans rocked even more.
But on the very first play from scrimmage a Bower pass was deflected into the air and SLO’s David Nord grabbed it and ran 25 yards to the end zone. Aagggh…………..
The Braves had never led but they refused to back off.
Jay McElearney galvanized the SLO homecoming crowd when he took the opening kickoff deep into Lompoc territory, then scored from the 23. Only 23 seconds had disappeared from the clock.
The Braves responded with a sustained drive culminating in a Frankie Martinez plunge from two yards out but the PAT set-up was fumbled and the kick was wide—7-6.
SLO seemed to put the game away in the second quarter on a McElearney 5-yard score and a pass to him from quarterback David Schultz that covered 32.
Lompoc drove back but a Rich Hirzel pass into the end zone was intercepted with 45 seconds remaining in the half.
A suddenly reenergized Brave team made sure that the 21-6 halftime score did not stand long after intermission. Ryan Bower came in at QB and floated a pass out to the left side to Bobby Collins who romped 35 yards to pay dirt. A two-point PAT failed but Collins quickly scored again, this on a 24-yard run and with Drew Sapp’s PAT the Braves were back in contention at 21-19.
An interception gave SLO a short field to McElearney so he took the ball to the one from where Schultz crossed to expand the Tiger lead to 28-19 but Collins electrified the Lompoc fans with a 92-yard return of the kickoff tightroping the left sideline in front of the LHS rooters. Sapp’s PAT made it 28-26 and it was the Tiger fans’ turn to get nervous again.
Another Lompoc mistake, a fumble at their own 20 after forcing a Tiger punt, gave SLO another short field and McElearney crossed from the four – 35-26.
But Lompoc responded yet again on that Bower-to-Aguailar bomb perfectly placed in the end zone and it was 35-33. The gruesome finale was in sight.
The contest was the Pac-7 league opener for the two teams. SLO is now 3-2 for the season, Lompoc 4-1. The league’s other four teams open play next weekend.
The last time Lompoc played at Holt Field, in 2006, the blues forced overtime. This is the same field where they played that classic three-overtime game in 1997. And lost.
The Braves venture to Paso Robles next Friday. The Bearcats stopped El Diamante of Visalia Thursday 35-14.
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The Los Padres League
In the Los Padres League Cabrillo [Story] held off Santa Ynez 28-20 to move to 2-1, Pioneer Valley dumped Nipomo 20-0, St. Joseph crushed Santa Maria 42-0, and Morro Bay led Templeton 23-14 in the third quarter. In a non-league contest Arroyo Grande came from behind to down San Marcos 34-21.
In lower level action on Thursday and Friday:
Cabrillo JV
The Conquistadors scored first on a 5yd TD Run by Twenty Vasquez, but Santa Ynez scored the rest of the points - winning 12-6. Jalen Davenport blocked a punt, but Coach Bob Radford stated that a familiar problem this season showed up again - "We struggled to move the ball consistently". He did, however commend the play of OT Sal Esparza, OG Romero Carlos, FB Nolan Williams, and LB Sixto Solis.
Lompoc JV
The Brave played at the SLO Tigers on Thursday. Down 27 at the half they rallied and made it competitive before falling 36-21. Michael Haynes scored twice, Marcel Blow picked up a first down on a fake punt and recovered an onside kick, while Evan Aguilar played well at QB and especially at Strong Safety.
Cabrillo Frosh Vs. Santa Ynez [Th]
The Conquistadors kicked off to the Pirates, who drove the field and scored. The Conqs were stopped on the ensuing drive, but after giving up the pigskin got it right back courtesy of a fumble. T. J. Babouda scored and it was 7-6 Santa Ynez at the end of the first period. Unfortunately for the locals, another drive for a score and a 'pick-6' TD led to a 19-6 deficit at the halftime break. Neither team did much in the second half, but the Pirates did push across another score to make the final 26-6.
Coach Steve Haskins stated that "they bottled us up on the ground", but neither team functioned well in that dimension. Cabrillo mustered just 67 yards rushing, but Santa Ynez only had 57. The difference was that the Pirates had two receivers over 6' whom they were able hit despite good coverage. They total 153 yards through the air, and Cabrillo had zero yards passing while throwing 4 interceptions.
Lompoc Frosh @ SLO [Th]
The Braves needed shorter halves in this one. The SLO Tigers connected on a long pass with less than 30 seconds to play in the first half to go up 16-7 at half time, then scored 2 TD's and a safety in the last 6 minutes of the fourth quarter to win 30-7. Coach Paul Terrones was pleased with the teams' effort this week after a lack-luster performance in the previous game. Aaron Kucharski scored the TD for Lompoc.
The Braves needed shorter halves in this one. The SLO Tigers connected on a long pass with less than 30 seconds to play in the first half to go up 16-7 at half time, then scored 2 TD's and a safety in the last 6 minutes of the fourth quarter to win 30-7. Coach Paul Terrones was pleased with the teams' effort this week after a lack-luster performance in the previous game. Aaron Kucharski scored the TD for Lompoc.
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