SAN LUIS OBISPO -- With its football team down by six points to Santa Maria High and without a score at halftime, San Luis Obispo's offensive linemen knew they had better buckle down and open some holes after intermission.

They did.

On their first possession of the second half, the Tigers rammed Paul Jordan down the Saints' throats on an 85-yard touchdown march that took 9:19. Ryan Gambucci gave the Tigers the lead with the extra point kick, and San Luis Obispo went on to a 21-6 non-league victory at Frank Holt Field.

The Tigers improved to 2-1. The Saints are 1-2.

The Tigers' clock-eating drive spanned the last 7:44 in the third quarter and the first 1:35 of the fourth. Jordan carried the ball on every play but one on the 13-play march.

"We put it on their shoulders," San Luis Obispo first-year coach Craig Winninghoff said of his offensive linemen. "They decided they'd block some people and make some plays. That was nice to see. It was nice to see them finish off some drives."

"Nine minutes (plus). That's a pretty impressive drive," Santa Maria coach Jim Doyle said admiringly.

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The one play Jordan did not carry on the march was a one-yard loss by Craig Daily.

"Time of possession must have been wonderful for them," in the second half, said Doyle.

Actually, the Tigers ran just six more plays than the Saints did in the second half. But the Tigers were so efficient that they scored on two of their three offensive series.

Things looked good for Santa Maria at halftime. Pablo Ramos, helped by a block by wide receiver Oscar Maciel that sealed off Tigers linebacker Sean McNeer, had the only score of the game to that point on an 8-yard run with 3:57 left in the second quarter.

Meanwhile the Saints' defense, led by linebackers Pete Gonzalez, Brandon Delaney and Stephen Rosser, was stuffing the Tigers' offense.

The complexion of the game changed after San Luis Obispo's bruising scoring drive.

"Our offense didn't help our defense by stalling out on that first drive, and then we couldn't get anything going after that," Doyle said. "I think we let down a little bit in the second half."

After Jordan's touchdown, the Saints went three-plays-and-out on their next series. The Tigers got the ball at midfield, and Tigers quarterback Glen Paredes fooled the Saints defense shortly thereafter.

With Santa Maria preoccupied with the run, Paredes faked a handoff, then rolled out to his right. He spotted Brett Lowe open in the end zone and fired. Lowe made a diving catch for a 30-yard scoring play.

"When you have eight or nine guys on the defense thinking run and your quarterback can roll out like that, and the receiver can get behind the defense - that's a big play," said Winninghoff.

San Luis Obispo defensive back Mitch McCormick earned the last touchdown when he picked off Saints quarterback Brad Bowen's pass at the Santa Maria 15 and sprinted into the end zone.

Bowen threw seven times and completed one pass, for seven yards to Maciel. The Tigers intercepted him three times.

Santa Maria had two first downs on its initial offensive series after halftime and did not get another. Meanwhile the Tigers racked up eight first downs in the second half.

Jordan amassed 171 yards on 30 rushes. Santa Maria netted 115 yards on 32.

"We told (the Tigers' offensive linemen) that we were going to keep it simple," said Winninghoff. "They executed."

"We knew they were going to run," in the second half, Doyle said. The Saints just couldn't stop it consistently.

By contrast, the Saints could do little with their bread-and-butter option ground game. San Luis Obispo's defensive linemen constantly stacked up Santa Maria's offensive linemen, and Tigers linebackers Kevin Thayer, Joey Gheno and Brett Hitchcock took care of the rest.

"It wasn't pretty in the first half, but I'll take half a football game and the win," Winninghoff said. "I'll take 2-1."

Santa Maria makes its Los Padres League debut at 7 p.m., next Friday at home against Cabrillo. Doyle did not know if 335-pound lineman Luis Espinosa would be able to play. He did not Friday night.

September 28, 2002