Righetti's choice leads to rain-soaked win

SAN LUIS OBISPO -- Quarterback Josh Thomas scored on a 1-yard sneak with 3:32 left in regulation time to pull Righetti High within one point of San Luis Obispo in the Warriors' biggest football game of the season Friday night.

Righetti coach Greg Dickinson had a choice to make. He could have opted for place kicker Lafe Viker to try to tie the game and force overtime. "Forget about it," Dickinson decided. "We're going to get the win right here."

The officials put the ball on the left hashmark three yards from the goal line, and Righetti lined up for its two-point conversion try. Quarterback Josh Thomas took the snap and pitched the ball to Ryan Mole, who ran right - the wide side of the field where he had the most room to operate.

The Tigers seemed to have the play strung out well, but the Warriors held their blocks and Mole had enough of an opening to duck inside and get into the end zone for the winning points in a huge 8-7 win for Righetti in its PAC-5 League finale.

The Warriors (3-1, 8-1) can do no worse than a three-way tie for first place. This year marks Righetti's first football league championship of any kind since 1984.

If Paso Robles and San Luis Obispo (2-1, 5-3) both lose next week, the Warriors have the PAC-5 League title to themselves. Paso Robles takes on Atascadero and the Tigers face San Luis Obispo County arch rival Arroyo Grande Friday night in 7:30 games that have big playoff implications.

Arroyo Grande is 1-2 in league games. Atascadero, at 0-3, is probably out of the running for the playoffs but could play spoiler.

As for Mole, "I thought we'd go for two," he said. "The line did a great job, and I was able to get in."

Dickinson said he had no qualms at the time about going for two points. For starters, Frank Holt Field was a muddy mess for place kickers, thanks to heavy rain. For another, "We had the momentum," said Dickinson.

To have Viker try the extra point kick "...wouldn't have been fair to Lafe," Dickinson said. "We'd already missed (a field goal try)." Viker and the Tigers' Ryan Gambucci were wide left and wide right respectively on field goal tries in the slop.

"I didn't want to send it into overtime and then go and lose on their field," Dickinson said.

After Mole's run, the Warriors defense made sure Righetti would have a happy bus ride home. The unit forced the Tigers into a fourth-and-long from their 26, and then Daniel Higgins could not hold on to quarterback Dane Hodgson's pass at the Righetti 45.

Higgins caught Hodgson's pass for an 18-yard score for the Tigers' touchdown late in the third quarter.

All that was left for Thomas to do after Higgins' drop was to hold on to the wet ball on three snaps for kneeldowns. He did.

Righetti linebacker A.J. Berry and lineman Greg Shibata gave the Warriors a short field to work with for their big score. Berry hit Hodgson as he was trying pass, and the Tigers' quarterback coughed the ball up. Shibata recovered the ball at the Tigers 20.

"I saw the ball and thought 'Oh...this is my chance'," Shibata said.

"I was thinking I had to get (Hodgson). I just had to," Berry said. "His arm was cocked back," and then Berry hit Hodgson and forced the ball loose.

The play was sweet atonement for Berry. A roughing-the-passer call on him on a third-down incomplete pass kept the Tigers' touchdown drive alive. So did an offside call on the Warriors as Gambucci was lined up for a 39-yard field goal try on fourth down.

With fourth-and-one from the 18 the Tigers then scrubbed the field goal try, and Hodgson hooked up with a wide-open Higgins over the middle for the score.

Then Berry's and Shibata's big play gave the Warriors the turnover they needed. A holding call on first down scrapped Mole's 11-yard run to the 9, but on third-and-11, Thomas hit Viker for 13 yards to the 8. Daniel Diaz ran six yards to the 2 on the next play, and then Thomas went in two plays later.

Righetti earned this win with the timely score and superb play from its defense. The unit checked Tigers tailback Paul Jordan, the Central Coast's leading rusher, holding him to 67 yards on 23 carries.

Paso Robles 33, Santa Maria 6

PASO ROBLES -- Vince Freitas ran for 98 yards and two touchdowns as the Bearcats (6-3) handled the Saints (2-7) in a non-league game.

Paso Robles led 20-0 and breezed home from there. The Bearcats rolled up 548 yards of total offense. Michael Krouse ran for 69 yards, and quarterback Adrian Pennywell threw for 112.

Santa Maria scored its touchdown on Brad Bowen's 29-yard run late in the fourth quarter. The Saints managed just 108 yards of total offense.

The Saints play at St. Joseph at 7 p.m. next Friday in an important Los Padres League and regular season finale. The game has playoff implications in the jumbled LPL race for the remaining two playoff spots behind Lompoc.

Arroyo Grande 13, Atascadero 6

ARROYO GRANDE -- The Eagles kept their playoff hopes alive and likely ended those of the Greyhounds.

Billy Vinnedge came up big for the Eagles. Vinnedge, a top kicker in the area, booted field goals of 30 and 31 yards on a sloppy weather night.

The Greyhounds scored first on Harrison Higbee's 65-yard pass to Bronson Barnett. However, the Eagles went ahead on Michael Arias' 27-yard run and Vinnedge's extra point kick.

Santa Ynez 24, Cabrillo 6

LOMPOC -- The Pirates (2-2, 3-6) rolled to their third consecutive win, against the Conquistadores (1-3, 2-7) at Lompoc High's Huyck Stadium.

Tyler Swanson scored on runs of 79 and 6 yards for the Pirates. Nelson Nash kicked a 32-yard field goal, no mean feat considering the field conditions.

Santa Ynez plays Morro Bay at home at 7 p.m. next Friday. The Pirates are in the playoffs and finish in second place if they win. Morro Bay is 2-2 in league games.

Chino 14, Lompoc 7

CHINO -- The Cowboys rallied for a non-league win behind a 126-yard night from Kes Ekpre-Olomu.

Lompoc's normally prolific rushing game mustered just 128 yards on a muddy field. The Braves held the Cowboys to 141 yards on the ground.

Lompoc finishes its regular season at Huyck Stadium against Cabrillo in the annual Lompoc Valley Big Game.

November 9, 2002