Warriors' win has a costly break

LOMPOC - Righetti won the football game, but the Warriors have lost the anchor of their team for quite awhile.

Ryan Mole, Righetti's senior all-everything back, suffered a broken clavicle in the second quarter of the Warriors' 54-29 non-league victory at Huyck Stadium Friday night.

Righetti is 3-0. Lompoc is 1-1.

"I really have no idea," how long Mole will be out, Righetti coach Greg Dickinson said. "Hopefully he'll be healed up by the time the playoffs start."

That's a long haul for Righetti. The Warriors have two non-league games left before what figures to be a tough PAC-5 League schedule.

Righetti was ahead 34-8 when Mole was upended as he ran the ball on a two-point conversion attempt. Mole landed on his helmet at the 1.

Up to then he had 215 yards on 14 carries. On the first play of the game Mole went through a hole Righetti left guard Jarrod Hibar and tight end Steven Smith created, cut to the middle, weaved his way past Braves pursuers and went into the end zone for a 37-yard touchdown run.

His shortest run on his first four carries was 19 yards. That was because 19 yards amounted to the distance Mole had to run for his second touchdown of the game. Mole had three rushing touchdowns and caught a 19-yard pass from quarterback Jonathan Dally for another.

Righetti led 28-0 after the first quarter.

Dickinson said he went for two points with Mole because, "I knew Cabrillo had a 26-0 lead and lost. If he hadn't been hurt, Ryan probably would have carried the ball 10 or 15 times before halftime. Then we would have tried to keep him out.

"It's tough when you lose the heart and soul of your football team. We were virtually unstoppable," when Mole was in.

"That two-point conversion they scored on that blunder," prompted the Warriors to go for two, Dickinson said. "(Mole) just landed on it wrong. It was just one of those fluke things."

Donald White intercepted Dally's pass in the end zone to prevent what would have been Righetti's fifth touchdown. Boo Jackson's two-yard run capped an 80-yard drive, and then the snap sailed far over the holder's head as the Braves were about to try a conversion kick.

Kicker Armando Gutierrez raced back, retrieved the ball at about his own 25 and then connected with a leaping Bryce Luken for the two-point conversion pass.

Righetti actually moved the ball quite well after Mole had to leave. Mark Malangko was the main back after Mole got hurt. He wound up with 100 yards on 12 carries and scored three touchdowns.

Stellar linebacker Luke Deras did quite well at fullback. He bulled his way for 72 yards on 11 carries and dragged Lompoc defensive back Victor Lara into the end zone for the Warriors' second touchdown.

Deras and fellow linebacker Danny Lauer had big games on defense for Righetti.

When Mole was injured, "I was in shock," in the locker room at halftime, said Malangko.

All during the second half, "He was in the back of my mind. We had to do it for Moley."

Dickinson said afterward, "We're dedicating our season to Ryan. I was really impressed with the way the kids held it together."

The Warriors' defense, however "was a little porous," said Dickinson. Down 41-8 at halftime, the Braves scored three times after intermission. One touchdown came on Jackson's 21-yard halfback option pass to White.

Righetti's offensive line continued its sharp blocking during Mole's absence. Malangko showed some good moves, and reserve Chad Stephens got himself in the score book with a four-yard run with 1:19 to play.

"Our defense was very porous," said Lompoc coach Robin Luken. "I think our kids came in a little intimidated."

Sept. 20, 2003