ARROYO GRANDE - With the PAC-5 title on the line between two undefeated teams, the Arroyo Grande football team proved to be just a bit tougher than San Luis Obispo.

The Eagles won their first PAC-5 title and first league title since 1998 with a 23-21 win over the Tigers Friday night at Hitchen Stadium.

As the score indicates, it wasn't easy.

"This is a championship game, probably one of the best games I'll ever be in," Eagle quarterback Kyle Pollock said. "It was a hell of a game."

After the Eagles went up 17-7 on a 38-yard field goal by Sal Gutierrez, Pollock tossed an interception on the team's next possession to give San Luis Obispo the ball at their own 40-yard line.

The Tigers drove to the Arroyo Grande 34 when quarterback Dan Hodgson threw a 34-yard touchdown pass to Cory Roush to cut Arroyo Grande's lead to 17-14 after Lucas Grant converted the extra point.

The two squads traded possessions before Arroyo Grande's Andrew Hirsch scored on a 7-yard run with 2:20 remaining. Hirsch set up his touchdown with a 40-yard run earlier in the drive. The Eagles' extra point was blocked, but the team held a 23-14 lead.

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San Luis Obispo then took possession at their own 18-yard line and methodically threw their way to the Eagles' 21-yard line.

From there, Hodgson threw a 21-yard pass to Roush with 24.9 seconds left in the game. Grant's kick was good, but the Eagles held a 23-21 win.

The Tigers then attempted an onside kick, but Arroyo Grande's Jason Wysong pounced on the ball to give the Eagles their final possession.

The Eagles then ran out the clock to preserve the win and the PAC-5 crown.

Much as they have all season, Arroyo Grande relied on its defense to keep San Luis Obispo in check.

"I think our schedule really helped us in preparation," arroyo Grande coach Jon Huss said. "You want to win those games and when you play the kind of games we have, you have to play goal-line defense, we had our backs to the wall.

"I just love watching them work. They're good kids and they play very hard."

Pollock said the Eagles have a good balance of offense and defense.

"No one on their side of the ball wants to let the other side down," he said. "There's leaders on offense and leaders on defense and we'll talk and let each other know that if they give us the ball, we'll score or if we give them the chance, they'll stop (the other team)."

San Luis Obispo opened the scoring on a 75-yard pass from Hodgson to Brian Clarke on the third play of the game.

Despite the quick score, Arroyo Grande was eager to get on the field and answer.

"That's just Eagle football," Huss said. "The game is going to ebb and flow. What you have to do is concentrate on your job and try and get the ball back."

Arroyo Grande tied the game on a 25-yard pass play from Pollock to Northness with 1:17 left in the opening frame and Gutierrez kicked the point-after.

The Eagles took a 14-7 lead with 8:19 left in the game when Pollock and Northness connected on the same pass play - a fade to the corner of the end zone. Gutierrez's extra point was good.

Pollock said Northness is the reason the play is successful.

"There's three routes in the same formation," he said. "Andy does a great job on faking it and they usually bite on it. It all depends on the corner. We go to the side that the corner is going to bite on. Andy's tall, he's 6-4 and he can jump. I just try to get it up there.

"It's not even me. Tonight I had two picks running the same play so Andy makes the play happen."

Pollock finished the night 4-for-13 for 61 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions.

Andrew Hirsch led the Eagles with his biggest running performance of the season, rushing for 152 yards on 23 carries. Cesar Mendoza had 57 yards on eight carries and Joey Renner had 21 yards on eight carries.

Northness caught two passes - both touchdowns - for 43 yards, and Michael Arias had one catch for 17 yards.

For the Tigers, Hodgson went 14-for-19 for 231 yards with three touchdowns and an interception and Clarke finished with four catches for 99 yards.

The win gives the Eagles a 4-0 PAC-5 record and the No. 1 seed out of league for the CIF-Southern Section Division IV playoffs, set to begin on Friday. The Tigers fall to 3-1 in league, and will be the No. 2 seed.

Pollock said he thinks the Eagles will have a good chance in the playoffs.

"We want to go all the way," he said. "That was the goal from the beginning. Coach wanted a 10-game schedule and we wanted to get ready for the playoffs. The unity we have on this team I really don't think anybody can stop us."

Playoff opponents and locations will be announced on Sunday.

November 15, 2003