Associate Editor

A steady diet of diminuitive runningback Anthony Lopez and a stiffling Moorpark defense ended Arroyo Grande's season Friday at Doug Hitchen Stadium, 20-7.

The 5-6, 170-pound senior pounded away at the middle of the Arroyo Grande defense and carved it up for 121 yards on 26 attempts.

"He's a tough player," Moorpark coach Tim Lins said of his fireplug. "It's not like people don't know he will get the ball."

And more than half of Lopez's production came in the second half as Moorpark broke a 7-all tie at halftime to score 13 unanswered points.

Arroyo Grande, which has made a habit of wearing down defenses in the second half this season, had that shoe on the other foot Friday as it gave up several big plays in crucial situations.

"I was vey happy with the way we came out tonight after halftime," Lins said.

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Arroyo Grande was limited to just 131 rushing and 161 yards passing. Sophomore quarterback Kyle Pollock was chased out of the pocket all night and completed just 5 of 16 attempts with no touchdowns and two interceptions.

Moorpark, a No. 7 seed out of the Marmonte League, improves to 8-3 and will take on the winner of the Buena/Adolfo Camarillo game on Friday, most likely at home.

The big plays all were made by Moorpark in the second. Speed at linebacker and at the wide receiver were the keys.

Junior speedster Chastin West got behind the Arroyo Grande secondary twice in the second half for touchdown from 15 and 58 yards out.

Arroyo Grande, which went undefeated in the PAC-5, ends the season 9-2.

"It's very diasppointing to have a fine year end like this," said Eagles coach Jon Huss. "They had a great defensive scheme and we couldn't respond."

The scheme, pieced together by defensive coordinator Ron Wilford, was to control first down and force Arroyo Grande into second and long and third and long situations.

"We felt if we could force them into those situations, it would play right into our hand," Wilford said. "And we had some great stops on third down tonight."

Arroyo Grande's Cesar Mendoza opened the scoring in the second quarter as he rambled off of the right side and found nothing but open territory and was untouched from 25 yards away. The big play in the five-play drive was a 43-yard pass to Andy Northness. It was his only catch of the night.

The Moorpark Musketeers answered that score by stringing together an 11-play, 65-yard drive to even the score.

Lopez carried the load on the drive, logging 38 yards on six carries.

Arroyo Grande had a chance for a halftime lead, using a stiff breeze from behind kicker Sal Guiterrez to try from long range. He split the cross bars from 49 yards out, but, after a penalty moved him back five, he missed from 54.

Moorpark ground down the Eagles with two long scoring drives in the third quarter.

The first was capped by West from 15 yards out. It ended a 10-play, 65-yard drive. The key play in the series was a 17-yard hookup to Tim Crooke on third and seven from Moorpark's 48.

West ended the scoring as he broke free on the 58-yard bomb from Cody Holland. The drive was set up by an interception deep in Arroyo Grande territory by Greg Davis.

Associate editor Vern Ahrendes can be reached at 489-4206, Ext. 5011, or by e-mail at vahrendes@pulitzer.net.

November 22, 2003