SANTA YNEZ - The last time Santa Ynez High School's passers had been perfect was "never," 16-year Pirates football coach Ken Gruendyke said Friday night.

Gruendyke had just watched three of his passers go a combined 11-for-11 as the Pirates defeated Santa Maria 49-28 to make Homecoming a success and ruin the Saints' Los Padres League debut.

"Maybe we went 3-for-3 once," Gruendyke said with a chuckle after his team improved to 1-1, 2-2-1. Santa Maria is 0-1, 1-4-0. At halftime, 2003 Santa Ynez Homecoming Queen Nery Crosthwaite crowned senior Calah Kaslow the school's homecoming queen for the 2004-5 school year.

Friday night, Santa Ynez starting quarterback Krys Cash was 3-for-3 for 78 yards and two touchdowns. For the second straight week, Sean Hemming took over in the second quarter.

He went 7-for-7 for 137 yards. Hemming tossed a touchdown pass to Zach Steele in the fourth quarter.

Running back Josh Hartman got in on the fun. He hurled a perfect halfback option pass to Sean Trudgeon for a 32-yard scoring play in the first half.

Steele's only two catches were for touchdowns, one covering 47 yards and the other covering 22. Hartman caught three passes for 80 yards in addition to his scoring toss.

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Sophomore Billy Peters took over the starting quarterback job from Hemming the second game of the season. He has missed two games with a bone bruise on his femur. Friday night, that didn't matter as far as the Pirates' passing game went.

Peters' physical condition figures to matter next week. Santa Ynez plays at two-time defending CIF Southern Section Division X champion Lompoc next Friday night at 7:30 p.m.

"(Peters) should be ready to go next week," said Gruendyke.

"It's going to be interesting - there's going to be some decisions to be made. Sean Hemming really stepped up tonight."

After Santa Ynez went three plays and out on the initial series of the game - resulting in the only punt of the night - Santa Maria actually took the lead first.

Quarterback Nolan Snowden sucked the Pirates in with a fake handoff, then took off for a 77-yard touchdown run.

Snowden ran for 212 yards, on 10 carries. He scored on runs of 77, 43 and 20 yards. Gilbert Arguijo racked up 152 yards on 29 carries.

The two did most of their work behind the blocking of linemen Ricardo Arias, Rodrigo Villa and Dominic Arganda and fullback Jason Quintero. But it was all for naught because the Saints literally couldn't stop anything.

"The kids played hard, and we really ran the ball well," Santa Maria coach Shawn Ramirez said. "We just have to put a good offensive and defensive game together.

"Santa Ynez did a great job. We couldn't get any pass rush on (Hemming), and their offense really did a good job. Ken and his staff always have them ready."

"We watch a lot of film," Hemming said. "We knew we could pass on them."

The Saints either scored or lost the ball. Four of their drives ended in touchdowns. Four more ended in turnovers, with three lost fumbles and an interception.

"Some of those happened early, and it snowballed on us," Ramirez said.

In the first half, linebacker Erik Brand recovered a Saints fumble and then he intercepted a pass.

"I accidentally thought it was going to be a run," said Brand. "As I was dropping back, the quarterback threw a duck and I caught it." Santa Ynez nose guard Stephen Cavanaugh hit Snowden just as he was passing.

The Pirates lost the ball once. Hemming fumbled at the Saints 4 in the third quarter, and Arganda recovered. The Saints gave the ball right back when Steele recovered Arguijo's fumble on the Santa Maria 38.

The Saints are at home at 7:30 p.m. next Friday against Cabrillo.

Oct. 9, 2004