A case of second-half fumblitis on the Nipomo side combined with a tremendous all-around effort from Santa Paula quarterback Spencer Fox resulted in Friday night's unfavorable 34-21 week-one loss for the Titans.

Nipomo running backs fumbled the ball on three consecutive possessions in the second half of a game that was all tied at 14 apiece at the break.

"You could make the headline, 'Turnovers', because we had four," said Titans coach Jon Hitchen. "We never punted. They never stopped us. We stopped ourselves, and the defense got it squared away enough that we should have been able to hold onto the football and move it down the field and score."

Fox - a converted wide receiver playing his first season behind center - and his Cardinal teammates could not be stopped either. The senior quarterback danced around Nipomo tacklers for 123 yards and two rushing touchdowns on 19 carries, while completing 7-of-16 passes for 144 yards in the air and a third score.

"He's a two-time All-County defensive back. He's our athlete. He's the best athlete we've got and we just figured let's give him touches," said Santa Paula coach Ed Gomez of Fox. "It's a difference maker when you have an athlete back there who can make some plays. ... He's quick."

And Fox played like a seasoned quarterback, mounting a nine-play, 62-yard scoring drive with only 1:54 left in the first half to go into the locker room tied at 14-14. On the drive, Fox scrambled 17 yards for a first down on fourth-and-12 and then galloped into the end zone for seven yards out.

"I just run it," said Fox. "When I'm coming around the corner, I'm seeing if anybody's open. If nobody's open, I have to run it. I'm not going to just throw it away."

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The Cardinals also pounded the ball with a double dose of running backs Max Montoya (16 carries for 81 yards, TD) and Blake Cowan (13 carries for 66 yards, TD).

"We haven't won our opener in four years so this is huge for us," said Gomez. "We really conditioned ourselves. We played four quarters of football and the guys were running the ball."

Nipomo was poised to take an early lead on the game's opening drive, but quarterback Mason Sperakos (8-of-13 for 117 yards) was picked off inside the 20-yard line by a diving Fox.

Instead, the Cardinals marched right down the field to take a 7-0 lead on a drive on Fox's 11-yard TD scamper.

The Titans then thought they got a big boost from return-man Lucas Marsalek - who ran back the ensuing kickoff 98 yards for a touchdown. But a yellow flag for a block in the back nullified the score and brought the ball back to midfield.

Marsalek and the Nipomo offense, however, found their way back into the end zone, driving 50 yards on nine plays. Marsalek capped the drive with a four-yard run.

Following a missed field goal attempt by Santa Paula kicker Robert Perez, the Titans were on the move again - taking a 14-7 lead on tailback Chris Lemus' four-yard touchdown run.

But the Nipomo defense could not hold the lead, allowing the Cardinals to tie the score before halftime on the quick legs on Fox.

Santa Paula then turned to Montoya on its opening drive of the second half with the bruiser carrying the ball five straight times and then finishing on an 11-yard TD run.

Then the turnovers began to mount.

After Nipomo fumbled the ball on the first of three straight series, the Cardinals returned the favor thanks to a brutal hit by Titans' linebacker Paul Manosar on receiver Carlos Acosta.

The Titans were moving again until their second fumble stalled the drive and allowed Santa Paula to take a 28-14 advantage on a 58-yard hookup from Fox to receiver Victor Rodriguez.

Nipomo return-man Gabe Mansera was an ankle tackle away from running back the ensuing kickoff - and then on the first play from scrimmage another turnover.

"We need to learn how valuable the football is," said Hitchen, whose squad will look to rebound at Carpenteria on Friday night. "They've got to finish runs and cover up and if they can realize they had a chance to come back even when they were down, then maybe they'll be able to do that later on."

Sept. 10, 2005