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Lompoc defensive back Sean Carpio stands and waits for Santa Maria's offense to come to the line of scrimmage during Friday night's Los Padres League game at Huyck Stadium. Carpio wears the numbers of fallen teammates Mike Terrones (52), Brice Fabing (81) and Darrell Solorio (42) on his helmet. Lompoc won 48-6. - Tina Larkin/Staff
At a subdued Huyck Stadium in Lompoc, it was the misfortune of the Santa Maria Saints to face a Lompoc Braves team on a mission.
Four days after a horrific auto accident claimed the lives of two of their teammates, the Braves played an inspired game to crush the Saints 48-6.
In doing so, The Braves clinched a tie for the Los Padres League title and extended their LPL record to 5-0. They also pushed their four-year league win streak to 22 straight games.
Tailback Joseph Scott exploded for five rushing touchdowns and tallied another on a pass 24-yard reception. He finished with 152 rushing yards on just 11 carries for a whopping 13-yard average.
“I just wanted to play hard for my players that passed,” said Scott. “I just went out and played as hard as I could. That's all that really matters for me. Nothing else matters. I just wanted to play for them. The touchdowns don't matter.”
The Braves scored three touchdowns in the first quarter while holding the Saints to minus 5 yards of total offense and no first downs.
“They're good,” said Santa Maria coach Shawn Ramirez. “We had to play a perfect game just to stay with them but we just didn't match up.
Lompoc quarterback Tim Ochoa matched Scott with 153 yards through the air in an uncharacteristically busy passing night for the usually grind-it-out Braves. Ochoa threw 15 times and connected on 10.
Their first drive featured an 18-yard connection to league-leading receiver Jonathan Terrones. The second march included a 30-yarder to Terrones. Their third TD came on one play after a botched Santa Maria punt put Lompoc on the Saints' 12. Scott covered that in one play.
Ramirez, whose team upset Morro Bay last week, said he was not surprised by the Braves.
“No, they ran their stuff. They just beat us plain and simple. Just flat out beat us. They're a great football team and the tradition runs deep. They just got after us.”
The Saints appeared briefly to have a life after Lompoc took the 22-0 lead. They staged a 69-yard march on 11 running plays with Ben Arreola carrying on five of them including a 14-yarder. The Saints were aided by a 15-yard personal foul call against the Braves. Ruben Acuņa carried over from the two for the score.
“Our option and trap were working so that's what we went with,” said Ramirez. “We switched quarterbacks - from Daniel Gauna to Nestor Frausto - because Nestor is a bit better as an option guy. We had success with that and got the score.”
But it was not until the fourth quarter that the Saints reached Lompoc territory again. They were limited to 48 yards after intermission.
Meanwhile, Lompoc avenged the lone SM score with a lightning thrust before halftime - going 90 yards on four plays with Scott breaking loose for 55, then scoring on a 24-yard pass play from Ochoa.
That made it 28-6 at halftime.
Sean Carpio (Webb) opened the second half with a 66 yard kickoff return - giving the Braves excellent field position at the Santa Maria 18. The home team scored two plays later.
Santa Maria was led by Arreola with 69 yards on 18 carries.
The Saints acknowledged the Braves' tragedy by presenting three footballs signed by the Saint players at the opening coin toss. At halftime, Saints cheerleaders presented yellow roses to the families of the three accident victims - Brice Sabing and Michael Terrones who died as a result of injuries from last Monday evening's car crash and Darrell Solorio who remains in critical condition at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital - and to the Lompoc players at the game's conclusion.
“It's tough on them,” said Ramirez. “I couldn't even imagine something like that happening. It was the least we could do.”
The Saints, now 1-4 in league, 2-7 overall, face the St. Joseph Knights in their league finale next Friday.
“St. Joes - they've gotten better every single week throughout the season,” said Ramirez. “We definitely have our work cut out for us.”
The Braves face the Cabrillo Conquistadores in the annual Big Game next Friday night at Huyck Stadium. Cabrillo will be the host team in a game that will decide the champion of the Los Padres League.
Sports writer John McReynolds can be reached at 737-1055, or
jmcreynolds@lompocrecord.com. Sports Editor Elliott Stern contributed to this story.
Nov. 5, 2005
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