After their 23-17 heartbreaking loss last week to St. Joseph, Pioneer Valley was hungry for another victory in the Los Padres League, and they won handily Friday night defeating Nipomo 41-7 in front of their hometown fans.

“We were really hurt last week,” said Panthers quarterback Bryan Beyers whose team beat Cabrillo in their opener. “I felt like we were going to win this week. We were calm and really focused when we came out on the field.”

In the first half, the Panthers (4-2, 2-1 LPL) scored 28 points and held Nipomo's rushers to just 40 yards.

And the Titans (3-2, 1-1 LPL) did not help their cause, giving up the ball too many times with a fumble on their first possession, an interception later in the game, a blocked punt and blocked field goal.

“We did not help our defense at all,” said Titans' coach Jon Hitchen. “We made too many mistakes too quick and they took advantage.”

The loss also killed the momentum for the Titans, having won two games in a row, during their best season thus far in its four year history.

“It's a test of our character,” Hitchen said. “Nobody was injured. It's just another week. We'll take the loss to heart and comeback with a vengeance.

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The Panthers were led by Victor Bryson with 96 rushing yards and Buddy Garcia with 74. Diego DeMiranda led the Panthers with 46 receptions.

On the first drive of the night, the Panthers put their heads down and charged up field from their own 39 yard line burning 5:46 off the clock. Beyers took a 6-yard keeper up the middle to score and Andrew Montiel hit his kick for a 7-0 lead.

Nipomo got into trouble right off the bat as running back Steve Otto coughed up the ball on his team's very first play and the Panthers recovered on the 49-yard line.

Nipomo's defense put up a good fight on the Panthers' next drive as Sam Austin sacked Beyers to put the Panthers in a 3rd and 25 situation.

Pioneer Valley overcame that with a 15-yard run by Bryson and followed that up with an 18-yard pass completion to Aaron Hernandez. That got them to the 10-yard line and Frank Tovar dove over a pile of players in the middle for 2 yard touchdown with 1:12 left in the quarter.

In the second quarter, the Panthers took over after the Titans went three and out.

From their own 44-yard line, Garcia helped the Panthers move the chains with three carries for 30 yards and Josiah Morales and Victor Bryson added 9-yard carries each. Bryan Byers capped the drive with a 9-yard sweep up the right side with 7:59 left in the half.

The Panthers' Chris Etheridge blocked a punt on Nipomo's next drive and Pioneer Valley recovered at the four-yard line. A couple plays later Bryson carried the ball on a sweeping run for a touchdown. Montiel's kick put the Panthers up 27-0.

The Titans faced more heartbreak in the opening seconds of the third quarter as Shane Vogt intercepted a pass from Sperakos and ran 63 yards for a touchdown.

Titans running back Billy Chambers, who led his team with 62 yards rushing, had some big carries on their next drive.

But Vogt blocked a 36-yard field goal attempt by Brent Seguine on Nipomo's next possession. The play was called back however after the Panthers kicked the ball down field about 30 yards before recovering it. Seguine's second field goal attempt missed wide.

The Panthers ran out the remaining five minutes of the third quarter and finished their drive from their own 20-yard line with Josiah Morales' eight-yard run up the middle with 11:15 left in the fourth quarter.

Nipomo's first and only touchdown came with 8:33 left in the game. They were at third down and nine when Sperakos hit Otto on a five yard pass to move to the Panthers' 37. That could have ended it, but a late hit on the play moved the Titans into scoring position and gave them a first down.

Two plays later Sperakos held onto the ball on the snap and zig-zagged up the middle to score.

Oct. 7, 2006