Pioneer Valley might not have very many alumni yet, having only graduated one class so far, but the Panther's football team had no trouble getting motivated to host the Santa Ynez Pirates in league game on Homecoming night. The second year varsity program earned its second league shut out, blowing out the Pirates 31-0.

The Panthers (5-3, 3-2) sprang into action, receiving the starting kick off and driving from their own 28 yard line into the Pirates end zone in nine running plays, ending with a quarterback keeper over the one by junior Peter Renteria.

Santa Ynez's first possession would start out well enough, with running back Chase Yost catching a swing pass from quarterback captain Billy Peters to the left side, giving the Pirates a third and one situation.

The Panther's defensive end Andrew Gonzalez forced the Pirates to punt however, following a big tackle of Yost at the line.

“They've got a good offense and Peters can be dangerous, but they can't do anything if they don't have the ball,” said Panthers head coach Greg Dickenson following the game.

Dickenson's offensive squad would keep up the pressure, with Pioneer Valley making another quick march down the field, making five first downs before springing Buddy Garcia for a 12 yard touchdown run.

All evening the Pirate offense would be a no-starter, earning only five first downs. Their next possession would be symptomatic of the game, with running back Zack Andrews stuffed for a one yard loss, followed by an incomplete pass, and then a coverage sack as quarterback Billy Peters tried to take to the air. The Pirates would punt it away on the ensuing fourth down and 11.

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Santa Ynez would start one possession on the 50 yard line. A stunning leaping catch by Kyle McQuitty would move Peters and the Pirates up to the 24, but they would come no closer thanks to two team sacks on Peters led by Angel Guerrero. Backed up 13 yards the Pirates were forced to punt again.

The Pirates managed only 74 total yards of offense, with 70 of them coming from passes.

The defense did not fare much better, with McQuitty playing both sides of the ball having to make several key tackles in the second quarter.

“Their O line and D line really dominated. Hands down those guys owned us,” said Pirate head coach Josh Cunningham. “They were just really well coached and handled us all night.”

The Panthers came into the game with a half-dozen starters out due to injury, but it did not seem to hamper them. Starting quarterback Bryan Beyers was still out following a concussion last week, leaving the junior Renteria, just returned from a broken collarbone, in command of the offense. While the offense had the luxury of sticking to the run, earning 220 total rushing yards, he did show some throwing skills, completing 6-11 with no turn over, and a perfectly placed toss to the end zone for Diego DeMiranda to snatch for the Panther's fourth and final touchdown of the evening.

The Panther's other scores included a Andres Montiel 28 yard field goal in the second quarter, and an 8 yard run right through several Pirate tackles by Josiah Morales in the third quarter.

“I don't think this is an upset. No one following us would call it an upset,” said Dickensen, who called the key differences in the game being the offense's ability to control the ball, and not turning it over, which has plagued the Panthers in their season's previous losses.

Santa Ynez saw defensive standout Beau Armenta suffer a knee injury in the first half, and not return.

Santa Ynez (4-3, 2-2) has yet to win on the road against a league opponent, which does not bode well for next week as they travel to league leading St. Joseph Friday.

“We've got a huge game next week, so we've got to regroup,” said coach Cunningham with a shake of his head

The Panthers improve to 3-2 in league, and will host Templeton next Friday.

“Templeton, I think is the most balanced team in the league,” said Dickenson, talking outside his team's celebratory locker room.

He added that he believes the league could be tight enough to allow a team with two losses to still have a shot at the championship.

Paso Robles 28, Righetti 17

J.R. Felgenhauer's 83-yard touchdown run with 1:53 to play lifted the Bearcats (2-0, 5-2) to a PAC-7 League victory over the host Warriors (1-2, 4-4).

Felgenhauer finished the night with 185 yards, countering a very solid 161-yard night from the Warriors' Kyle Leon, who added a second-quarter touchdown in the loss.

Paso Robles took the lead with 3:31 to go when Greg Draper found Mike Stark in teh back of the end zone for a five-yard touchdown, putting the Bearcats up 21-17.

After Righetti turned the ball over on downs, Felgenhauer's scoring scamper, along with Paso Robles recovering a fumble on the ensuing kick, clinched the game for the Bearcats.

Felgenhauer added a 51-yard touchdown run in the third quarter, along with a 49-yard scoring pass from Draper early in the fourth quarter.

Felgenhauer was held in check by the Warriors' defense in the first half, managing only three yards before the break.

VCA 30, Maricopa 26

MARICOPA - Johathan La Farr scored the winning touchdown on a 3-yard run as the Lions moved to 2-1 in the Coast Valley League and 2-4-0 overall with their second consecutive win.

La Farr's third touchdown put VCA ahead 30-20. The Indians scored thereafter, but then the Lions held them off. La Farr wound up with 210 yards, his third straight 200-yard plus game.

VCA's other touchdown came on Daniel Ballew's 26-yard pass to Danny Wilson.

Lions coach Aaron Kendall praised VCA's defensive line, which had four quarterback sacks.

Atascadero 42, SLO 13

The Big Game was just about all Greyhounds.

The game shaped up beforehand as a competitive one between two top PAC-7 League teams (Atascadero has been atop the area top 10 poll just about all season and San Luis Obispo had won four straight), but that was beforehand.

Come halftime, the Greyhounds were ahead 35-6. By that time, Gunnar Jespersen had already run for one touchdown and passed for another, and Michael Reynoso, Travis Hester and Forest Ingram all had touchdown runs.

Reynoso, the area's second-leading rusher going in, had 169 yards on 18 carries. Atascadero easily shrugged off 329 yards through the air for San Luis Obispo quarterback Conner Reese, the area's passing leader. Reese was 28-for-50 passing, with two touchdown passes to area receiving leader Kevin Martin and two interceptions.

Atascadero held Bryan Lewelling, one of the area's best backs, to 40 yards on 12 carries.

Oct. 21, 2006