Righetti kicker Martin Luque stayed cool under pressure Friday to nail the winning field goal in overtime and ice a 24-21 win for the Warriors at Doug Hitchen Stadium.

The Warriors wrapped up the regular season 2-3 and 5-5-0 overall and are in waiting mode to find out if they have a chance at the playoffs. The Eagles fall to 2-2 in the PAC-7 and 2-4-1 overall and have one more game left in the season against San Luis Obispo (3-1) next Friday to get a shot at the playoffs.

After the Warriors and Arroyo Grande deadlocked 21-21 at the end of regulation in the PAC-7 game, each team had a shot at scoring from 25-yards out.

Arroyo Grande won the coin toss and took the first possession. The Eagles came to within 14 yards of the goal line on a handful of runs by Reade Lobdill, George Lopez and Matt Valez. That set up a field goal attempt, but kicker Chris Nichols' 24-yard kick sailed wide to the left of the crossbar.

Righetti then turned to Kyle Leon for two rushes to get to the 20 yard line. Then on 3rd down and one, Leon carried the ball a couple yards before fumbling, and he recovered the ball himself to get a first down. Leon carried the ball the next three plays but only advanced four yards leaving the Warriors with 4th and 3.

Enter Luque, who had to endure two Arroyo Grande time-outs as they appeared to be trying to get him to freeze up. Luque kicked the 25-yarder up the middle and turned and held his arms high in the air as his teammates jumped on him to congratulate him.

“I was nervous,” Luque said of taking the kick. “But then, I was like, I can do this all day in practice. It's only one time.”

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Luque added “It's our last game (of regulation), I had to do it for the seniors, the coaching staff and fans. I have to thank the defense and offensive line. If it wasn't for the o-line I would not have kicked that.”

It was a fine finish for the Warriors in a game which seemed to be full of pitfalls. The Warriors lost their leading running back Michael Alexander to an injury with two minutes left in the first quarter. He rushed five times for 37 before being carted off to the hospital by an ambulance when he was thrown down and out of bounds after a big 23 yard carry.

Alexander would return to the sidelines before the night was through. But when he got back his head coach Gary Wilson was no longer on the field.

Wilson got tossed by the officials early in the third quarter for unsportsman like conduct. Wilson could be heard complaining that one of the officials had used foul language in giving him a penalty for complaining about a call on a kick off return. That set up even more penalty calls and eventually the ejection.

That moved the Eagles from the 35 yard line to a first and goal situation. Their solid field position had been set up by a 45-yard kick off return by Lobdill. And Lobdill scored from a yard out after the penalties to put the Eagles up 21-14.

With Alexander out of the game, the Warriors turned to senior running back Kyle Leon. Leon did not disappoint. He rushed for 193 yards on 40 carries to lead his team.

“We're blessed with two great running backs,” said Righetti assistant coach Derrick Beebe.

Reade Lobdill scored all three of the touchdowns for the Eagles and rushed for 72 yards on 14 carries. George Lopez rushed for 83 yards on 15 carries and Matt Lynch crushed for 72 yards on 12 carries.

The Warriors to quarterback Adam Wilson for two touchdowns. He also completed six of 10 passes for 52 yards.

Arroyo Grande got on the scoreboard first with four minutes left in the first quarter. Having returned a punt to the 49 yard line, the Eagles turned to Lopez for a 38 yard run on third down. Lobdill then crushed the middle from two yards out. Nichols hit the extra point try for a 7-0 lead.

On Righetti's next possession the Warriors' Alexander bolted up the sidelines for a 23 yard run on a sweep on the play that would leave him injured. After a half-hour break for the ambulance, Righetti quarterback Adam Wilson's pass was intercepted by Lobdill.

The Eagles then used a 10-play drive to move from their own 30 yard line to within 35 yards of the endzone. Lobdill found a hole up the middle to score from 31 yards out with eight minutes left in the second quarter.

Righetti answered right back with an 11-play scoring drive. Leon's 32-yard run set up a one-yard keeper by Wilson for a 14-7 game.

The Warriors scored again on their first drive of the second half that burned four minutes off the clock. Leon scored the TD from 1 yard out to tie it up 14-14.

After Lobdill's score for a 21-14 lead following Wilson's ejection, Luque missed a 31-yard field goal attempt.

The Warriors never gave up however and tied the game at 21-21 on an 11-play drive that ended with Wilson's 2-yard keeper with eight minutes left in the game.

Nov. 4, 2006