A thick fog rolled into Huyck Stadium as play began in the third quarter, and it has seemed like Lompoc High has been playing in a cloud ever since joining its new league.

Nothing has come easy for the winless Braves in the PAC-7, but at least after dropping their final league game to Atascadero 21-14 on Friday night they have something to look forward to next week.

There's the Big Game against crosstown rival Cabrillo, which has stumbled in the Los Padres League, the league Lompoc dominated the previous four years.

Times have changed at Lompoc and the losses have taken their toll on the Braves (2-7 overall, 0-5 league). If they can't figure a way to end the season with a victory, this year's team will finish like the 1972 team did - with just two victories.

It could happen even though Cabrillo has the same number of wins as Lompoc.

Everything that could've gone wrong for the Braves this season has, and they aren't used to seeing other teams clinch league titles in their backyard.

But it happened as the Greyhounds improved to 4-0 in the PAC-7 with one league game remaining. Credit the offensive line and running back Michael Reynoso, who rushed for a career-high 252 yards on 40 carries and also one score.

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“My expectations were a little higher. We come into the season and we think we can contend for a league championship all the time here,” said 16-year Lompoc coach Robin Luken, who won't be coaching in the playoff this year after guiding the school to three CIF Southern Section Division X championship games the last four years, a span where they won four LPL titles. “In (the last) 40 years, Lompoc has not made the playoffs three of those (years).

“It's been a long time for the fans, the community to be associated with something like this, but we've never been able to stop anybody defensively this year.”

The Braves had no answers for Reynoso. They stacked the line and still couldn't control the 5-foot-8, 158-pound senior.

By halftime Reynoso gained 107 yards and one touchdown on 17 carries, helping the Greyhounds build a 14-7.

But the times Atascadero went to someone other than Reynoso, Lompoc took advantage. They forced three fumbles and picked off quarterback Gunnar Jespersen once. The turnovers allowed Lompoc to hang around late.

Backup quarterback Daryl Aguilar was responsible for all of Lompoc's points, the biggest coming on an 11-yard run that cut the deficit to 21-14 with 4 minutes, 28 seconds remaining.

But Aguilar, who threw a touchdown and kicked both extra points, never received the opportunity to lead Lompoc to its second straight overtime game.

Reynoso finished off Lompoc by rushing for 43 yards on his last seven carries, allowing Atascadero to run the clock out and celebrate the school's first league title since 1997.

“It feels good, but it still isn't enough,” said Reynoso, who has 1,284 rushing yards and seven touchdowns this season. “We want it all.”

It showed from the start that Atascadero (8-1) wanted this one badly. And there was no secret who was getting the ball.

Reynoso carried the ball each time on the opening drive, rushing for 53 yards on seven carries. The shortest run was good enough for a touchdown, as Reynoso walked into the end zone from one yard out to put the Greyhounds up 7-0.

It didn't take long for Atascadero's offense to trot back onto the field.

Lompoc starting quarterback Tim Ochoa, who couldn't hit a receiver in his first three attempts, finely found someone. But the ball was tipped and linebacker Jack Robinett came up with the interception for Atascadero.

Just like before, the Greyhounds went back to Reynoso, but they mixed it up afterward. Jespersen's shuffle pass to tight end Brandon Roberts going for 19 yards left Atascadero on Lompoc's 17.

This time it wasn't Reynoso scoring, but Forrest Ingram. He found the end zone with the same ease Reynoso did earlier. Ingram capped the 12-play, 56-yard drive with a 7-yard scoot to the left that gave Atascadero a 14-0 lead early in the second quarter.

The drive took 8:10 off the clock, more impressive were the two first downs the Greyhounds converted on fourth down. But the Braves' defense rebounded.

Lompoc came up with a fumble and interception, the latter led to points.

Defensive back Brandon Alonzo picked off Jespersen and returned it 36 yards to set up the offense on Atascadero's 28.

One play later and with Aguilar replacing Ochoa, Aguilar threw a strike to Lukas Carpio.

Atascadero couldn't manage much afterward, punting for the first time, and a 67-yard punt by Ochoa pinned the Greyhounds on their own 1 with 31 seconds remaining before halftime.

But when play resumed and the fog set in, neither offense could muster much, especially Lompoc.

After Jespersen gave Atascadero a 21-7 lead on a 2-yard run to open the second half, the Braves moved the sticks only once in the third.

By the time the final quarter came, Lompoc recorded four first downs. The offense needed a spark and it received one when Aguilar replaced Ochoa for a second time.

He led the offense, matching the team's first down total on one drive en route to making it 21-14, but there wouldn't be another drive. That's been the Braves' story. They've run out of time.

“We're just coming up a little short. It's a hard time,” said senior Lompoc linebacker Derrick Luken, who recovered a fumble. “It would (be) big (to beat Cabrillo). We just got to prepare for them. Last four practices of the year and we just got to go out and see what happens.”

A win against rival Cabrillo could clear things up for Lompoc.

Nov. 4, 2006