The statistics did not lie about how this one went. Neither did the scoreboard.

Pioneer Valley outhit and outplayed Arroyo Grande for four quarters and won this non-league football game in a 30-0 rout at Pioneer Valley High School Friday night.

The Panthers (1-1-0) shook off the 17-14 overtime loss Righetti handed them last week. The Eagles (0-2-0) have not scored for five quarters.

“We were over (the Righetti loss) the next day,” said Terry Keath, Pioneer Valley's 6'2”, 285-pound senior center. Keath was literally in the middle of things as the Panthers' offensive line spent its evening opening holes for the unit's backs.

“Give them credit,” said first-year Arroyo Grande coach Tom Goosen. “They had a tough loss last week, and they came back from it. They took it to us.”

Tyler Vogt, a two-way Pioneer Valley lineman, helped the Panthers' defensive unit stuff everything the Eagles tried. He also blocked impressively.

“I was surprised,” things were so one-sided, Vogt said afterward. “We knew Arroyo Grande is a (traditional) power.”

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The Panthers overpowered the Eagles from the start. Arroyo Grande went three-and-out its first three offensive series. The Panthers' first drive ended y because Steven Rucobo dropped Peter Renteria's third-down pass when he would have had a sure first down.

Rucobo scored on a 10-yard run later and didn't do much wrong the rest of the night. Other then racking up 12 penalties, for 75 yards, neither did the rest of the Panthers as a group.

The Panthers drove 52 yards on 11 plays on their second offensive series. Nick Leyden scored from a yard out behind lineman Daniel Martinez's block on fourth down. Andres Montiel kicked the extra point, and Pioneer Valley's offensive and defensive units kept steamrollering along afterward.

Dan Ando (12 carries, 101 yards) and Philip Garcia (13 for 87) were the main beneficiaries as the Panthers' front line kept knocking the Eagles' defensive front unit off the ball.

“You have to give the credit to the line,” for his big night, said Ando.

Anda is a sophomore. “He played JV last week,” said Pioneer Valley coach Greg Dickinson. “We wish we would have had him on the varsity.”

Sandwiched between the Leyden and Rucobo touchdowns were Montiel's 34-yard field goal, Garcia's seven-yard scoring run and Andrew Gonzales' one-yard score.

Renteria fumbled a snap, Gonzales scooped up the ball and went in behind Leyden and Keath. It was that kind of night for both teams. Pioneer Valley led 23-0 at halftime.

The final count might have been higher, but Eagles defensive back Eric Marshall made several good open field tackles and penalties ruined a promising Pioneer Valley drive in the third quarter after Vogt recovered an Eagles fumble at the Arroyo Grande 15.

In fact, a holding penalty wiped out Ando's 18-yard touchdown run on the series.

The Eagles had one first down - a five-yard offsides penalty on the Panthers helped them get it - and minus 12 yards of total offense at halftime. Pioneer Valley's total ‘O' was 185 yards then.

Arroyo Grande wound up with 31 yards of offense. “They ran everything we'd seen on film - sweeps, blasts, traps,” said Vogt. “We stepped it up.”

Pioneer Valley's offensive unit stepped it up well enough to rack up 316 yards rushing. Reserve Panthers back Sherman Braddock took advantage of his chance as reserves played the fourth quarter. He ran for 64 yards, on seven carries.

Renteria was an efficient 6-for-11 for 68 yards. He threw no interceptions. Diego DeMiranda helped keep scoring drives alive with three receptions, for 39 yards.

Meanwhile Vogt and Steven Sapien helped Pioneer Valley's defensive front plug things along the line well enough for the Panthers' surging linebackers, led by Daniel Segoviano, to foil plays.

“We've been moving guys around, trying to find the right combination,” Goosen said. “We'll find it. (PAC-7 League) play has been our entire focus.

“It's certainly not for lack of trying,” that the Eagles are 0-2, said Goosen. “These boys have been working very hard in practice and are playing their hearts out.”

Dickinson said, “Our kids really responded well from last week. We have a lot of underclassmen playing.”

Pioneer Valley hosts Lancaster Eastside at 7:30 p.m. :next Friday night. Arroyo Grande is at home against St. Joseph the same night and time. Both are non-league games.

Sept. 8, 2007