Braves' defense rules over Chargers

Playing outstanding defense against another passing team, the Lompoc Braves defeated Dos Pueblos 28-14, in a non-league game at Huyck Stadium on Friday night.

Forcing two Chargers quarterbacks out of the pocket several times, the Braves held in check two senior QBs. Starter Gary Braun was 6-for-16 with two interreptions and Tyler Ledesma was 3-for-8 with one picked off.

“We got some skill guys out there,” explained Lompoc coach Robin Luken. “Those guys can do some good things. I feel pretty good about those guys.”

“We still have to work on the little things,” he continued. “There are a lot of technical things that people up there (in the stands) don't realize that are really important.”

Meanwhile, Braves QB Daryl Aguilar only threw the ball 12 times, but he was effective, hitting on nine for 150 yards and one touchdown.

“My blocking did a lot for me,” said quarterback Daryl Aguilar. “I scrambled around and when I needed a block they did a good job.”

There was no bigger completion than late in the third quarter and Lompoc holding onto a 21-14 lead. On third and 19 from their own 21, Aguilar was forced out of his roll to the left. He reversed and ran to his right, stopped and fired a 21-yard completion to Steven Morehart at the 42.

“He's a big target for me catching the ball,” Aguilar said about Morehart.

“He's doing a great job,” Luken said about his QB. “He's matured and has come a long way from last year and I really like what I see out there.”

The Braves did not score on the drive, but it kept Aguilar from having to punt from deep in his own territory.

Lompoc received the opening kick off and drove the ball from their 43 down to the Dos Pueblos 13, in a drive that took about six minutes. Bobby Collins carried the ball six times for 24 yards.

The ball was fumbled on an exchange and the Charger recovered. After a three-and-out, Masson Blow returned the punt 13 yards for a first-and-10 at the DP 43.

Blow rushed for eight yards, followed by a Collins run of nine, then an 11-yard scamber by fullback Favi Vargas to give the Braves a first and ten at the 15.

Collins was hit hard at the line of scrimmage, but spun free and raced into the end zone for the score. The second drive took 1:33 off the clock.

The Chargers took the ensuing kick off from their own 34 to the Brave 13 in a four-and-a-half minute drive. Aguilar intercepted a Braun pass at the goal line to snuff out the drive.

Dos Pueblos scored on the next drive when Braun hit a wide open Derek Martinez streaking down the sidelines, for a 39-yard touchdown to tie the score.

Lompoc answered right back scoring two minutes later. Morehead took a short kickoff at the 26 and ran back to the Lompoc 49. Aguilar scrambled out of trouble and found Rudy Yruegas for a 34-yard pass to the Charger 17.

After Aguilar was sacked for a six yard loss, Blow ran an inside double-reverse for 12 and Collins scored his second touchdown of the night on an 11-yard sweep.

At the half, Collins had rushed the ball12 times for 74 yards. In the third quarter, Dos Pueblos made defensive adjustments and held Collins to 10 yards on his next nine carries.

“We just didn't block very well,” Luken said about the second half. “They started bringing pressure on us and we didn't block the pressure well.”

“For 22 minutes we were pathetic,” he continued. “It was like we never worked on it, but the trouble is we did work on it all week.”

Dos Pueblos took the ball at the Lompoc 45 with 8:03 on the clock in the third and drove down on a ten-play drive. The Chargers were aided by two defensive penalties, a pass interference on a third-and-16 from the 18 and an offsides on a first-and-goal from the nine.

Arias scored on a one-yard plunge, and with the extre point kick, it was 21-14.

In the fourth, Lompoc and Dos Pueblos were stopped on fourth down plays. the Charger fourth down was a ball intercepted by Gilbert Cornejo at the Lompoc five yard line.

After Dos Pueblos tried again on a fourth-and-five, the Braves took the ball over at their own 44 with 4:15 remaining. Just about two minutes later, Collins finally broke free and scored on a 30-yard sprint, giving Lompoc a big insurance touchdown.

Collins ended the game with 114 yards on 22 carries and Aguilar threw 12 passes, completing nine for 150 yards.

“We have some guys around him that compliment him, which is the key to football,” Luken said about Aguilar.

He used a baseball analogy to explain.

“You can't just have apitcher and expect to win,” he explained, “you need awhole team to step up.”

Now the Braves have a bye week before hosting Righetti on Oct. 5. It is a rest Luken really welcomes.

“I got (Brandon) Alonzo on the shelf, I've got (Nick) Brundy on the shlef, because he broke his hand in our scrimmage,” he said. “(Andrew) Van Dyke is out with a knee, so he's got two weeks to heal.”

Sept. 22, 2007