SJ is Swashbuckled

The showdown for first place in the Los Padres League between the St. Joseph Knights and the visiting Morro Bay Pirates at St. Joe's Al Maguire Field was the marquee matchup in high school football on the Central Coast Friday night.

The Pirates' clinched the LPL championship with a 46-16 victory.

“The score doesn't indicate just how close this game was,” said Morro Bay head coach John Andree. “We got a couple breaks and we were able to blow it open at the end.”

Morro Bay came in a perfect 8-0 on the season - 6-0 in the league. St. Joseph was right behind at 6-2 overall and 4-1 in the league.

A St. Joseph (6-3, 4-2) victory would create a tie at the top.

But the Logan Budd led offensive juggernaut is hard to stop.

Behind quarterback Budd, the Pirates (9-0, 7-0) scored 309 points in their first eight games - an average of better than 38.6 points a game.

The Morro Bay defense was equally as dominating - giving up a total of just 55 points, an average under 7 a game - including four shutouts - while the team earned the No. 1 ranking in the CIF Southern Section Northwest Division.

The Pirates lived up to their ranking.

Budd ran for 99 yards and two touchdowns on 17 carries. He also intercepted two passes on defense - running one back 55-yards for a touchdown. Tailback Duran Gonzalez - the other half of Morro Bay's 1-2 punch - ran for 106 yards and two touchdowns on 12 carries.

“Logan Budd is a phenomenal athlete. He brings the level of the whole offense up,” said Andree. “Gonzalez is the perfect compliment to Logan. He's an excellent athlete. He brings the same high quality, steady game every week.”

Budd also threw for 128 yards and one touchdown.

St. Joseph was led by Russell Perkins who ran for 84 yards and two TDs on 22 carries and offensive lineman/fullback John Sua who gained 29 yards on five carries.

Quarterback Gavin Kelly completed eight of 15 passes for 56 yards with two interceptions.

Kicker Anthony Gallegos added a 28-yard field goal for St. Joseph.

“Russell Perkins had another great game - 22 rushes for 84 yards and two scores. Sua was great both offensively and defensively. It was good to have Cameron Sewell back from an injury. He really helps us out.”

The Knights started strong.

After an excellent 41-yard return of Budd's opening kickoff by St. Joseph's Travis Biegl, St. Joseph steamrolled its way to a game-opening touchdown.

The Knights offensive packed it in tight and rammed the ball straight down the heart of the Morro Bay defense.

With Perkins carrying the ball nine times and Sua twice, St. Joseph pounded at the heart of the Pirates' defense and ground out an 11-play, 54-yard touchdown drive.

Perkins powered it in from the two. Gallegos tacked on the extra point and St. Joseph was on top 7-0 midway through the first quarter.

“St. Joseph had a great game plan. It was very effective,” said Andree. “They came right at us. We knew we had to stop their running attack or it was going to be a long night for us.”

“We tried to put the kids in a position to be successful,” said St. Joseph head coach Mike Hartman. “Our kids always do a good job, they always play hard. Morro Bay was just better than we were tonight.”

Morro Bay quickly returned the favor.

The Pirates Ronnie Cain hauled Gallegos' kickoff in at his own 25 yard line. Cain then raced 48-yards, down to the St. Joseph 27, giving Morro Bay excellent field position on its opening possession.

And the Logan Budd show was ready for prime time.

Budd directed a six-play, 27-yard drive that included four quarterback keepers. The drive ended with a two-yard Budd touchdown run. St. Joseph's Dominic Brunello blocked Budd's extra point kick attempt and St. Joseph kept the lead, but it was down to 7-6 at the 2:41 mark of the first quarter.

In the middle of the second quarter, St. Joseph marched from its own 20 down to the Morro Bay 11 when its drive stalled.

Out came Gallegos who nailed a 28-yard field goal and a 10-6 St. Joseph lead with 5:21 left until the half.

Back came the Pirates.

Morro Bay marched 72 yards on six plays - the key play a 53-yard pass from Budd to Wyatt Gerbracht - capped by Gonzalez's 6-yard touchdown run (Budd's extra point attempt failed) and Morro Bay was on top 12-10 with 2:40 remaining until halftime.

St. Joseph had time for one last shot before the half - but it was the Pirates who hit paydirt.

The Knights moved from their own 20 to their 42 when Kelly tried to throw deep. The Pirates' Budd stepped in front of the ball for the first of his two interceptions. Budd returned the ball from his own 35 all the way down to the St. Joseph 14.

Now, with 1:03 on the clock, Gonzalez ran it in from the nine. Budd hit this extra point and Morro Bay headed into the lockerroom with a 19-10 lead.

Budd directed a 7-play, 64- drive to open the second half and put the Pirates up 25-10.

Another quick score - this one on a four-play, 61-yard drive, had Morro Bay up 32-10 midway through the third quarter and the game was quickly slipping away from St. Joseph.

But The Knights didn't quit.

They came right back with a 14-play, 78 yard touchdown drive. Perkins two-yard run closed the gap to 32-16 with 1:18 remaining in the third quarter.

But that was as close as the Knights would get.

Morro Bay responded with its own long touchdown drive - 12-plays, 71 yards and an 18-yard Budd TD run early in the third quarter. On St. Joseph's next play, Budd picked off his second pass and raced this one back for a touchdown and a 46-16 Morro Bay lead.

“The road to the Los Padres League championship goes through St. Joseph every year,” said Andree. “You can't win this title without beating St. Joe.”

Morro Bay hopes to wrap up a perfect regular season next Friday night in the annual battle of the Pirates when Santa Ynez heads up to Morro Bay.

Meanwhile, St. Joseph hosts Nipomo next Friday. If St. Joseph wins, it is guaranteed a playoff spot.

“I've told our kids that our playoffs start next week against Nipomo,” said Hartman. “It's a big, big, big game. But if we get a win, we're in.”

November 3, 2007