Arroyo Grande didn't have much of a passing attack to speak of in its three PAC-7 League football games, all losses.

The Eagles had shown they could run the ball, but their offense had a grand total of 27 points in league games.

Friday night, the Eagles ground out three clock-killing first downs against one of the best rushing defenses around, Righetti's. Arroyo Grande sophomore quarterback Clark Goosen set up three touchdowns with big pass plays, the Eagles picked off area passing leader Justin Level twice in the first half and Arroyo Grande stunned the Warriors 27-21 at Righetti High School's Warrior Stadium.

Arroyo Grande is 1-3, 3-6-0. Righetti is 2-3, 6-4-0 after losing its regular season finale. The Eagles stunned the Warriors a week after Righetti toppled defending champion Atascadero 21-13 at Atascadero.

The Eagles' annual Big Game against San Luis Obispo this year really IS a big game for Arroyo Grande this year.

If the Eagles beat their arch rivals, who are 2-2, 5-3-1 after a 56-35 loss to league front runner Paso Robles Friday night, Arroyo Grande gets the third and last league guaranteed playoff spot.

Kickoff is at 7:30 p.m. next Friday night at Arroyo Grande High School's Doug Hitchen Stadium.

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“We had nothing to lose,” said Arroyo Grande linebacker Kenny Sugishita after the Righetti game. Sugishita has been one of the Eagles' best defensive players all year, and he helped Arroyo Grande contain a good Righetti offense.

“Our coaches told us to have fun these last two games,” he said. “This was the funnest game we've played all year, especially we seniors.”

Righetti, meanwhile, lost plenty. All the Warriors can hope for now is an at-larage playoff berth.

Goosen threw a wobbler on the second play of the game but his receiver, Bo Cabalar, ran to the ball and got it. Cabalar made it to the 29. Goosen and his leading receiver this year, Trevor Salas (213 reception yards going in) hooked up for 26 yards to the one three plays later. George Lopez bulled in on the next play.

Goosen threw to Salas for 49 yards to the Righetti nine in the second quarter. That set up Andrew Reza's three-yard scoring run. Goosen and Salas hooked up for 62 yards to set up Carl Reinhart's 10-yard touchdown run in the third quarter. Colt McLaughlin's point-after kick made it 24-14.

Justin Rucker caught a 12-yard touchdown pass from Level to make it 24-21, but McLaughlin closed the scoring with a 27-yard field goal with 7:59 to play.

The Warriors were driving late but a holding call wiped out Level's 26-yard pass to Matt Miller that would have put the ball on Arroyo Grande's 11. Reinhart eventually broke up Level's fourth down pass.

That gave the Eagles the ball with 4:21 left, and they ran the clock out with those three first downs.

Righetti's coaches and players were furious after, first, officials ruled Cabalar was down before the Warriors recovered his fumble after a seven-yard gain and then ruled Reinhart had gained a yard for a first down after Righetti thought it had stopped him and gotten the ball back with less than a minute left.

Two unsportsmanlike conduct fouls against the Warriors followed, but Arroyo Grande didn't have to run another play anyway.

Goosen, a sophomore who is first-year Eagles head coach Tom Goosen's son, threw for 225 yards Friday night, nearly matching his season total. Salas had four catches for 174 yards.

“Clark was incredible tonight, the way he put the ball out there,” said Salas. “And our line never let them get close to him, he had all night.”

Center Josh Vasquez anchored solid Eagles blocking. “He's been the most consistent guy on our team,” Clark Goosen said.

Level was 2-for-10 for 18 yards at intermission. Salas ruined a Righetti drive by intercepting a Level pass at the Eagles five. Lopez picked Level off later in the second quarter, and that set up McLaughlin's 34-yard field goal that made it 17-0.

Righetti finally struck back after Sean Kothe intercepted a Goosen pass and ran it back 27 yards to Righetti's 46. Cody Berry ran 24 yards from punt formation to Arroyo Grande's 13, and Adam Wilson eventually scored from the one. The Eagles led 17-7 at half.

“I'm very happy for our kids,” said Tom Goosen. “They have worked very hard. You can see on film Righetti is a good team and plays hard. Beating a good team like that makes it all the more special.”

Anthony Hernandez and D.J. Caudill were called up from Arroyo Grande's junior varsity two weeks ago, and they both came up big Friday night. They stacked things up between the tackles and put some heat on Level.

November 3, 2007