Titans top Pirates to stay in CIF race

Nipomo Titans head coach Russ Edwards put it simply, “It's the biggest win in school history.”

The Titans (4-2, 5-4 overall) control their destiny, and have a shot at a playoff spot, the first for the young school, and did it in grand fashion on senior night on home field.

On the other sideline, Santa Ynez (3-3, 4-5) saw their playoff chances slip away, following the 28-0 Los Padres League game.

Edwards called the 33 seniors on his roster, “a lot of dedicated guys who really deserve what happened here.”

Those seniors wasted little time in making their mark, with Mason Sperakos hitting fellow senior Kyle Webb on a deep route on the first play of the game.

Webb's catch and run took the Titans to the Pirates 15-yard line. Three plays later Sperakos lofted a pass to the corner of the end zone to connect with another senior, Derrick Stroub, to put the Titans on the scoreboard before a full minute had ticked away.

“All night long! All night long!” Chanted the Nipomo sideline following the score.

“Those plays were just so good, you just heard a big sigh from the (Santa Ynez) sideline,” said Pirate tailback Justin Iniguez.

Lead Titan rusher Billy Chambers was a casualty of Nipomo's third possession drive, hobbling off the field with what coaches hope is a sprained ankle.

The team sustaining the drive though, with senior Ray Cano taking the hand off on a fourth-and-one. He hit a hole between the tackles and moved the chains.

Sperakos scrambled on an option play for 12 yards, taking his team to the Pirate 20, before lobbing a touchdown strike to tight end Daniel Herrera.

The Pirates had their shot to shift the games momentum in the second quarter. After trading possessions, Santa Ynez started a drive from their own 17. The Santa Ynez ground game started slow, but quarterback Blake DuBois passed for two consecutive first downs. A pass interference call in their favor took the drive into Nipomo territory.

Seemingly stalled, the Pirates lined up to punt from midfield on a fourth and 11, only to have wily Pirate Kevin Crowell bolt for the far sideline on a fake, earning 22 yards.

Two DuBois runs and Santa Ynez had four downs to a mere three yards.

Both Edwards, and Santa Ynez head coach Josh Cunningham point to the ensuing Nipomo goal line defense as the pivotal moment in the game.

Senior Titan lineman Brent Farmer had the first tackle, wrapping up DuBois before he could advance a step. Three more run attempts met with similar results, and with the last seconds of the half ticking away Nipomo took over on downs.

“Our offense moved the ball well, but we couldn't finish, punch it in tonight,” said Cunningham.

Instead of coming back from the half down by only one score, Santa Ynez received the ball down by 14, and began their drive on their 20-yard-line.

Hopes of a comeback drive for Santa Ynez were stopped cold by Webb, who intercepted DuBois for one of his two interceptions of the night. Webb ran the ball straight back into the end zone.

Midway through the fourth quarter Cano would cap off his running performance, by cutting between the Pirate tackles for a 25-yard score.

He ended with 17 carries for 141 yards.

“Everyone just came out ready to win, to make history,” said Cano.

The Pirates finish their season on the road, against league leading Morro Bay on Friday.

“I want my guys to go out playing great football,” said Cunningham.

Though they could squeek by in a tie-breaker, the Titans will play for a guarenteed playoff spot on St. Joseph's field.

Both league games begin at 7:30 p.m.

Atascadero 51, Lompoc 14

Steven Manier's 66-yard touchdown run on the Greyhounds' first series set the tone of the evening, as they stayed in the hunt for the PAC-7 League title with a win over the Braves at Memorial Stadium.

Nick Tenhaeff ran for 196 yards and two touchdowns in the win, while Manier racked up 110 yards in only three carries for Atascadero (3-1, 7-2).

Lompoc scored both of its touchdowns in the third quarter, the first coming on a 91-yard kickoff return by Brandon Alonso, followed late in the quarter on Bobby Collins' 25-yard reception from Daryl Aguilar.

Manier also threw for 199 yards and a touchdown in the win for Atascadero, which travels to Paso Robles with the PAC-7 title on the line.

Paso Robles 56, SLO 35

The Bearcats stayed perfect in PAC-7 League action with an all-around rout of the Tigers at SLO's Frank Holt Field.

Sophomore Thomas Bernal passed for 138 yards and a touchdown in the win for Paso Robles (4-0, 8-1), and ran for 129 yards and two touchdowns in the victory.

Nathan Nelson added 108 yards and two touchdowns in the victory, while Josh Weferling had 84 yards and another two touchdowns on the ground for the Bearcats.

Davey Schultz threw for 340 yards and two touchdowns in the defeat.

VCA 21, Sierra Canyon 12

GRANADA HILLS - Adam Boston ran for 121 yards and scored three touchdowns as the Lions (3-5-0) finished their season with a win at Granada Hills High School's John Elway Stadium.

VCA ruined the Chatsworth-based team's first Homecoming. Sierra Canyon finished 1-6-0.

Boston scored on a three-yard run, a 30-yard fumble return and an 18-yard run. Alfredo Paniagua ran 13 times for 81 yards, quarterback John Doupe had 68 yards on 10 carries, and Thomas Stoddard gained 52 yards on eight rushes.

November 3, 2007