Buena High ran for four touchdowns and intercepted four passes on Wednesday night to hand San Marcos a 41-6 Channel League football defeat in the season finale at Valley Stadium.
San Marcos (1-9, 0-4) drove 63 yards on the game’s opening drive and got to the 17-yard line before quarterback Joe Rivera’s second-down pass was picked off near the left sideline.
Cody Durkee returned it 95 yards for a 7-0 lead at the 7:59 mark.
“That was kind of a summary of our year,” said second-year coach Jeff Hesselmeyer. “We had a nice little drive to open the game, then had a miscommunication on a pass and hit their guy for six. That was a little tough.
“The kids played hard and sometimes you’re just a little overmatched.”
Rivera was picked off on the very next play with Chase Smith grabbing it at the Royals’ 24. Two plays later, Andrew Martinez started right, cut back to the left and ran it in from 23 yards out.
Martinez rushed for 58 yards and two TDs and Kendrick Mathis, a junior left-hander, completed 7-of-10 passes for 146 yards and a touchdown to pace Buena’s attack.
The Bulldogs won their last two games by a combined 86-6 to finish at 5-5 overall and 2-2 in the Channel League.
Buena drove 92 yards for its third touchdown, a 5-yard run by Mathis with 8:52 to go in the second quarter. The kick was blocked by Randee Harvey and the visitors took a 20-0 halftime lead.
Joe Kelly and Jon Beeson had second-half interceptions for the Bulldogs, who scored 21 points off the four picks.
“The defense has played great all year long,” said Buena coach Cliff Farrar. “You know we’re only giving up 15 points a game. We’ve played hard all year and we’ve come up short in four games.
“We were just a couple of plays short (of making the playoffs).”
The game was played on Wednesday because of the Veteran’s Day holiday on Thursday and a work furlough day on Friday.
Rivera, one of 21 seniors playing their final game, completed 11-of-18 for 75 yards and three interceptions.
The Royals had 18 first downs while allowing just 10.
Victor Mendez intercepted a pass in the end zone to foil Buena’s last drive of the second quarter.
The Bulldogs boosted the margin to 34-0 following Beeson’s interception of an Andrew Griffin pass at the Royals’ 49. Three plays later, Smith took a handoff from Mathis and tossed a 33-yard TD strike to Enrique Torres with 3:50 to go in the third period.
San Marcos drove 80 yards in 14 plays for its only touchdown with 8:56 to play. Mo Cruz broke off a 16-yard run and Ryan Delgadillo gained three yards on fourth-and-1 from the 18. On the next play, Griffin lobbed a pass to the right corner and Mendez out-jumped a defender to get the Royals on the board.
Cruz was the leading Royal rusher with 58 yards on nine attempts.
BUENA 41, SAN MARCOS 6
Buena ………….… 14 6 14 7 — 41
San Marcos …..…. 0 0 0 6 — 6
First Quarter
B — Durkee 95 interception return (Jacobs kick), 7:59
B — Martinez 23 run (Jacobs kick), 6:38
Second Quarter
B — Mathis 5 run (kick blocked), 8:52
Third Quarter
B — Martinez 3 run (Jacobs kick), 8:39
B — Torres 33 pass from Smith (Jacobs kick), 3:50
Fourth Quarter
SM — Mendez 15 pass from Griffin (kick failed), 8:56
B — Cerda 5 run (Jacobs kick), 4:44
B SM
First Downs 10 18
Rushes-Yards 33-162 32-142
Passing Yards 179 113
Total Yards 341 255
Passes (Cmp-Att-Int) 8-12-1 14-23-4
Punts-Avg 1-26 2-45
Fumbles-Lost 1-0 0-0
Penalties-Yards 5-62 5-20
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING–B: Martinez 10-58, Dunne 6-42, Michel 4-38, Cerda 4-21, Dominick 1-9, Mathis 5-(-1), Smith 3-(-5). SM: Cruz 9-58, Kim 10-51, Osborn 5-29, Delgadillo 1-3, Mendez 3-2, Rivera 1-2, Carrena 1-2, Griffin 2-(-5).
PASSING–B: Mathis 7-10-1-146, Smith 1-1-0-33, Dominick 0-1-0-0. SM: Rivera 11-18-3-75, Griffin 3-4-1-38, Loza 0-1-0-0.
RECEIVING–B: Smith 3-71, Martinez 2-18, Torres 1-33, Raines 1-51, Michel 1-6. SM: Harvey 4-27, Mendez 3-39, Cruz 3-13, Carreno 1-16, Dominguez 1-14, Thayer 1-2, Kim 1-2.
MISSED FIELD GOALS–None.
