Scott O’Leary Stadium is now the official name of Dos Pueblos High’s football facility after a pre-game ceremony yesterday, in which the city of Goleta proclaimed “Scott O’Leary Day.”
But the emotions of honoring the late coach, athletic director and greatly admired mentor for so many years at the school didn’t translate into any homefield advantage for the Chargers, who couldn’t stem the tide of injuries that decimated their roster en route to a 21-7 loss to visiting Rio Mesa.
“This was Game 1 at Scott O’Leary Stadium, and I’m proud of our kids for making history,” declared DP head coach Jeff Uyesaka, a former player under O’Leary.
“We play a Coach O’Leary style of ball,” Uyesaka continued. “We play with heart, we play hurt, but we’re not going to turn away from a fight.”
Last night’s game against Rio Mesa was a fight that left the Chargers battered and beaten with a 2-3 record heading into Channel League play next week at Buena.
Down to their third- and fourth-string quarterbacks for most of the game and a host of other injuries affecting key players, DP couldn’t generate much offense, scoring its lone touchdown on defense and generating just one first down in the second half.
“It was agame of survival,” said Uyesaka.
The Chargers entered the game with their starting QB Zack Boytis out indefinitely with an injured shoulder. Back-up Matthew Soto departed midway thorugh the second quarter with a gash on his forehead, leaving it up to third-string Ben Adams to try to rally the charges.
Starting tailback Anthony Houston left the game after hurting his foot sometime during the second quarter. His back-up, Josh Bartley, got banged up in the first half as well but was forced back on the field in the second half. And lineman Ty Smtih eventually joined fellow lineman Carlos Mayo (on crutches) with a concussion.
That left Uyesaka little to work with, resorting to fourth-string quarterback Branden Tangel (a starting wide receiver) for a couple series in the fourth quarter. “At that point we were drawing plays in the dirt,” the coach said.
Rio Mesa head coach Bob Gregorchuk had his own challenges, despite a victory that boosted his team’s record to 3-2.
“For my team it was a game where we were going smooth and then we do so many things to shoot ourselves in the foot,” he related.
Eleven penalties — a few of the personal foul variety — that cost the Spartans 85 yards and much more in momentum was the cause of most of Gregorchuk’s frustration.
“Our linebacker makes a great play and then stands up and salutes in a showboating move that brings out a flag,” Gregorchuk lamented. “We’ve got to play smarter than that.”
But at least for Gregorchuk, a switch at quarterback paid off. After starting QB Enrique Thomas could generate only one first down in Rio Mesa’s first three possessions, all ending in punts, junior Blair Benchwick came off the bench and guided the Spartans to touchdowns in the next two possessions and played the rest of the game.
“We know we can do good things with both quarterbacks and usually play both of them,” Gregorchuk said. “But Blair stepped up and had a great game, so we stayed with the hot hand.”
The first Spartan score was set up by a fumble by Houston on a low pitch from Adams, who had just entered the game in place of Soto.
Starting from the DP 44, Benchwick guided Rio Mesa to a score within five plays, the biggest coming on a 21-yard pass completion to 6-3 sophomore Deandre Hutchins. Devon Hall covered the final five yards at the 3:40 mark of the second quarter.
The Chargers wound up punting a third time on the following possession after nearly fumbling the ball away again. They recovered their own fumble, but still handed Rio Mesa great field position with a 9-yard punt to the Spartan 41.
Benchwick struck immediately with a 38-yard pass completion to Lawrence Garcia, and two plays later connected again with Hutchins on a high-arching throw for 24 yards in the end zone that Hutchins acrobatically reached over the DP defender, who was giving away at least six inches in height.
With Derek Skinner’s second PAT kick, the Saprtans had a 14-0 lead with just 1:05 remaining in the half. On the ensuiing kickoff, an altercation erupted that drew off-setting personal foul penalties and an official’s warning directed at Dos Pueblos. Uyesaka responded by ordering his quarterback to take a knee on two plays to bleed out the final minute of the half.
Adams faced brutal pressure in the second half from a Spartan defense that registered sacks by Connor Benado and Clarence McBride, the latter forcing the Chargers to punt from their half-yard line.
Taking over at the DP 29, the Spartans needed only six plays to score again. Jamaal Perkins (110 yards on 21 carries), got it started with a 13-yard spurt off a draw play. Jarred Rodriguez, 230-pound defensive end who was a menace on defense, got the honors to run it in from the two for a 21-0 lead with 5:15 left in the third quarter.
DP’s offense, totalling an abysmal 75 total yards, netted a minus 3 for the entire second half.
The Chargers’ only score came with five minutes left in the game when Tangel stripped the ball from Perkins and carried it the other way for 57 yards. The play dehydrated Tangel so much that he had to leave the game as well.
RIO MESA 21, SAN MARCOS 7
Rio Mesa……………….0 14 7 0– 21
Dos Pueblos…………..0 0 0 7– 7
SECOND QUARTER
RM– Hall 5 run (Skinner kick), 3:40.
RM– Hutchins 24 pass from Benchwick (Skinner kick), 1:05.
THIRD QUARTER
RM– Rodriguez 2 run (Skinner kick), 5:15.
FOURTH QUARTER
DP– Tangel 57 fumble return (Micheel kick), 5:00.
TEAM STATISTICS RM DP
First Downs……………………………..16 7
Rushing Yds/Carries…………………..198/38 45/38
Passing Yds-Att-Int…………………….7-13-0 5-11-1
Passing Yds……………………………..96 30
Total Yds…………………………………294 75
Fumbles-Lost……………………………2-2 2-1
Penalties/Yds……………………………11-85 6-16
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING– RM: Perkins 21-110, Hall 11-64, Garcia 2-11, Alford 1-10, Rodriguez 1-2, Thomas 2-1. DP: Houston 13-32, Soto 2-9, Spiritosanto 3-7, Bartley 9-2, Tangel 3-1, Adams 8- (-8). PASSING– RM: Thomas 2-3-1-14, Benchwick 4-9-0-85, Cristobal 1-1-0-(-3).
RECEIVING– RM: Hutchins 2-45, Garcia 2-40, Alford 3-11.
RECORDS– RM 3-2, DP 2-3.
