Warriors score 24 unanswered, beat rival Pirates

SANTA YNEZ — The Carpinteria football team unleashed one of its new tricks in one of high school football’s oldest rivalries on Friday night. After scoring 24 unanswered points to defeat host Santa Ynez 24-14, a group of the Warrior players gave a chest-thumping rendition of the Maori “Haka Dance” in front of their fans on the field.

Led by backup quarterback Jeffrey Moorhouse and game MVP Alex Rodriguez, the Warriors came out on top in the rivalry matchup that began with a 6-6 tie all the way back in 1941. Carpinteria leads the rivalry series with a record of 29-27-4, and brings the “Warrior Spirit Never Dies and Pirate Pride” trophy back over the San Marcos Pass.

Rodriguez, a 5-foot-5 running back, rushed for 72 yards on 14 carries and scored two touchdowns, the second coming on a 16-yard pass from Moorhouse that ended the night’s scoring with 3:22 to play.

Santa Ynez scored both of its touchdowns in the opening eight minutes of the game. The first came on a 66-yard run by Junior Alejandre with 9:21 to go in the quarter, and the second came on an 8-yard run by Casey Ellis with 4:47 remaining.

Carpinteria stormed back right before the half, as Rodriguez found paydirt from three yards out with 3:48 to go and Jordan Robinson returned an interception 48 yards just 48 seconds later to send the game into intermission at 14-14.

Kicker Hans Pluma booted a 33-yard field goal that gave the Warriors their first lead with 10:05 left in the game, and Carpinteria got the ball back in prime field position when Robinson recovered the Warriors’ own punt at the Santa Ynez 18-yard line with 6:17 to go. Five plays later, Moorhouse found Rodriguez breaking down the left sideline for the 16-yard scoring strike. A lost fumble by Santa Ynez two plays after that sealed the game for good.

The Pirates were hampered by penalties in the game, drawing eight flags for a total of 85 yards. Santa Ynez is now 1-2 on the year while the Warriors improve to 2-1.
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CARPINTERIA 24, SANTA YNEZ 14

Carpinteria…0 14 0 10 — 24

Santa Ynez…14 0 0 0 — 14

First Quarter

SY — Alejandre 68 run (Santos kick), 9:41

SY — Ellis 8 run (Santos kick), 4:47

Second Quarter

C — Rodriguez 3 run (Pluma kick), 3:48

C — Robinson 48 INT return (Pluma kick), 3:00

Fourth Quarter

C — Pluma 33 FG, 10:01

C — Rodriguez 16 pass from Moorhouse (Pluma kick), 3:22

Rushing

C — Rodriguez 14-72, Moorhouse 17-36, Arreola 7-12, Mendoza 4-11, Saenz 2-4, Estrada 1-4, Blum 1-(-6). SY — Alejandre 3-53, Johnson 8-10, Hollingsworth 6-26, Miranda 3-1, Ellis 4-39, Foss (1-(-3), Espinosa 1-0.

Passing

C — Moorhouse 4-9-0-43. SY — Johnson 7-14-1-68.

Receiving

C — Ayala 2-17, Estrada 1-10, Rodriguez 1-16. SY — Garley 3-21, Porter 1-11, Jensen 1-9, Foss 1-27.

Team records — C 2-1, SY 1-2.