With the way the Channel League is this year, Friday’s game in Goleta between Dos Pueblos and Buena was circled on schedules long ago.
The Chargers came through, as Josh Bartley scored a pair of touchdowns and racked up 118 rushing yards in a 17-0 Homecoming win.
“We knew this game was do-or-die for us, because we want to go to the league championship, and it goes through Buena,” said Bartley, a shifty 5-7, 165-pounder.
Dos Pueblos' Michael Spiritosanto breaks tackles on a first-half run on Friday night. (Vince Agapito Photos)
The best the Bulldogs (3-5, 0-2) can hope for is a 2-2 mark in league, while Dos Pueblos (4-3, 1-0) came off of its bye week and is now 1-0.
“We knew right away,” said Buena coach Cliff Farrar of the game’s significance. “We’ve got a bye next week, and our first two games were Ventura and DP. We were either out of it or in it real heavy, and we’re out of it. “
The DP defense made it into the backfield regularly, pressuring Buena quarterbacks Kendrick Mathis and Chase Smith while also holding running back Andrew Martinez to 23 yards on 12 carries. Mathis started the game under center and went 6-for-15 with 54 yards and a pick before giving way to Smith midway through the second quarter.
Smith completed six of 18 passes with 128 yards, but also threw a pair of picks. The first was a great leaping snag by DP’s Hunter Harris in Charger territory at the end of the third quarter, and the other was in the waning moments of the game.
Buena looked solid on its first drive, converting on its first three third downs before missing on a field goal attempt from 38 yards. The Bulldogs punted on their next possession but DP muffed it and the visitors got it right back, only to fumble it away three plays later.
Josh Bartley found the endzone twice against Buena while rushing for 118 yards.
DP quarterback Michael Spiritosanto ripped off a 23-yard run and Bartley added a 24-yard scamper to set up his first touchdown, a 6-yard score just 11 seconds into the second quarter. The DP defense came through on the very next play, as a Buena pass was tipped up in the air and intercepted by John Dickson.
A bizarre play set up DP’s second touchdown, as a deep throw by Spiritosanto turned into an up-for-grabs ball between receiver Remy Alden and defender Joe Kelly. Kelly looked like he had come down with the interception, but Alden wrestled it away and it was ruled a 33-yard catch. Bartley made it 14-0 with a 12-yard touchdown run three plays later, at the 8:13 mark in the third quarter.
Buena responded by marching down to the DP 37, but a third-down pass to open receiver Brad Wellman in the end zone was just long. Wellman bruised his collarbone badly on the play and missed the rest of the game.
Nicolai Bornand iced the game with an 18-yard field goal with 72 seconds remaining.
Spiritosanto rushed for 50 yards on 13 carries and also threw for 76 yards, while backup Ben Adams came in at the end of the game and completed a pair of passes for 31 yards.
The Chargers host Santa Barbara next week.
DOS PUEBLOS 17, BUENA 0
Buena…0 0 0 0 — 0
Dos Pueblos…0 7 7 3 — 17
Second Quarter
DP: Bartley 6 run (Bornand kick), 11:49
Third Quarter
DP: Bartley 12 run (Bornand kick), 8:13
Fourth Quarter
DP: Bornand 18 kick, 1:12
TEAM TOTALS B DP
First downs 11 12
Rushes-yards 21-47 39-166
Passing yards 182 76
Comp-Att-Int 12-33-3 6-15-0
Punts-avg. 4-36 5-37
Fumbles-lost 2-2 3-1
Penalties-yards 4-35 7-55
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING — B: Mathis 5-19, Wellman 1-2, Martinez 12-23, Smith 3-3. DP: Bartley 23-118, Spiritosanto 13-50, Adams 1-(-4), Thomas 2-2.
RECEIVING — B: Michel 1-24, Durkee 1-13, Martinez 2-8, Smith 2-29, Ellis 4-68, Torres 4-40. DP: Harris 1-5, Silva 1-11, Alden 1-33, Thomas 1-27, Durham 1-21, Roberts 1-10.
PASSING — B: Smith 6-18-128, Mathis 6-15-54. DP: Spiritosanto 4-12-76, Adams 2-3-31.
TEAM RECORDS — B 3-5, 0-2. DP 4-3, 1-0.
