Charger hearts broken in first round, 23-22

A first-round playoff win slipped away from Dos Pueblos at Scott O’Leary Stadium on Friday night, literally and figuratively.

The host Chargers (7-4) missed a potential game-winning 33-yard field goal with 23 seconds to go as the ball slipped off of the tee, giving the Scorpions (8-3) a 23-22 comeback victory. The rain was sporadic all night, leaving the field and football slick.

Dos Pueblos' Josh Bartley gets caught up by a Camarillo tackler in the first half of Friday's game.

“On a wet field, you never know what’s gonna happen. It’s a great equalizer,” said Camarillo coach Dennis Riedmiller. “That was just a great high school football game, and every once in awhile you gotta be a little lucky, so we’re happy about that.”

There was no luck involved when Bobby Ferrer stormed into the backfield and blocked an extra-point attempt after DP took a 22-16 lead on a Michael Spiritosanto touchdown with 8:06 to go. Camarillo then mounted a long drive only to lose a fumble in the red zone with five minutes left. The Chargers fumbled it right back on the next play, however, and the Scorpions’ Oswaldo Toc scored the winning touchdown on a 5-yard run with 4:03 left. Kicker Rick Perry made his extra point to end the night’s scoring.

The Chargers were led once again by Michael Spiritosanto and Josh Bartley. Spiritosanto rushed four 105 yards and a score on 21 carries while Bartley picked up 114 on 14 rushes. The two carried the ball on all seven plays of DP’s final scoring drive, which spanned 72 yards.

Toc rushed for 124 yards on 23 carries and quarterback Zandro Diaz was 15-for-33 and 174 yards passing. For the most part, it was a defensive showdown.

“They were a little bit faster and a little bit more prepared than we expected and, you know, our offense has gotta produce more than 14 points to come up on the upside of things. It was a good job by Camarillo,” said Chargers coach Jeff Uyesaka.

The Scorpions stifled the Charger offense in the first half, allowing just three first downs, yet the visitors still trailed 13-9 at the intermission. Camarillo began with a 5-yard touchdown run with 4:20 to go in the first quarter and got a safety as DP’s first snap sailed high and out of the back of end zone.

The Chargers’ Hunter Harris ran a 60-yard punt return all the way home thanks to a beautiful stiff arm with 6:20 remaining in the first half, but the kick was missed. With 2:29 to go, DP’s John Dickinson returned an interception 80 yards to make it 13-9.

Chargers kicker Nicolai Bornand capped a 13-play, 73-yard drive with a 20-yard field goal at the 4:37 mark of the third quarter that put the hosts up by seven, but Camarillo responded as Toc scored a one-yard touchdown to make it 16-16 with 1:43 to go in the quarter.

Bartley and Spiritosanto then executed the 72-yard drive which culminated in Spiritosanto’s leaping plunge, but Ferrer’s big block held the lead at six.

Camarillo lost three fumbles, including one that killed their opening drive on the one-yard line, but did just enough to hang on. Riedmiller said that the intensity of the game should be a big boost moving forward.

“It does give us some extra momentum. I’m just glad we don’t have to turn in our gear yet,” he said with a smile.

For the Chargers, it ends a fantastic season that included the program’s first Channel League Championship since 1979. And although it was a kick that sailed wide right that kept the season from continuing, sophomore kicker Bornand was also responsible for the game-winning 40-yarder at Ventura last week that won the league title.

CAMARILLO 23, DOS PUEBLOS 22

Camarillo…9  0  7  7 — 23

Dos Pueblos…0  13  3  6 — 22

First Quarter

C — Kotake 5 run (Perry kick), 4:20

C — Safety, 3:58

Second Quarter

DP — Harris 60 punt return (kick failed), 6:20

DP — Dickinson 80 INT return (Bornand kick), 2:29

Third Quarter

DP — Bornand 20 kick, 4:37

C — Toc 1 run (Perry kick), 1:43

Fourth Quarter

DP — Spiritosanto 1 run (kick blocked), 8:06

C — Toc 1 run (Perry kick), 4:03

C                  DP
First downs            19                   14
Rushes-yards    32-163           37-214
Passing yards       174                 42
Comp-Att-Int     15-33-1       4-8-0
Punts-avg.          3-36.3           3-40.6
Fumbles-lost         4-3               2-1
Penalties-yards    8-56           5-49.5

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING — C: Toc 23-124, Kotake 9-39. DP: Bartley 14-114, Spiritosanto 21-105, Adams 1-(-1), Harris 1-(-4).
PASSING — C: Diaz 15-33-1-174. DP: Spiritosanto 0-0-0-0, Adams 4-7-0-42.
RECEIVING — C: Kotake 4-28, Benson 1-11, Covey 3-52, Okeyo 2-21, Maulhardt 3-53, Toc 2-9. DP: Thomas 1-4, Harris 1-3, Lagattuta 2-35.
MISSED FIELD GOAL — DP: Bornand 35, 33.
TEAM RECORDS — C 8-3, DP 7-4.