Cate rolled out to a 28-0 lead and finished with a 48-18 win over visiting Orcutt Academy in a first-round CIF Division 1 eight-man football playoff game on Saturday.
The Rams effectively used John Pasar and Max Vasquez at quarterback to replace the injured Kyle Mayfield. Vasquez ran for three touchdowns and Pasar tossed a screen pass to Zack Ell with 12 seconds left in the first half.
“The team stepped up and played real well,” Cate coach Ben Soto said. “Pasar and Vasquez did a good job.”
The Cate offensive line paved the way for Austin Gallegos to rush for touchdowns of 2 and 42 yards, and he caught a 48-yard scoring pass from Abe Tall.
Vasquez’s TD runs covered 2, 22 and 31 yards.
Orcutt Academy scored back-to-back touchdowns before Cate took back the momentum on Pasar’s screen pass to Ell just before halftime.
The Rams will play either Lancaster Christian or Mojave in the second round.
