Santa Barbara High football fans were waiting for Cheroke Cunningham to have a breakout game.
The wait is over.
Cunningham blew up for five touchdowns, including three in a wild fourth-quarter comeback, to turn a 35-7 deficit into a 48-35 Dons win over Rio Mesa at a wild Peabody Stadium on Friday night.
“The Spanish word for desire is ganas, Santa Barbara coach Doug Caines said. “We just wanted it. We willed ourselves to victory.”
Santa Barbara went on a blitz of 41 unanswered points starting midway through the third period.
“We came out and showed what this offense can do. This is the kind of momentum we need,” said Caines.
Cunningham lifted the Dons spirits in the second half with an 60-yard touchdown run to make a 35-14 game.
Jordan Guzman got behind the defense and caught a bomb from quarterback Brent Peus, cutting the deficit to 35-20.
Cunningham later scored on a swing pass he turned into a 30-yard TD, and Guzman caught a 2-point conversion pass from Peus to pull the Dons to within seven, 35-28.
Santa Barbara’s defense then held the Spartans on downs, forcing them to punt. There was a low snap and the punter went to his knee to field the ball ending the play. The Dons took over at the Rio Mesa 15.
A few plays later, Peus scored on a 1-yard quarterback sneak and Alvaro Lopez converted the PAT to knot the score at 35-35.
The sky-high Dons held the Spartans on downs again and took over the ball after a punt with 2:35 left in the game. Cunningham bolted through the Rio Mesa defense for a 40-yard touchdown run to give Santa Barbara its first lead of the game, 41-35.
Miguel Sandoval then intercepted a Rio Mesa pass to put the Dons in business again. Peus handed the ball off again to Cunningham and the senior bolted 25 yards for his fifth touchdown of the game, putting the Dons ahead 48-35.
“I can’t give me team enough credit for having the gumption and toughness after being punched in the mouth. We’re not gong to lay down. It was exciting to watch my team work.”
“This game is definitely a dream,” said Peus.
Rio Mesa dominated the first half, controlling the line of scrimmage and rolling out to a 28-7 halftime lead. Running back Michael Kytlica, who was repeatedly given the rock during the game, tied it up 7-7 with a 3-yard run on 4th and goal with 0:27 left in the quarter. The Spartans took the lead after QB Cameron Wrout bobbled a snap but picked it up and fired the ball to Jaysean Lee for a TD pass with 7:24 left in the half.
Wrout threw a beautiful deep ball to Brad Borodaty that set up the Spartans’ next score, a 1-yard run by Trey King to make it 21-7. The teams then traded interceptions on consecutive plays before Kytlica found the end zone again to make it 28-7.
Wrout found Borodaty on a 5-yard TD pass that put the Spartans up 35-7 with 8:24 to go in the third
Santa Barbara evens its record at 2-2 while Rio Mesa falls to 0-3.
