San Marcos ran into a red-hot Buena team and suffered a 31-17 loss in a Channel League football game Friday night in Ventura.
Ryan Ellis caught two touchdown passes from Martin Mijares and John O’Brien’s 30-yard dash following a blocked punt fueled a 21-point first-quarter outburst for the Bulldogs, who have now won five in a row after an 0-3 start. They have outscored their opponents by a combined margin of 186-71.
San Marcos, meanwhile, continues to struggle after winning its first five games. The Royals lost their fourth in a row to fall to 5-4, 0-3.
Noah Martinez led a productive Buena ground attack, carrying 28 times for 172 yards. Mijares added a third touchdown pass, an 11-yard strike to Blayne Bennett, in the second half and finished with 155 yards in the air.
Bennett’s TD catch was his ninth of the season, breaking a record for TD catches by a Buena receiver in a single season.
After Ellis’ two early TD catches, Colin Welsh blocked the first-quarter punt that led to O’Brien’s touchdown that gave Buena its 21-0 lead. Kameron Carroll and Roy Angulo recovered two of San Marcos’ three fumbles.
San Marcos quarterback Wesley Ghan-Gibson directed a 69-yard scoring drive and, after San Marcos successfully recovered the onside kick, he marched his team 49 yards for another TD with 8.5 seconds left.
Information courtesy of Ventura Star
