The game plan worked nearly perfect in the first half for Santa Barbara High’s football team.
The Dons shut down Pacifica’s potent passing combination and their defense and special teams set up two scores in building a 20-7 lead at halftime.
But Pacifica battled back, making big plays on offense and defense to rally for a 28-20 win over Santa Barbara in a non-league game in Oxnard on Friday night.
The loss snapped a three-game winning streak for the Dons. Pacifica improved to 6-0.
The Tritons turned an interception on Santa Barbara’s first possession of the second half into a touchdown and drove 80 yards for the go-ahead score.
A goal-line stand denied the Dons from retaking the lead.
A poor punt and a 40-yard run by Jacob Neri set up Pacifica’s final score.
It was all Santa Barbara in the first half. The Dons held Pacifica quarterback Adan Salas to 1 of 10 passing and its touted wide receiver Deondre Vines to zero catches while building a 20-7 lead.
After Neri broke a tackle at the line and bolted 51 yards for a Pacifica touchdown, Santa Barbara responded with a 69-yard touchdown strike from quarterback Brent Peus to receiver Bolden Brace.
The Dons’ special teams set up their second touchdown. Junior Garcia blocked Erik Mora’s punt and recovered at the Pacifica 7. Four plays later, Garcia bulled his way over left guard for a 14-7 lead.
Garcia made another big play on defense, intercepting a Salas pass and returning it 26 yards for a touchdown, giving Santa Barbara a 20-7 lead at halftime.
The second half didn’t start very well for Santa Barbara as Pacifica’s Torrey Davis intercepted Peus on the Dons’ first possession.
The Tritons got Vines freed up on a flea-flicker play and Salas hit him for a 50-yard gain Four plays later, Vines went high between defenders to pull down another Salas pass for a touchdown, cutting the Dons’ lead to 20-14.
Santa Barbara punted the ball on its next possession and Pacifica drove 80 yard on 12 plays to take the lead. The big plays on the drive were a 33-yard screen pass to Neri and a 20-yard run by Ryan Frash. A penalty on the Dons put the ball at the 1, and Salas plowed into the end zone to put the Tritons into the lead 21-20 with two minutes left in the third quarter.
Santa Barbara kept its poise and put together a long drive. It got to the 1-yard line, but Pacifica’s Christian Ayala and Steven Sandoval made big hits to keep the Dons out of the end zone.
Santa Barbara got the ball back but the drive was stopped when Peus was sacked on the 13.
Down 28-20, the Dons drove into the red zone in the final minutes. Peus threw to Daniel Vallin at the goal line but Daniel Moraga outleaped the Dons receiver, tipped the ball and cradled it as he fell to ground for an interception to secure the victory with 1:17 left.
