Last year, Nordhoff squashed Bishop Diego’s quest for an undefeated regular season. This time around the Cardinals finished the job with a 41-14 victory in Ojai.
The Cardinals, ranked No. 6 in the CIF Northern Division, now await the release of their playoff draw on Sunday with a 10-0 regular season and Tri-Valley League championship under their belts.
AV Bennett celebrated his 18th birthday in grand style, scoring three touchdowns in the first half and four for the game. He returned the opening kickoff 95 yards for a score, returned an interception 60 yards and bolted 62 yards on the fly sweep in the first quarter.
Quarterback Spencer Stovesand, who grew up in Ojai, had a 29-yard scramble for touchdown to put the Cardinals up 27-0 with 4:25 left in the opening quarter.
Matt Shotwell started the second quarter with a 35-yard scoring run to increase the lead to 34-0
A fight broke out in the second quarter, leading to several ejections of Nordhoff players. The game used a running clock from that point forward.
Bishop led 34-6 at halftime.
Bennett scored his fourth TD of the game with a 55-yard punt return. The PAT kick by Jack Luckhurst made it 41-6. Nordhoff scored on a 4-yard swing pass and converted a two-point conversion, leaving the score 41-14.
With 8:10 to go in the fourth quarter, a Nordhoff player suffered a serious injury and was taken off the field in an ambulance. The game was called at that point.
