Shawn Hobson ….OCEANSIDE – The Rancho Buena Vista High School football team recorded more offense than its opponent for the second straight week. RBV had 408 total yards and Oceanside had 382. It’s a nice stat to have, but it still didn’t materialize into a win.
The Longhorns remain winless after suffering a 28-9 non-league defeat to Oceanside High on Simcox Field at John Carroll Stadium on Friday night.
“We knew they were a lot better than their record indicated,” Oceanside coach David Rodriguez said. “We knew we were going to get the best out of (RBV) coach (Paul) Gomes because that’s what they represent.”
Rancho Buena Vista tailback Dominic Taylor rushed for 337 yards on 26 carries during Oceanside’s homecoming. He had 428 yards the week before against Steele Canyon.
“That’s a lot better than the 400 yards he had the week before,” Rodriguez said after the game. “I wasn’t a big fan of No. 22 (Taylor) going into this game, but I will be from now on. He’s a heck of a runner, but he doesn’t do it by himself. He has an offensive line that does a great job. ”
Taylor produced huge numbers, but he also fumbled twice. One of his fumbles bounced out of the end zone, turning a potential touchdown into a change of possession.
“We dodged a couple bullets with turnovers,” Rodriguez said. “We kept him out of end zone, and that’s what we practiced for all week. We practiced pursuit drills because our kids didn’t want to be on some highlight reel for giving up a touchdown.”
Taylor busted free for long runs a few times, but the Pirates defense would always eventually come from behind to catch him. Oceanside cornerback Julian Hicks chased Taylor down – diving to tackle him – during a 67-yard run, which kept the senior running back out of the end zone.
Rancho Buena Vista kicker Devon Alvarado was a 3-for-3 in field goals. His longest was a for 46 yards.
The Pirates (4-1) reached paydirt four times. Senior running back Niko Mageo scored twice, rushing 216 yards on 31 carries. Anthony Martinez also rushed for two TDs for Oceanside, including a 50-yard TD run in the second quarter. His other TD was an 1-yard run after Hicks completed a 48-yard reception from quarterback Max Shuffer to the Longhorns’ 1-yard line. Shuffer was 9-for-18 for 112 yards.
The Pirates led 21-6 at halftime when homecoming queen Sarah Holloway and homecoming king George Chapman were honored.
Oceanside ranks fifth in Division 1 by the CIF San Diego Section power rankings. The Longhorns, who compete in Division 2, were the obvious underdogs against the more formidable opponent with a rich football history.
“I thought we played well and with a lot of heart,” Rancho Buena Vista defensive coordinator Shane Graham said. “Our defense played a lot better. The pieces are there, we just need to put it all together and play a whole game.”
Rancho Buena Vista has been battling injuries all season as there are nine starters out. RBV starting quarterback Josh English, who broke his collarbone this season, won’t play for the rest of the year. His backup, Matthew Llerenas, moved to the starting quarterback spot. He went 4-for-16 for 40 yards against Oceanside.
The Longhorns have a bye next week, and they’re hopeful to have more players available when they travel to San Marcos High for their Avocado East North County league opener on Oct. 9.
Oceanside also has a bye week before it travels to play San Diego County’s top-ranked team, Mission Hills, on Oct. 9.
“We know we’re playing the No. 1 team in two weeks,” Rodriguez said. “We’ll be in the underdog role, and we will be walking into one incredible football environment. We need to live up to our side of the bargain because we know Mission Hills will be living up to theirs.”
The Longhorns will be sure to take note. Rancho Buena Vista’s next home game will be against Mission Hills on Oct. 16.
First Quarter
O–Mageo 33 run (Gerardi kick), 2:28
Second Quarter
RBV–Alvarado 25 FG, 11:55
O–Martinez 50 run (Gerardi kick), 10:08
RBV–Alvardo 46 FG, 7:31
O–Mageo 43 run (Gerardi kick), 5:32
Third Quarter
O–Hicks 48 pass from Shuffer (Gerardi kick), 4:04
Fourth Quarter
RBV–Alvarado 30 FG, 10:12
Team Statistics
Total Yards: RBV 408, Oceanside 382. Passing: RBV 40, Oceanside 112. Rushing: RBV, 368. Oceanside 270. First Downs: RBV 11, Oceanside 15. Penalties: RBV 4-35, Oceanside 7-75. Turnovers: RBV 3, Oceanside 2. Records: RBV 0-5, Oceanside 4-1.
Individual Statistics
PASSING: RBV, Llerenas 4-16-40-0. Oceanside Shuffer 9-18-112-2. RUSHING: RBV, Taylor 26-337, Hall 3-7, Robbins 8-29, Llerenas 5-minus 9, Smith 2-3, Bowman 2-3, Perez 1-minus 2. Oceanside Mageo 31-216, Martinez 2-51, Ivanovich 1-1, Garcia 1-2. RECEIVING: RBV, Gaiter 3-32, Perez 1-8. Oceanside Apodaca 4-24, Ivanovich 2-9, Martinez 2-31, Hicks 1-48.
Other Scores
La Costa Canyon 13, Vista 0
At Carlsbad, the La Costa High School football team celebrated its homecoming with a victory over the Panthers. It’s the second straight week the Vista offense has failed to put up any points on the scoreboard. The Panthers have suffered three shutouts in five games played this season. Records: Vista 1-4. La Costa Canyon 4-1.
Contact Shawn Hobson at sportswriter@sbcglobal.net. Follow him on Twitter @HOBMediaWorks.
Photos by Shawn Hobson
