SLO County prep football results: Paso Robles beats Atascadero in rivalry game
In front of a boisterous home crowd, Paso Robles beat Atascadero in a North County non-league rivalry game 21-6 on Friday, pulling away with rushing touchdowns from three different players.
Both teams came into the game looking to even up their records after 1-2 starts.
But it was the Bearcats (2-2) who secured a hard-fought win, pulling ahead 21-0 in the third quarter after rushing touchdowns from running backs Devin Mowreader, Jake Morones and Leo Kemp.
“We definitely didn’t underestimate them,” said Mowreader, whose 13-yard, first-quarter touchdown was his first of the season after recently recovering from a dislocated shoulder. “We knew this was one of their better teams in a long time. We came prepared.”
Atascadero’s senior quarterback Evan Moscardi narrowed the score to 21-6 late in the fourth quarter on 14-yard touchdown pass to senior Jarren Fisher.
But the Bearcats were able to hold on from there and reward a large home crowd with North County bragging rights for another season.
The Greyhounds last beat the Bearcats in 2015-16.
“It was a blast,” said Paso Robles senior defensive end Bastiaan Jaureguy. “We’ve had four years straight of dominance with these seniors and I’m excited. It feels good. We got a bye week next and after that we have St. Joseph, which is a tough team. But with this win, we’re going to celebrate tonight and get back to it tomorrow.”
Jaureguy said this year’s atmosphere was a marked change for the limited crowd of last season amid COVID-19 restrictions.
“To see almost every seat filled, it brought a whole new energy to this team,” Jaureguy said. “Whoever won in the trenches was going to win. The offense did their job, and the D-line did everything we could to stop them.”
The game was highlighted by standout plays on both sides.
Morones, Dylan Gaither and Kyle Bonham all had big sacks against Moscardi to keep the Greyhounds from gaining momentum.
“We did amazing tonight,” said Bonham, who skipped last season after choosing baseball over football amid the pandemic. “Our team is ready to win this season. I’m so glad I decided to come out this season. ... The sack was huge because I think it got the crowd hyped early in the game.”
Atascadero’s Cole Tanner had an interception and long return near the end of the first half, putting the Greyhounds in position to score. Tanner also fought for tough yards throughout the contest at running back.
But Paso Robles deployed tough defense to contain Atascadero’s offensive attack and kept the Greyhounds scoreless until about a minute left in the game.
“I’m so proud of the community, and the fans of both schools, for this turnout,” said Paso Robles Coach Matt Carroll. “I always say I hope they go 9-1 and we beat them. (Atascadero) Coach (Vic) Cooper does a fantastic job. I’m just so impressed with our communities, especially Paso.”
Here’s a look at other results from across the county.
Arroyo Grande 48, Torres 13
Playing at home, the Eagles (3-2) went up big early, leading 45-7 at the half.
“We handled our business,” said Coach Mike Hartman. “Everyone on the team got to play and some of the guys who don’t play a lot got a lot of playing time. That was super cool to see that because they practice every day and are working just as hard as the starters. I’m super happy for them to get into the game.”
In a scoring bonanza, Kaden Tynes recorded a pick-6 and punched in another touchdown on offense, Makai Puga had a receiving score, Max Perrett rushed into the end zone, and Max Wulff caught a scoring touchdown.
Hartman said that Torres (2-3) is a newly established school in Madera with freshmen, sophomores and juniors, playing in only their fifth football game as a program.
“They’re young and all coming back next year,” Hartman said.
Eagles kicker William Dawes booted two field goals and made all of his extra points.
The Eagles next go on the road in a league matchup against Pioneer Valley of Santa Maria in two weeks after a bye week.
Nipomo 48, Morro Bay 35
Nipomo remains unbeaten at 4-0 after outlasting Morro Bay (1-3) with a fourth-quarter surge.
The two teams were tied at 28 after the third quarter in an offensive contest that saw five throwing touchdowns from the Pirates’ junior quarterback Nicky Johnson.
Senior wide receiver Christian Merrill hauled in three touchdown catches, Dylan Turner had a scoring grab, and Ethan Lisman also snagged a pass for a score for the Pirates.
“Our kids are starting to play better and gel a bit,” said Morro Bay Coach Jake Goossen-Brown. “We’re getting closer to a level of execution we’ll need. We just need to eliminate a few mistakes.”
Nipomo Coach Tony Dodge said “it wasn’t pretty tonight, but we found a way and leaned on our experience.”
“We were coming out of the bye week and a little slow,” Dodge said. “They threw the ball very well against us.”
Benny Cepeda stripped Johnson and ran for a touchdown of about 70 yards, Dodge said.
Vinny Hernandez was “all over the field” and had one running and one passing score. Gabe Evans ran for a score and recorded multiple sacks, Dodge said.
Others who found the end zone were Nipomo quarterback Nate Reese, with both a passing and running touchdown, and Gabe Sanchez.
Nipomo next plays at home against San Luis Obispo on Sept. 24.
Morro Bay faces Tranquility of Fresno County in a non-league home matchup on Sept. 25 at home at 2 p.m.
West 35 , Templeton 18
Templeton got down 14-0, but fought back to a 14-12 contest before West of Bakersfield pulled away for good at the Eagles’ stadium.
The Eagles had one passing and two rushing scores, according to MaxPreps.com.
The Eagles (2-2) next face Piedmont of the Bay Area at home in a non-league matchup on Sept. 24.
Mission Prep (bye)
Mission Prep (3-0) had a bye week after their Friday game against Desert was canceled.
The Royals next play Carpinteria on the road on Sept. 24.
Coast Union (Saturday game)
The Broncos (1-1) play on the road at Santa Clara of Oxnard in a non-league game on Saturday at 1 p.m.
San Luis Obispo (bye week)
SLO (2-1) next plays on the road at Nipomo on Sept. 24.
This story was originally published September 17, 2021 at 11:42 PM.
%20Cropped.jpg)