Morro Bay, Atascadero, Templeton, Nipomo win with close losses in other local action
On a night that saw a number of nail-biters, some San Luis Obispo County teams experienced some thrilling wins, while others will try again next time after some tough losses.
Atascadero, Nipomo, Morro Bay and Templeton each came away with victories in non-league action.
Meanwhile, Arroyo Grande, Mission Prep, Paso Robles and San Luis Obispo each lost in close battles early in the 2025 campaign.
Here are the results from Friday’s action.
Morro Bay 52, Lindsay 24
For the second week in a row, Morro Bay gave its home fans plenty to cheer about.
The Pirates (2-1) won behind an outpouring of offense led by quarterback Sands Dougherty, who tossed six touchdowns on the night.
Morro Bay’s receiving core had plenty of activity as Efrain Hernandez, Trevor Riddiough, Luca Macari and Tony Campanario each hauled in touchdown catches. Hernandez and Campanario each had multiple touchdown snags, and Hernandez added a field goal.
Backup quarterback John Holguin put the finishing touches on the contest with a 26-yard running touchdown score.
Morro Bay led 31-24 in the third quarter before pulling away with a flurry of offense, strong tackling from senior defensive tackle Radden Batalla, who was a thorn in the side of the Lindsay quarterback all night.
Linebacker Colton Rosenlieb and tackle Cannon Rosenlieb also played solid games to keep the Cardinals’ offense in check.
“In general, I thought the defense played pretty tough,” said Pirates Coach Robert Dougherty. “They improved a little bit against these run heavy teams. And offensively, we had a lot of moments we were very good, and then some moments where we sputtered again. So we have to work that out and try to be a little bit more smooth.”
Sands Dougherty said that the team worked hard in the offseason, including a new crop of receivers that he’s already clicking with early in the season.
“We put in so much time and effort this offseason,” Dougherty. “It’s going to take a little bit to adjust to game scenarios, playing with them, but we’re definitely getting there.”
Dougherty said that he has sought to improve his speed and running, as well as his throwing, as he appeared to show improved elusiveness, sprint speed, arm strength and accuracy after a huge offensive output last season. After a 23-20 win over Foothill last week, the 52-point showing was a significant jump.
“It’s so fun playing with these guys,” Dougherty said. “We’ve done so many trips this offseason. We’re so bonded. This is the most together team. Last year, we were super-bonded. But this year we are really connected, and I just love fighting for my brothers out there.”
Morro Bay is at Wasco on Friday.
Mission Oak 35, San Luis Obispo 32
In a back-and-forth battle that came down to the final minutes, San Luis Obispo (1-1) fell at home to Mission Oak of Tulare.
Just when it seemed the Tigers had control, the Hawks built momentum in the fourth quarter and flipped the game in their favor.
SLO’s offense showed balance throughout the night, with senior running back Colbin Garrison powering the ground game and quarterback connections to wide receiver Andrew De La Motte keeping the defense honest early in the game. Mission Oak struggled to contain either option for stretches of the game.
The Tigers led 17-10 at halftime, and Garrison’s 15-yard rushing touchdown — his second of the night — pushed the lead further in the third quarter. Behind steady blocking from the offensive line, SLO looked poised to put the game away.
But late in the third, Mission Oak began to swing the momentum.
The Hawks cut into the deficit with a score that trimmed it to 24-17 heading into the final quarter. From there, the game turned into a back-and-forth fight that came down to the wire, with Mission Oak ultimately making the plays late to seal the win.
The Hawks pulled within a score at 24-17, then tied the game early in the fourth with a passing touchdown and extra point. Moments later, they went ahead with a one-yard rushing touchdown and two-point conversion, making it 32-24 with just minutes remaining.
The Tigers responded in a similar fashion. Quarterback Zion Hegg broke free for a 34-yard run to set up the offense in the red zone, and Garrison finished the drive with a nine-yard touchdown — his third of the game. Clinton Martinez followed with a successful two-point conversion to tie it 32-32 with 1:51 remaining.
The Hawks answered once more, moving the ball into scoring range before knocking through the decisive field goal in the final seconds to edge SLO 35-32.
“We made enough mistakes to lose the game,” Coach Pat Johnston said. “(Mission Oak) presented a lot of good challenges for us in both aspects of run and pass, and we just need to execute a little better.”
San Luis Obispo is at Arroyo Grande on Friday.
Atascadero 22, North (Bakersfield) 20
Atascadero (1-0) opened its season on the road with a two-point win over North Bakersfield.
Running back Damon Mitchell struck first with a rushing touchdown, and wide receiver Lukas Del Carlo added another score to make it 13-0. The Greyhounds converted a two-point attempt to extend the lead.
North Bakersfield responded with two touchdowns of its own, but a missed extra point left the hosts trailing 15-13. Mitchell answered with his second rushing score of the night to give Atascadero breathing room at 22-13.
North looked to mount a comeback late, but Atascadero’s defense came up with a fumble recovery to seal the win.
Atascadero hosts Roosevelt on Friday.
Newbury Park 28, Arroyo Grande 27
In a close game throughout, Arroyo Grande (1-1) fell to Newbury Park on the road by a single point. The Eagles kept pace all night, heading into each quarter break tied with the Panthers: 7-7 after the first, 14-14 at halftime and 21-21 entering the fourth.
Trailing 28-27 late, Arroyo Grande attempted an onside kick but failed to recover. Newbury Park took possession and held on for the one-point win.
“I am proud of the way our players responded in their preparation this week and how they battled in a hard-fought game,” Head Coach Stephen Field said.
Arroyo Grande hosts San Luis Obispo on Friday.
Bishop Union 19, Mission Prep 17
Mission Prep (1-1) fell at home to Bishop Union in a game played without its upperclassmen, who were away on a Christ-centered retreat.
“We’ve always historically made this week our bye week, but we wanted to try something and see if we could play a game this week and make it work,” Head Coach David Schuster said. “We almost pulled it off, and I’m proud of the way the kids played.”
Even with the upperclassmen, Schuster emphasized just how young this Mission Prep team is and the learning curve they continue to face.
Mission Prep is at Kern Valley on Friday.
Garces Memorial 29, Paso Robles 21
Paso Robles (1-1) came up short 29-21 in a turnover-heavy game, with mistakes on both sides of the ball proving costly.
Coach Matt Carroll pointed to discipline as the difference.
“We just got caught up in a physical battle, and we let some of our fundamentals and discipline get away from us,” Carroll said.
Carroll added that the Bearcats need to do a better job of taking what the defense gives them, rather than forcing plays that lead to turnovers, which gives the opponents an upper hand.
Too often, he said, the Bearcats got caught reacting to their opponent instead of playing their own game.
“They’re focusing on what other teams are doing,” Carroll said. “It needs to be about us, about what we do and the fundamentals we preach and talk about.”
Paso Robles travels to Madera on Friday.
Templeton 32, Monache 31
The Eagles (1-1) edged out the Marauders on the road.
After getting out to a 17-0 lead, Templeton held a narrow 18-17 lead at the half.
The Eagles defense held steady as Monache turned the ball over on downs with a minute left in the contest.
Templeton next travels to Coalinga on Friday.
Nipomo 49, Righetti 21
After falling behind 14-0, the Titans (1-1) rallied back for a big win over their neighboring school to the south.
Nipomo next hosts Pioneer Valley on Friday.
This story was originally published August 30, 2025 at 12:12 AM.