Templeton, Nipomo win over larger SLO County schools. Here are Friday’s results

Playing the David role in proverbial David versus Goliath matchups, two smaller San Luis Obispo County schools secured big wins against regional opponents with larger enrollments as Templeton topped Atascadero to remain undefeated and Nipomo beat Arroyo Grande for the first time since 2008.

Meanwhile, Paso Robles and Mission Prep fell on the road in non-league lopsided losses.

San Luis Obispo County teams gear up to begin league play next week.

Morro Bay and SLO had byes this week.

Here were Friday’s results.

Templeton 31, Atascadero 20

On Friday night, Templeton (5-0) showed exactly why it remains undefeated this season. Behind a balanced offense and a stingy defense, the Eagles jumped out to a 28-7 halftime lead over Atascadero (2-3).

Templeton’s defense held firm against the Greyhounds’ ground-heavy attack, while the Eagles’ offense leaned on its two biggest weapons: running back Tyler Cunningham and wide receiver Colby Sims—to control the tempo of the entire game and pile on points when it mattered.

A 22-yard touchdown pass to Sims, followed by his 40-plus-yard pick-six on defense, sparked the Eagles’ momentum in the first quarter and set the tone for the rest of the night.

Cunningham broke free for a 12-yard rushing touchdown, and not long after, quarterback Colter Tannehill hit Sims on a 25-yard pass into the end zone.

Cunningham’s shiftiness kept Atascadero’s defense off balance, while the Eagles’ defensive line opened lanes that fueled the ground game. Whenever Templeton went for the throw, Sims was the go-to target, and between his reliable hands and Cunningham’s versatility, the Eagles had a one-two punch that proved difficult to stop.

“We have some weapons,” Head Coach Don Crow said. “We’re real dynamic on offense. But I tell you what, our offensive line has come to play. They did a really good job tonight.”

Cunningham’s ability to slip through pockets and find space on the ground showed exactly why that offensive line matters. He even broke loose for a 100-yard punt return touchdown, following his blockers all the way, though the score was wiped away by a flag.

The Greyhounds didn’t find themselves on the board until the final seconds of the first half. Quarterback Mike Trejo, who Atascadero relied on heavily in the run game, faked a rush and caught the Eagles’ defense overcommitting. With defenders crashing toward him, Trejo took advantage of the uncovered space and found Jacob Perry wide open in the end zone for Atascadero’s lone first-half score.

That score gave Atascadero a glimmer of momentum heading into halftime, but the tone of the game shifted quickly after the break.

Momentum shifted for the Eagles when starting quarterback Tannehill was sacked early in the second half. He stayed down on the field, then limped off with an apparent left leg injury and did not return. Later, he was spotted on the sideline with crutches.

In his place, Templeton turned to Luke Olsen, a baseball player who doesn’t normally line up at quarterback.

“I think what was going on in Luke’s head is he was scared to death,” Crow said with a smile. He noted Olsen’s inexperience at the position but praised the way he stepped up. “He did a really good job.”

Templeton racked up only three points in the second half with a field goal.

While the Greyhounds struggled to generate offensive momentum in the first half with Trejo under center, they turned to Cooper Knoph for the remainder of the game. With Knoph in, Atascadero’s passing game came alive in a way it hadn’t earlier, giving the offense more consistency in its drives and producing an additional touchdown in the third quarter.

Both teams saw new quarterbacks take the field in the second half, and the shift under center brought a noticeable change in the game’s flow.

“We had a quarterback that couldn’t finish out the second half,” Atascadero’s head coach Dan Loney said. “Our mentality is always next guy up, and we told (Knoph) ‘Hey, at some point in the season you’re gonna have that opportunity,’ and he took it and did a great job.”

The Greyhounds cut into the deficit after halftime, taking advantage of the quarterback changes on both sides. Loney credited his team’s execution for keeping them in the game down the stretch.

Despite Atascadero’s second-half push, the cushion Templeton built in the first half carried them the rest of the way.

Templeton remains undefeated through the first half of the season, with league play set to begin next week. For Crow, the key to the Eagles’ success so far goes beyond stats.

“The team is very much a cohesive group and they love each other, and they’ll play for each other,” Crow said.

Templeton is at Santa Maria on Friday while Atascadero is at Santa Ynez.

Nipomo 33, Arroyo Grande 25

The Titans (3-3) “executed and played with great heart in a total team win,” said Coach Russ Edwards. Nipomo led by as many as 16 in the second half to beat a school with enrollment of more than twice its size in Arroyo Grande (2-4). The last time the Titans beat the Eagles was 2008, which was the first time the two schools faced each other, and Nipomo had lost every matchup since.

“A lot of our guys were a little banged up and they played with great heart and wanted to do it for each other and for the community,” Edwards said. “Nipomo often takes a back seat to Arroyo Grande. Our boys just played with great belief. This is the best I’ve seen this group ever play.”

Nipomo led 20-17 at the half and controlled the second half, Edwards said, with tough tackling and a total team effort on defense and offense.

Mixing their pass and run effectively, the Titans balanced their attack with rushing touchdowns from Adam Ortega and Nicky Evans, who also hauled in a scoring catch. Quarterback Griffin Groshart also connected on a touchdown pass with Troy Simonson, who ran in a score as well in the second half.

“Griffin played the best game of his high school career at quarterback,” Edwards said. “...AG outweighed us and outsized us, but high school football is all about execution and we were able to do that really well tonight.”

Edwards said he was proud of his team’s effort on both sides of the ball, and especially that his team put together two solid halves, after building a lead against SLO earlier this season and failing to execute in the second half, and then falling flat against Santa Ynez last week.

For Arroyo Grande, Miles Thompson had a rushing touchdown, Levi Childers scored on a running touchdown and quarterback Jacob Kreowski connected with Zach Sumner in the first half for a scoring touchdown.

When the final whistle sounded, Nipomo players jumped up and down in celebration and the home fans cheered to cap off a long-awaited victory.

Arroyo Grande is at Paso Robles on Friday while Nipomo has a bye.

Central Valley Christian 49, Mission Prep 7

Mission College Prep (2-3) fell hard on the road Friday night, dominated by Central Valley Christian of Visalia.

The Royals were shut out until the fourth quarter, when they finally broke through with a 6-yard rushing touchdown, their only score of the game. By that point, Central Valley Christian had already put the contest out of reach, jumping to a 21-point lead in the first quarter and continuing to add on from there.

Mission Prep hosts St. Joseph on Friday.

Buchanan 49, Paso Robles 13

The Bearcats (2-4) went on the road Friday to face Buchanan, an undefeated Division 1 team. Despite the challenge of taking on a higher-division opponent, Paso Robles wasn’t deterred.

Defensively, Brock Williams anchored the effort with five solo tackles, while on offense, the Bearcats showed flashes of promise. Head coach Matt Carroll acknowledged his team’s struggles with consistency but noted the positives against what he called a “stout defense.”

Kassim Williams provided the Bearcats’ scoring, finding the end zone to put points on the board.

“Special teams hurt us again, and we have to have it handled by league next week,” Carroll said. Special teams mistakes have continued plaguing Paso Robles, an issue that dates back to last season and remains a key area to clean up heading into league play.

Paso Robles hosts Arroyo Grande on Friday.

This story was originally published September 26, 2025 at 11:58 PM.