Templeton routs Morro Bay to remain undefeated. See other SLO County results
In the second week of league action, multiple San Luis Obispo County teams secured blowout wins.
Among those, Templeton remained undefeated with a lopsided home victory over Morro Bay, stifling the typically prolific Pirates’ air attack, while racking up big points.
Arroyo Grande, Nipomo and Atascadero each won big over Santa Barbara County opponents, as Mission Prep rebounded from a two-game losing streak with a road non-league victory in Fresno County.
Here’s how the rest of the SLO County teams fared with a full slate of Friday contests.
Templeton 56, Morro Bay 14
In a rivalry matchup, it was the Eagles who came out on top Friday night in a rout. Templeton (7-0, 2-0 Ocean) remains undefeated with a dominant 56-14 win over the Pirates.
Templeton is the only unbeaten team left in San Luis Obispo County.
The Eagles’ offense was firing on all cylinders, scoring on every single possession in the first half. Their success came from a balanced attack through the air and on the ground, while the defense made big plays of its own, recording four interceptions on the night.
Templeton’s defense had all the answers against Morro Bay’s offense and quickly set the tone. The Pirates managed to get on the board in the first quarter with a 12-yard touchdown pass from Sands Dougherty to Efrain Hernandez, but they wouldn’t score again until late in the fourth quarter during garbage time.
Turnovers proved costly for Morro Bay. Mishandled snaps and multiple interceptions gave Templeton short fields and extra opportunities to capitalize. Missed connections on open receivers only added to the Pirates’ struggles, allowing the Eagles to put the game away early, leading 28-7 at halftime.
Templeton’s defense didn’t let up — bringing the heat on every snap, forcing Dougherty into quick throws and costly mistakes. Back-to-back interceptions from Renner Wicks put a stop to Morro Bay’s drives.
Whether the Eagles decided to run the ball or pass it, everything was working. Templeton struck first with a 54-yard touchdown pass to Colby Sims to get on the board early. Soon after, Tyler Cunningham powered through Morro Bay’s defensive line for a 16-yard rushing score. Cunningham, who is committed to play college ball in the Ivy League at Yale, has been a steady force for the Eagles all season long, using his strength and field awareness to break tackles and extend plays.
“Our line is great,” Cunningham said. “Just trusting the holes. They make big holes for me to run through it. All glory to them for sure.”
The Eagles kept the momentum going with another big play to Sims — a 59-yard pass where he broke free after the catch and found his way into the end zone. Templeton’s offensive rhythm was hard to stop. The Eagles showcased a near-perfect balance, mixing explosive passing plays with powerful runs that kept Morro Bay guessing.
Quarterback timing and blocking execution were in sync, allowing Templeton to attack from every angle. When Morro Bay dropped extra defenders into coverage, Cunningham pounded the ball on the ground. When Morro Bay crowded the line to stop the run, Templeton turned to the air and made them pay.
That’s what set the Eagles’ offense apart from other teams: that balance between the run and the pass, and their confidence to go in whichever direction needed.
Few duos in the county have the impact that Sims and Cunningham bring to Templeton. Whether it’s Sims hauling in deep passes or Cunningham breaking tackles up the middle, the two playmakers define the Eagles’ offensive identity. What makes them even more valuable is their ability to flip the field and make plays on defense, too, rarely leaving the field and always finding ways to shift momentum.
“To be a great team, you need to have a great offense and defense, and I think we do that well,” Cunningham said.
Templeton Coach Don Crow credited the offensive line for his squad’s continued success, saying their protection and push up front make the Eagles hard to stop. He emphasized that the line’s consistency allows both the passing and running games to thrive.
“Our offensive line just keeps getting better and better, and that makes this team pretty tough to stop,” he said.
With the game well in hand, Templeton turned to its second unit for most of the second half, giving other players valuable reps under the Friday night lights. It wasn’t until the final minute of the third quarter that the Pirates finally managed a defensive stop — their first of the game after Templeton had scored on every possession up to that point.
Although Templeton remains undefeated, Crow says the team is still focused on “cleaning up penalties.” Doing so, he noted, will give the Eagles an even greater edge, especially after two touchdowns were called back due to flags.
“We got to be more disciplined,” he added.
Templeton hosts San Luis Obispo on Friday while Morro Bay hosts Santa Maria.
Atascadero 47, Pioneer Valley 14
Atascadero (3-4, 1-1 Sunset) found itself back in the win column Friday night after a three-game losing streak. The Greyhounds came out on top against Pioneer Valley, anchored by “sticking to the game plan,” Arroyo Grande Coach Dan Loney said.
Loney credited the offensive line for setting the tone early, noting their ability to adjust to Pioneer Valley’s disguised blitzes and shifting fronts.
Despite the defensive pressure, Atascadero’s line held firm, opening lanes for the run game. The Greyhounds’ backs showed patience and vision, reading holes effectively and taking advantage of the blocking up front.
The Greyhounds jumped out to a 47-0 lead, and it wasn’t until the fourth quarter that Pioneer Valley finally got on the board.
“Across the board, everybody did their job,” Loney said. “It wasn’t about one guy making plays, it was about all 11 guys doing their job and fitting where they were supposed to fit in and really constricting the run lanes.”
Atascadero is at Righetti on Friday.
Righetti 31, San Luis Obispo 21
San Luis Obispo quarterback Zion Hegg rushed for 11-yard and 2-yard scores in the first half as the Tigers (4-3, 1-1 Sunset) held the game close, going down 17-14 at half.
Zion Hegg completed a 65-yard pass to Andrew De La Motte in the third quarter to go up 21-17.
But after a 12-yard touchdown pass from Righetti’s Nicholas Matautia to Caden Viker, the Warriors (2-5, 1-0 Sunset) recovered a SLO fumble to complete another scoring pass play and put the game away.
“We made some critical errors at times on defense, and let some guys get loose,” said SLO Coach Pat Johnston. “When you play a close game in a competitive league like we have, you can’t afford to allow those things to happen.”
Star SLO running back Colbin Garrison was out with a leg injury but Johnson said he expects Garrison to be back in the lineup soon.
San Luis Obispo next faces Templeton on the road on Friday.
Arroyo Grande 56, Lompoc 10
Facing Lompoc (5-2, 0-1 Mountain) that came into the game with just one loss, the Eagles (4-4, 2-0 Mountain) stormed out to a big first half lead and didn’t let up.
Arroyo Grande jumped out to a 42-10 first half lead behind a flurry of scoring, including two punt returns and a kickoff return for touchdowns.
Caleb Clark, The Tribune’s 2024-25 SLO Tribune County Player of the Year, took a 70-yard punt and Copeland Hartford had a 95-yard kickoff return for dashes into the end zone.
Arroyo Grande’s Levi Childers picked up a fumble at the 37-yard line on a muffed punt catch and returned a score as well, knifing his way through defenders.
Running back Zack Tayman and Clark had rushing touchdowns and Kess Youngkin had a pick-six as well to tack on to the outpouring of points.
“To beat an opponent like Lompoc is a huge feat,” said Stephen Field, Arroyo Grande’s coach. “To do it the way that we did it tonight was pretty awesome for our football team. We played really good football in all three phases of the game.”
Tayman returned from injury to face the Braves and Field said “Having Zack back is a is a huge benefit for our football team, and it’s good to see him out there on the field doing what he does best.”
Arroyo Grande is at St. Joseph on Friday.
Mission Prep 28, Caruthers 8
After a two-game losing streak, the Royals got back into the winning column in a non-league road contest in Fresno County.
Mission Prep (3-4. 0-1 Mountain) connected on two first half scoring touchdown passes from quarterback Jack Marsalek to take a 14-0 first half lead.
Joe Villa hauled in a 19-yard scoring grab in the first quarter and Joseph Silveira ripped the ball out of the defender’s hands to snag a 9-yard touchdown catch to give Mission Prep the first-half edge.
Sophomore Seth Orozco powered in a short run for a score in the third quarter, and Ronnie Kardashian punched in a touchdown run.
“Jack Marsalek really took a giant step forward tonight,” said Mission Prep Coach David Schuster. “The receivers stepped up too. It just finally felt like complimentary team football.”
Schuster said the team was able to rest their bodies and bounce back from some previously physically taxing games against St. Joseph and Central Valley Christian.
“I was proud of how they responded this week in the weight room,” Schuster said. “We let their bodies recover a little bit, and put all four of our team captains on defense this week. We just felt like the team needed a boost and some good energy because we’re so young on defense.”
Schuster said his young squad that faces Lompoc on Friday with “another week of teaching everybody league football and the intensity and the chaos that goes with it.”
St. Joseph 55, Paso Robles 6
The Bearcats (2-6, 0-2 Mountain) were routed by the formidable Knight (7-1, 2-0 Mountain), of Santa Maria.
Paso Robles limited St. Joseph to a 7-0 lead after the first quarter.
But the Bearcats let the game get away in the second quarter, going down 27-0 by the half, as St. Joseph dashed for multiple rushing touchdowns.
“Defensively, we had some bright spots early on, but couldn’t close the deal on some of their drives,” Head Coach Matt Carroll said.
Bearcats senior Yannie Gelos tallied the team’s sole rushing score.
“We will focus on improving the fundamentals and evolving the offense and defense,” Carroll added. “It’s our bye week, so we need to get healthy.”
Paso Robles has a bye on Friday.
Nipomo 52, Santa Maria 0
The Titans (4-3, 1-0 Ocean) overmatched the winless Saints (0-7, 0-2 Ocean) at home to start their Ocean League title defense.
The Titans used a balanced offense to pour it on against Santa Maria, going up 38-0 in the first half, en route of a convincing league win.
The onslaught included three touchdown runs from Adam Ortega, a rushing score from Nick Evans, a pick-six from Troy Simonson, and scoring catches from Evan Doll and Travis Barr from quarterback Griffin Groshart. Noah Krebs added a field goal.
Nipomo travels to Cabrillo on Friday.
This story was originally published October 10, 2025 at 11:44 PM.