League title outlook forms as Templeton, SLO, Atascadero win
With one more week of league football left to play in October, multiple San Luis Obispo County football teams are now in position to win or share league titles.
Three SLO County teams stepped up on Friday to put themselves in position to sit atop their respective league entering the final stretch.
Templeton, San Luis Obispo and Atascadero each won on Friday in key league matchups.
And Paso Robles claws for a postseason berth.
Meanwhile, in its bye week, Arroyo Grande remains undefeated in Mountain League, opening up the possibility for league champions to be represented by a SLO County team in the Sunset, Ocean and Mountain leagues.
Here are Friday’s results.
Paso Robles 27, Mission Prep 13
With a potential postseason berth on the line, Paso Robles (3-6, 1-2 Mountain League) defeated Mission College Prep 27-13 on Friday night, securing its spot in the postseason.
The Bearcats haven’t reached the playoffs since 2022, when they finished third in the Mountain League. Since then, they’ve posted losing records, winning just seven games over the past three seasons, including only four combined the past two years.
“To get this win is really important for the seniors, but for the whole program,” Paso Robles coach Matt Carroll said.
At the end of last season, after the Bearcats came up two points short against Lompoc in their final game, Carroll was asked what it would take to reach the postseason next year. His answer was simple: strength. He said the program needed to get stronger and made it clear that the offseason would be built in the weight room.
This fall, that work paid off.
Carroll credited the team’s commitment in the weight room as a key factor in the turnaround this season, saying the physicality has helped them “stay competitive” against opponents.
In a game that felt like a playoff atmosphere, all of Paso Robles’ offensive points came on the ground. Yannie Gelos opened the scoring in the first quarter with a 9-yard touchdown run.
Quarterback Blayne Lowry followed with a rushing score of his own, and Kassim Williams added a 6-yard touchdown to help the Bearcats take a 21-3 lead into halftime. Lowry struck again to open the third quarter, keeping the ball on back-to-back runs into the end zone.
For Paso Robles’ seniors, Friday night wasn’t just another win, but more of a reminder of what they’ve been chasing since they first put on a varsity jersey. The last time the Bearcats reached the postseason, these players were just freshmen, watching from the sidelines or moving up late in the season just to experience what playoff football felt like.
“I think it shows that two years of paying our dues is the big thing,” Carroll said. “We’ve been playing some really tough teams.”
A major shift in the Bearcats’ offense this season has come from the guy under center, Lowry.
The senior spent his first three seasons at Nipomo, a program that finished first place in the Ocean League standings last year and consistently competed for playoff spots.
Making the move to Paso Robles meant stepping into a team that had gone through two straight losing seasons and was still trying to rebuild its identity. Even so, Lowry said he never questioned the decision or the group he was joining.
“I had full trust in my team,” Lowry said. “I’m glad we could turn things around and do what we are supposed to do.”
With their postseason spot now secured and just one regular-season game left, Lowry said the highs and lows of the journey make this group different from any team he’s been a part of.
“We’ve been through a lot as a team, just a lot of failing, and now it feels super good to keep winning,” he said.
The Bearcats opened the season with three straight losses before finally breaking into the win column. And while the results improved, consistency hasn’t always followed. There were weeks when execution slipped and games where they couldn’t finish.
Since the start of the season, Carroll has stressed discipline, especially in late-game situations. And while Paso Robles walked away with the win against Mission Prep, it didn’t come without a reminder of that message.
Mission Prep began to claw its way back in the second half, forcing the Bearcats to defend their lead rather than coast to the finish. The Royals chipped away with a safety, an interception and then a rushing touchdown followed by a two-point conversion to make it a two-score game.
“We have to be a little better at closing things out,” Carroll said. “But we haven’t played with the lead very often, so it’s a lot of learning points tonight.”
Paso Robles is at Lompoc at 4 p.m. on Friday, while Mission Prep is at Arroyo Grande at 7 p.m. on Thursday.
Templeton 56, Nipomo 31
Down 17-14 with a couple of minutes remaining late in the second quarter, Templeton’s Tyler Cunningham ignited his team with a touchdown catch and a pick-six to swing the momentum of the game, fueling a key win for undefeated Templeton (9-0, 3-0 Ocean League).
Cunningham, a senior running back and defensive end, displayed his explosiveness in all aspects of the game, accounting for seven of his team’s touchdowns (four rushing, two receiving and an interception return before the half).
For his assessment, Yale-bound Cunningham wants to continue to get better each and every game.
“Not even over the years, game by game, I am just working on it,” Cunningham said. “It’s working out during the off-season, working on the field every week, preparing and get better every time you step on the field.”
Nipomo Coach Russ Edwards added that Cunningham cemented his status as the Ocean League favorite for MVP with a stellar game.
“(Cunningham) was a beast,” Edwards said. “I have a couple guys I’m very partial to on my side of the field here, with respect to the all-league stuff, but I would say that No. 20 probably earned himself the league MVP tonight. He had a really big game.”
Edwards credited the Templeton offensive line as well.
“Being a former line guy myself, hats off to their own line,” Edwards said. “They’re creating some holes and (Cunningham) is hitting them at full speed. He doesn’t hesitate. He broke some arm tackles and made some big plays. So that’s a credit to their offensive line and the good work that they did tonight as well.”
Griffin Groshart had a rushing touchdown and Troy Simonson and Jeremiah Wheeler each had a touchdown catch for Nipomo (5-4, 2-1 Ocean).
Crow said the last time Templeton went undefeated during the regular season was 2005. They have one more league matchup to pull off the feat again.
“We face Cabrillo and they’re good,” Crow said. “They’re 7-2 and we’ll have to be ready...I thought we got better and better on defense tonight. We had a couple guys get nicked up, and hopefully get them back pretty quick.”
Templeton is at Cabrillo at 3 p..m. on Thursday, while Nipomo hosts Morro Bay at 7 p.m. on Friday.
San Luis Obispo 28, Santa Ynez 23
San Luis Obispo (5-4, 2-1 Sunset League) came out victorious on senior night to set themselves up for a share of the Sunset League if they can win next week in a cross-county rivalry matchup.
The Tigers’ Grady Garrison had two rushing touchdowns and Colbin Garrison returned to the lineup from a leg injury to record a touchdown reception from quarterback Zion Hegg.
SLO held a 14-10 lead at the half and benefited from Greyson Foy’s interception on San Luis Obispo’s 12-yard line in the third quarter and a muffed punt recovery by Patrick Cleary.
“I tell our guys that in Week 9 and Week 10 we need to be at our best,” said SLO Coach Pat Johnston. “We showed up on defense and in key moments tonight.”
With four teams knotted at 2-1 in Sunset League, SLO can determine its destiny next week for a share of the league title.
San Luis Obispo next faces Atascadero on the road at 7 p.m. on Friday.
Atascadero 43, Morro Bay 39
In a back-and-forth battle that came down to the final minutes, Atascadero (5-4, 2-1 Sunset) defeated Morro Bay (3-6, 1-2 Ocean) in a 43-39 thriller on Friday night.
The game was tied 29-29 at the start of the fourth quarter. Atascadero struck first with a rushing touchdown to create some separation, but Morro Bay responded by forcing a safety to cut into the deficit and swing momentum back their way.
With four minutes remaining, the Pirates broke free for a 40-yard rushing touchdown and converted the two-point attempt to take a 39-36 lead.
But the Greyhounds had the final answer. A 3-yard rushing touchdown gave Atascadero the lead once again, and a successful PAT made it a four-point game. From there, the Greyhounds held possession and ran out the clock to secure the win.
“We ended up with the ball last and we were able to run the clock out,” Atascadero coach Dan Loney said.
Atascadero hosts San Luis Obispo at 7 p.m. on Friday, while Morro Bay is at Nipomo at 7 p.m. on Friday.
This story was originally published October 24, 2025 at 11:48 PM.