San Marcos outlasted Santa Barbara for the Channel League soccer title in the 62nd big game between cross-town rivals at Warkentin Stadium.
The Royals played excellent defense and held the Dons scoreless for most of the first half.
But once Santa Barbara quarterback Abel Renteria ran down Owen Lauderdale, scored the ball at the 3-yard line and then scored a touchdown late in the second quarter, the Dons were on a 26-7 run. A win and a piece of the league championship over Pacific and Rio Mesa 7-1.
Renteria also threw for a touchdown before halftime and Nathan Barrios ran for two second-half scores as Santa Barbara finished the regular season 9-1, its best and seventh straight in coach JT Stone’s nine-year tenure. Big game.
They lead the series 38-24.
Now that CIF-SS play is here, it’s anyone’s guess what division the Dons will play. The pair will meet on Sunday when they are released.
“We’ll wait and see what happens on Sunday and see if they throw us to the wolves,” Stone said. “I’m glad the kids got a chance to finish the season 9-1, which nobody gave us a chance to do.”
Santa Barbara quarterback Nathan Barrios beat two San Marcos defenders into the end zone with one of his two punts in the second half. (Photo by Gary Kim/Nosehawk)
Renteria, who connected 10 times for 157 yards, and sophomore wide receiver Kai Malt were named co-winners of the Gary Blades Big Game MVP Award.
“It was me tonight,” Malt said of being the leading receiver. “It could have been any of us, it could have been Jack (Holden), Winston (Bartley), Thomas (Gill), Jaden (Reese). Our reception team is really good together, we are all one. We play with each other, we help each other in everything.
Santa Barbara’s second touchdown was a perfect example of the receivers playing off each other. On second-and-goal at the San Marcos 9, Mault ran an under route to the left side and Jack Holden continued behind Mault into the end zone. Renteria found a wide open Holden two seconds later to give the Dons a 13-0 lead. Unfortunately, the PAT kick failed.
Playing in his first big game, Malt said he was motivated to have a big night with the Royals after losing in varsity baseball last spring.
“Kai was very happy going into this game. He’s a baseball guy, and these kids (for San Marcos) play baseball. When we needed someone to step up and play, Kai went out and made those plays.
Mault caught passes of 12 and 15 yards to set up a 2-yard drive by Barrios on Santa Barbara’s first possession of the second half. The Dons started their drive at the San Marcos 49 after a Royals punt attempt failed to go the required 10 yards.
Barrios scored again in the fourth quarter on a 3-yard run for a 26-0 lead. That score was set up by Jeffrey Lechuga’s 10-yard sack of San Marcos quarterback Josh Engle on third-and-4 from the Royals’ 24 and a 35-yard run by Barrios.
Santa Barbara quarterback Abel Renteria gets good protection from the offensive line. (Photo by Gary Kim/Nosehawk)
Santa Barbara’s defense smothered San Marcos’ 1,000-yard running back Andre McCullough for most of the game. Linebackers Julián Castro, Benicio Garcia Holland and linebacker Roark Norton led Damien Stehno and Jeffrey Lechuga.
San Marcos, which finished 2-6 in league and 4-6 overall, got a touchdown late in the fourth quarter on a 24-yard pass from McCullough to Engel.
San Marcos coach Ralph Molina was pleased with his team’s defensive play.
The Royals stopped Barrios on fourth-and-2 from 11 in the second quarter with a big hit by junior Landon Sheffey. They also got a quick recovery from Adrian Alaniz and some big catches from Lauderdale and linebacker Brod Branstetter.
“We played hard. We had a good game plan and the kids stuck with it,” Molina said. “They really had to work to score.
Kai Malt is tackled by a leaping tackle by San Marcos defender Nathan Jones. (Photo by Gary Kim/Nosehawk)
“We’re a little tired, but I’m proud, I’m proud of the way we played.
“We just struggled offensively but (the Dons) are quick defensively and they get a lot of people on the ball and it causes problems for everybody.”
Stone felt it was a good game and the team got the job done and achieved their goal of winning the league title.
Our goal was to be the league champion and our boys did that and they can say, “We told our boys that we could make sure of the competition.”
