Owls complete comeback

By Bill Mahoney, News-Press Correspondent
Robert Estrada powered up the middle for a one-yard touchdown on fourth and goal with 98 seconds left in the game to complete a 12-play drive, helping lift Laguna Blanca to a stirring 38-32 come-from-behind eight-man football win over visiting Orcutt Academy on Saturday afternoon.

The Owls, who improve to 6-0, trailed 32-18 when Spartans quarterback Darin Miller scored his fourth touchdown of the game with 8:14 to play in the first half. Miller also scored on a pair of 65-yard runs and another of 13 yards in the first 16 minutes, but he was locked down the rest of the way.

Laguna Blanca quarterback Chandler Aubrey went in from two yards out with 1:56 to play in the second quarter, narrowing the deficit to 32-24 at halftime.

The second half was dominated by the Owls, who scored the only two touchdowns, both after long, time-consuming drives.

"The strategy there was that we needed our defense to get a little confidence," Owls coach Shane Lopes said, "so we wanted to control possession to keep our defense fresh and in the end that paid off."

After his tremendous first half, Miller was held to just 11 yards on eight second-half carries, finishing with 20 runs for 210 yards. He was also limited to one completion on four attempts for eight yards and one interception in the second half.

The teams traded punts on the first two possessions of the second half. Laguna Blanca took over on its own 19 yard line with 7:00 left in the third quarter and proceeded to drive 61 yards on 11 plays over nearly six minutes. The drive was consummated when Aubrey hit Pierce O'Donnell on the right side for a 15-yard score. O'Donnell made a spectacular, leaping grab and was able to stay in bounds for the score. John Puzder ran up the middle for a two-point conversion, tying the score at 32.

The Spartans tried to answer, but led by an emotional O'Donnell the Owls' defense was up to the task. On the 12th play of its drive, facing fourth and 10, Orcutt Academy's Miller threw an incomplete pass, setting the stage for Laguna Blanca's game-winning drive.

""I can't help but go hard for these guys," O'Donnell said. "We work harder than any team in this division and any team in this city, and I can't help but play my heart out for these guys."

"He truly is the spirit of our team," Lopes said of O'Donnell. "He's what we call a lifer, he's been at this school since kindergarten and now he's a senior. He's been to every football game since he was five years old. Laguna Blanca is in his heart and you can see that by the way he carries himself on the field."

Estrada finished the game with 26 carries for 100 yards. He had his final six carries on the decisive fourth quarter drive.

"The O-line really stepped up," Estrada said. "We talked at half about heart, and the way they played in the second half showed how much heart they have. We are in great condition and that showed at the end."

The Spartans had one last chance, taking over at its own 20 with 1:30 left, but Miller's first down pass, intended for Mitchell Carpenter, was deflected by Ben Rios and fell into the arms of Christian Fowler for an interception. The Owls ran the final 1:30 off the clock to end the game.

In addition to leading the defensive effort, O'Donnell finished with eight catches for 99 yards and two scores.

"It was all heart," O'Donnell said of his team's comeback. "It wasn't Xs and Os, it was heart. We just had to step-up and give more."

The rally didn't surprise Lopes.

"I'll be honest, I'm not surprised we were able to come back," he said. "Our players put in the work and we continue to finish games strong. That's largely attributed to the work we put in at practice and our endurance."

Aubrey finished the game completing 11 of 16 passes for 182 yards and three touchdowns. Phillip Fauntleroy had three carries for 73 yards, including a 65-yard touchdown run on a sweep for Laguna Blanca's first touchdown.

The Owls travel to Ojai to play Thacher on Saturday. Kickoff is scheduled for 2:00 p.m.
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