New Sunset League rivals combine for 901 yards of offense in Pirates’ 42-34 defeat
A week after getting back into the win column, the Santa Ynez High football team began league play on Oct. 4, and renewed a rivalry.
For the first time in more than two decades, the Atascadero and Santa Ynez football teams faced off as league opponents, this time as competitors in the new Sunset League. And in a game with tons of offense, Atascadero outlasted SYHS by a 42-34 score.
The Pirates (2-5, 0-1 in the Sunset League) were effective on offense during the evening, piling up 489 yards. Quarterback Jude Pritchard completed 25 of 43 passes for 234 yards, two touchdowns, and no interceptions. He also rushed for 92 yards, including a 46-yard TD run on a quarterback draw.
SYHS running back Griffin Bruner became the first Pirate with a 100-yard game on the ground this year, rushing for 118 yards and two TDs. Greyson Foy and Mason Skidmore also had scored for SYHS.
However, Santa Ynez could not stop Atascadero’s powerful rushing attack, gaining 346 yards on the ground. In fact, the Greyhounds only passed the ball four times all night, though one of them was for a touchdown.
The Greyhounds held a 42-27 lead with less than four minutes left, but the Pirates nearly caught them at the end. SYHS went on a 78-yard drive and Bruner scored his last TD with 48 seconds left. Santa Ynez was able to recover the ensuing onside kick and take it down as far as Atascadero’s 19-yard line, but after a penalty, Pritchard attempted a Hail Mary pass to the end zone that receiver Max Andrade had a hand on, but could not bring down, resulting in an incompletion to end the game.
A week earlier, the Pirates were able to get their second win of the season on Sept. 27, rolling up 519 yards of offense in a 38-14 win over Santa Maria.
After a scoreless first quarter, a Saints punt had the Pirates starting at their own 8-yard line. SYHS moved it to the 37, and that’s when Foy took the ball and ran it 63 yards for the touchdown for a 7-0 lead. Later, Pritchard, who completed 21 of 26 passes for 217 yards, hit Andrade with a 29-yard scoring pass, and just before halftime, Austin Willis — taking over the kicking duties for an injured Diego Pulido — hit a 38-yard field goal to make it 17-0.
Santa Ynez put it away with three touchdowns in the third quarter, with Willis, Bruner, and Skidmore (reception) getting into the end zone.
The Pirates had a bye last Friday, Oct. 11, and return home this Friday night, Oct. 18, against Pioneer Valley. They will then host San Luis Obispo on Oct. 25, and wrap up the regular season at Righetti on Nov. 1.
Lady Pirates tennis plays ‘First Serve’ tournament in Huntington Beach
The Santa Ynez High girls tennis team took a break from Mountain League play to take part in the USTA Pete Brown “First Serve” Tournament on Oct. 5 in Huntington Beach. Santa Ynez and St. Joseph were the only two Central Coast schools in the eight-team field, and they ended up in the final, with the Knights beating the Lady Pirates 5-1.
In the tournament for Santa Ynez, Keegan Withrow was 4-0, while Haley Townes, Natalie O’Shaughnessy, and Danielle Hyland each won three of their four matches.
The team defeated Edison 4-2, La Quinta 5-1, and Whittier Christian 6-0, on its way to the final.
The Lady Pirates faced St. Joseph again on Thursday in an official Mountain League match. They face San Luis Obispo at home on Oct. 15, and travel to Morro Bay on Oct. 17, before playing in the CCAA Mountain League Prelims and Finals on Oct. 23-24.
Phelan does well at CCAA mid-season cross country meet
Seventy-nine female cross country runners came to the Cuesta-Fairbanks course for the CCAA mid-season meet in San Luis Obispo and Santa Ynez’s Brooke Phelan scored third overall and first place as a junior runner. According to assistant coach Gary Semerdjian, Brook mentioned that the hills were a challenge and that this might be the most difficult course to run on the Central Coast.
The cross country team will travel to Santa Maria to compete in the Waller Park Goose Chase, and on Oct. 25-26, they’ll go south for the Mt. SAC Inviational. League finals and CIF competitions will happen in early November.
Pirates girls golfers place third in latest Mountain League tournament
The Santa Ynez girls golf team played in the fourth Mountain League girls golf tournament today at Cypress Ridge golf course (par 72) in Arroyo Grande. The Pirates placed third with a score of 486, behind Arroyo Grande (393) and San Luis Obispo (480). Mackenzie Phelan was the low score for the Pirates with an 89.
The remaining golfers for Santa Ynez were Kacy Caplan (95), Addison West (97), Katherine Becerra (100), Sierra Freedman (105), and Savannah Hudley (110).
Feature image: Linemen for Santa Ynez (white) and Atascadero line up before the snap before their game in Atascadero on Oct. 4. The Greyhounds beat the Pirates 42-34 in the Sunset League opener for both teams.
