Pirates run back kickoff for third time this season to begin a 41-0 win over Santa Maria; team now at 4-2 going into Sunset League play
After going through the 2024 season without his squad returning a kick for a touchdown, Santa Ynez High football’s special teams coordinator Sean Foy put forth a challenge to his players to get a scoring return, and even promised a special lunch to his special teams players if they “took it to the house,” as the saying goes.
That challenge has been met, and then some. At the Pirates’ Homecoming game against Santa Maria on Friday, Sept. 26, Austin Willis took the short opening kick from the Saints and returned it 78 yards for a touchdown, the Pirates’ third kickoff-return score of the year, as Santa Ynez cruised to a 41-0 victory over Santa Maria.
Coming a week after SYHS’s 23-7 home win over Nipomo on Sept. 19, the victory moved the Pirates’ record to 4-2 going into Sunset League play. SYHS plays its first league game Friday, Oct. 3, at home against Atascadero.
The kickoff return game is a source of pride for Foy this year.
“In 17 years this is the most I can remember us having [return touchdowns] in a season, and we’ve just played six games,” Foy said. “Hats off to the boys. It’s not a super complicated thing complicated thing, it’s just executing your job.”
Of course, the performance so far this year came with some incentive.
“At the start of the season, I told the kickoff return team that I would buy them lunch each time they scored a touchdown,” Foy said. “This is the third lunch; it’s a good thing I stock up for these things.”
Actually, the Pirates didn’t waste any time getting the kickoff return score out of the way this year: In the season opener Aug. 22 at Dos Pueblos, Greyson Foy — son of Coach Foy and one of the Pirates’ main running backs — took the first kick of the season and ran it back 90 yards in a 43-22 win. A week later, Aug. 29, after Lompoc had scored the go-ahead touchdown with less than a minute left in the fourth quarter, Willis took the ensuing kickoff 92 yards for a score that would have tied the game if not for the subsequent extra-point try being blocked.
After Willis’ game-opening touchdown against the Saints, the Pirates tacked on a lot more points on the night, racing to a 27-0 halftime lead and scoring two touchdowns in the third quarter.
The SYHS offense produced 309 yards of offense in the game, with 167 of those coming on the ground. Cael DeForest led the attack with 73 yards of rushing on just three carries, including a 55-yard touchdown, one of the third-quarter scores. Ayden Finley and Greyson Foy also rushed for scores.
Quarterback Jude Pritchard completed 12 of 19 passes for 142 yards and connected with receiver Mason Skidmore on a 16-yard pass in the second quarter. Diego Pulido hit on two field goals in the first half, from 30 and then 42 yards.
On defense Jackson Glover had a team-high 10 tackles, nine of them for negative yardage, including three quarterback sacks. Meanhwile, Hayden Pahler had 10 tackles of his own, with one QB sack, and Tate Rossler had an interception.
Rossler had actually run back his interception for a touchdown, but the return was called back due to a penalty committed by the Pirates. While SYHS head coach Josh McClurg was happy for the win and had high praise for the defense, the penalty that negated Rossler’s TD was a reminder his team still had things to work on.
“I happy with the win,” McClurg said. “I’m not happy with the mistakes and the dumb penalties. We had a guy who could have gotten his first pick-six, but then we had a bonehead play for the penalty, and we can’t have that.”
The PIrates will return this Friday, Oct. 3, for their Sunset League opener, and third straight home game, against Atascadero. The Greyhounds come in with a 2-3 mark.
GIRLS WATER POLO
The Pirates earned their first Sunset League win on Thursday, Sept. 25, by beating visiting Cabrillo 8-5. Paige Reynolds scored three goals and had four steals, while Juliet Kerr had two goals and four steals of her own, and Rylan Agin had seven blocks.
SYHS played at Paso Robles on Wednesday, Oct. 1, and return home to play Morro Bay on Wedensday, Oct. 8.
GIRLS FLAG FOOTBALL
The Pirates’ girls flag football team raised its record to 7-3 in its inaugural since with consecutive shutouts, beating Santa Maria 26-0 on Sept. 25, and Righetti 25-0 on Sept. 30.
In the Santa Maria game, quarterback Leighton Casey completed 15 of 25 passes for 125 yard and a touchdown pass to Campbell McClurg (five catches, 44 yards). Presley Pinoli had a team-high 69 yards rushing with a TD, and McClurg, Ella Gotschall, and Skyla Oslin had interceptions. No stats were available for the Righetti game.
The Pirates return to action on Oct. 7 with a home game against Cabrillo, and then close out the regular season with games at Pioneer Valley (Oct. 16) and at home against San Luis Obispo.
