2 days Ago By Kenny Cress [email protected]
The Santa Ynez and Nipomo football teams need to start winning soon. Otherwise, they will have to run the table in their respective leagues in order to make the playoffs - and Santa Ynez is in the Sunset League along with 4-0 Righetti, and Nipomo is in the Ocean League with improved Cabrillo (2-1). Santa Ynez is 1-3 and Nipomo is 0-3-1 going into their non-league game against each other which is slated to kick off Friday night at 7 p.
m. The CIF Central Section office upped from .300 to .
350 the minimum regular winning percentage Central Section teams in most sports, including football, must reach to make the playoffs. That means Central Section football teams must win four regular season games to qualify. Since there are three Central Coast Athletic Association leagues this year, CCAA football teams will play just four league games.
Nipomo started its late run to the playoffs last year with an upset Mountain League win at Santa Ynez and will try to beat the Pirates again, this time in a non-league game at home, this year. Both teams moved out of the Mountain League, considered the highest of the three CCAA football leagues. The game Friday night will mark the penultimate non-league game for both teams.
The Pirates will start their Sunset League campaign Oct. 4, and Nipomo will begin its Ocean League campaign Oct. 11.
Santa Ynez quarterback Jude Pritchard threw for 280 yards and two touchdowns last Friday night. Luke Giannis (nine receptions for 110 yards) was on the receiving end of both touchdown passes, but that was it for the Pirates as far as consistent production in their Homecoming game. Mission Prep (2-1) took a 30-13 non-league win at Santa Ynez's Rio Memorial Field.
"We led 13-10 with four minutes left in the third quarter," said Santa Ynez coach Josh McClurg. "Two turnovers in the fourth quarter turned into two scores by them." Nipomo took a tough 17-14 loss to favored San Luis Obispo in a game that took until Saturday afternoon to complete, thanks to a power outage that hit the east side of Nipomo Friday.
Without stadium lights out but with sunlight remaining at Nipomo, the teams played a scoreless first quarter. The game resumed Saturday afternoon with the start of the second quarter, and the Tigers came away with the narrow win to move to 3-1. Pritchard will go against a Nipomo defense that showed well against a good San Luis Obispo offense after turning in a solid game in a 14-14 tie at Pioneer Valley Sept.
6. When it comes to the Santa Ynez-Nipomo match-up, Pirates wide receiver/kicker Diego Pulido has been the most consistently productive player on either side. Pulido is nine-for-nine on PAT kicks, five-for-six on field goal tries and is the team's leading receiver with 13 catches for 161 yards and two touchdowns.
The Nipomo defense will try to keep its momentum going. Leaders include outside linebacker Jacob Goldsbary and free safety Juan Zarate. Zarate is also a wide receiver and the Titans' kicker.
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