Nipomo football defeats Paso Robles; Arroyo Grande, Atascadero, Mission Prep, Templeton all win

In the second-to-last week of San Luis Obispo County football, Nipomo High School solidified their playoff position against Paso Robles High School while Atascadero, Templeton, Arroyo Grande and Mission Prep all had decisive victories against their opponents.

Atacadero and Arroyo Grande continue their undefeated season in league play, and Templeton and Mission Prep picked up crucial wins for their seasons.

Nipomo 34, Paso Robles 21

A Paso Robles assistant walked up and down the sideline coercing his team to keep competing in their matchup against Nipomo on Friday night.

“Wake up!” he shouted at the team as played warmed up for the second half of play. The Bearcats were down 20-7 in a crucial game: The team currently sat at two wins and needed one more to qualify for playoffs.

The Bearcats (2-7, 2-4 Mountain) came into the game in fifth place in league while the Titans (4-5, 2-4 Mountain) were only a spot behind at sixth.

Nipomo held onto their 13-point halftime lead in a 34-21 victory over the Bearcats — solidifying themselves for a postseason spot.

“We came out ready to play,” Nipomo Head Coach Stephen Field said.

Field, who is in his first year, joined the Titans prior to last season, but didn’t have time to establish a foundation with his squad. Now, in year two, the Titans have made significant improvements across the board after not winning a single game in 2022.

Freshman quarterback Blayne Lowry continues to be a bright spot for the team. He had numerous deep passes and also wasn’t afraid to run the ball and take hits. Lowry had two passing touchdowns and a rushing score.

Nipomo senior running back Teagan Cambell had two touchdowns on the ground in the first half, while Paso Robles senior running back Conner Bowman had a score of his own to make the tally 14-7.

In the second quarter, Lowry found senior receiver Ben Ruvalcaba on a long touchdown pass on a go-route. The Titans missed the point after attempt, but still led 20-7 heading into halftime.

The Bearcats responded in the third quarter when senior receiver Hayden McKanna snagged a touchdown reception from senior quarterback James Cogan across the middle of the field, but the Titans kept rolling on offense.

Lowry connected with senior receiver Joseph Canales to set up a goal-line possession. Lowry sneaked the ball in to put the Titans up 27-14.

Later in the half, the Bearcats blocked a Titans field goal, but gave the ball right back on an interception by junior safety Juan Zarate.

The Titans sealed the game with five minutes left in the fourth. Lowry faked a sneak up the middle and instead lobbed the ball to Canales on the outside who was wide open in the corner of the end zone.

The Bearcats had one more score from senior receiver Tristen Salgado, but the Titans went on to win.

Although the team has made steps in regards to winning football games, Field still wants his team to play a complete game.

“We finished, but there was a lot of ugly in-between,” Field said.

Paso Robles visits Arroyo Grande in the Mountain League finale next Friday, while Nipomo is at Righetti High School in Santa Maria.

Atascadero 55, Cabrillo 13

The Greyhounds (9-0, 5-0 Ocean) extended their program win streak to 14 games — dating back to last season — after a 55-13 win over Cabrillo.

The Greyhounds’ trio of running backs Quinton Straub, Joe Hyde and Mateo Cano all made contributions on the ground. Straub — who according to MaxPreps comes in at 5 feet 10 inches tall, 241 pounds — scored a rushing touchdown while Cano and Hyde added two each.

Senior quarterback Kane Cooks had two rushing scores and found senior receiver Mason Degnan in the end zone for another touchdown.

Atascadero looks to finish an undefeated regular season at home against Pioneer Valley next Friday.

Arroyo Grande 56, Santa Ynez 24

The Eagles’ dominant season continues in a 56-24 win over Santa Ynez. The team sits at 8-1 overall and 6-0 in league play.

Sophomore receiver Caleb Clark had two receiving touchdowns and returned a punt for a score. Senior running back Junior Herlihy had two touchdowns on the ground and a touchdown reception.

Senior running back and senior quarterback Ben Walz and Drake Missamore added in a rushing touchdown each.

Last season, the Eagles finished 5-7 and 3-4 in league due to a massive amount of turnovers. The team has shored those issues up and made drastic improvements heading into the final week of the season.

Arroyo Grande will look to continue their winning ways against Paso Robles in the Mountain League finale next Friday at home.

Mission Prep 21, Righetti 12

Coming off a close loss to Arroyo Grande in the preview league, the Royals (7-2, 5-1 Mountain) bounced back in a 21-12 win over Righetti.

Junior receiver Jayden Nozil had a rushing touchdown and an 82-yard punt return. Senior running back Drew Harrigan had an explosive 70-yard run for the Royals as well.

Mission Prep finishes league play against St. Joseph on the road on Friday. The Royals and Knights are tied in league with 5-1 records. The final week of the season will determine second and third place for both squads.

Templeton 44, Morro Bay 10

The Eagles (5-4, 2-3 Ocean) looked to get back on track after two straight losses against Morro Bay (4-5, 1-4 Ocean).

The Pirates’ Ian Lambright got on the board first with a 30-yard rushing touchdown. With three minutes in the first quarter, senior running back Wyatt Ramey evened the game with a 12-yard scamper into the end zone.

In the second quarter, sophomore quarterback Harrison Bays found senior receiver River Waltmire for a passing touchdown. Waltmire, who also serves as the Eagles’ kicker, scored his own point after attempt.

The Pirates added a field goal from senior kicker Lucas Cords to make the score 14-10, but the Eagles rattled off 30 points without response.

Waltmire sank another field late in the second quarter to give the Eagles a cushion. However, with five minutes left in the third quarter, the Eagles began an avalanche of points. Senior receiver Kolton Sobrya had a goal-line rushing touchdown.

A minute later Sobrya returned a punt for a touchdown to give the Eagles a 30-10 lead.

Running back Lane Miller scored on the ground in the red zone. In the fourth quarter, Chavez pushed through on a sneak for another goal-line score to give the Eagles 44 points.

Templeton’s final regular season game is against San Luis Obispo at home next Friday, while Morro Bay travels to Cabrillo.