Pacifica Shuts Down Vaqueros

Using a stingy defense and taking advantage of outstanding field position, Pacifica defeated Rancho Alamitos, 27-0, Friday night at Bolsa Grande High.

The victory enabled the Mariners (6-2, 4-0) to maintain their hold on first place in the Garden Grove League and gave them their first regular-season victory over the two-time defending champion Vaqueros (4-4, 2-2) since 1990. Pacifica beat Rancho Alamitos in a playoff game in 1996.

“This is the biggest rivalry we have,” outside linebacker Jon Dorenbos said. “We haven’t beaten them in league in eight years, but tonight it was our turn.”

Dorenbos helped Pacifica make sure. He recovered two fumbles. The second--on the Rancho Alamitos six-yard line--led directly to the Mariners’ first touchdown, a four-yard run by quarterback Matt Reis with 10 minutes 5 seconds left in the third quarter.

The Pacifica defense, tough in the first half, was nearly unyielding in the second. Rancho Alamitos only managed 56 yards total offense after halftime, and 22 of those came on a run by Jimmy Tawfik on the meaningless final play of the game.

Tawfik, a sophomore, was the Vaqueros’ only effective weapon, rushing 24 times for 129 of Rancho Alamitos’ 169 yards in total offense.

Pacific sacked Vaquero quarterback George Gonzalez six times. Keith Townsend had three of the sacks and Chris Eagen had two.

Even so Rancho Alamitos kept it close until the Mariners got two field-position gifts: the fumble at the six and a seven-yard punt by Rancho Alamitos that gave Pacifica the ball at the Vaquero 16.

Two plays and a pass interference penalty later, Willis Manley, normally an offensive lineman, scored from the one to make it 14-0.