Santa Ynez stuns Lompoc, 34-30, for first win over Braves since 2009
Sep. 18—The Pirates have done it.
Santa Ynez scored its first win over Lompoc since 2009 Friday night as the Pirates stunned their former league rival 34-30 in a thriller at Pirate Stadium.
Santa Ynez trailed 17-13 at halftime and erased a 30-20 deficit in the game's final four minutes.
The Pirates scored with 3:39 left on a 31-yard touchdown pass from junior Luke Gildred to senior Tyler Gregg, cutting Lompoc's lead to 30-27.
The Pirates then forced a turnover on downs on Lompoc's next possession after Santa Ynez' onside kick attempt failed, regaining the ball with less than two minutes remaining.
Gildred found an open Aidan Scott for a touchdown to put the Pirates up 34-30.
Santa Ynez' Nolan Oslin then intercepted a Lompoc pass to end the game, giving Santa Ynez coach Josh McClurg his first win over Lompoc coach Andrew Jones and the rival Braves. Oslin has four interceptions in five games this year.
The result was more than just a rivalry win for the Pirates. It also gives Santa Ynez its fourth straight win and puts the Pirates at 4-1 on the season heading into their bye week.
Lompoc dropped its second straight game and is now 3-2 heading into its bye week. It was the second week in a row that the Lompoc defense looked depleted. Lompoc lost a thriller at Arroyo Grande 48-47 last week.
Lompoc's starting quarterback, Cavin Ross, was playing linebacker in the first half. Star running back Sheldon Canley Jr., a San Diego State commit, was playing defensive back. Before the game, Lompoc coach Andrew Jones said he was missing multiple starters on defense.
It certainly looked like it. Gildred completed 20 of 34 passes for 328 yards and five touchdowns against Lompoc Friday.
Lompoc led 3-0 after a 26-yard Junior Gaeta field goal in the first quarter.
Daulton Beard got the Pirates on the board with a 58-yard touchdown strike from Gildred.
Lompoc immediately responded with a 63-yard touchdown pass from Ross to Deville Dickerson that gave Lompoc a 10-7 lead.
Scott then caught his first touchdown pass to give Santa Ynez a 13-7 lead after a missed point-after try.
Santa Ynez elected to kick the ball off out of bounds instead of kicking to the Braves' dangerous return men in Sheldon Canley Jr. and Dickerson.
That gave the Braves possession at the Santa Ynez 48. On the first play of the ensuing drive, Canley, who had 305 yards rushing and six touchdowns against Arroyo Grande, broke off a 48-yard touchdown run to give Lompoc back the lead.
Dickerson picked off a Gildred pass in the waning moments of the first half and Lompoc took a 17-13 lead into the half.
But, again, the Lompoc defense faltered. Gregg caught both of his touchdown passes in the second and the Pirates scored 14 unanswered points to tear the win away from Lompoc in the fourth quarter.
McClurg said his team's goal was to have Canley "get 20 or more carries for under 150 (yards) and we would be in a position to win."
Canley ran 20 times for 125 yards, 48 of which came on the long touchdown run.
The Braves and Pirates both will begin league play after their byes next week. Lompoc is in the tougher Channel League and will host Santa Barbara on Sept. 30 in its league opener. The Dons are 4-1 after a 28-21 win at Ventura on Friday. The Channel League features Lompoc, Santa Barbara, Dos Pueblos, Oxnard, Oxnard Rio Mesa and Oxnard Pacifica.
Santa Ynez will play at Cabrillo on Oct. 1 to start Pacific View League. The Pirates are looking like the league favorites among San Marcos, Channel Islands, Ventura and Buena.
Santa Ynez had scored just 52 points in its first three games this season, but scored 48 in a win over Santa Maria last week before putting 34 points on Lompoc Friday.
