Santa Ynez opened Sunset League play with a 28-13 win over visiting Atascadero on Friday night at Rio Memorial Field, powered by a lockdown defensive showing and efficient quarterback play.
After giving up a pick-six early in the first quarter, the Pirates (5-2, 1-0 SL) responded with four unanswered touchdowns and three interceptions to take control of the game. Senior quarterback Jude Pritchard threw three touchdown passes and the secondary forced turnovers and pressure throughout the night.
“Right now every week is championship week,” Santa Ynez head coach Josh McClurg said. “We only care about whatever week is coming up.”
The Pirates’ opening drive was cut short as Atascadero’s Damon Mitchell snatched a pass out of the air and ran it all the way to the end zone for the pick-six. The extra point missed, putting Atascadero up 6-0 with 9:40 remaining in the first quarter.
Santa Ynez shook it off quickly and used a steady mix of rushing and defense to regain control.
Pritchard led the answer, using his legs to move the chains and set up senior running back Ayden Finley for a short touchdown run that gave Santa Ynez a 7-6 lead midway through the first quarter.
Junior Jaxson Glover made an immediate impact on both sides of the ball after the Pirates took the lead. On Atascadero’s first full drive, the defensive end broke through for a nine-yard sack on third down that forced a quick punt and gave Santa Ynez strong field position.
“Jaxson Glover for us, our defensive end, is unfreaking believable,” McClurg said. “If he’s not the best defensive end in the league, I don’t know who is.”
Moments later, the Pirates capitalized when Pritchard, facing 4th-and-4, found Glover in the end zone for a touchdown to extend the lead to 14-6 with seven seconds left in the first quarter. The sequence marked the turning point of the night and gave Santa Ynez a two-score cushion it would never relinquish.
Santa Ynez carried its momentum into the second quarter, with the defense continuing to limit Atascadero’s drives to short gains. Senior safety Diego Pulido stopped one of the Greyhounds’ few promising possessions with an interception near midfield, preserving the Pirates’ 14-6 lead going into halftime.
After the break, Santa Ynez picked up right where it left off. Senior safety Jack Swain intercepted a pass on Atascadero’s opening possession of the third quarter, halting the Greyhounds’ comeback hopes and setting the Pirates up with good field position.
Pritchard wasted little time, finding senior fullback Levi Snow on a route over the middle for a touchdown that pushed the lead to 21-6 with 7:49 left in the third quarter.
“We treat every week the exact same because if you don’t do that, you’ll either overlook a team or you’ll think you’re going to get beat,” McClurg said.
The Pirates’ defense followed with another stop and Swain came away with his second interception of the night after pressure forced the Greyhounds’ quarterback into a desperation throw with 5:17 remaining in the third quarter.
Coach McClurg credited the defensive front for their impact.
“Javier Nungaray, Joey Duarte and Kaj Kretzschmer just did a phenomenal job,” McClurg said. “They’re really the key to everything.”
Santa Ynez couldn’t cash in on the turnover and was forced to punt, but the defense returned to the field and delivered again.
Glover and junior Hayden Pahler stuffed a run attempt near midfield, then helped collapse the pocket on fourth down to force an incomplete pass and a turnover on downs with just over a minute left in the third quarter.
The Pirates decisively put the game out of reach early in the fourth quarter.
Finley barreled ahead for a tough first down and on the next play, Pritchard slipped a screen pass to Glover, who raced past defenders for his second touchdown of the night and a 28-6 lead with 10:27 remaining.
Atascadero answered with a late touchdown and recovered the onside kick to keep hope alive, but the Pirates’ defense slammed the door with a big third-down stop by Glover and Snow.
“We set the temperature. We want to be the thermostat,” McClurg said.
Pahler delivered the final blow, stuffing a fourth-down run near midfield to seal the 28-13 win in the league opener.
The Pirates will look to carry that momentum through next week’s bye before returning to action on Friday, Oct. 17, for a league matchup against Pioneer Valley at PVHS Stadium in Santa Maria. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.