Cate flag football secured its first win in program history with a 32-25 victory over local rival Bishop Diego on Tuesday in Santa Barbara.
The Rams are now 1-4 in their inaugural season, while the Cardinals fell to 0-5 on the year.
It was a back-and-forth matchup throughout, as Cate struck first to take an early 7-0 lead before Bishop Diego rattled off three unanswered touchdowns to take a 19-7 advantage late in the first half.
The Rams snatched back the momentum just before halftime with a long rushing touchdown to make it a 19-13 Cardinal lead heading into the break.
Cate came out of the locker room on fire, scoring three touchdowns and holding the Bishop Diego offense scoreless in the third to take a strong 32-19 lead into the fourth.
The Cardinals made it a one-possession game with a rushing touchdown by Keisi Calel, who had over 100 rushing yards, but the Rams held on down the stretch for the 32-25 win.
Cate will host Hueneme on Thursday, while Bishop Diego will be on the road against Fillmore on Wednesday.
Oxnard 28, San Marcos 18
The Royals began the second half of Channel League play with a loss to the Yellow Jackets on Tuesday at Warkentin Stadium.
San Marcos is now 1-4 against league opponents and will be off until hosting first-place Dos Pueblos next Tuesday.
Oxnard opened the scoring with a touchdown and two-point conversion in the first, but the Royals responded when Victoria Aldana hit Maya Llewellyn for a 3-yard touchdown catch.
On the next drive, San Marcos’ Piper Kittle hauled in an interception and worked the ball deep into Yellow Jacket territory. A few plays later, Aldana connected with Scarlett Holian for a 7-yard score and a 12-8 lead.
However, Oxnard answered right back with two quick scores before halftime to take a 21-12 lead into the break.
The Royals regained some momentum in the third quarter when Aldana came up with an interception to set up a 30-yard score by Jaylee Perez. The Yellow Jackets led 21-18 at the end of the third.
Oxnard put the finishing touches on the win with a touchdown with just four minutes left, as the San Marcos offense couldn’t break through in the fourth.
Aldana threw for three touchdown passes, completing 21-of-29 pass attempts for 189 yards. Kittle accounted for 94 of those receiving yards, while Norah Leonardi ended with five flag pulls and a sack.
