Bishop Diego moved to 2-0 in the spring football season after a 42-7 statement win over the visiting Camarillo Scorpions in a clash of Camino League teams at La Playa Stadium on Friday night.
The Cardinals came out flying as running Marcus Chan broke loose around the left side of the defense for a 39-yard score on the third play of the game.
It was all Chan in the first half as he went on to rush for four touchdowns and 120 yards.
But he was only half of the story. The other half was the play of the Cardinals’ special teams, led by Qu’ran Gossett. He blocked two Camarillo punts, setting up his team in excellent field position.
“It felt great in only my second game on varsity, to be out here with my teammates showing them what I can do,” the sophomore said.
Gossett also broke off a 31-yard touchdown run midway through the third quarter, putting Bishop Diego up 35-0. Later in the third, Chan contributed on the defensive side of the ball, picking off a pass and returning it 52 yards.
The runback set up a 25-yard TD run by Johnny Alvarado, extending the Cardinals’ lead to 42-0.
Camarillo continued to fight hard into the fourth quarter. Quarterback Brody Meyer found Taj Flaaten for a 32-yard connection down to the Cardinals’ 2-yard line. Jack Bowers finished the drive with a 2-yard TD run.
The Scorpions were playing with heavy hearts after some tragic news only a day prior. One of their cheerleaders passed away in a car accident. The team played the game in her honor, holding together in support of each other throughout.
Chan finished the game with four touchdowns and 140 yards on 16 carries. He credited his offensive line and receivers for helping him have a big night.
“It was a team effort overall,” he said. “It showed me on the stat sheet, but the receivers and lineman did their job blocking.”
Bishop coach Tom Crawford was pleased with how his team improved from their first game last week.
“The game went as well as we could hope for,” he said. “We showed improvement on the offensive side of the ball and the game started out well for us. In a short season, you’re looking at progress, and we’re satisfied with the progress we saw tonight.”
Bishop Diego hits the road for its next game, playing at Simi Valley on Thursday night.