San Marcos did what it wanted to do early in its game against defending Channel League champion Ventura.
The Royals executed two onside kicks, possessed the ball for long periods and cashed in with two touchdowns to take a 14-0 lead.
Once Ventura realized it was in for a battle, it stepped up its game and scored 49 unanswered points and won 49-14 on Friday night at Larrabee Stadium.
The Division 5 sixth-ranked Cougars rushed for 187 yards, quarterback Jack Gutierrez passed for 275, and the defense forced three turnovers en route to their third league win, which clinched a tie for the title.
The Royals stunned Ventura by recovering an onside kick on the opening kickoff and marching 46 yards in 10 plays for a touchdown.
San Marcos executed the onside kick again and recovered at midfield. Quarterback Jose Romo engineered a 50-yard, 14-play drive, capped by a 3-yard run to take a stunning 14-0 lead.
“They did a great job of coming out and executing what they had practiced. Hats off to San Marcos,” Ventura coach Tim Garcia told the Ventura County Star newspaper.
The Royals attempted a third onside kick but were called for an offsides penalty. San Marcos kicked away and Ventura finally got to run its first offensive play with 20.1 seconds left in the opening quarter.
Ventura drove 56 yards in six plays and Gutierrez passed to Gavin Blanks for a 19-yard touchdown.
Gutierrez and Blanks hooked up again to tie the score at 14-14.
A Broc Mortensen 8-yard TD run and Gutierrez’s third touchdown pass completed an impressive 28-point second quarter.
Ventura’s defense dominated in the second half, recovering two fumbles, intercepting a pass and holding the Royals to 52 yards of total offense and six first downs.
— Noozhawk sports editor Barry Punzal can be reached at bpunzal@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk Sports on Twitter: @NoozhawkSports. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.