Santa Barbara High football secured a Channel League championship with a 28-14 road win over Thousand Oaks on Friday.
The Dons end the regular season at 7-3 and 4-1 against league opponents, including three straight wins heading into the playoffs. SB will learn its playoff pairing on Sunday.
Santa Barbara High and Moorpark each ended the regular season with 4-1 league records, but the Dons defeated the Musketeers in the league opener, 38-24.
Friday’s matchup got off to a slow start, as the score remained knotted at 0-0 after a full quarter of play.
Thousand Oaks got on the board in the second on a 15-yard touchdown run, but the Dons answered back with a strong drive capped off by a 1-yard rushing touchdown by junior Everett Rabb-Preston to make it a 7-7 game.
Santa Barbara got the last laugh of the first half, with junior quarterback Griffin Arnold connecting with sophomore wideout Keegan Roessler for a 2-yard touchdown and a 14-7 halftime lead.
The Dons’ defense then came through in the third, with Rabb-Preston jumping in front of a pass and returning it to the endzone for a 69-yard pick-six and a 21-7 lead, which held into the fourth.
The Lancers inched closer with a touchdown pass early in the fourth, but Santa Barbara quickly responded as Ethan Haas broke free for a 25-yard touchdown and a 28-14 advantage.
The Dons’ defense stood tall down the stretch to pull out the road victory and secure the league title.
