Dual-threat quarterback Vance Keiser accounted for three touchdowns and running back Leo Vargas made multiple big plays to help deliver the Carpinteria Warriors a 30-14 non-league victory over the Santa Paula Cardinals on Friday at Carpinteria Valley Memorial Stadium.
The Warriors gained less than 200 yards offensively but played efficiently all night long, scoring ten points off two forced turnovers while not turning the ball over once themselves.
“That was the first game we put offense and defense together,” said Carpinteria head coach Rick Candaele. “We played hard tonight.”
Carpinteria (3-3) got off to a strong start defensively. The Cardinals had the ball at the Warriors six-yard line and failed to score, after two holding penalties and a false start pushed the ball back to the 31, forcing a Santa Paula punt.
“Early in the game like that, that was a big defensive stop,” Candaele claimed.
Carpinteria would then drive 90 yards in 16 plays to take a 7-0 lead after Keiser scrambled into the end zone from three yards out with 10:22 left in the second quarter. Keiser connected with receiver Terrell Richardson four times for 44 yards on the drive.
After another quick stop, the Warriors mounted their second touchdown drive of the quarter, a nine-play, 61-yard possession capped off by a four yard touchdown reception by Richardson from Keiser. Keiser finished with 89 yards passing and one touchdown, and 33 yards rushing with two touchdowns.
“Vance made some really good reads,” explained Candaele. “This was his best night throwing the football.”
The Warriors would go up 17-0 before halftime after Christian Ramirez intercepted a pass from Santa Paula’s Anthony Cancino and Alberto “Tito” Arroyo booted a 40-yard field goal.
The Cardinals finally got on the board near the end of the third quarter as running back Tim Luna bounced his way into the end zone from 11 yards out with 1:01 remaining in the third quarter.
Then, Vargas took over.
After bobbling the ensuing kickoff, Vargas found a seam in the defense and took the ball 68-yards to the house to kill any momentum the Cardinals had gained and put the Warriors up 24-7 to end the third quarter.
Carpinteria scored again near the end of the game as Keiser scrambled in on a three-yard quarterback sweep to bring the score to 30-7. On the kickoff, Vargas made a spectacular tackle at the Carpinteria 10-yard line to save a touchdown.
“I was just as pleased with his tackle as I was with his kickoff return,” Candaele praised. “Those were two pretty big plays.”
The Cardinals would go on to score anyway as Cancino converted a six-yard pass to Thomas Sanchez, but it was too little, too late and Keiser would kneel the ball three times to end the game.
Carpinteria takes on Trinity Classical (2-4) next Friday before league play begins on October 20.
— Noozhawk sports reporter Christian Eckert can be reached at ceckert@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @NoozhawkSports and @noozhawk. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.