It had the makings of a blowout. And it was, eventually.

The Lompoc Braves (5-2, 3-0) pulled away late for a 42-20 victory over host Santa Ynez to secure a new school-record 20th consecutive league victory Friday night.

Lompoc has now outscored its Los Padres opponents by a 135-20 spread 7 including a 52-0 thumping of Nipomo and a 41-0 shellacking of Morro Bay.

But the Pirates (1-5, 1-2) were game and even led by a touchdown in the second half on a pair of Billy Peters/ touchdown passes to Kyle McQuitty for a 37-yard first-quarter score and to Brad Petersen for a 20-yard third-quarter score.

&#8221It felt like we had them on the ropes,B said Peters, who finished 11-of-28 for 137 yards, two TDs and an interception.

But Lompoc retaliated with three straight touchdowns in the third quarter to seize the lead, 28-14.

&#8221My hat/s off to Santa Ynez,B said Braves tailback Joseph Scott. &#8221We didn/t expect them to play as well as they did,B

Scott led his team in offense with 152 yards on 19 carries and three touchdowns.

&#8221The boys maybe took Santa Ynez too lightly,B said Lompoc coach Robin Luken.

The Braves running backs had 280 total yards on 39 carries. While on the other side of the ball, the hard-hitting Braves defense held the Pirates runners to 1.3 yards per carry.

&#8221They/re a really tough, fast defense. If we made it past the line their second layer would hit us,B said Santa Ynez coach Josh Cunningham.

After Santa Ynez took an early 7-0 lead, Braves quarterback Tim Ochoa literally ran past the entire Pirates/ defense to go 61 yards for a score to tie it in the first quarter.

&#8221Our quarterback is maturing and I was proud of him tonight,B said Luken of Ochoa.

However, two near field goals and the first touchdown of the second half had Santa Ynez smelling an upset against the defending league champs.

&#8221We knew we could play with these guys and that was just self-affirming,B head Pirates coach Josh Cunningham said of the opening drive and score.

Lompoc regrouped in the second half, and put together a 60-yard campaign, culminating in a one-yard touchdown by tight end Michael Linstead. The point after missed, but the Braves continued to run a dominant offense, scoring rushing touchdowns with Scott twice before the end of the quarter to take a 14-point lead.

&#8221We went into the >T/ offense the second half and pounded away,B said coach Luken.

Forced to the air, the Pirates made the most of it with Peters hitting seven different receivers in the course of the game.

Peters connected with McQuitty midway through the fourth quarter to pull within eight points, but the blue-and-white answered right back with Frankie Osegueda and Scott both running into the end zone to put the game away, 42-20.

One factor in the tight game was penalties, many of them personal fouls, with Lompoc drawing 16 flags for 159 yards.

&#8221This is not how we teach Lompoc football, and this is not how we play Lompoc football,B said Luken.

The Braves, expected to keep their number one ranking in the southern section CIF Division X poll, enjoy a bye week to rest before facing league opponent St. Joseph.

&#8221We/re still on the right track,B said Luken. &#8221We just can/t play with the penalties we had tonight.B

An injury-riddled Pirates squad will regroup to host the Knights next Friday in a game coach Cunningham calls a must-win.

&#8221If we don/t, we/re out of the post season picture.B

October 16, 2005