Football fans who wondered about the disappointing performance of the Cabrillo Conquistadores a week ago at Morro Bay needed only to watch the Conqs/ first three possessions Friday night at Huyck Stadium.

The black-and-gold scored on all three en route to a 52-7 trouncing of Nipomo.

At 3-1 the Conqs put themselves right back in the middle of the Los Padres League race by doing nothing fancy. They amassed 394 yards rushing, three yards passing.

The Conquistadores marched down the field on their first three possessions on drives of 53, 74 and 42 yards, all on the ground with league rushing leader Vai Taua doing the bulk of the carrying.

On the first drive Taua carried on six of the 10 plays with quarterback C.J. Simmons taking three others. The longest run of the drive was the eight-yarder Taua scored on.

On the second drive Taua received help from wingback Darnell Womack who contributed a 21-yard run and Simmons who scored from 19 yards out.

The third drive, begun with a short field after Josh Sanders recovered a fumble at the Titan 42, was Taua for 20, then Simmons, then Taua, Taua, Taua, and Taua for the touch from the one.

At 11:21 of the second quarter the score was 21-0, the Conqs had not yet attempted a pass and the Titans had successfully run only seven offensive plays for 23 yards and no first downs.

In the second quarter the Titans staged a seven-minute 79-yard march on 17 plays to the Cabrillo one-yard line but came up empty when they fumbled to Conquistador Kyle Bearden.

Then as if to add insult to injury, with just two seconds left before halftime, Cabrillo kicker Casey Belluz booted a 50-yard field goal to advance the score to 24-0.

&#8220We/ve been trying to get him a long one like that all year,C grinned Cabrillo coach Don Cross. &#8220He makes 54-yarders in practice routinely so we knew he had the distance. Jeez, what a lift.C Belluz kicked seven extra points and put five of his eight kickoffs into the end zone to preclude runbacks.

Taua opened the second half carrying three times for 65 yards and a TD, the Conqs/ Womack recovered a fumble at the Nipomo 20 which led to another quick scoring drive and sophomore Greg Watson accounted for 50 yards of a 55-yard drive to push the margin to 45-0.

Taua totalled 161 yards and three touchdowns, Watson 87 and Simmons 78 as the Conqs threw only three passes in the contest.

&#8220We came to play,C said Simmons. &#8220I don/t think we realized how important that Morro Bay game was.C

Two-way lineman Josh Sanders pointed to improvement in the basics.

&#8220We all stuck to our jobs and our responsibilities,C he said. &#8220We wrapped up and tackled. We didn/t let them go.C

The defense gave up yardage in the middle of the field but forced five fumbles and recovered four.

Cross saw redoubled efforts and a revised mental approach on both sides of the ball.

&#8220I think we came out fired up. Nipomo is 1-6 and struggling. The kids came out and played hard. It would have been easy not to. We came out and showed a lot of character and a lot of desire to get back in the race and march toward the playoffs. I/m real happy.C

Cross singled out Jared Allen who played strongside linebacker in place of tackle leader Colby McKissack, and Womack.

&#8220Darnell played his best game at that weakside linebacker. He/s a safety playing linebacker, but tonight he really seemed to figure some things out. I wouldn/t be surprised if he isn/t double digits in tackles.C

Nipomo, now 1-4 in league, 1-7 overall, was led in rushing by Chris Lemus who covered 94 yards on 16 carries. The Titan/s only score came in the fourth quarter when quarterback Mason Sperakos scrambled from eight yards out to cross the goalline.

Cabrillo, now 3-1 in league, 6-2 overall, visits St. Joseph next Friday.

Notes: No one in the press box could remember a longer field goal than Belluz/ in Cabrillo school history…. Cabrillo/s fourth fumble recovery was by Mike Miranda…. Neither of Cabrillo/s two leading tacklers, McKissack and Steve De St. Jean, played due to injury…. Cabrillo/s poll ranking dropped from No. 2 to No. 7 after the Morro Bay defeat behind Lompoc (1), St. Joseph (4), and Morro Bay (6). They should bump back up in tomorrow/s poll…. Nipomo won the JV game 41-9.

John McReynolds can be reached at 737-1055, or jmcreynolds@lompocrecord.com

October 30, 2005