The No. 1-ranked Lompoc Braves may be 3-0, the only unbeaten team in the Los Padres League, but Lompoc coach Robin Luken makes no bones about the importance of Lompoc/s visit to St. Joseph (2-1, 4-1 overall).

&#8220This is the league championship game,C he declared Wednesday.

&#8220If we lose that puts the Conqs back in it. It puts Morro Bay back in it. It puts St. Joseph back in the race. If we win we keep everybody back. For us it/s the championship.C

Last week/s bye brought plenty of benefits according to Luken, and few drawbacks, in fact none.

&#8220We/re well-rested and we/re excited about continuing,C he said. &#8220The kids were able to go to the game and see our opponent in person.C

St. Joseph defeated Santa Ynez 41-21.

&#8220Now I know why (Arroyo Grande coach Jon) Huss always wanted a bye. I always thought he was crazy. We had a couple guys banged up but they were able to get healed up. We/re at full speed and ready to go.C

Luken was so impressed by his bye, which the Braves have historically shunned, that he wants to incorporate one in next year/s schedule, he said.

Another, less desirable, change he already implemented was a letter to the parents of his athletes regarding personal fouls, a nagging problem for the Braves this season.

&#8220Trash talking and behavior that draws attention to individuals is not Lompoc football,C Luken emphasized. &#8220We/re about team.

&#8220If you get a personal foul you/re out for the half. A second one and you/re out of the game and you probably won/t start the next week.C

The Brave offensive line which has seen a change virtually every week will have one more on Friday. Junior Dustin Coupland will make his first start at right guard. Luken had kind words for the unit however.

&#8220They/re getting better and better. Remember there are four juniors there (guards Coupland and Isai Bustos, and tackles John Downing and Ruben Garcia). Only the center and the tight end are seniors. I yell at them all the time but for juniors they are remarkable. I just have to remember they are juniors.C

The Knights, 2-1 and 4-1 overall, aim to run the ball with Tom Sua and Philip Adam doing the carrying, according to Luken.

&#8220They spread you out like they/re going to to pass but they want to run,C Luken analyzed, seeing through coach Mike Hartman/s scheme.

Game time is 7:30 at St. Joseph. Tje game will be broadcast on KGDP-AM 660 and on Comcast channel 23 (audio only)

The Braves will see Santa Maria and then Cabrillo in the final two weeks of the season.

Nipomo at Cabrillo

The Cabrillo Conquistadores are focusing on their immediate future 7 not their recent past 7 as the get ready to host the Nipomo Titans Friday night at Huyck Stadium.

Despite last week/s 31-10 loss at Morro Bay, the Conqs 7 at 2-1 in the LPL 7 are still in good position for a first place showdown with crosstown rival Lompoc on the last Friday night of the regular season.

But first they/ll have to get past Nipomo, which picked up its first-ever victory in the LPL 7 a 14-13 homecoming victory over Santa Maria.

On Wednesday, Cross gave maximum credit to Morro Bay, yet he acknowledged that the Cabrillo effort represented a slip from previous standards.

&#8220Morro Bay did a really good job,C Cross began. &#8220They were a completely different ballclub than the one that played Lompoc. If you had to draw up a perfect game, they did it. No turnovers, very few penalties. They controlled the line of scrimmage and they controlled the ball.C

Cross said his defense did a good job until it wore down in the late going. &#8220They gave us the ball four times in a row,C Cross counted. The defense/s effort was complicated by the absence of big Steve De St. Jean for the second week with a stomach muscle injury, and the departure at Morro Bay of linebacker/fullback Colby McKissack, currently the team/s leading tackler, due to an ankle sprain.

&#8220By the end safeties were playing linebacker,C Cross went on. &#8220Morro Bay smelled blood. They/re big and they took advantage of that.C

On offense the Conqs were able to move the ball but with little payoff.

&#8220We/d march, but we/d make mistakes. It wasn/t as if we weren/t moving the ball. Vai (Taua) had 140 yards rushing. We were in the red zone five times and only scored twice.

&#8220We took a step back,C he admitted.

Which means that Friday/s Nipomo game becomes critical even if the Titans bring only a 1-3 record, 1-6 overall.

&#8220The kids know this game means more than it would have.

&#8220I/m sure they/ve got some momentum,C he said of the Titans. &#8220They play hard. Their quarterback (Mason Sperakos) can run a little. They/re starting to look a lot like we do, they/re running the wing-T.C

The Cabrillo lineup will see Jared Allen in McKissack/s linebacker spot and junior Shawn Andrews or sophomore Greg Watson starting in his fullback role. But McKissack will be in uniform so if need be he could be called upon.

Game time is 7:30 p.m. The game is not scheduled for any local broadcasts.

The Conquistadores draw St. Joseph and Lompoc in the final two weeks of the league season.

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

October 27, 2005