Despite bringing an undefeated record and a top ranking for Division X into Friday night/s non-league clash, Cabrillo felt like it still had something to prove to PAC-5 power Atascadero.

And despite losing a wild 43-35 battle, the Conquistadores did just that.

&#8221We wanted to come up here and get Atascadero/s respect,B said Cabrillo coach Don Cross. &#8221This is a tough place to play. If you can come up here and beat them or like what happened tonight, great ball game, they walk off the field respecting us. I guarantee it.B

But even after staging one of the most memorable comebacks in Cabrillo High football history, the Conqs had to tip their caps to the Greyhounds 7 who themselves got some late-game heroics to steal the victory.

&#8221It was amazing as far as both teams didn/t give up,B said Cabrillo quarterback CJ Simmons. &#8221We were down the whole game, we come back tie it up back and forth, just a crazy game to be in. And (it/s) a game that you/d want to be in, a game that you take the lead and you just play hard.B

The Greyhounds were finally able to put away the relentless Conquistadores in a wild finish when quarterback Gunnar Jespersen ran in a successful two-point conversion with 33 ticks left.

Jespersen had just thrown a 10-yard touchdown pass to receiver Troy Tidwell to bring Atascadero within one 7 and then he capped it with the two-point play.

On Cabrillo/s final possession, quarterback Brian Gregory was picked off by Greyhound defensive back Brandon Roberts 7 who returned it 38 yards for the final score.

But the Conquistadores provided plenty of their own highlights late in the second half.

&#8221Hands down to Atascadero because they/re a hitting team and they brought it to us,B said Simmons. &#8221A lot of people were expecting us not even to keep up with Atascadero. … I don/t think anybody/s going to see us in league if we keep playing like we played right here.B

Tied at 14-14 in the second quarter, the Greyhounds made a big push 7 jumping ahead by two touchdowns on consecutive scores. The first with 40 seconds left in the first half on Tyler Manley/s 55-yard run and the second on their opening possession of the second half via a 65-yard pass from Jespersen to Troy Tidwell.

But that/s when the Conqs, who have lived and died in down-to-the-wire games this season, are at their best.

Trailing 28-14, tailback Vailala Taua led an unthinkable comeback bid 7 scoring three consecutive touchdowns on runs of four, 15 and 36 yards.

After Taua/s second TD run to bring Cabrillo within one with 1:44 left, the Conqs had a crucial decision to make 7 kick the extra point to tie or go for the two-point play and the lead.

&#8221It/s a non-league game, so you put everything on the line and just win the game,B said Cabrillo quarterback Brian Gregory. &#8221I think we already knew before we were even close that we/re not going to tie this game we/re going to go ahead and win it.B

Gregory, who rotated in at quarterback in the fourth quarter with Simmons switching to receiver, had fullback Steve De St. Jean open in the end zone, but just overthrew him.

&#8221I saw the guy opened, but just floated it a little bit,B he said.

Still down by one, there were no regrets on the Cabrillo side.

&#8221There were no overtime possibilities and I/d rather 7 in a non-league game like this 7 go for two. We don/t want to tie anybody and they don/t want to tie like you saw them go for two down there,B said Cross. &#8221It/s either win it or lose it. It doesn/t matter. In terms of our pride, yeah. But in terms of what we/re trying to accomplish, let/s just go for it.B

On the ensuing kickoff, Cabrillo went for an on-side kick and got it. Place-kicker Casey Belluz/ perfect kick was successfully recovered by teammate Jeremy Pohlman 7 who ran the ball back to the Atascadero 46-yard line.

Two plays later, Taua found the back of the end zone for his final touchdown 7 and then De St. Jean ran in the two-point conversion to put the Conqs up 35-28.

&#8221The game was crazy,B said Simmons. &#8221I don/t know what to say about it. It was just a great game to be in.B

The Greyhounds were still in it as well 7 scoring two touchdowns in the final 1:14 to hand the Cabrillo its first loss of the season.

&#8221We/re always in the game,B said Gregory. &#8221The last five games we/ve played we/ve always been in it. You just have to play hard, and this was one of the funnest games I/ve ever played in.B

Gregory finished 6-of-13 passing for 63 yards, while Simmons was 3-of-6 for 17 yards. Simmons also scrambled for 71 yards on 10 carries, including a 15-yard touchdown run in the second quarter.

&#8221Brian and CJ have been playing all year alternating. They can both run the offense and you see we don/t lose anything when one or the other is in there,B said Cross. &#8221CJ brings a running threat. Brian brings a throwing threat. But you/ve still got to tackle Vai and Steve, so it really doesn/t matter who/s taking snaps in my opinion.B

Taua, however, was held in check by the rugged Atascadero defense for a better part of the opening three quarters 7 compiling only 40 yards on 10 carries in the first half. But the bruising back broke /em when they counted most 7 finishing with 117 yards and three touchdowns on 22 carries.

&#8221That/s how he is. Eight, nine guys are watching him on every play, so he still gets his yards,B said Cross. &#8221He is going to make you defend him and, by that happening, the other stuff opens up.B

De St. Jean, who also starts at defensive end, had a strong game on both sides of the ball. On offense, he bruised his way to 36 yards on eight carries 7 highlighted by a 13-yard TD run that tied the game at 14 -14 in the second quarter. On defense, he was all over the field.

&#8221I think my defense is crazy because they just keep playing football and hitting people. A bunch of little mean guys running around out there hitting guys and somehow we just keep finding ways to get it done,B said Cross. &#8221This one, Atascadero credit to them, they didn/t quit. A minute and 10 to go down by seven and they made it happen, so you have to give them credit.B

Tidwell was the hot target for the Greyhounds 7 catching four balls for 135 yards and two touchdowns.

Atascadero (4-1) will host Arroyo Grande next week in PAC-5 play, while Cabrillo (4-1) opens Los Padres League action by welcoming Santa Maria.

&#8221We/ll pick up just like where we left off,B said Gregory. &#8221This isn/t going to slow us down at all. We/re a good team. We/re going to show it next weekend.

Cross country

Clovis Invitational

FRESNO 7 Cabrillo/s cross country teams had a fine time at the park Saturday.

Cabrillo/s girls finished second in the Girls Medium Schools Division. Cabrillo/s boys frosh soph team won the overall boys frosh soph team championship.

Cabrillo/s girls scored 139 points, second to Foothill of Santa Ana/s 134. Tarah Balden led the Conquistadores with a 20th-place finish in 20:20.

Cabrillo teammates following Balden were Beth Pasco (23rd, 20:31), Alexa Heater (25th, 20:32), Laura Monteleone (39th, 21:07), Alana Pitts (90th, 22:45) and Katie Vega (110th, 23:22).

Miguel Ortiz led a 1-3-4-6 Cabrillo finish in the boys frosh soph division. Ortiz won his race in 16:20.

October 9, 2005