El Camino, RBV Run the Show : Longhorns’ Ground Attack Leaves Morse in a Fog in 3-A

SAN DIEGO —  Rancho Buena Vista stormed into the San Diego Section 3-A throne room and grabbed the football Saturday night in foggy San Diego Jack Murphy Stadium.

The Longhorns pounded with it on the ground, threw it when they felt they had to and then caressed it as the final seconds ticked off. RBV seized the San Diego Section 3-A championship from Morse, 21-7.

The heavy fog made it impossible to see the field from the stadium’s upper levels, or the scoreboard from almost anywhere, during the second half. But when it was over, RBV had emerged with its second title in its three-year existence.

Last year, it was the 2-A championship. This year, RBV moved up in class to 3-A but it didn’t matter. The Longhorns cruised through the season running over, around and through nearly everything in their way. They finished 11-3, but just one of those losses actually occurred on the field--to Point Loma, 42-35.

It was a year that didn’t match last season record-wise for RBV (13-0 in 1988), but it was more impressive in terms of perseverance against both 3-A competition and their own legacy. When they forfeited an earlier victory over Morse (35-20) and another one over Castle Park for using an ineligible player, the Longhorns learned you can’t always get what you want.

Saturday, they found out that if you try, sometimes you get what you need. They scored two first half touchdowns and one more after halftime to clinch it. They intercepted Morse quarterback Teddy Lawrence once and recovered two Morse fumbles.

And now, they have won 27 of their past 28 on the field.

Their trio of running backs was cut to two. Senior wing back James Lewis suffered a fractured clavicle in a bicycle accident last Sunday. That left junior Markeith Ross and senior O.J. Hall without their usual blocking back, but Ross and Hall worked around that. Ross finished with 165 yards and Hall had 67 but didn’t play the last 11:18 of the fourth quarter because of an ankle injury.

Of course, they still had the up-front protection of the offensive line, Art Serrano, Don Hancher, Jonathon Vaeena, Owen Gonder, Don Aliipule, George Zavala and Shannon Levings. That’s the line that has paved the way for RBV’s section-record 5,717 rushing yards this season. Ross finished with 2,210 and Hall had 2,087. The two became the first teammates in California history to each rush for more than 2,000 yards.

Ross had two touchdowns--a 73-yard run and a six-yard pass reception from David Roberts--and Hall had one--a one-yard run.

The RBV defense, meanwhile, limited Morse to 189 total yards--129 rushing and 60 passing.

“I’ve told you all along, defense wins championships,” RBV Coach Craig Bell said. “And that’s what did it for us tonight.”

It was Morse’s third consecutive trip to the 3-A title game. The Tigers lost to Point Loma two years ago, 16-14, and defeated Orange Glen last season, 31-28.

Now, there’s a new dynasty on the high school scene.

“Two championships in a row, and I’m coming back next year,” Ross said. “I can’t describe the feeling.”

Lawrence said any Morse comeback plans were hindered by the fog. “We couldn’t pass deep in the second half,” he said. “I couldn’t see downfield. We had to go to short stuff.”

In the first half, Morse did an adequate job of controlling the ball and slowing down RBV’s running game for much of the first half.

Morse’s effort forced RBV, known for its running attack, to pass. The Longhorns scored their second touchdown of the first half on a six-yard pass from Roberts to Ross. And that was the fourth time Roberts passed on the six-play, 31-yard drive. He was one for four on the drive, but the big play was when he scrambled 24 yards on fourth and 13 from the Morse 30.

Morse took a 7-0 lead early in the second quarter when Ututofo Faime plunged over from the one to cap a 14-play, 76-yard drive. But RBV bounced back quickly.

RBV tied it, 7-7, when Ross took a Roberts handoff and ran through the middle and into the clear for a 73-yard touchdown dash with 3:42 left in the first half.

RBV went ahead three minutes later when Roberts and Ross hooked up. That drive was set up when Lawrence was intercepted at the Morse 26. Lawrence threw on the run, and the pass was tipped by Ray Taumaoe and picked off by Josh Wright.

It wasn’t the only turnover that hurt Morse in the first half. The Tigers moved to the RBV 16 on their second possession before Jessie Campbell fumbled. RBV defensive back Kevin Lippert recovered the ball, and Morse’s scoring threat was thwarted.