Sanchez pulls Camarillo past Oak Park
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Nothing against the Newbury Park-Westlake game that I blogged from last night, but it must have been something to see QB Marcus Sanchez orchestrate that last-minute, game-winning drive to push Camarillo to a 30-26 comeback victory over Oak Park.
Well, according to Camarillo Coach Dennis Reidmiller, it was certainly special. I know he might be a little biased, but how else can you describe an 84-yard, game-winning TD drive that took only 61 seconds against a defensive-oriented Oak Park squad?
‘It was just amazing to see just how well [Sanchez] threw on that last drive,’ Reidmiller said. ‘Every pass went right to the receiver. No one else was going to catch those passes or stop us.’
Sanchez executed the no-huddle offense perfectly, connecting on five of six passes to get into the end zone fast and win the game. He finished with a school-record 386 yards passing and four TDs. He has passed for more than 1,200 yards and 10 TDs this season.
That’s an awesome accomplishment, but Camarillo didn’t win last night’s game solely on Sanchez’s arm.
‘Our defense kept bending and bending a little, but it never did break,’ Reidmiller said. ‘They had every chance to give up and quit, but they hung in there and battled the whole time.’
Another reason why the Scorpions are 3-2 heading into Pacific View League play is their ability to cut down on the turnovers. In their two losses to hard-nosed Marmonte League teams Agoura and Thousand Oaks, the Scorpions had four turnovers. Against Oak Park, they only had one.
‘To beat a team like Oak Park certainly says a lot,’ Reidmiller.
It certainly does. Camarillo is my favorite to win the Pacific View League title, but Oxnard, Hueneme and surging Pacifica are going to make life tough for the Scorpions. Next week’s game against Channel Islands will be a cinch, but three consecutive games against Pacifica, Oxnard and rival Rio Mesa isn’t going to be easy.
Of course, if they limit the turnovers and get a couple more doses of Friday Night heroics, things will be looking good for the boys just off the 101.
- Austin Knoblauch
