HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL PLAYOFFS : Defending Champions Make Early Exits : Rejuvenated Buena Throws Hitch in Thousand Oaks’ Bid to Repeat

The Buena High coaching staff calls it a hitch, and Bulldog head Coach Rick Scott remembers it from when Johnny Unitas and Raymond Berry made it all the rage back in the ‘60s when the Baltimore Colts were, too.

Well, there’s a new rage in town, they’re called the Bulldogs, and they used that hitch--from quarterback Jason Isaacs to receiver Jim Collins--all night long Friday to beat Thousand Oaks, 19-14, in the first round of the Southern Section Division II playoffs at Ventura High.

Buena had not even seen this side of postseason play since 1981 and had not had a home playoff game in 15 years. So, what the heck, dust off the hitch, tie up the high-tops and cut Jim Collins loose.

Collins, Buena’s all-time leading receiver, caught 6 passes for 154 yards and 2 touchdowns--the second with 3:43 remaining that gave the Bulldogs their first lead--and the 19-14 final score.

The victory made Scott’s first season even more storybook-like. The former Hart coach stood among friends and relatives after the game, watched a championship-type celebration and munched on a plate of his mother’s chocolate chip cookies.

“It feels great,” Scott said. “This is the greatest thing to happen to this school in a long time. Look at those guys.”

Those guys had finally overcome a fast start by Thousand Oaks (6-4-1), the defending Coastal Conference champion, which had jumped to a 14-0 lead.

Second-half field goals of 35 and 21 yards by Buena kicker Ty Hewitt and Collins’ 13-yard touchdown reception supported a Bulldog defense that shut out the Lancers in the second half.

It was the hitch--a play where Collins takes 2 steps back from his wide out position, gathers a pass from Isaacs and is left with one man to beat--that was the key. Collins, whose 6 receptions make 49 for the season, ran it 5 times for 124 yards.

“It was open all night,” Collins said. “I was surprised. They were kind of asking for it.”

Said Scott: “They were trying to play us man-to-man, and we think Jim Collins can’t be covered man-to-man.”

Thousand Oaks Coach Bob Richards lamented his cornerbacks’ inability to stop the play.

“I think our guys were overcompensating for speed,” he said.

Isaacs completed 9 of 24 passes for 215 yards and was intercepted twice in the first half.

The first half was a testament to Thousand Oaks’ offensive line. The Lancers ran 37 plays to Buena’s 13 and held the ball for more than 19 of the first 24 minutes. The Lancers led only 14-0, primarily because they were intercepted once and fumbled once.

Tailback Mike Lindsay scored with 4:53 left in the first quarter on a 3-yard plunge. It came 6 plays after Jim Magallanes intercepted Isaacs’ first passing attempt. The Lancers went ahead, 14-0, early in the second quarter when Anthony Gonzales passed 9 yards to Jim Jancovich. The 79-yard drive consumed 6:19 and included a fake punt where Jeff Moore passed 18 yards to Steve Rudisill on fourth and 3 on Buena’s 40.

Buena (9-2) scored on the next play from scrimmage. Isaacs threw parallel to the line to Collins, who outran the Lancer secondary 73 yards down the right sideline.

Lindsay finished with 118 yards in 23 carries, both game-highs. Gonzales passed for 43 yards and rushed for 56.