Defense, Isaacs Spark Buena to 19-6 Victory

Buena High used what Coach Rick Scott called its best defensive effort of the year--and added a couple of big plays from quarterback Jason Isaacs--to roll to a 19-6 win over Rio Mesa in a Channel League game Friday at Ventura High.

Isaacs ran 73 yards for one touchdown and hit Chuck Stuart with a pass that touched off an 82-yard scoring play to account for another. Buena’s defense thwarted a Rio Mesa drive deep in Buena territory with Rio Mesa trailing, 13-6, in the fourth quarter to save the win.

Scott Sveiven tackled Rio Mesa quarterback Henry Wilson for consecutive losses--the last a 17-yard sack that pushed Rio Mesa back to the 27.

Tim Garrety also got in the act, intercepting a pass and returning it seven yards for the final score.

Buena (5-2 overall, 4-0 in league play) also played well offensively, primarily because of Isaacs.

First Isaacs, a 6-foot-1, 181-pound senior, spotted a weakness in Rio Mesa’s defense when he lined up over center late in the first quarter. Isaacs called his own number, and scrambled 73 yards for a score.

Bill Kirkland’s conversion kick gave Buena a 7-0 lead.

“We felt in practice that we could run a quarterback lead draw, and Jason called it,” Scott said.

With Buena nursing a 7-6 lead late in the third quarter, Isaacs took advantage of one-on-one coverage as Stuart beat the defense on a long pass that gave Buena a 13-6 lead with 39 seconds left in the period.

“We felt (Rio Mesa) was really keying on Tony (Williams, who rushed for 61 yards),” Scott said. “We got isolation on Stuart and he was off to the races.”

Rio Mesa’s next drive was stopped by Sveiven’s sacks and, after a Buena drive ended with a punt, Garrety came up with his interception. Buena later held Rio Mesa (4-3, 2-2) on downs at Buena’s five.

Isaacs finished nine of 17 passing for 168 yards. Williams caught five passes for 49 yards.

Rio Mesa’s Scott O’Neill carried 13 times for 77 yards and a score.