Portugal Directs Drive That Carries Oceanside

Oceanside High junior quarterback John Portugal is growing up in a hurry.

But as he grows up, his coach, John Carroll, is growing old.

For the second time in three weeks, Portugal’s pinpoint passing was the difference in an Oceanside comeback victory. He led the Pirates on a last-minute scoring drive that gave Oceanside a 31-26 victory Friday night over San Pasqual in the Avocado League opener.

“With any more of these games, I’m not going to live to be a very old man,” Carroll said. “We seem to really like the excitement.”

Trailing 26-24 with 4:25 remaining, Portugal took the Pirates (3-1) 68 yards in 12 plays. He kept drives alive with a nine-yard out pass to Chris Warner on a third and six at the San Pasqual 31 and an eight-yarder to Shad Halbert on a third and six at the 19.

“We weren’t playing off them (loose defense),” San Pasqual Coach Mike Dolan said. “It was just poor execution.”

Oceanside running back Marcus Andrews capped the drive on an eight-yard run with 1 minute 20 seconds left.

Portugal, who completed 12 of 29 passes for 200 yards and a touchdown, said he was not worried when San Pasqual scored to take the lead.

“We had a lot of faith in our receivers,” said Portugal.

After a Portugal fumble with 7:10 remaining, the Eagles drove 31 yards in five plays to take the lead. But a poor snap gave San Pasqual kicker Cory Whyte no chance to kick the conversion. It was the Eagles’ second failed kick of the night.

“Every time we did something right, we followed up with something poor,” Dolan said. “And that’s a reflection of poor coaching.”

Despite running 10 more plays than Oceanside in the first half, San Pasqual (2-2) trailed 24-20.

The Pirates scored their 24 points on big plays.

The first, a 71-yard pass play from Portugal to Chris Warner, came on Oceanside’s second play from scrimmage. San Pasqual methodically took the ball 71-yards in eight plays to tie it at 7. Mike Walters (16 carries for 80 yards) capped the drive on a seven-yard run.

The Pirates scored their second touchdown on a Portugal 17-yard run, which was set up by a San Pasqual fumble on its own 39.

San Pasqual answered with an 84-yard scoring drive that took 11 plays. Walters scored from two yards out to give San Pasqual a short-lived 14-13 lead. On the ensuing kickoff, Brian McGehee scampered 95 yards to give Oceanside a 21-14 lead. The Pirates even made the conversion exciting. After a 15-yard celebration penalty, Portugal threw an 18-yard pass to Mathis for the two points.

San Pasqual answered with a six-yard touchdown run by DeSale Wallace, but the Eagles missed the conversion and trailed 21-20.

McGehee’s 27-yard field goal made it 24-20.