THE BIG GAME / SAN MARCOS 25, OCEANSIDE 22 : Frazier’s 38 Runs, Bivins’ One Pass Add Up to Victory

Compared to San Marcos fullback Mark Frazier’s 209 yards and three touchdowns, quarterback Chaise Bivin’s one completed pass appeared rather insignificant in the scheme of things.

But after ninth-ranked San Marcos’ 25-22 victory over Oceanside on Friday night in an Avocado League game, neither coach could forget it.

San Marcos (4-1, 2-0) trailed 22-13, and it was faced with fourth and eight at the Oceanside 38 with five seconds left in the third quarter. Bivin’s first three passes had been incomplete, but he found Matt Lentz alone on the left sideline. Lentz turned the upfield and was tackled at the Oceanside 16.

Six plays later, Frazier scored from one yard out to make it 22-19 with 8:41 left in the game.

“That’s the ballgame right there,” Oceanside Coach John Carroll said. “Our kids just didn’t cover it.”

Said San Marcos Coach Ken Broach: “They were keying on Frazier. We figured we could catch them.”

San Marcos got the ball back two minutes later when Oceanside quarterback John Portugal’s sideline pass to Chris Warner was picked off by Jeff Clark.

From there, the Knights gave it to their money back. Frazier carried eight times in San Marcos’ game-winning 56-yard drive. His 38th carry resulted in an 11-yard touchdown with 1:37 remaining. After San Marcos missed its third conversion of the game, it led 25-22.

And it appeared to have left too much time on the clock. Oceanside’s Brian McGehee returned the kickoff 37 yards to the Pirate 49. But on the next play, Portugal threw his third interception of the game, this one to Kraig Broach. The pass was behind McGehee, hit off his shoulder pads and fell into Broach’s arms.

Oceanside (3-2, 1-1) led 14-13 after driving 79 yards in seven plays. Marcus Andrews capped the drive on a two-yard run.

San Marcos led 13-7 despite controlling the ball almost the entire first quarter and half of the second.

The Knights ran 30 plays to the Pirates’ 19, but only outgained them, 161-128.

San Marcos scored first with 3:06 left in the first quarter on a one-yard run on a broken play by Bivin. The Knights took the ball 95 yards in 12 plays, seven of them runs by Frazier that totaled 70 yards.

Oceanside needed only one play to cash in on a blocked punt at the San Marcos 27. Portugal (14 for 22 for 184 yards) found Carl Mathis alone over the middle to tie the score at 7.

San Marcos took a 13-7 on a Frazier two-yard dive. The Knights’ 65-yard drive was helped along by a Oceanside 15-yard spearing penalty on Frazier.

Oceanside appeared to have it tied, but Portugal’s 11-yard touchdown run was nullified because of a holding call. On the next play, Portugal’s pass into the teeth of San Marcos’ zone was intercepted by linebacker Mike Cairns.