Canadian Team Cuts Through Moorpark, 32-6

St. Mary’s High of Canada blew through host Moorpark’s defense like a cold, northerly wind Thursday night, storming to a 32-6 nonleague football victory.

Relying primarily on a potent wishbone attack, the Saints of Calgary, Alberta, dominated Moorpark from the outset to improve to 3-0.

Halfback Chris Kandel scored three touchdowns and backfield mate Dan Scott rushed for 125 yards and one touchdown in 16 carries.

The Saints also showed they could play defense, forcing two fumbles and sacking quarterback Jose Ceja four times. Defensive end Mario Mancia pulled Ceja down twice for sacks and combined with defensive end Lyle Gathercole to harass the Moorpark offense all night.

Ceja missed on five of his first six passes but got the Musketeers moving in the second half with seven consecutive completions. He finished nine of 17 for 101 yards.

Moorpark (1-3) scored its only touchdown late in the third quarter on Richard Hernandez’s five-yard run. But that was only after St. Mary’s had built an insurmountable 25-0 lead.

The Saints pressured the Musketeer defense from their first drive. Helped by a 15-yard face mask penalty, St. Mary’s marched 55 yards in six plays, with Kandel slashing through several tacklers for the final 11 yards and a 7-0 lead.

Moorpark had a chance to tie the score on its next possession when Scott fumbled a punt at the Saint 27 and the Musketeers’ Bobby Bland recovered. But Moorpark handed the ball back two plays later when Ryan Berry of St. Mary’s fell on a Chuck Martin fumble.

Another Moorpark fumble enabled the Saints to take a 13-0 lead at halftime. Tailback Frank Oliva fumbled at the Musketeer 15 and Paul Silva recovered for St. Mary’s. Two plays later, Scott wiggled free on a counter play to score from the seven.

Behind the running of Kandel and Scott, the Saints put the game away on their first two possessions of the second half. Kandel returned the kickoff 34 yards and Scott broke free for 47 yards on the next play to push the ball to the Moorpark four. Three plays later, Silva stole in from the one to make the score 19-0.

A failed fake punt by Moorpark on fourth down set up St. Mary’s next score.