Nogales Runs Over, Around Newbury Park, 50-36

Newbury Park High was run over by visiting Nogales, 50-36, Friday night in the opening round of the Southern Section Division III playoffs.

Gaining all of its 496 yards on the ground, Nogales (9-2) rallied from a three-touchdown, first-quarter deficit to shock the Marmonte League-champion Panthers before an overflow crowd.

The Nobles’ split-back attack of seniors Kevin Devine and Lamonte Adams combined for 516 yards. Devine rushed for 299 yards and three touchdowns in 26 carries, and Adams rushed for 217 yards and four touchdowns in 17 carries.

“We’ve had problems with this kind of team all season--a running team that comes right at you,” Newbury Park Coach George Hurley said. “We kind of put all of our eggs in one offensive basket. Sometimes we play well on defense, sometimes we don’t.”

Newbury Park (8-3) jumped to a 20-0 lead in the first 10 minutes but trailed, 35-28, at halftime.

Junior quarterback Keith Smith, the state’s leading passer, completed 21 of 37 for 310 yards and two touchdowns. Smith almost led the Panthers (8-3) to a dramatic victory, but came up short.

With his team trailing, 43-36, Smith drove Newbury Park 68 yards to the Nobles’ four-yard line with 2 minutes 52 seconds remaining. However, Smith was dragged to one knee on fourth down.

Nogales took over at the 10. Devine ran 61 yards and Adams followed with a 29-yard touchdown run.

“He’s great,” Nogales Coach Brian Beveridge said of Smith. “We knew we couldn’t stop him, we just had to try to contain him.”

Smith’s 42-yard touchdown pass to Leodes Van Buren and a two-point conversion pass with 10 minutes to play gave the Panthers the lead again, 36-35.

But Nogales drove 64 yards in six running plays, the final one a 10-yard sweep by Adams, who fumbled the pitch, but caught it on a hop.

Smith had given Newbury Park a 20-0 lead 10 minutes into the game on a pair of one-yard sneaks and a 34-yard pass to Van Buren on fourth down.

But Nogales came storming back. Senior Sonny Langstaff, a converted defensive back making his first start because of injuries, fumbled away two snaps on early drives before successfully giving the ball to Adams and Devine.

Devine ran 58 yards for a touchdown in the final seconds of the first quarter. The Nobles outscored Newbury Park, 28-8, in the second quarter. Devine added touchdown runs of 59 and 13 yards, and Adams ran for touchdowns of 70 and 14 yards.

Newbury Park’s Adam Greenberg ran 40 yards for a touchdown on a draw play in the second quarter.