2A FOOTBALL PLAYOFFS : Torrey Pines Stops Eagles in Semifinals

San Pasqual Coach Mike Dolan had only two rules for his team before playing Torrey Pines: Don’t hurt Ryan Lynch and don’t turn the ball over.

The Eagles didn’t follow either rule and lost in the San Diego Section 2-A Division semifinals, 27-21, to Torrey Pines Saturday night at Vista High.

Torrey Pines (11-1) advanced to Saturday’s final at San Diego Jack Murphy Stadium against three-time defending champion El Camino, a team it beat, 22-3, two months ago. San Pasqual, who was in tears last year after losing, 50-49, to La Jolla in the semifinals, finished at 11-2.

Dolan’s first rule might sound crazy, but he apparently knew what he was talking about.

Lynch, Torrey Pines starting quarterback, was having an off-night--five of 14 for 140 yards, two interceptions and a fumble. And San Pasqual was having fun--leading 21-7--until Lynch, playing safety, injured his knee with two minutes left in the third quarter.

Junior Gavin Hamels, Lynch’s replacement, completed eight of 12 passes for 127 yards and the game-winning 25-yard touchdown pass to Kyle Campbell with 42 seconds left.

“We told our kids not to injure Lynch,” Dolan said. “(Hamels) is the better quarterback. That’s not taking anything away from Lynch, he’s a better defensive back. (Hamels) is a pure passer and Ryan’s a great defensive back. You look at all the tapes and you can see that.”

Lynch shook off his knee injury and came back in to play defense. By that time, Hamels, who started two games during the regular season, had the Falcons coming back.

The Eagles failure to follow Rule No. 2 allowed Hamels to perform his heroics. Leading 21-7 and controlling the ball on the strength of Jamon Buggs (158 yards on 24 carries), San Pasqual suddenly began to self-destruct.

Buggs never got a clean handoff from San Pasqual quarterback Ryan Hill and dropped the ball on his 17. Jeff Jahries recovered with 8:28 left in the game. Four plays later, Josh Stern scored from a yard away. Hamels’ 12-yard pass to Joel Brown set up the score. Kyle Campbell missed the kick to make it 21-13, but Campbell more than made up for his flub later.

On San Pasqual’s fourth play, DeDale Wallace was stripped of the ball fighting for yardage. Jahries recovered again with 5:38 left on San Pasqual’s 36-yard line.

Hamels completed an 11-yard swing pass to Brown. Then a San Pasqual offside penalty and two Brown runs worth 16 yards got the ball to the three. Stern scored again a play later from the one. Hamels’ conversion pass to Brown tied it at 21 with 3:18.

After San Pasqual lost two yards on three plays and punted the ball 38 yards, Torrey was in business at its 44.

Hamel found Brown for 16, Kevin Winters for nine and Stern ran for six to get the ball to San Pasqual’s 25. After a Brown incompletion on a trick play, Hamels floated one up toward the end zone. Eagle safety Mike Berry got his hands on it first, but Campbell took it away and fell into the end zone with 42 seconds left.

After Torrey Pines missed the extra point on a bad snap, it left the door open for some San Pasqual heroics.

Wallace returned the kickoff to his 38, then Dario LaForte got behind the secondary for a 43-yard completion from Hill.

After avoiding a sack and throwing an incompletion on the next play, Hill lofted a pass toward Jamon Buggs in the end zone. Buggs was open but Falcon defensive back Mike Hariff knocked it away, ending the game.