PREP FOOTBALL / Saturday Pullout : Capistrano Valley Boots Long Beach Wilson

In the nonleague opener Friday night against Long Beach Wilson, Capistrano Valley used a strong kicking game to beat the Bruins, 31-25, at Wilson High.

Capistrano Valley blocked three punts, quickly converting them into scores as Wilson played catch up.

Two minutes into the game, the Cougars blitzed on fourth and 10 to block Wilson’s first punt. Linebacker Sam Petke recovered the ball in flight on the 45-yard line and returned it to the Long Beach 18-yard line. Three plays later, running back Charles Landrigan scored on a 1-yard run for a 7-0 lead.

“The kicking game was great,” Capistrano Valley Coach Eric Patton said. “We had good pressure on them all night. We had good pressure from the outside.”

Wilson bounced back 34 seconds later to tie the score, 7-7, thanks to a 76-yard run by senior fullback Kevin Nash.

Nash gained a game-high 188 yards in 20 carries and scored two touchdowns. Wilson’s total offense was 291 yards.

Capistrano Valley’s pressure defense led to a second blocked punt midway through the second quarter, setting up a two-yard touchdown pass from Tim Hirchag to Petke. The Cougars led 14-13 at the half.

Late in the fourth quarter, the Cougars bagged their third blocked punt inside Wilson’s 10-yard line and took a 31-19 lead on a 10-yard run by Malaefou MacKenzie with two minutes remaining in the game.