HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS / SOUTHERN SECTION DIVISION IX : McGaughey the Star for Atascadero

Ryan McGaughey, who was in a hospital bed a week earlier, rushed for 202 yards and two touchdowns in 32 carries, caught a touchdown pass of 13 yards and blocked an extra-point kick to lead Atascadero to a 42-20 victory over Ojai Nordhoff and its second consecutive Southern Section Division IX championship Saturday night before 6,000 at L.A. Valley College.

McGaughey, who came into the game with 1,861 yards rushing, was hospitalized with meningitis during the Greyhounds’ semifinal victory over Harvard-Westlake the previous week. A return for the final was in doubt.

“He listened to the game on the radio last week while he was getting a spinal tap,” Atascadero Coach Larry Welsh said of the 160-pound senior. “He said he was going to be here. And he came to play.”

He looked like he came out of the hospital with new legs as he rushed for 61 yards in six carries and scored on a 13-yard swing pass from Andrew McCrory in the Greyhounds’ opening drive.

And it was off to the races for Atascadero (10-4), which led, 20-7, after McGaughey dived in from one-yard out with 1:48 left before halftime.

“It was beautiful,” McGaughey said. “Everyone just jelled.”

A week earlier, Norhdoff (10-4) appeared to be a team of destiny, beating top-seeded Santa Ynez, 30-19, to reach a section championship game for the first time in school history.

But the Rangers looked sluggish and out of step against the quick, elusive McGaughey and the big offensive and defensive lines of Atascadero.

Running back Josh Hawkins rushed for 135 yards and scored all three Nordhoff touchdowns. He scored on runs of 11 and seven yards and ran 85 yards with a short pass from Mike Gardia.

His combined rushing and receiving yards accounted for 245 of Nordhoff’s 255 yards of offense.

“I feel a little down,” Hawkins said. “We could have played better. We were flat and we couldn’t make anything happen.”