Rio Mesa Has the Final Answer

Senior quarterback Paul Ayala scored on an eight-yard run with 2 minutes, 59 seconds remaining and Rio Mesa High held on to claim a 28-21 nonleague victory Friday against Camarillo.

Ayala, playing football for the first time since his freshman year, had the key play of the winning, 60-yard scoring drive when he scrambled 20 yards to the Scorpion 22.

Ayala finished the game with six rushes for 50 yards and he completed two of three passes for 34 yards.

Moments before Ayala’s touchdown, Camarillo (0-2) tied the score, 21-21, when running back John Howe scored on a 75-yard run with 6:12 remaining. Howe rushed for 243 yards in 25 carries.

Howie Atkins scored his second touchdown on a 34-yard run with 7:04 left to give Rio Mesa (2-0) a 21-14 lead.

Atkins led Rio Mesa with 139 yards in 14 carries. Jay Flores added 115 yards in 21 carries.

Camarillo opened the scoring by going 83 yards in 13 plays, capped by Eric Foster’s two-yard run in the first quarter.

Rio Mesa tied the score, 7-7, when Jerome Stevens scooped up a fumble and returned it 59 yards for a touchdown in the first half. Kevin Mack forced the fumble with his third sack of the half on Camarillo quarterback Garrett Valencia.