San Luis Obispo Stops Newbury Park

Newbury Park High scored first and last, but the middle of the game made the difference.

And that belonged to San Luis Obispo.

The top-seeded Tigers used a relentless ground game to churn out a 27-14 victory Friday night in a Southern Section Division IV semifinal at Newbury Park.

The Panthers (8-5) were attempting to pull off their third playoff upset with more will than skill. But their will got drilled by the power running of Khaled Elmasri.

A senior who replaced injured tailback Kani Walker four games ago, Elmasri rushed for 256 in 35 carries and scored all three Tiger touchdowns.

“The first hit didn’t bring him down,” Coach Vic Ecklund of San Luis Obispo said. “He came into his own a little bit.”

While San Luis Obispo (12-1) rushed for 333 yards, Newbury Park took to the air despite a strong wind. Cameron Merrill passed for 371 yards, completing 23 of 50 passes.