Hueneme’s Victory Is Taylor-Made

Hueneme needed a victory Friday night, and Dwayne Taylor responded with the game of his life.

Taylor scored five touchdowns, including a 67-yard reception with 59 seconds remaining, as the Vikings vaulted back into the Pacific View League race with a 40-36 victory at Camarillo.

Taylor totaled 344 yards of offense and made one big defensive play as well, intercepting Mike Jasper’s pass intended for Justin Pederson at the Viking 20-yard line with 32 seconds left to clinch the victory.

Not only did Camarillo (3-4, 1-1 in league play) lose, but star running back Loren Cerny sustained an apparent Achilles’ tendon injury in the second quarter, leaving his status for the remainder of the season is in doubt.

Camarillo took a 36-33 lead on Jasper’s 30-yard touchdown pass to Pederson with 1:19 to play. Two plays later, Taylor ran a fly pattern down the left sideline and Gordie Pinedo hit him in stride at the Scorpion 30-yard line for the winning touchdown.

Taylor finished with eight receptions for 276 yards and four touchdowns on catches of 28, 40, 78 and 67 yards. He also had a spectacular 38-yard leaping catch among three defenders to set up his five-yard touchdown run in the third quarter. He rushed for 68 yards in 12 carries.

“Pinedo made great passes to get me the ball,” Taylor said. “Coach [Larry Miller] told me before the game to get my hands ready.”

The Vikings (5-2, 1-1) needed the victory after falling to Oxnard, 26-12, last week.

“It was a definite barn-burner,” Miller said. “The whole team hung in there and didn’t give up. We knew we wanted to use Taylor on the outside, and he definitely came through.”

Hueneme also had Julian Gooden score on a five-yard run in the fourth period to give the Vikings a 33-29 lead.

The Vikings finished with 157 yards rushing in 32 carries. Pinedo completed 13 of 22 passes for 341 yards, with four touchdowns and one interception.

Cerny, who was hurt midway through the second period, finished with 55 yards in 10 carries and one touchdown.

The Scorpions finished with 396 yards, including 211 passing by Jasper, who completed eight of 15 passes with two touchdowns and one interception.

The game featured seven lead changes, including four in the last eight minutes.