Constantine throws for 354 yards and seven touchdowns in Camarillo win

Who remembers the field-trip days from elementary school? Mom or dad signed the permission slip and off you went to the museum, the beach, to Disneyland.

Camarillo High football players earned their greatest field trip ever on Friday night — a trip to Sacramento to play in the CIF state championship Division II-AA bowl game.

Get the charter bus packed with videos and goodies for next Friday’s 4 p.m. final at Sacramento State against Loomis Del Oro. And save a front seat with a big cup of hot chocolate for senior quarterback Jake Constantine, who was sick with a cold but still completed 22 of 31 passes for 354 yards and seven touchdowns to help the Scorpions win a shootout over La Habra, 63-49.

This is the year of the receiver, which helps explain how quarterbacks are shredding defenses in the playoffs. Constantine fired passes to eight receivers. Frankie Tostado caught five passes for 120 yards and three touchdowns.

La Habra junior receiver Prince Ross caught 10 passes for 271 yards and two touchdowns. Quarterback Eric Barriere completed 21 of 32 passes for 429 yards and three touchdowns.

Camarillo improved to 15-0. La Habra dropped to 13-2.

Somebody needs to help defensive coordinators these days. In the Pac-5 final, Corona Centennial defeated Bellflower St. John Bosco, 62-52. These high-scoring games are about talented quarterbacks improvising and getting the ball to top athletes.

Camarillo’s defense did come through with a couple of big plays. The Scorpions recovered a fumble on the first play from scrimmage and Brett Triebold came up with an interception off a deflected pass in the third quarter. Both turnovers led to touchdowns. And Brett Herron had a 21-yard sack in the fourth quarter to force a La Habra punt.

The first half was full of entertainment provided by the two quarterbacks. Camarillo came away with a 28-21 halftime lead on the strength of four Constantine scoring passes. Cortlin Taylor ran for two touchdowns and caught another for La Habra.

Both quarterbacks had scrambles that were worthy of highlight films. Constantine went back and forth before throwing a pass that was somehow grabbed by Desmond Clancy for a six-yard touchdown play. Barriere went right, left, forward and backward before completing a 27-yard pass to Ross to set up a touchdown. Defensive players were left bewildered and frustrated.

Camarillo is showing no signs of mental or physical fatigue in the 15th week of the season. Ventura County had never been host of a state bowl game before Friday, and the players and their fans seemed genuinely excited to keep playing for one more week.

The Scorpions’ offense, with offensive coordinator Teohua Sanchez making some terrific calls, had opponents confused and out of position via screens and play-action passes while relying on Constantine’s continually impressive decision-making.

eric.sondheimer@latimes.com

Twitter: @LATsondheimer