Oceanside CA— The Oceanside Pirates got their first league win of the season and in the process, claimed the city championship with a 24-27 win over the El Camino Wildcats.
At the game start, it looked like the big play El Camino offense might roll over the Pirates needing only 3 plays to take a 14-0 lead.
On the Wildcats first play from scrimmage, QB Jayden Casey hit Malachi Russell for a 62 yard touchdown. After an excessive celebration penalty, Oceanside had a short field to work with but were forced to punt pinning the Wildcats back at their own two yard-line. Wildcat senior RB, Chris Brown got the ball out to the seven and on the next play, Jayden Casey hit Wayne Steward for a school record, 93 yard touchdown, 14-0 with 4:10 left in the first quarter.
The Pirates would get right back in it sparked by two 45 yard runs by Oceanside QB, Kyrin Beachem, leading to two touchdown runs, one by Jonathan Segi and a QB keeper by Beachem, 14 all with just over 9:00 to play in the first half.
Oceanside would take the lead on sophomore place kicker, Jose Aguirre’s 22 yard field goal, 14-17 at the half.
The Wildcats would go back on top after Demarcus Griffin caught Kyrin Beachem’s line drive pooch kick on the fly and sprinted 73 yards down the left sideline for the score, 21-17.
The Pirates kept pounding with the ground game and Oceanside would get the lead back on Joseph Santiago’s two yard touchdown run, 24-21.
El Camino would tie it up again on Kevin Perez’s 20 yard field goal with 3:08 left in the game.
Again the Wildcats couldn’t find an answer for the Oceanside ground attack of Joseph Santiago and Kyrin Beachem. Joseph Santiago would break free for a 35 yard gain putting the Pirates in field goal range. After several attempts at the end zone with time running out, the 5’2″ sophomore kicker, Jose Aguirre, came up big hitting the game winner from 25 yards out.
“I just focused on getting the job done and getting the ball through the uprights,” said Aguirre about the game winner.
Oceanside finishes the regular season at 4-6, 1-5 in league play while the Wildcats stand at 5-5, 2-4.
In other scores:
Carlsbad finishes the regular season at 5-5, 1-5 with a win at home over Vista (3-7, 2-4), 42-14
La Costa Canyon (7-3, 4-2) went on the road and beat Torrey Pines (6-4, 3-3) 27-21
In another rivalry match-up, undefeated Mission Hills (10-0, 6-0) remained that way with a 49-27 win over San Marcos (8-2, 4-2)
Rancho Buena Vista (5-5, 2-2) went on the road and defeated Fallbrook (1-9, 0-4) 27-7
Army-Navy (5-5, 2-2) ends the regular season with a three game winning streak shutting out Escondido Charter (0-10, 04) 47-0