Lompoc spoils long awaited DP homecoming

BY COLBY FRAZIER
DAILY SOUND STAFF WRITER

If the first possession, first offensive series, first first down and first touchdown dictated the outcome of a football game, the Dos Pueblos Chargers would have emerged from Scott O’Leary Stadium victorious.
But that’s not how it generally works. And on a night that showcased Dos Pueblos’ first home game in the school’s 42-year history, the Lompoc Braves ensured the Chargers wouldn’t have the last laugh as they marched to a 31-17 victory.


“We either had to break [it] in in the win column or the loss column,” said Dos Pueblos Head Coach Jeff Uyesaka.
While the Chargers didn’t break the stadium in with a win, they did get to break the field in first, after they managed to hold onto an onside kick that Lompoc fired to open up the game.
Starting from the Lompoc 32, Chargers’ wide receiver Tyler McGaughey rumbled to an eight-yard gain, the first offensive play ever for Dos Pueblos on the mountain-side of Highway 101.
Dos Pueblos quarterback Zack Boytis threw the first pass to Isaiha Brown, who gained another seven yards for a first down, the first ever at the school.
Two plays later, after a 15-yard run by Boytis for another first down, Lompoc committed the first penalty, a 15-yard personal foul.
Boytis handed off to Dane Limosnero, who racked up 17 yards and on the next play and Boytis scored the first touchdown on a 12-yard run.
And like that, thousands of Dos Pueblos fans were on their feet, watching it happen just as they’d have written it.
The ideal story continued on the first Lompoc possession when quarterback Richard Hirzel fumbled on third down, and Dos Pueblos recovered on the Lompoc 45.
The Chargers failed to convert, however, punting the ball away six plays and 14 yards later.
That’s about where the ideal story ended, as Lompoc, sustained by a stubborn defense, unleashed a punishing ground attack led by Bobby Collins, who tallied 135 yards on the night.
With four minutes remaining in the first quarter, Lompoc took possession of the ball and embarked on a flawless 13 play, 86-yard touchdown drive that ate nearly six minutes from the clock.
Dos Pueblos took over with 10:03 remaining in the first half, and after an 11-yard reception for a first down by Brown, the snap soared above Boytis’ head. By the time Boytis hopped on the football, it had rolled 29-yards, which left Dos Pueblos facing a third-down and 37 situation from their own 18-yard line.
A short punt left Lompoc with stellar field position at the Dos Pueblos’ 34-yard line.
Lompoc stuck with the ground game and capped a six-play drive with a one-yard touchdown run by Collins.
The Braves took over on offense again with 1:44 remaining in the half, and punted three plays later.
Dos Pueblos appeared poised to begin a last-minute drive, but after notching a quick first down, Lompoc recovered a fumble.
The Braves wasted little time making Lompoc pay for the mistake, scoring five seconds later on a 13-yard touchdown pass from Hirzel to Rudy Yruegas, which gave Lompoc a 20-7 lead at the half.
Dos Pueblos started its first offensive drive of the second half from its own five-yard line.
That didn’t seem to bother the Chargers, who opened a calculated and lengthy15-play attack that consumed seven minutes from the clock and ended with a 32-yard field goal by Branden Tangle.
Collins began piling up yardage on the next Lompoc possession, running for 20-yard, 15-yard and 10-yard first downs prior to punching it into the end zone on a six-yard run to give Lompoc a 28-10 lead.
With 10:50 remaining in the game, Lompoc got the crowd back into the game when Boytis launched pass along the left sideline to Limosnero, who broke one tackle and danced around another defender for a 60-yard touchdown reception.
“We didn’t give up,” Uyesaka said. “We tried our hardest; that’s what makes me proud.”
Lompoc rounded out scoring with a 37-yard field goal with 1:47 left, which sealed the deal and ensured the Braves would go in the record books as the first team to win at Scott O’Leary Stadium.
Though he said a win would have been nice, Uyesaka said it felt good to be home.
“Just being here is nice,” he said. “Win or lose it’s nice.”
With the loss, Dos Pueblos drops to 1-2. Lompoc remains undefeated at 4-0.