Greyhounds fall to South Spartans 38-23 on Homecoming Night
– The Atascadero High School Greyhounds football team failed to find victory on homecoming night as they lost to the South Spartans by a score of 38-23. Atascadero moves to a 1-2 record on the season while South improves to 3-1.
Following their first victory of the season against Roosevelt, Atascadero looked to keep their momentum going in a matchup against a South team that has impressed in the young season.
Receiving the ball first, the Spartans began their offensive possession with a pair of penalties that stalled the drive, but picked up the pace as senior quarterback Josh Encinas found a receiver on a deep out for a first down. South continued their drive at a steady pace before Encinas took a deep shot to his receiver that fell incomplete, but a pass interference call on Greyhounds’ cornerback Joseph Hyde moved the Spartans inside the Atascadero 30. After another first down, Encinas found a receiver in the endzone to put South up 7-0.
Following a six-minute opening drive by South, the Greyhounds finally got the ball for their first possession. A couple of good runs from senior Austin Smith had Atascadero in Spartan territory to end the first quarter, but the drive was cut short when sophomore quarterback Michael Trejo was intercepted on a shot to the endzone by South’s Gyrell Hasley.
The Spartans got on offense again, but the Greyhounds’ defense held strong to force a punt. As South geared to kick the ball away, the snap went high over the punters’ head out of the back of the endzone for a safety, making the score 7-2 with Atascadero set to receive a free kick.
However, the Greyhounds can’t get going on offense and are forced to punt, tasking the Atascadero defense with getting another stop.
The Greyhounds rose up to the occasion. On the first play of the drive, senior linebacker Cole Loney forced a fumble and got the ball back for Atascadero, giving them a chance deep in South territory to take the lead.
With the ball on the 16-yard line, Trejo kept the ball himself and scored, giving the Greyhounds the 9-7 lead.
Looking to shut down any momentum that Atascadero gained on their scoring drive, a good Spartan kickoff return set South up at the 43-yard line. An impressive run by Encinas gave them first and goal inside the five-yard line, and on the following play, the quarterback ran once again behind his big linemen for a touchdown. Running the same play again, South scored on the two-point conversion to make the score 15-9.
Atascadero responded with a quick drive on the legs of Hyde, as he found a pair of first downs and a 22-yard touchdown that gave the Greyhounds the lead back at 16-15 with 1:30 remaining in the half.
Looking to score quickly before the end of the period, South moved fast in a two-minute drill, but Atascadero corner Ethan Blais intercepted Encinas to end the half.
The Greyhounds received the ball after the halftime homecoming festivities and began the half with an incredible return, as Damon Mitchell made some defenders miss and took the ball all the way to the Spartan 9-yard line. Trejo rolled out and kept the ball himself for the score, and Atascadero went up 23-15 in the opening minutes of the third quarter.
The two teams traded three and outs before South found the endzone on another quarterback keeper by Encinas. The Spartans converted another two-point attempt to tie the game up at 23-23.
The Greyhounds continued to struggle on offense and were forced to punt again, giving great field position to South, who returned the ball deep into Atascadero territory. Encinas ran the ball again from 28 yards out for another Spartan touchdown. Another two-point conversion put South up 31-23 with the quarter winding down.
Atascadero’s offense needed to match the Spartans’ scoring flurry as the clock winded down. Trejo found Josiah Gaona deep, who was face-masked on his way to a big gain that put the Greyhounds inside the South 10-yard line to end the third quarter. However, Atascadero is stopped three times to bring up a game-defining fourth and goal. Trejo rolls out and fires on the run, but the pass falls incomplete and the Spartans take over at the six as the game inches closer and closer to an end.
Attempting to burn the clock out and achieve victory, South kept the ball on the ground and drove down the field. The Greyhounds made some stops and forced a pivotal fourth and six, but Encinas scrambled behind the line of scrimmage and found Hasler in the endzone for a crushing touchdown, making it 38-23 South with less than five minutes remaining.
Another great return by Mitchell set the Greyhounds up on their 38-yard line, beginning a drive in which they needed to score to keep their chances for victory alive. Trejo slid to his right and fired a pass that was too high for junior Jeremy Hendrix and was intercepted, putting a dagger in Atascadero’s hopes.
The Spartans burned the clock out en route to a 38-23 victory.
The Greyhounds will try to bounce back as they gear up for a rivalry game against the Paso Robles Bearcats on Friday, Sept. 20 at 7 p.m.
-By Lano Somotun
