Bearcats’ playoff spot in jeopardy after costly loss to Mission Prep
Bearcats will return home to War Memorial Stadium next Friday, Nov. 1, to gear up and take on Lompoc
– In a game to determine the future of the playoffs, Paso Robles football played Mission College Prep Friday night at Mustang Memorial Field in San Luis Obispo.
The Bearcats (2-7, 0-3 Mountain) fell short of the Royals (4-5, 1-2 Mountain), losing 26-16 and lowering their playoff hopes. To stay in the postseason race, they needed to win both this week’s game and next week’s against Lompoc.
The first half was a shutout as the Royals found themselves on the board with every offensive possession they got, and the Bearcats struggled to gain any offensive momentum. Turnovers and penalties plagued the Bearcats as they struggled to maintain momentum throughout the game.
Costly mistakes, including a blocked punt early in the game, gave the Royals an advantage deep in Bearcat territory. They set themselves up for a rushing touchdown, which put them on the board 6-0.
The PAT was no good, as the Bearcats blocked it.
Moments later, a fumble recovery allowed the Royals to take control and capitalize on Bearcats’ errors again, coming up on the ball in Bearcat territory. Inside the red zone off of a 17-yard pass, the Royals set themselves up for a rushing touchdown on the three-yard line and ran into the end zone to widen the gap and extend their lead 13-0.
The Bearcats finally found some offensive rhythm at the start of the second quarter, crossing into Mission Prep territory for the first time in the game.
Junior quarterback Marcus Garcia scrambled through the Royals’ defense, gaining crucial yardage for the Bearcats. However, back-to-back penalties pushed the Bearcats 20 yards back into their territory, and they failed to convert on their fourth-down attempt.
The Royals knocked down two more touchdowns, extending their lead 26-0 going into halftime.
Going into halftime, the Bearcats needed to clean up their mistakes and avoid penalties to maintain their footing and prevent further setbacks.
The Bearcats’ defense came out strong in the second half, forcing the Royals backward to their own 1-yard line, resulting in a punt.
Garcia’s ability to scramble through the defense effectively led the Bearcats on a 23-yard drive.
His rushing ability brought the ball to the 1-yard line, where he punched in a 1-yard touchdown with 5:17 left in the third quarter.
The 2-point conversion to senior receiver Jonathan Druding cut the deficit to 26-8. A fumble recovery on the Royals’ 43-yard line gave the Bearcats hope, but Garcia was sacked to end the third quarter.
The Bearcats held the Royals all of the second half, not allowing any more runs to enter inside the end zone.
All of Mission Prep’s points came in the first half when the Bearcats struggled to contain their drives and were hindered by costly offensive mistakes. As the clock winded down and with less than two minutes to spare in the fourth quarter, Garcia connected with Druding for a 10-yard touchdown, bringing the score to 26-14. Garcia ran in for the 2-point conversion to make it 26-16 with 1:06 left.
Although they were down 26-0 at halftime, the Bearcats’ late surge brought them back into the game. They closed the gap with two second-half touchdowns while still managing to successfully convert both times and acquire an additional two points. However, their comeback effort fell short, leaving them with a 26-16 loss.
The Bearcats will return home to War Memorial Stadium next Friday, Nov. 1, to gear up and take on Lompoc at 7:00 p.m., in need of a crucial win.
-By Joslen Jimenez
