Greyhounds complete perfect season, take down Panthers 42-24
Report and photos by Jonathan Sze,
Atascadero completes regular season with a perfect 10-0, winning the Ocean League
– The Atascadero Greyhounds defeated the Pioneer Valley Panthers Friday night by a score of 42-24 at War Memorial Stadium in Atascadero.
Pioneer Valley received the opening kickoff, driving down the field before an Atascadero stop forced a field goal.
Senior Mateo Cano responded with an 8-yard touchdown run making it 7-3.
The Panthers answered back on the very next play from the line of scrimmage. Pepe Gonzalez got behind the Greyhound defense and caught a 65-yard touchdown making it 10-7 Pioneer Valley.
A Pioneer Valley stop set up a fade route to Luis Magana as the first quarter wound down, making it 17-7 and putting the Greyhounds on the back foot.
The Greyhounds refused to lay down. First senior Kane Cooks barreled into the endzone on a QB keeper to cut the deficit to three. Then senior Mason Degnan leaped to intercept a screen pass and took it all the way to the endzone to make it a 21-17 game in favor of Atascadero.
After the halftime break momentum was still in favor of the home side. The Greyhounds engineered a long opening drive, chewing seven minutes off the clock before Cano again punched in a short touchdown run making it 28-17.
Junior Joseph Hyde got in on the fun with a short run of his own to start the fourth quarter off.
Pioneer Valley finally got back on the board with a QB sneak making it a two-possession game 35-24.
Cano capped off his amazing night with yet another touchdown run, putting the game out of reach 42-24.
“We can finally celebrate,” Head Coach Victor Cooper said. “We tend to break it down one week at a time, but the regular season is done we can sit and enjoy this. The spoils of the work all these coaches and kids put in.”
Atascadero completes their regular season a perfect 10-0, winning the Ocean League. They await their CIF playoff matchup which releases Sunday.
