Greyhounds power past Pirates 35-26
Report and photos by Jonathan Sze
Atascadero improves to 4-0 in Ocean league
– The Atascadero High School Greyhounds football team took down the hosting Morro Bay Pirates Friday night by a score of 35-26 in Morro Bay.
Atascadero received the opening kickoff and drove down to the goalline where senior quarterback Kane Cooks kept it himself for an opening score touchdown making it 7-0.
The first Morro Bay snap was sent over the head of the quarterback and recovered by the Greyhounds at the Pirates 2-yard line, which was promptly punched in by junior running back Joseph Hyde to make it a 14-0 game.
It would be Cooks again after a Morro Bay punt, breaking off a pair of long runs including a 24-yard one for a touchdown to make it 21-0 with eight minutes left in the half. The Pirates would find the endzone with two minutes left with a touchdown pass to John Myers to cut into the lead 21-7.
Atascadero would respond before the half was up with a 67-yard touchdown reception by senior wide receiver Mason Degnan to make it 28-7 with one minute left in the half. That was still enough time for the Pirates to find more points. A reception by James Nickel made it 28-14 going into halftime.
Morro Bay took the opening kickoff and drove down into great field position on a Nami Hoag run but they missed the extra point leaving an eight-point deficit 28-20.
Atascadero responded with a TD of their own with a 31-yard run from Hyde to make it a two-possession game 35-20.
As was the theme of the game, the Pirates took the ball down the field and scored on a Manny Diaz touchdown from thirty yards out. This time Morro Bay went for two which was stuffed making it 35-26.
Morro Bay would get possession back on an Atascadero punt and with the benefit of a pass interference call got deep into Greyhound territory. However, the field goal to cut it to six points was hit wide right and the Greyhounds were able to milk the clock for a 35-26 victory.
”We wanted to try and stretch out some drives,” Atascadero head coach Victor Cooper said. “Limit their opportunities and we did a pretty good job at that.”
Atascadero improves to 4-0 in Ocean league, 8-0 on the season and will play host to Cabrillo on Friday, Sept. 20 at 7 p.m.
