FOOTBALL TEAM RALLIES TO BEAT WEST HILLS IN HOME OPENER, 38-35

SANTA MARIA-- When West Hills' Jerry Gair intercepted a Chad Nicholson pass and returned it 77 yards for a touchdown with 1:51 remaining in the third quarter, most of the crowd at Righetti High's Warrior Stadium thought Saturday's Allan Hancock College home opener was all over. After all, Gair's play had given the visiting Falcons a seemingly insurmountable 35-16 lead.
But Coach Kris Dutra's youthful Bulldogs (1-1) only played harder. AHC responded with 22 unanswered points, and after a clutch interception by David Pitts (So., Arroyo Grande) with 2:08 remaining were able to run out the clock with a thrilling 38-35 win.
"There's just no quit in this team," beamed Dutra. "We told them at halftime to forget about the score, don't worry about winning or losing, just go out there and play. They just went wild. I even though we lost control of them for a few minutes in the second half, but sometimes that's just what you need."
Despite a school-record 102-yard kickoff return for a touchdown by sophomore Eddie Scipio that tied the score at 7-7 with 6:34 remaining in the first quarter, AHC went to the break down 28-13. Brian Schneider's (Fr., Santa Ynez) 17-yard field goal with 39 seconds remaining in the second period -his second of the game- gave the Bulldogs some life, but AHC had also blown two scoring opportunities to settle for the three-pointers.
Schneider salvaged another deep penetration with a 27-yarder at the 7:36 mark of the third period, pulling AHC to within eight at 28-16. But Gair's interception and return put the Bulldogs right back in the hole. However, as is so often the case, a Bulldog comeback began with some key defensive stops. Nicholson (So., Morro Bay) then guided Hancock on a seven-play, 52-yard drive that culminated with a bruising 10-yard touchdown run by Michael Santos (Fr., Richmond, VA) at the 14:10 mark, cutting the deficit to 35-23. The Bulldogs' next possession resulted in a five-play, 61-yard excursion, capped by Casey Langley's four-yard burst that trimmed the deficit to 35-30.
A fumble recovery by Ricky Perkins (So., Arroyo Grande) set up the winning score, as Langley just did break the plane on fourth-and-goal from the one with 4:39 remaining. Pitts' interception then sealed it with 2:08 left to play. Langley, nursing a bruised foot and listed as questionable for the contest, wound up tied with fullback Russel Spafford (Fr., Arroyo Grande) as Hancock's leading rusher, totalling 62 net yards. Nicholson completed 9-of-20 passes for 136 yards, while the defense was again led by Trevor Shamblee (Fr., Jamaica Queens, NY) with 12 total tackles, including a team-high eight unassisted stops. Linebackers Chris Nunez (So., St. Joseph), Ryan Roberts (Fr., SLO) and Perkins each finished with seven tackles.
The Bulldogs open Western State Conference play versus Ventura at Oxnard's Pacifica High School next Saturday, with the kickoff slated for 5:00 p.m. Once again, the game can be heard live on KUHL-Radio, AM 1440 in Santa Maria and 1410 KTME in Lompoc.