Campolindo turned the battle of local unbeatens into one of the most lopsided results of the season, blowing out Miramonte with a 42-6 home victory.
After finishing the last two seasons with losing records and consecutive losses to Miramonte, the Cougars (8-0, 4-0) reversed the trend in emphatic fashion and now stand alone in first place in the Diablo Foothill Athletic League with just two games left.
Cougars junior quarterback Brett Stephens led the team with 273 yards and four touchdowns, yet acknowledged that the performance was a total team effort.
"There was a ton of hard work by everybody," Stephens said. "The linemen were unbelievable, the receivers were unbelievable, the defense was unbelievable."
After a scoreless first quarter, the Cougars' high-powered offense took control of the game in the second, when senior running back Reiner Ebarle scored on a 19-yard run that was sandwiched in between two touchdowns by senior wide receiver Griffin Piatt.
"When [Piatt] starts striding with those large strides of his and those large arms, everyone gets excited early," said Campolindo head coach Kevin Macy. "You could hear the crowd tonight. Boy, they were excited when the ball even got near him."
Piatt also played stellar defense, recording two first half interceptions.
"Last year we played physical with Miramonte but they just tore us up in the air," Macy said of Piatt's defense. "It's just comforting to have that kid back there in our secondary."
Miramonte head coach Jack Schram said the second quarter was the turning point in the game.
"We were doing fine through the first quarter, but once they got on a roll, got the energy behind them, [it was over,]" said Schram. "I look at it as the team with the most energy is going to win, and they had a lot more energy than us."
The third quarter saw more of the same from Campolindo, as they extended their lead to 42-0 with touchdowns from senior wide receiver Karl Thornton, Ebarle, and senior tight end Vince Graziano. Graziano scored on a 62-yard pass from Stephens.
"He's so pure, he's so precise with what he does, and he's still growing," said Macy, referring to Stephens. "And our receivers are growing with him. It's nice to see that complete package of how many different receivers he can move. He had to zip a lot of balls in and hit seams, which is a tough thing for a high school quarterback to do."
"His play was excellent, his receivers did a fantastic job," said Miramonte's Schram. "I thought we had great coverage on a couple of inside slants, and they still made the plays."
The Matadors (7-1, 3-1) were able to get on the board at the beginning of the fourth quarter thanks to a touchdown by junior wide receiver Zati Williams, but it was too little, too late on a frustrating evening. Mats' senior quarterback Ross Anderson was held to 5-of-18 passing for 59 yards, one touchdown and four interceptions, while running for 72 yards on 14 carries.
Campolindo will travel to Alhambra on October 28.
Miramonte will work to regroup this week before hosting Dublin on November 4. The Gaels' head coach, John Wade, is in his first year with Dublin after previously coaching Miramonte.
"The best thing for us is we get the bye week now to try and get healthy," said Schram, acknowledging that playing against Wade will get the team focused.
"You could just see the excitement on their faces," said Macy. "If you know this community, what this rivalry means to the kids and their families, it just runs all year long, and for them to have something like this is a lifetime treasure for them."
Junior quarterback Brett Stephens notched 273 yards and four touchdowns in the win. Photo Tod Fierner
Ross Anderson (9) had one touchdown and four interceptions in the loss. Photo Tod Fierner
Campo fans staged a "red-out" in the bleachers. Photo Tod Fierner
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