In San Mateo’s win over Terra Nova last week, it was the Bearcats’ inside running game — the fullback dive and quarterback keeper — that did in the Tigers.
San Mateo’s opponent Friday, Capuchino, was determined not to let the Bearcats beat the Mustangs on the inside.
So San Mateo turned to the pitch and gouged Capuchino all night long on the edges. The Bearcats rushed for more than 400 yards and scored 28 first-half points on their way to a 42-30 win.
The victory clinched an outright Peninsula Athletic League Ocean Division championship, this on the heels of the 2021 Lake Division crown.
And yet, there was little celebration by the Bearcats. Perhaps it’s because they failed to knock out Capuchino when they had the chance. San Mateo led 28-3 at halftime, but the Mustangs outscored the Bearcats 27-14 over the final two quarters.
“It’s a very weird kind of game,” said San Mateo head coach Jeff Scheller. “I credit Cap. … They never quit.”
The Mustangs struggled to capitalize on scoring chances in a 14-6 loss to Terra Nova two weeks ago and those struggles continued in the first half against San Mateo. The Mustangs settled for a 27-yard field goal from Carlos Sanchez on their first drive, after driving to the San Mateo 10.
The Mustangs were driving on their second possession, but fumbled the ball away. They turned the ball over on downs on their third possession, punted on their fourth and had the clock run out on them at the San Mateo 20 to end the first half.
But things started to click for the Mustangs in the second half. The Mustangs scored a touchdown on their first drive of the third quarter and added two more scores, including one with 2:37 left as they amassed 399 yards of offense.
“They responded well (in the second half),” said Capuchino head coach Jay Oca. “I’m 100% happy with the way we played.”
Things might have been different if Capuchino (2-3 PAL Ocean, 4-5 overall) could have slowed down San Mateo (5-0, 7-2).
But the Mustangs couldn’t. San Mateo racked up 420 yards rushing, with three players going over the 100-yard mark. Gabe Buenrostro led the way with 146 yards on just eight carries, including a 67-yard scoring run on an inside counter handoff in the third quarter that gave the Bearcats a 35-10 lead.
Matt Radulovich had 139 yards on nine carries, scoring on a 25-yard run on a pitch left in the second quarter for a 14-3 lead.
San Mateo workhorse Daniel Feletoa was third the Bearcat over 100 yards rushing, finishing with 114 yards on 19 carries, which included scoring runs of 1 and 18 yards.
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And for good measure, San Mateo quarterback Giancarlo Selvitella had only 17 yards on six carries, but scored on runs of 3 and 1 yards.
“They run that triple option and they do it best,” Oca said of the San Mateo offense.
Oca said his defense keyed on the dive, but it left the edges exposed and the Bearcats exploited it.
“We stopped the dive. We stopped the quarterback,” Oca said. “We couldn’t stop the pitch.”
Scheller said that’s the beauty of the triple option.
“[We take] whatever they give us,” Scheller said. “[Buenrostro and Radulovich] did a good job of turning it [upfield].”
San Mateo responded to Cap’s opening-drive field goal by driving for a touchdown on its first drive of the game. They went 54 yards on seven plays, with Buenrostro picking up 19 yards and Radulovich adding an 18-yard scamper later in the drive.
Feletoa capped it with a 1-yards plunge to give San Mateo the lead for good, 7-3.
Tim Tulloch Jr. recovered a fumble for San Mateo on Capuchino’s next drive and the Bearcats promptly took it the house, with Radulovich taking a pitch around the left end for a 25-yard score and a 14-3 lead.
The San Mateo defense then forced the Mustangs to turn the ball over on downs and the Bearcats offense went right back to work. They marched 58 yards on seven plays with Selvitella taking it in from 3 yards out. He then added a 1-yard plunge on the Bearcats’ final possession of the half for a 28-3 lead.
Capuchino, however, did not fold up shop, scoring on four of five possessions in the second half.
The Mustangs were led by Lucas Zayac, who rushed for 104 yards on 17 carries and score. He also caught three passes for 24 yards and a second touchdown. Charlie Barfield added 101 yards on 15 carries for the Mustangs, while quarterback Brandon Arceo completed 12-of-24 passes for 124 yards and two touchdowns.
“We were kind of cruising (in the second half),” San Mateo’s Scheller said. “We have to learn to not expect teams to just give up.”
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