Santa Barbara’s first game of the season ended in heartbreak, with the visiting Camarillo Scorpions snagging an interception in the final minute to shut down a potential game-winning drive for the Dons, silencing the fans at Peabody Stadium and sealing the one-point win for Camarillo, 17-16.
The Dons had a slow start to the game, with the offense struggling to find its rhythm and Santa Barbara trailing 8-3 through the first two quarters. Just before halftime, the Dons defense delivered a big fourth down stop to give Santa Barbara one more drive before the break.
It was Santa Barbara junior quarterback Griffin Arnold’s first game back after overcoming a harrowing journey battling cancer last year, and although he had a quiet first half, he came alive with a 63-yard strike to senior Fin Congdon, setting up the Dons at the Camarillo one-yard line with 30 seconds left in the second quarter.
After three tough plays, Santa Barbara’s new starting running back Everett Rabb Preston barreled through the Camarillo defense to score on fourth and goal from the one-yard line, giving the Dons a slim one-point lead at the half, 9-8.
While Santa Barbara had the lead at half, the Dons were in need of a spark to ignite the home crowd momentum. Before the Dons offense took the field for the first drive of the second half, Santa Barbara Head Coach Nate Mendoza pulled Arnold aside to give him a few words of encouragement. “It’s football; have fun,” Mendoza told his starting quarterback. “We love you. Go out there and just be yourself.”
Arnold proceeded to settle in and orchestrate his best drive of the game, throwing a perfect six for six to four different players with machine-like precision. The first drive of the second half started with a short toss to Congdon, then a 12-yard strike to junior wideout Cade Mault. Arnold then found 6’4″ sophomore Keegan Roessler on the next play to keep the drive going, followed by another first down throw to Mault.
On the fifth play of the drive, Arnold floated a 30-yard bomb over the middle for junior Nathan Meister, who leapt between two defenders to bring the ball down deep in Camarillo territory. On the next play, Arnold found Roessler again for a 12-yard touchdown. After an extra point from junior kicker Zeb Sage, Santa Barbara was ahead 16-8.
“I was just very impressed by that,” Mendoza said of the six-play, 80-yard touchdown drive at the start of the second half.
Throughout the game, Camarillo’s senior quarterback Brad Barlow and sophomore wideout Jacob Garcia made big plays that kept the Scorpions in the game. Following the Santa Barbara touchdown, Barlow and Garcia led Camarillo deep into the Dons’ territory, nearly reaching the end zone before Santa Barbara’s defense stepped up for another fourth-down stop.
The teams traded possessions for the rest of the third quarter. Early in the fourth quarter, Camarillo gained momentum with a Barlow quarterback keeper that brought the Scorpions inside the Santa Barbara five-yard line. With just less than 10 minutes left in the game, Camarillo junior David Alvarez snuck through on a wildcat direct snap to score a touchdown.
After Santa Barbara prevented the two-point conversion, the Dons held onto a two-point lead, 16-14.
The rest of the fourth quarter was a defensive showdown, with both teams failing to get going on short-lived drives. Momentum shifted again when Santa Barbara’s defense forced another fourth down stop with about seven minutes left in the game. The next play, however, Santa Barbara was penalized for unsportsmanlike conduct, stalling the momentum and leading to a quick three and out and punt.
With five minutes left in the fourth quarter, Camarillo broke through for a huge gain, with Barlow finding slot receiver Malakai Mejia for a 72-yard pass down the left sideline. Mejia was tackled just short of the goal line, setting up a first and goal for the Scorpions as the clock ticked toward the three-minute mark.
Santa Barbara’s staunch defense provided another big stop, forcing Camarillo to settle for a field goal on fourth down. After the field goal sailed through the uprights, Camarillo was back ahead 17-16.
Arnold and the Santa Barbara offense got the ball back one last time with 2:50 left to create some late-game magic. The drive began with four straight completions to four different players, bringing Santa Barbara to the Camarillo 34-yard line with just more than a minute to go.
After three incompletions, the Dons were in a tough spot: fourth down and in need of at least 10 yards to keep their hopes alive. Arnold then dropped back and found Roessler on the sideline for a 12-yard first-down pass. On the next play, Arnold found Congdon for another big chunk of yardage, bringing the Dons well into field goal territory.
With 30 seconds left in the game and one timeout left, Santa Barbara had the ball at the Camarillo 11-yard line. On the next play, Arnold tried to find a receiver over the middle and the ball was intercepted by Camarillo defensive back Cruz Howe, giving the Scorpions the ball and ending the Dons’ hopes for a game-winning score.
Following the game, coach Mendoza commended his defense for keeping the Dons in the game despite turnovers and penalties.
“I was super impressed,” Mendoza said of his defense. “A lot of heart and fight and the defense really showed up. They were on the field most of the game. It was a really good effort, and stings for everybody.”
Mendoza said he’s hoping the team can learn from the early mistakes and get back on track for the remainder of the season.
“We go back to work,” he said. “Our character will show. These guys are mentally tough. It’s the first game of the year.”
Mendoza commended his quarterback for coming back after a tough offseason fighting cancer to lead his team back onto the field this year.
“He’s a great player, and he’ll rebound from the end of the game and we’ll live to see another day,” Mendoza said.
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