Photo by Jim Spann
Photo: Andrew Campos gets ready for one of his eight catches for 103-yards on Friday night.

Brantingham has two rushing TDs and 259 total yards
As the Warrior football team came out of the locker room yelling and grunting on Sept. 17, under the Harvest Moon and clear sky, and made their way towards the Carpinteria Valley Memorial Stadium to face the Nipomo Titans, you knew they were ready to battle.

The Warriors, in their first home game of the season, had two first half touchdown drives capped by senior quarterback, and captain, Steven Brantingham to propel the Warriors to a 17-9 victory and a 2-0 start. It marked their second straight victory over a Los Padres League opponent.

Junior Andrew Campos had a huge game catching eight passes for 102-yards.

“(Andrew and Kolby Castillo) are great receivers and they’ll make some amazing catches, I just have to get the ball to them,” said Brantingham.

Brantingham threw for a career best 130 yards and also ran for a game high 129 yards and two touchdowns in what was by far his best overall game to date.

“I set my goals to get to the first down and do whatever it takes and follow the blocking of the lineman,” said Brantingham.

The Warriors had success through the air, as Brantingham went 11-for-20.

“(Throwing) opens up the game a lot more,” said Brantingham, “Last year we didn’t throw that much, we ran it basically every play. (Throwing) opens our whole offense up and we’re getting great blocking by the lineman… we (get to) make things happen.”

After a great kickoff by junior Joel Vasquez that pinned the Titans at their own 16-yard line, the Warrior defense held tough and forced them to punt.

Castillo returned the punt to the Warrior 46-yard line and that led way for a Warrior 54-yard, 15-play drive to take a 7-0 lead. Brantingham scored on a 1-yard touchdown and Vasquez added the PAT.

The Titans had an opportunity to stop the drive, but a 15-yard penalty gave the Warriors a first-and-10 on the Nipomo 33-yard line. From there Brantingham hit Castillo on passes of 10- and 14-yards to set up a first and goal on the 9-yard line, before scoring a touchdown.

A Nipomo 24-yard gain and 14-yard reverse play put them on the Warrior 29-yard line.

But for the sixth time in seven tries, this season, the Warrior defense stopped the opposing team inside the red zone with a fumble recovery by Jake Ruiz, his second in as many games.

The Titans, however, would capitalize on a Warrior turnover to setup their first, and only, touchdown of the game on a two-yard touchdown with 6:57 left in the half. The PAT was no good and the Warriors held a 7-6 lead. But another Warrior turnover resulted in a field goal by the Titans and they took a 9-7 lead.

With 2:01 left in the half, the Warriors executed a two-minute drill perfectly.

Brantingham hit Campos on four straight pass plays that covered 69-yard in just over one minute. The series was capped by another one-yard touchdown by Brantingham to put the Warriors up for good, 14-6.

“It’s a mark of this group,” said Hazelton, “Although they have experience, they’re still young. They’re just a whole lot better and we actually expect more of that.”

In the second half the Warriors moved the ball from their own 34-yard line to the Titans 18-yard line and Vasquez kicked a 36-yard field goal to put the Warriors up 17-9.

The best play of the game was also a play that was scratched from the stat book. Castillo zigged and zagged his way down the right side line for a 75-yard punt return touchdown, only to have it called back on a holding penalty.

In the fourth quarter the Warrior defense once again came
through big.

Nipomo led a five-minute, 74-yard, 15-play drive that led to the Warrior 7-yard line. But the Warrior defense once again came up huge with a fumble recovery by Joseph Aguilar with 3:58 left in the game. The Warriors sealed the deal with a J.P. Jimenez interception with 2:07.

“We changed our (defensive) play a little at halftime,” said Hazelton, “It’s not a mark of a good coach; it’s a mark of a good team to be able to execute that change.”

The Warriors and Titans combined for five fumbles, three of them lost, and two interceptions.

“That was not a pretty game, but it had some pretty fine efforts in it and it’s also the mark of a good football team, certainly if not a good football team, a good bunch of guys. To play with that many errors… and still win a football game (is great),” said Hazelton.

The Warriors are playing with a lot of confidence heading into their second to final preseason game against Santa Ynez on Friday, Sept. 23.

“Our defense is very confident because we’re all fast and we’re all good and have played since we were in YFL,” said Campos, “I expect more wins than last year.”

“I expect us to go very far. This team knows how to win and pull it off, we do whatever it takes to get the win,” said Brantingham, “We have more drive and desire to win more.”