Football: Campolindo Gets Revenge Against El Cerrito

Campolindo 34, El Cerrito 13

The star: Returning to full health, Campolindo receiver Andrew Ahr caught six passes for 98 yards and two touchdowns and intercepted two passes from his safety position.

The turning point: After El Cerrito scored a tying touchdown with 1:05 remaining in the first half, Campolindo exploded down the field with a big-play passing game and scored on a Brett Stephens run to get a quick touchdown before halftime and take a lead the Cougars would not give up.

The quote: "We talked all week about how bad it felt losing to them last year. We wanted revenge, and we got it." — Campolindo receiver Andrew Ahr.

What's next?: Campolindo hosts Oakland next Friday at 7 p.m.

Bottom line: The Cougars turned in their most complete performance to date, shutting down El Cerrito's running game and sustaining long, balanced scoring drives. Ahr's return to full strength adds a new dimension for Campolindo on both sides of the ball.

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The beginning of Friday's game against El Cerrito confirmed the Campolindo High football team's worst fears. The Gauchos were too fast, too explosive, and too athletic to be contained by the Cougars.

That lasted all of 11 seconds.

After El Cerrito's James Savage returned the opening kickoff 90 yards for a touchdown, Campolindo clamped down on defense and settled in on offense, eventually rolling to a 34-13 win. 

"That kickoff was the worst way we could have possibly started the game," said Cougars coach Kevin Macy, who noted that big returns had been the key to El Cerrito's win over Campolindo last year. "The scoreboard may have said we were only down seven, but it felt like we were down a lot more than that. It felt like it was going to be a long night."

Instead, the Cougars responded, choking El Cerrito's run game and building several long drives of their own. Campolindo's defense was dominant, sacking El Cerrito quarterback Byron Thomas five times and holding the Gauchos to minus-38 yards rushing. 

"We came off the edge hard and really put some pressure on the quarterback," Macy said. "We stuffed the run up the middle, so I was definitely happy with that."

The Cougars benefited from the return to full health of receiver/safety Andrew Ahr, who has been nursing a knee injury. Ahr caught six passes for 98 yards and two touchdowns, and he also intercepted two passes on defense, one of which he returned for 71 yards to close the first half.

"Andrew played last week, but he was just getting used to playing again," Macy said. "Tonight you saw a huge difference. He was explosive on both sides of the ball."

"I felt great," said Ahr. "I was feeling juiced all week, ready to make big plays, and I did."

Erik Baker scored the Cougars' first touchdown on a 23-yard run midway through the first quarter to bring the score to 7-6. Ahr put the Cougars ahead in the second quarter with a four-yard touchdown catch from quarterback Brett Stephens. After El Cerrito's James Hodgson tied the game with 1:05 left in the second quarter, Campolindo put together a momentum shifting drive to end the half.

Ahr made a diving catch off a tipped ball for a 21-yard gain to get into El Cerrito territory, and then Stephens hit James Marvel — another receiver returning from injury — on a 27-yard streak down the sideline. Stephens then ran the ball in for a 6-yard touchdown, stunning the Gauchos and giving the Cougars a lead they would never relinquish.

Late in the third quarter, Joey Bertrand scored on a five-yard run. Ahr closed the scoring with a 22-yard touchdown catch from Stephens in the game's final minute.

El Cerrito coach Kenny Kahn was impressed with the Cougars' effort.

"They're disciplined, and they execute, and they do what they need to do," Kahn said of the Cougars. "I feel like we improve every time we play them, but I feel like they also improve. They just get better and better."

And on this night, they got the best of a team that had their number in 2009.

"We talked all week about how bad it felt losing to them last year," Ahr said. "We wanted revenge, and we got it."

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Campolindo 34, El Cerrito 13

El Cerrito 7 6 0 0 — 13

Campolindo 6 14 7 7 — 34

Scoring summary

11:49, 1st: E — James Savage 90 kickoff return (Kevin Smith kick)

6:52, 1st: C — Erik Baker 23 run (kick failed)

4:39, 2nd: C — Andrew Ahr 4 pass from Brett Stephens (Jarrett Milner kick)

1:05, 2nd: E — James Hodgson 2 pass from Byron Thomas (kick failed)

0:23, 2nd: C — Stephens 6 run (Milner kick)

2:28, 3rd: C — Joey Bertrand 5 run (Milner kick)

0:36, 4th: C — Ahr 22 pass from Stephens

Individual statistics

Rushing (car-yards): C — Derick Margerum 16-72, Baker 9-66, Reiner Ebarle 9-37; E — Savage 10-17.

Passing (comp-att-yards-ints): C — Stephens 8-13-133-1, Nick Zolintakis 1-4-14-0; E — Thomas 12-23-143-2.

Receiving (rec-yards): C — Ahr 6-98, Marvel 1-27, Vega 1-13, Eliason-Meno 1-9; E — Rovante Burgen 5-54, Kris Jackson 2-45.

Team offense (rush-pass-total)

Campolindo — 195-147-342

El Cerrito — -38-143-105

Fumbles/lost: Campolindo — 1/0; El Cerrito — 1/0

Records: Campolindo 3-0; El Cerrito 0-3