Pirates hold off Holtville, RB Armas to win Division 1 playoff game

OCEANSIDE — Enrique Armas, one of the leading rushers in the state, was every bit as good as advertised.

Averaging 234 yards a game, the Holtville High School running back hit Oceanside for 163 yards on 26 carries Friday night.

It wasn’t enough, though, as the Pirates gang-tackled him all night and walked away with a 35-14 win in a first-round Division 1 playoff game.

Oceanside (7-4), seeded No. 6, travels to No. 3 Miguel next week. Holtville, seeded No. 11, finishes the season 9-2.

“He’s a fantastic back,” said Oceanside defensive end EZ Tokio, a player who is committed to play collegiately at Washington. “He gained some yards on us, but we made some adjustments at halftime, kept him in check better and made them more one-dimensional.”

Armas has 20 carries for 112 yards at the half, but has five carries for 15 yards in the second half until he ripped off a 42-yard run on the last play of the game.Of 26 carries, seven went for zero or lost yards. He had 10 other runs of three yards or fewer. He did, however, have runs of 42, 38 and 30 yards.

Oceanside took the opening kickoff and went 47 yards on six plays with Anthony Barquinero hitting Noel Hernandez with a 32-yard TD pass after being flushed from the pocket.

The Pirates forced a punt and made it 14-0 when SJ Poumele scored on a 10-yard run to cap a five-play 52-yard drive.

Holtville got right back in the game with Andre Gonzalez scoring on an 8-yard to finish a 10-play, 82-yard drive.

The Vikings recovered an onside kick but Oceanside stopped Armas on a fourth-and-5.

The Pirates promptly went 51 yards on three plays with Barquinero hitting Kymani Nua with a 31-yard TD pass across the middle. Neke Letuli had a 30-yard run to start the drive.’

Holtville wasn’t done, however, scoring with 21 seconds left in the half on a 4-yard pass from Cuevas to Alonso Carrillo, who was wide open in the back of the end zone after Cuevas scramble to field a bad snap.

Nua started the second half with an interception of a Cuevas pass. Eleven plays later the Pirates made it 28-14 on a 10-yard pass fron Barquinero to Noel Hernandez.

The score stayed that way until the game’s dying second when Letuli scored on a 2-yard run after Tokio had a sack, forced fumble and a 74-yard return to the Holtville 2.

“I really wanted to score there, but give Holtville credit, they didn’t give up on the play and tackled me,” Tokio said. “One we got ahead a little, they had to throw the ball and we got after the quarterback pretty good.”

Armas wasn’t the only player putting up numbers.

Letuli rushed 13 times for 103 yards. Barquinero completed 11 of 13 passes for 140 yards and three TDs.

“Holtville did a helluva job,” said Oceanside coach Fale Poumele. “I tip my hat to them.

“They hit us for two touchdowns in the first half, but we made adjustments and kept them off the scoreboard in the second half.

“We made them one dimensional, took Armas away a little bit and Tokio was able to pin his ears back and get after it.”

Robert Parada, Hernandez, James Crespo and Levi Fesili also had a hand in Oceanside’s defensive effort.

And offensive lineman Lincoln Mageo stopped Armas for a 2-yard loss in the second quarter on a fourth-and-three.

“Team effort, total team effort,” Poulmele said. “That’s what it takes to win a playoff game against a good team.”

Oceanside 35, Holtville 14Holtville 6   8   0    0 – 14Oceanside 14   7  7    7 – 35O – Hernandez 32 pass from Barquinero (Nua kick)O- Poumele 10 run  Nua kick)H – Gonzales 8 run (run failed)O – Nua 31 pass from Barquinero (Nua kick)H – Carrillo 4 pass from Cuevas (Armas pass from Cuevas)O – Gulley 10 pass from Barquinero (Nua kick)O – Letuli 2 run (Nua  kick)