PREP FOOTBALL: Carlsbad overcomes the odds to hold off Saints

By GREG BALL - For The North County Times | Saturday, September 6, 2008 12:05 AM PDT ∞

OCEANSIDE ---- In a game in which it seemed to have all the odds stacked against it, the Carlsbad High football team somehow managed a win.

The Lancers played a "home" game Friday at Oceanside High because their field is under renovation. They started a quarterback in Michael Leonard who is new to the system after transferring from Fallbrook. They went multiple series with untested junior Hayden Means under center after Leonard suffered minor injuries. And they turned the ball over five times and committed numerous penalties in key situations.

Still, they hung on for a 26-19 nonleague victory over St. Augustine.

"Anytime you come out with a win, it's a great feeling," Carlsbad coach Bob McAllister said. "It was a great overall effort, with a lot of guys getting playing time on the varsity for the first time.

"We can't turn the ball over like we did. Our defense made some big plays at big times, and that really helped us."

It certainly helped Carlsbad (1-0) that St. Augustine (0-1) also committed five turnovers, and the Lancers were able to turn one of those into a scoring opportunity and used two others to thwart drives that saw the Saints penetrate deep into Carlsbad territory.

Carlsbad, despite being outsized on the line and featuring an inexperienced cast of skill position players on offense, managed to roll to a 23-7 halftime lead thanks to an early safety, a 52-yard Ashston Barbour touchdown run and two scoring plays from Leonard, one on an 11-yard run and another on a 9-yard pass to Barbour.

Carlsbad controlled the clock early in the third quarter and held a 19-point lead heading into the fourth quarter, but St. Augustine threatened in the final frame.

The Lancers' Jason Floyd killed a Saints drive by picking off quarterback Daniel Hiser at the 1-yard line on the fourth play of the quarter, but Carlsbad gave the ball back on the very next play, and two snaps later, Hiser rolled left and into the corner of the end zone.

Carlsbad didn't manage to score again or run down enough clock on its next two possessions, and the Saints pieced together a 15-play drive that culminated in an 8-yard Hiser-to-Dana Barbaro touchdown pass with four seconds remaining.

St. Augustine's onside kick was smothered by Carlsbad's front line, and the Lancers held onto the ball and a season-opening victory.

"We should have played a lot better than we did, but a win's good for this team right now," said Barbour, who totaled 107 yards on the ground and in the air.

"We definitely had some first-game jitters."

Leonard, meanwhile, passed for 84 yards while completing 7-of-14 attempts with an interception and the one passing and one rushing touchdown.

McAllister seemed pleased with his play, and is hoping to build on it as the season progresses.

"He threw the ball and ran the ball well tonight," McAllister said. "It's about getting some of these guys some time."

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