SAN DIEGO-- Torrey Pines High coach Ed Burke looked exasperated and relieved. Rancho Bernardo's Ron Hamamoto was brimming with pride.

Their emotions weren't the least bit surprising considering what both veteran football coaches had just witnessed Friday night -- another unforgettable chapter in the Falcons-Broncos rivalry.

Despite being pushed to the limit by a younger Rancho Bernardo squad, No. 1-ranked Torrey Pines remained undefeated as it managed to hold on for a wild 24-18 victory in a Palomar League game at Falcon Stadium.

"We have a long history with Rancho Bernardo coming back at this field," Burke said. "I had nightmares all week, and they were starting to come true. This is one of relief. We just gave them too many chances."

What Torrey Pines (7-0, 2-0) may have given, Torrey Pines also managed to take away.

Even though it chased Broncos runners Gerald Kemp (113 yards, two touchdowns) and Richard Caldwell (103 yards) all over the field -- and watched as a 17-point lead was cut to six over two drives -- the Falcons' defense came up big late. Torrey Pines forced two of its four turnovers in the game's final 2 minutes, 3 seconds. Michael Nascenzi recovered a fumble in his team's territory, and Brian Brungger had an interception on the game's final play.

But afterward, Hamamoto was pleased with his team's effort, including an offense that gave Burke and his coaching staff headaches.

"We're a young team, and the turnovers obviously hurt us," said Hamamoto, whose team fell to 2-4, 1-1. "But take those turnovers away and we have a chance to beat them. We played our hearts out, made a couple of mistakes and it cost us. I'm so proud of this team."

Take away Blake Vanderwiel's performance, and Torrey Pines would have been saddled with its first loss.

The quarterback/linebacker made plays on both sides of the ball all evening and ended up with a pair of touchdowns. On the defensive side of the ball, Vanderwiel played a prominent role in slowing down Rancho Bernardo's outside running game. He also recovered a fumble and raced 11 yards for a game-tying TD in the second quarter.

And with the Broncos keying on Pete Johnson on offense, Vanderwiel was forced to play a larger role and did so willingly, making key runs all evening, including a 15-yard TD with 14 seconds left in the first half to make it 14-7.

Vanderwiel finished with 115 yards on 12 carries.

"You need to key on (Johnson)," Vanderwiel said of his teammate's 16 TDs. "Him having such good games opens it up for other guys and we have so many options."

Contact staff writer Dan Hayes at (760) 739-6643 or dhayes@nctimes.com.

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