CARMEL VALLEY -- The Poway High football team has played its fair share of close games. The Titans have won on last-minute touchdowns, defensive stands and gutsy two-point conversion calls on the way to an undefeated record.

But never have the Titans been down by two scores. Never have they had to come back in front of a national television audience.

That pressure-filled situation didn't phase Poway one bit.

The CIF San Diego Section's No. 2-ranked team stayed calm and earned a 20-16 Palomar League win over host Torrey Pines in a game that was aired live on ESPNU.

"We're a tough team," said Poway running back Nick Ricciardulli, who had 29 carries for 131 yards and three touchdowns. "No matter what the circumstances are, we never give up."

Poway (6-0, 1-0) found itself down 9-0 at half to a revitalized Falcons squad, but there was no fear in the visitor's locker room. No rah-rah speech was made because, frankly, it wasn't necessary.

"We weren't panicked at all," said Titans receiver Jared Relyea. "We weren't playing terrible in the first half, but weren't playing great either. We didn't have to make any major adjustments. We simply needed to execute a little better."

It didn't take long to accomplish that goal. Ricciardulli started the second half with a 56-yard kickoff return and the offense followed that play with methodic 44-yard touchdown drive. Ricciardulli finished it off with a 24-yard TD run down the sideline.

The Falcons (1-5, 0-1) refused to back down. They turned a third-quarter interception by Robby Gallagher into a touchdown in three plays to re-establish the first-half lead.

But, as always, the fourth quarter belonged to Poway. The Titans responded with 13 unanswered points to close the game and secure victory for the team ranked No. 21 in the state by CalHi.

There were two crucial plays that aided Poway's comeback. The first was a perfect strike from quarterback Tynan Murray to Relyea on fourth-and-11 that helped Poway cut the deficit to two. The second was a brilliantly executed sweep by Ricciardulli and the offensive line that scored the final touchdown.

While the second half belonged mainly to Poway, Torrey Pines played some excellent football throughout.

The Falcons dominated the first quarter and held possession almost the entire period. The Falcons ran 18 plays, but only had six points to show for it. That total came on a 1-yard run from Gallagher on the game's first drive.

The Falcons tacked on a 21-yard field goal from Eric Green to make it 9-0, which ended up being the halftime score. They finished strong, never gave up and looked like a drastically improved squad.

"We played four quarters of Torrey Pines football, which is very encouraging," Torrey Pines coach Scott Ashby said. "We're in good shape to finish strong."

Contact staff writer Scott Bairat (760) 739-6642 or sbair@nctimes.com