Falcons test Carlsbad, but No. 2 Lancers rally in second half for 17-7 victory at Torrey Pines

Falcons test Carlsbad, but No. 2 Lancers rally in second half for 17-7 victory at Torrey Pines

Torrey Pines (5-3, 2-1) controls the ball much of the first half to take a lead into the locker room, but Julian Sayin and Carlsbad (8-0, 3-0) rallied to win the Avocado League game.

From San Diego Union Tribune

BY JOHN MAFFEI OCT. 13, 2023 11:18 PM PT

A dominant first-half team all season, outscoring seven opponents 217-13 in the first 24 minutes, Carlsbad High got punched in the mouth on the game’s first drive Friday night.

Torrey Pines used 14 plays — nine rushes — to cover 80 yards and use up 8 minutes and 1 second to put the No. 2-ranked Lancers behind for the first time this season.

Carlsbad had two first-half drives stopped on fourth down in Torrey Pines territory and trailed by a touchdown at the half.

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But the Lancers (8-0, 3-0) scored on the third play of the second half on a 70-yard post pattern from Julian Sayin to Griffin Rosenbloom to tie it at 7 and went on for a hard-fought 17-7 Avocado League win over No. 5 Torrey Pines (5-3, 2-1).

“Exactly what we expected,” said Carlsbad coach Thadd MacNeal. “Torrey Pines will scrap and claw. What did we have … three possessions in the first half? And twice we couldn’t convert on fourth down.

“We hadn’t faced adversity all season, so this was good for us, a real gut check.”

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After the Sayin-to-Rosenbloom TD, Carlsbad got a 31-yard field goal from Tyler Prasuhn and finished the scoring with an eight-play, 80-yard drive with Sayin sneaking in from a yard out late in the game.

The key play in the drive was a 39-yard run by Mason Walsh with Sayin completing passes of 12 yards to Thomas McCormick and 17 yards to Luke Ferrelli.

“This says a lot about our team,” said Walsh, who finished with 16 carries for 95 yards. “We haven’t been down at halftime in any of our games, so we had to reach deep.

“This was a tough, physical game and I love tough, physical games.”

Sayin finished the night completing 17 of 26 for 209 yards with five going to Rosenbloom for 109 yards.

“I have a ton of respect for Torrey Pines,” Sayin said. “They put up a great fight. They’re really tough.

“We didn’t score in the first half. I can’t remember ever putting up a zero at halftime.

“This was a great atmosphere. Torrey Pines had a great crowd. We filled our side of the stands. It was loud, but we had to block out the noise and the distractions and get it down.”

Carlsbad finished with 94 yards rushing and 209 passing.

Torrey Pines was held to 82 yards rushing on 26 carries.

Quarterback Lukas Tu was under constant pressure all game and completed 14 of 23 for 87 yards.

CARLSBAD 17, TORREY PINES 7

Carlsbad 0 0 10 7 — 17
Torrey Pines 7 0 0 0 — 7

TP — Sweeney 4 run (Babcock kick)

C — Rosebloom 70 pass from Sayin (Prasuhn kick)

C — FG Prasuhn 31

C — Sayin 1 run (Prasuhn kick)