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After perfect regular season, shorthanded Pacifica falls in first round of CIF-SS playoffs

derry eads
·3 min read
Pacifica's Philip Kim finds a hole in the Cajon defense during a CIF-Southern Section Division 3 first-round football game on Friday, Nov. 3, at Pacifica High. The Tritons lost, 27-17, to end their season at 10-1.
Pacifica's Philip Kim finds a hole in the Cajon defense during a CIF-Southern Section Division 3 first-round football game on Friday, Nov. 3, at Pacifica High. The Tritons lost, 27-17, to end their season at 10-1.

Balancing on crutches, Josh Joyner hugged his head coach.

And cried.

And apologized.

"I am so sorry," said the No. 2 career scorer in Pacifica High football history to Mike Moon.

Sorry that for the fourth time this season Joyner, so crucial to the Tritons offense, injured his knee on the first play of the game and was unable to return.

As Joyner watched from the sideline, Pacifica's dream of an unbeaten season ended with a 27-17 loss to Cajon on Friday night at home in the first round of the CIF-Southern Section Division 3 playoffs.

Pacifica (10-1) became the fourth county team in the last three years to lose its first game of the season in the opening round of the playoffs. Simi Valley and St. Bonaventure were beaten in the 2021 playoffs and Thousand Oaks (10-1) dropped its 2022 postseason opener.

Joyner, ranked as The Star's No. 1 ranked player in the county, wasn't the only one missing from the Tritons lineup. The list included wide receiver Savion Taylor, out since the season opener, and three players serving suspensions after an altercation between Pacifica and Oxnard in the regular-season finale last week.

More: Check out the winners from first round of the high school football playoffs

Pacifica's only lead came on the third play of the second half. Isaiah Dillon's 77-yard TD reception of a Dominic Duran pass gave the Tritons a 17-14 lead. The touchdown was Dillon's 18th of the season, tying the school record.

Battered Pacifica was beaten in the trenches. The defense pressured Duran throughout the game, giving him few opportunities to find an open receiver. Offensively, Cajon controlled the ball and the clock in the second half. Pacifica was limited to 13 plays in the last 15:53 of the game.

"We had a deep roster at the first of the year and lost it all at the end," said Moon. "For the first few series, we were trying to figure out who goes where on offense."

DayDay Aupiu was moved from free safety to wide receiver as the coaching staff mixed and matched lineups.

"We found some guys to play defense, so we weren't playing guys all the way on both sides," Moon said.

Two bright spots were Jesse Taylor Jr., who had two interceptions, and Philip Kim, who rushed 17 times for 67 yards and one TD.

Jesse Taylor Jr. runs with the ball after making one of his two interceptions against Cajon during a CIF-Southern Section Division 3 first-round football game on Friday, Nov. 3, at Pacifica High. The Tritons lost, 27-17, to end their season at 10-1.
Jesse Taylor Jr. runs with the ball after making one of his two interceptions against Cajon during a CIF-Southern Section Division 3 first-round football game on Friday, Nov. 3, at Pacifica High. The Tritons lost, 27-17, to end their season at 10-1.

Pacifica was fortunate to be trailing 6-0 at the end of the first quarter.

Cajon jumped ahead 6-0 on a 66-yard run by quarterback Evan Powell with 7:54 left in the period. Turnovers on Pacifica's first three possessions gave Cajon opportunities, but the defense held fast.

Cajon struck with a touchdown to increase its lead to 14-0 with 7:51 left in the half.

Down 14-0, Pacifica scored 17 consecutive points.

"I was proud of our guys fighting back to take the lead," Moon said. "Cajon's size weighed on us. That has happened to us in the past."

Kim's 6-yard TD run put the finishing touches to a 79-yard drive to close within 14-7. With 25 seconds left in the half, Jesus Soto made a 26-yard field goal.

"Kim had a great career," said Moon. "He battled a shoulder injury. He's a tough kid."

Cajon regained the lead, 20-17, with a 35-yard TD pass with 1:28 left in the third quarter, and essentially put the game away with a 64-yard drive that consumed the first 6:24 of the fourth quarter for the final margin.

"Cajon is a very good team," said Taylor, "but I thought we could have won had we been able to correct some mistakes that we made. We had a great season. We went 10-0 for the first time. I just wanted us to go all the way."

This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: After perfect regular season, Pacifica falls in CIF-SS playoff opener