Chaminade Flies Past El Camino Real, 28-12

Chaminade High football Coach Rich Lawson had lunch Friday at a Chinese restaurant where he received a fortune cookie that made him smile.

“It said the sky’s the limit,” Lawson said, smiling.

In keeping with the message in his coach’s cookie, Chaminade quarterback Ryan Graves threw for 233 yards to lead the Eagles to a 28-12 victory over visiting El Camino Real on Friday night in a nonleague opener.

Graves, who completed 16 of 27 passes, had thrown for 170 yards by halftime. His sole touchdown pass, a 13-yard strike to Justin Giovannettone, gave the Eagles a 15-0 lead midway through the second quarter.

It was the first time in several years that the West Valley neighborhood schools had met on the football field. The rivalry was marred, however, by injuries to two El Camino Real players that stopped the game for 30 minutes.

In the second quarter, El Camino Real quarterback Ryan Venturine completed a streak pass to wide receiver Richard Gill for a 48-yard gain.

But when defensive back John Lucas pulled Gill down from behind, Gill’s right knee dislocated. Play was interrupted for 20 minutes until paramedics arrived.

In the fourth quarter, receiver Lequon Stevenson was hit as he was catching a pass. Stevenson suffered a dislocation of his right foot and he too was carried off the field by paramedics.

The Eagles dominated from the beginning.

Chaminade rolled for 47 yards on its opening drive but stalled at the Conquistadore 23.

The Eagles, however, found the end zone on each of their next three possessions, scoring three touchdowns in the second quarter to take a 22-6 lead at halftime.

Chaminade’s first score was set up primarily by a short slant over the middle that netted 57 yards. On third and four at the Eagles’ 34, Graves hit Lucas with a short pass over the middle, which would have been enough for the first down. However, Lucas broke three tackles and scampered an additional 50 yards to the Conquistadore nine.

Three plays later, Franklin Sauders bulled his way eight yards into the end zone for the first of his three touchdowns.

After the ensuing kickoff, John Steinkamp picked off Venturine’s underthrown pass on the Conquistadores’ first play. The Eagles had only 26 yards to cover for their second score and did it easily with Graves’ 13-yard scoring pass to Giovannettone.