Garden Grove Stays True, Runs Past San Luis Obispo

SAN LUIS OBISPO —  Garden Grove kept its feet on the ground Friday, and wore down San Luis Obispo for a 20-0 victory in the quarterfinals of the Division VII playoffs at San Luis Obispo.

Senior running back Jim Sebreros carried 27 times for 213 yards and two second-half touchdowns and led the Argonauts to 319 rushing yards.

Quarterback Brian Schneider threw only one pass in the second half and six in the game.

Garden Grove advanced to the semifinals for the first time since 1975, and will face Sunny Hills, a 28-7 winner over Kennedy.

“We’ve run the ball all year long,” Garden Grove Coach Jeff Buenafe said. “It’s what we do best. We danced with the one that brought us.”

Schneider opened the scoring in the second quarter with a 37-yard touchdown run. San Luis Obispo blocked the extra-point attempt, then pushed the ball deep into Garden Grove territory before San Luis Obispo quarterback Nate Ecklund was intercepted by Schneider inside the Garden Grove 10-yard line with 35 seconds remaining in the second quarter.

Garden Grove increased the lead to 13-0 in the third quarter after a six-play, 87-yard drive. Sebreros, after threatening to break a long run all night, broke through the Tigers’ defense for a 64-yard touchdown run with 2 minutes 57 seconds remaining in the quarter.

Good pass coverage forced Ecklund to throw deep, instead of trying the short passes the Tigers usually execute well. He completed 11 of 30 passes for 156 yards but was intercepted twice.

GG--Schneider 37 run (kick failed)

GG--Sebreros 64 run (Schneider kick)

GG--Sebreros 47 run (Hastings kick)

LEADING RUSHERS--GG: Sebreros 27-213; SLO: DeLange 18-100. LEADING PASSERS--GG: Schneider 4-6-0, 35; SLO: Ecklund 11-30-2, 156. LEADING RECEIVERS--GG: Mendoza 2-21; SLO: Keep 3-28.

Attendance--2,000