Camarillo Football Wins CIF Northern Division Championship
For the first time since 1996, Camarillo High School got to hoist a CIF championship plaque in football.
The Scorpions broke open a tight game with a dominating second half to beat Thousand Oaks 55-27 to win the CIF-SS Northern Division title. It’s the programs third CIF Southern Section crown.
It was a shaky start for the Scorpions as Perry Martin raced 50 yards for a score in the opening minute of the game.
After Camarillo went three and out, the Lancers struck again. Cal-bound quarterback Max Gilliam hooked up with Nevada-bound Kevin Howell for a short touchdown and it was 14-0 Lancers.
But Camarillo stormed back behind a rushing attack that piled up over 325 yards on the ground. Isaiah Otis raced 42-yards for a touchdown to get the Scorpions on the board.
After a bad snap on a punt by Thousand Oaks gave Camarillo the ball on the 10, Otis was back in the endzone to tie it up at 14.
Still in the first quarter, Jake Constantine scored on a 3-yard keeper to give Camarillo its first lead at 21-14.
Opening minute of the second quarter, Gilliam found Howell again for a 5-yard touchdown to even it up at 21.
Midway through the second quarter, Camarillo was facing a 4th and two on the Lancers 40. The Scorpions executed a perfect naked bootleg and Constantine was all by himself racing down the field. He bowled over Howell near the goal line to score from 40-yards out to put Camarillo up 28-21 and they never trailed again.
Late in the quarter, Constantine hooked up with Elijah Alexander for a 36-yard scoring strike and it was 34-21 Scorpions after the conversion failed.
But just before the half, Gilliam hit Howell for a third time on a 5-yard touchdown pass with 31 seconds on the clock. The Lancers trailed 34-27 at the break after their PAT failed as well.
The second half was all Camarillo as they put up three touchdowns in the third quarter to seize control of the game. Otis, who finished with 215 rushing yards and three touchdowns, sprinted 54 yards almost untouched and Camarillo led 41-27.
Constantine connected with senior tight end Desmond Clancy twice for short touchdowns to wrap up the scoring.
Thousand Oaks was shutout in the second half as they fell to the Scorpions for a second time this season. The Lancers wrap up an outstanding season 11-3.
For Camarillo, they are a perfect 14-0 and are likely not done.
The Scorpions expect to play in a CIF State SoCal Regional game next weekend.
