PREP FOOTBALL : Desert-Mountain Final : Atascadero Is a 26-18 Winner Over St. Joseph

Atascadero High School rushed for 251 yards as the Greyhounds defeated Santa Maria St. Joseph, 26-18, to win the Desert-Mountain Conference title Friday night at Atascadero High.

The Greyhounds staged drives of 74, 80 and 60 yards as they built a 20-6 lead midway through the third quarter. Mike Milbury, who ran for 102 yards in 16 carries, capped the first drive with a one-yard touchdown run in the first quarter.

In the second quarter, John Martin added another one-yard touchdown run to cap an 80-yard march and give Atascadero a 14-0 lead. Martin ran for 99 yards in 14 carries.

Pat Huguenard cut the lead to 14-6 with a one-yard touchdown run just before halftime, but Atascadero took the second-half kickoff and started a 60-yard drive that consumed six minutes and ended with a six-yard touchdown pass from Darin Brebes to Nick Kaiser, one of only five passes attempted by Atascadero.

St. Joseph came back, as Huguenard scored his second touchdown to make it 20-12. The Knights got the ball back in the fourth quarter with a chance to tie, but Mark Brunell had a pass intercepted, and the Greyhounds turned the interception into a four-yard touchdown run by Brebes for a 26-12 lead.

The Knights rallied once again, as Brunell threw a 41-yard touchdown pass with 4:50 remaining.

With time running out, the Knights drove to the Atascadero 43, but the Greyhound defense held as time ran out.

Huguenard finished with 16 carries for 62 yards and 11 receptions for 84 yards. Brunell completed 23 of 42 passes for 235 yards, with 1 interception and 1 touchdown.

Atascadero, which beat St. Joseph in a Los Padres League game in October, finished 11-2-1. St. Joseph finished 10-4.