BHS Football: Aztecs' season reaches end of the line with loss

PALM SPRINGS • No miraculous comeback.

No magical playoff run.

No rematch with Citrus Hill.

The Barstow High School football team was bounced from the CIF-Southern Section Eastern Division playoffs 41-0 against Palm Springs in the first round Friday night at Ralph Watt Stadium.

A year after nearly taking the Eastern Division title, Barstow was sent out of the tournament without a win or even a touchdown.

"You know, magic doesn't always happen all the time," Barstow coach Jose Rubio said. "Everyone starts the season wanting to have the magical run and some have the talent and some don't have the talent. A lot of things have to happen for something to happen, and it just wasn't our year this year."

Neither of last year's Eastern Division title game teams made it very far this season. The defending Eastern Division champs, Citrus Hills lost 48-36 in its first round game to Summit, snapping a 38-game winning streak.

Barstow dismantled the Indians with a 34-20 win in the second round of the playoffs a year ago with several big runs. The Indians completely shut Barstow down on offense this time. The Aztecs turned the ball over four times and made it the red zone only once.

The Indians learned and made changes on defense, backing off the line of scrimmage and waiting for the Aztecs rushers several yards deep.

"We decided not to get up there and mix it up with them because they are physical kids," Palm Springs coach Steve Fabian said. "Last year we got too close to them. It's just like a good boxer. A good boxer stays away from the bigger guy and tries to make him punch himself out. That's what we did. We made them come out and get us."

Palm Springs had an answer for every offensive set Barstow threw out and often yelled out the Aztecs plays before it even happened. The Aztecs started the game in double wing and faltered with just 43 yards in the first half.

Barstow bounced between double wing, I and shotgun formations for the rest of the game but gained similar results. Down 21-0 at half, the Aztecs needed to start passing but could only muster two receptions and one yard for the entire game.

Meanwhile, Palms Springs lit up the Aztecs through the air. Senior quarterback Michael Karls tallied five touchdowns running and passing on the Aztecs. Karls rushed for 85 yards and two touchdowns and was 10-for-15 passing with 204 yards and three touchdowns passing.

Karls blew open the game by hitting receivers deep. Barstow gave up touchdown passes of 40, 30 and 55 yards.

The victory marked the Indians fifth straight. They are averaging almost 47 points a game during that span.

"We knew our offense was going to do its things,” Karls said. “Our offense has been scoring 40 plus points the last four games and we knew we could do it."

Barstow 0 0 0 0 — 0
Palm Springs 7 14 13 7 — 41


First Quarter
PS — Karls 1 run (Garcia kick)
Second Quarter
PS — Garcia 4 run (kick missed)
PS — Campbell 40 pass from Karls (Williams pass from Garcia)
Third Quarter
PS — Rubalcava 30 pass from Karls (Garcia kick)
PS — White 55 pass from Karls (kick blocked)
Fourth Quarter
PS — Karls 21 run (Garcia kick)