CAMARILLO WINS FOURTH STRAIGHT : CAMARILLO 35, RIO MESA 18 SCORPIONS TAKE CHARGE EARLY, CLINCH TIE FOR LEAGUE TITLE.

Byline: Rich Hammond Staff Writer

Rio Mesa High has struggled on defense in the first quarter throughout this season, a fact that wasn't lost on Camarillo.

``We wanted to come out and take it right to them, not waste any time,'' Camarillo coach Carl Thompson said.

The Scorpions scored on their third play from scrimmage and added two more first-quarter touchdowns as the resurgent Scorpions beat the Spartans 35-18 Friday night at Camarillo.

Camarillo (4-4-1, 3-0) won its fourth consecutive game and clinched a tie for the Pacific View League championship. The Scorpions host Channel Islands next week in the regular-season finale.

``We were down on ourselves in the early part of the season,'' tailback Loren Cerny said. ``We are just starting to come together, and I think the scoreboard shows that as well as anything.''

Much of the Scorpions' offense goes Cerny. The 6-foot-3, 217-pound junior scored Camarillo's first touchdown on a 25-yard run, during which a Rio Mesa defender had both arms around Cerny's waist but couldn't bring down the powerful back.

A 35-yard pass from quarterback John Gonzalez to Steve Dacre on the Scorpions' first offensive play set up Cerny's scoring run.

``I have to give a lot of the credit to my offensive line,'' said Cerny, who totaled 99 yards on 18 carries and scored all three of Camarillo's first-half touchdowns.

On their ensuing possession, the Spartans got one first down before they were forced to punt. Camarillo took the ball at its own 37 with 6 minutes remaining in the first quarter, and scored seven plays later when Cerny took a pitch and ran 11 yards down the sideline for the score.

Camarillo took a 20-0 lead just 13 second later, when Brian Smith stepped in front of a Pancho Tinoco pass and ran 59 yards for the touchdown 3 minutes before the end of the opening quarter.

The Scorpions rotated Gonzalez and Mike Jasper at quarterback, but neither had to do much more than turn around and hand the ball to Cerny.

Gonzalez, who tends to stay in the pocket, completed four of nine attempts for 69 yards while Jasper, more of a threat to run the ball than throw, completed one of three attempts but threw a 59-yard touchdown pass to Todd Barlow on the second play of the third quarter. Jasper also gained 47 yards on nine carries.

Rio Mesa coach George Contreras remained positive after the game, even though his team lost its fifth consecutive contest. Tinoco completed 14 of 26 attempts for 195 yards and two touchdowns for the Spartans, who did not attempt a pass in a game earlier this year.

Tinoco threw both touchdown passes in the fourth quarter to his brother Anthony to prevent a Camarillo blowout.

``I'm real pleased with the way our kids hung in there,'' Contreras said. ``A lot of teams in our position would just give up, but we continue to play hard.''

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PHOTO Brian Smith, left, is lifted by Camarillo teammate Michael Martinez after Smith intercepted a Rio Mesa pass for a 59-yard touchdown.

Tom Mendoza/Staff Photographer