SO. SECTION DIVISION IV: MOORPARK'S YEAR COMES TO A SAD END LINS, SENIORS FEEL THE STING ST. BONAVEN. 46, MOORPARK 40.

Byline: Chris Cocoles Staff Writer

MOORPARK - Moorpark High coach Tim Lins watched his players stretching before the game and couldn't help but recall his first four years on the job.

Several of the Musketeers' seniors were with Lins from day one since he moved from Crespi of Encino. On this Saturday night, Moorpark's seniors and their coach had reached the game of their lives: a Southern Section Division IV semifinal.

``At the end of their freshmen year I had to chase those guys out of the weight room,'' Lins said. The way the Musketeers reacted with broken hearts after a 46-40 loss to top-seeded St. Bonaventure of Ventura, Lins might have to chase Wes Pryor, Joe Wise and friends out of the locker room with a broom.

One of the greatest seasons in history for Moorpark (11-2) appeared to have 48 minutes of championship-game clock left. St. Bonaventure (12-1) turned the ball over five times and its star player Whitney Lewis had two critical mistakes.

But Lewis made enough big plays and his supporting cast stepped up big to send St. Bonaventure into Friday's Division IV championship game against Westlake. The Seraphs will host the game.

Moorpark held 10-point leads three separate times, including entering the second half. And the Musketeers still led in the fourth quarter. But St. Bonaventure receiver Nick Pierson, who made as many game-turning moments as Lewis, answered a Dennis Pitta touchdown catch from Eddie Garcia with a 59-yard score.

The Seraphs went ahead 38-33 and never trailed again. Moorpark did pull within six with 24 seconds left but couldn't recover an onside kick.

``We're happy with how our season went but it's going to take a long time to get over it,'' Pitta said.

Pierson also caught a 50-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Brian Stevens and also a late interception that led to the clinching touchdown.

Both teams brought stingy defenses with them into their 13th games. But both offenses moved the ball at will through a frantic first half. The Musketeers were at least opportunistic, intercepting Stevens three times, the last by Bryan Garcia to halt the Seraphs' final drive.

Meanwhile, Moorpark was running right through the center of St. Bonaventure's defense, anchored by Royal of Simi Valley transfer Tony Castaldi, a ferocious senior linebacker.

Castaldi did make one crushing hit on Cliff Cardwell that sent his helmet flying. But the 1,675-yard rusher found openings throughout the right side of the field. In a 174-yard, three-touchdown first half, he recorded runs of 48 (for a touchdown), 36 (touchdown) and 31 yards. And quarterback Eddie Garcia also made plays, throwing an 11-yard score to tight end Fabian Ceja to give the Musketeers a 7-0 lead.

Lewis, save for fielding one pooch kickoff, didn't touch the ball until eight minutes remained in the first half. But once the nationally recognized senior did involve himself in the offense, he impacted play, in both a negative and positive manner.

After scoring on a 23-yard pass from Stevens and running in a touchdown from the 12, Lewis gift-wrapped a late Moorpark touchdown when he tried to field a bouncing punt that had touched a teammate near his own goal line. Joe Wise picked the ball up in midair and rolled into the end zone.

Though the officials ruled the play a muff and dead from the spot where Lewis first made contact, the Musketeers had a first-and-goal at the 2. Cardwell got into the end zone in two carries to make it 27-17 with 38 seconds left.

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Photo:

St. Bonaventure's Derek Wilson (11) is tackled Saturday by Moorpark's J.R. Jeffrey.

Joel P. Lugavere/Special to the Daily News

Box:

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