Morro Bay advances to championship game with 28-20 win over No. 1 Bishop Union

In 2021, Morro Bay reached the Division 6 Central Section championship thanks to a high-powered offense led by quarterback Nicky Johnson.

Three years later, many of the freshmen on that team are now in the same spot after the Pirates defeated No. 1 seed Bishop Union in the semifinals of the Division 5 Central Section playoffs 28-20.

Once again, the Pirates’ offense has driven much of their success, led by quarterback Sands Dougherty, who ranks fifth in the country in total yards with 4,536.

On Friday, Dougherty threw for four touchdowns and made key scrambles for first downs to secure the win for Morro Bay.

On the receiving end of Dougherty’s passes were John Myers, Colton Janovec and Efrain Hernandez, who had two scores.

The Pirates pulled away in the first half and led 21-6. But in the second half, the team turned the ball over multiple times and the Broncos cut the lead to a one-score game.

A fourth-quarter touchdown catch by Hernandez extended the lead to 28-13, but a pick-six for the Broncos cut the lead to 28-20.

The Pirates defense then made a stand to send the team to the championship.

Morro Bay was eliminated by Bishop Union last season in the Central Section playoffs.

Head coach Robert Dougherty reminded his team before the game that the Pirates had two punts blocked and two balls snapped over the quarterbacks head in that game.

This year, the Pirates didn’t have the cleanest game either. The team had three fumbles and an interception, which led to a touchdown return, but it was their defense that helped them stay ahead.

“The defense played really good this game,” Dougherty said. “They had a lot of good stops and made it really hard on (Bishop Union). We’ve been playing better and better.”

Hernandez made one interception to go along with his two scores.

The Pirates struggled on defense earlier in the season due to a small roster size and players playing on both sides of the ball.

Dougherty pointed to how the close team is as a big part of their success. Before the season the team went to Hume Lake and bonded as a team.

“They bought into what we’re preaching, loving one another and playing for one another,” Dougherty said. “They haven’t stopped doing that. They just are a tight group. They love one another, they root for each other, and that’s a big thing in high school athletics to get that environment built where the whole is greater than the parts.”

With the win, the Pirates earned a home game against Selma next week for the CIF Central Section Division 5 Championship.