Santa Ynez quarterback Tyler Shean hit Rowan Dimase for 14 yards and a first down on the first play of the game Friday night. Shean ran for 10 yards and a first down on play number two.

Cole Hollingsworth ran for 12 yards and yet another first down, to the St. Joseph 34, on play number three. Shean ran for another first down a few plays later. Then everything changed on play number nine.

Knights defensive back Kohl Bashline intercepted Shean's pass over the middle at the Knights 15. St. Joseph speedster K.J. Cusack spurted through a big hole and darted 66 yards for a touchdown on the next play.

The rout - and the successful title defense - was on. The Knights (7-0, 9-0) shut out the Pirates (3-3, 5-4) 49-0 at Santa Ynez. St. Joseph finished a second consecutive unbeaten run through the LPL.

"I don't believe our school has ever repeated as LPL (football) champion before," fifth-year St. Joseph coach Mike Hartman said afterward.

The Knights bid farewell to the Los Padres League by claiming their third LPL football title in the last four years. St. Joseph will move to the PAC-7 League next year.

Santa Ynez is still in the playoff hunt. The Pirates play their regular season finale at Santa Maria next Friday. Kickoff time at Ralph Baldiviez Stadium is 7:30 p.m.

St. Joseph is ranked third in the CIF Southern Section's Northwest Division. San Luis Obispo (3-6) stands in the way of a perfect regular season for the Knights. Hartman's team hosts the Tigers at 7:30 p.m. next Friday at St. Joseph's Jay Will Stadium in a non-league game.

The Knights registered their fourth league shutout in seven games. "This year's team is a lot smarter," two-way St. Joseph lineman Zach Perron, who has been a big (literally, he's 6-6, 281 pounds) part of the Knights' consecutive titles, said.

"Our defense knows its assignments, and we get the job done."

Santa Ynez's offense showed flashes of brilliance but couldn't finish off any drives for scores. St. Joseph's offense finished almost every drive with a score until it had the game tucked away.

The Knights' defense forced five turnovers. Defensive back Jordan Puhek grabbed a Shean pass and ran 23 yards with it for a score on turnover number two.

"That was my first 'pick six' ever," said Puhek.

"I thought I was going to fall down, but then I saw an opening near the sidelines and I took it in." Puhek also recovered two Pirates fumbles.

Senior Scott Arellano's punting was the most steady part of the Pirates' game. He's one of the area's best punters, and three of his boots Friday night went for at least 40 yards. He got characteristically good hang time, too.

"Some four-year schools are looking at Scott for his punting," said Santa Ynez coach Ken Gruendyke. "He's starting to believe that that's where his future (as a football player) lies.

"We lost to a fine team tonight. Cusack is the catalyst, they have other guys who can run the ball and they can throw when they have to. They play defense. They have the whole package."

Cusack is one of the leading rushers in the area besides being a dynamic punt returner. He celebrated his first game back since missing St. Joseph's game last week with a shoulder injury by racking up 151 yards on 10 carries.

Besides his 66-yard TD scamper, Cusack scored on a 21-yard run. He set up his own touchdown with a 24-yard punt return on the previous play.

Quarterback Jacob Cano hit a diving Mitch McNulty in the end zone for St. Joseph's second touchdown.

St. Joseph led 28-0 at halftime and tacked on three touchdowns in the third quarter. Cano ran five yards for one. Anthony Ibarra sprinted in from 33 yards out for another, and backup quarterback Tim Puehrling scored the last touchdown on a one-yard sneak. Garrett Dudock kicked seven extra points.

As for the Knights' defense, Hartman said the unit may be underappreciated by some, but St. Joseph's players and coaches certainly know how good it is.

"I think our defense is sometimes overshadowed because we have some very explosive guys on offense," Hartman said.

"This defense has been a very big part of our success. Those guys, all of our players, have been a lot of fun to coach."

St. Joseph freshman 29, Pioneer Valley 12

With the win, St. Joseph won the LPL freshman championship.

The Knights finished league play undefeated and are currently 7-1 for the season and willwrap up the season next Friday against a non-league opponent, SLO.