GARDEN GROVE – Barstow won CIF Southern Section and CIF State football championships last season.
The Aztecs on Thursday played like they might add to their championship rings collection.
Pacifica was outplayed in every way as they lost to the Aztecs, 41-14, in a CIF-SS Division 7 first-round playoff game at Bolsa Grande High.
The Aztecs (7-4) will play at home in the quarterfinals next week against La Canada or Long Beach Millikan. Pacifica finished the season 7-4.
Barstow won the CIF-SS Division 7 and CIF State Division 4-AA championships last season.
The Aztecs played like an unsatisfied and hungry-for-more team Thursday. They led from the first quarter on and did not allow Pacifica a first down until the second quarter.
“Championship DNA,” said Barstow coach Clayton Leleimene. “They’re really good kids. Undersized. We’re from the mud, man. Barstow.”
Barstow senior quarterback Jarvis Applewhite, one of seven returning starters from last season, threw two touchdown passes and ran for two touchdowns.
The quick, attacking and sure-tackling Aztecs corralled Pacifica senior running back Zack Dickison for most of the game.
Dickison went into the week averaging 104 rushing yards a game. He finished with 87 rushing yards, but 46 of those came late in the fourth quarter on his second-to-last carry of the game. Dickison had 28 rushing yards through 17 carries.
Pacifica’s players were playing with heavy hearts. One of their teammates from two seasons ago, class of 2025 graduate Christian Shockley, died unexpectedly over the weekend.
Several of Shockley’s Pacifica teammates attended Thursday’s game, gathered on the Pacifica sideline.
Mariners coach Kyle Murphy said it was a difficult week.
“I’m really proud of the guys,” Murphy said. “They stayed as focused as they could stay. They really did give it everything they had.”
Pacifica had some players missing because of injury. Murphy said that was not why the Mariners lost to the Aztecs.
“They played better than we did,” he said. “They’re good.”
Barstow scored first. On their second possession, the Aztecs drove 71 yards on eight plays with quarterback Jarvis Applewhite scoring on a 2-yard run.
The Aztecs pushed their lead to 14-0 on a long touchdown pass from Applewhite to Jake Fernandez with 2:10 to go in the second quarter. Fernandez caught the pass at the Pacifica 40 and ran unencumbered to the end zone.
Pacifica quarterback Joseph Pham-Ngoy threw a 16-yard touchdown pass to Max Salas with 17 seconds left in the half to make it 14-7.
Barstow took the second half-opening kickoff and scored quickly. Jake Fernandez took a short pass from Applewhite near midfield before blazing his way to the end zone for a 57-yard scoring play and a 21-7 lead.
Applewhite scored on a 3-yard run midway through the third quarter to make it 28-7. Barstow freshman running back Nathan Hawkins scored on a 5-yard run for a 35-7 lead with 33 seconds left in the quarter.
Barstow junior running back Alton Agulto added a 10-yard touchdown run with five minutes to go in the fourth quarter (the point-after kick was not good, leaving the Aztecs with a 41-7 lead).
Dickison scored on a 7-yard run with 2:10 remaining in the game for the final 41-14 score. It was Dickison’s 17th rushing touchdown of 2026.