Capuchino star senior running back Justin Ewing will have to wait until the playoffs to secure his record.
Ewing rushed for 226 yards and four touchdowns in the Mustangs' 52-33 victory against rival Mills, but fell 54 yards short of the 280 yards he needed to break the single-season Central Coast Section record of 2,798 yards set in 1997.
Cap's victory in the Battle of the Strip also clinched for the Mustangs their first outright league title since 1958. Prior to joining the Peninsula Athletic League-Lake Division, Cap was part of the defunct Mid-Peninsula League.
The Mustangs (6-4) will now advance to the CCS Division IV playoffs where Ewing will have another chance to eclipse the coveted rushing record down on the Monterey Peninsula at Seaside.
"I think that I did all right," Ewing said by phone. "I think that I did enough to help my team get the win. I didn't play any worse or any better than usual. But I'll definitely get the record against Seaside. It will be a great achievement personally and for the team. And then I can just set it aside and concentrate on trying to help my team win."
Mills led 13-6 but fell behind on a Ewing touchdown with 6:28 left in the first half.
Cap led 26-20 at the half and never trailed in the final 24 minutes.
Three Mills turnovers aided the Mustangs, including an interception and 29-yard return for a touchdown by Cap lineman Xeryus Collins.
