Camarillo, CA — To JJ Bittner, there is nothing more special than playing longtime rival Camarillo on the road. Especially when your team wins. "It's always fun here," said Bittner. "Their student second and crowd is unbelievable." That atmosphere brought the best out of the Rio Mesa quarterback, who completed 17 of 27 passes for 340 yards and three touchdowns as well as rushing for 80 yards and two scores in leading the Spartans to 48-35 nonleague win Friday night. Bittner also accounted for five TDs in Rio Mesa's season-opening last week. Equally as impressive was Camarillo quarterback Nicolas Tostado, who was 21 of 31 for 238 yards and two TDs passing and rushed for 52 yards and a TD as the Scorpions rallied from a 27-7 deficit to close within six points late in the game. The two teams combined for more than 900 yards in total offense. It was only the second time that Rio Mesa (2-0) has won three straight in the 49-game series. In a game full of big plays, Charlie Neos had two of the biggest. With Camarillo one yard away from the end zone in the early moments of the second quarter, Neos stepped in front of a pass and returned it 99 yards for a touchdown. The potential 14-point swing would prove crucial. Rio Mesa's Charlie Neos returns an interception 99 yards for a touchdown during the Spartans' 48-35 win over rival Camarillo at Camarillo High on Friday, Aug. 25, 2023. "It was huge," said Rio Mesa coach Jim Bittner. "The defense had to make some stops. At one point I didn't know that was going to happen. Neos really made it happen." Camarillo (0-2) had made some decisive plays of its own down the stretch. Nathaniel Tostado intercepted a Rio Mesa pass late in the third quarter and completed a 37-yard pass after catching a lateral on a third-and-7 from the Camarillo 13 to keep a an eventual scoring drive alive. Nicolas Tostado capped off an 80-yard drive by scoring from the Rio Mesa 1 after scooping up his own fumble. Rio Mesa countered with a 16-play, 67-yard drove that consumed 7:21. JJ Bittner's 18-yard TD run with 1:20 left struck the final blow. "Camarillo has really improved since its first game," said Jim Bittner. "They had a chance to fold, but they didn't. They showed a lot of character tonight." The game wasn't Camarillo's only loss. Jacob Mantei, one of the team's captains and leaders on defense, had to be helped off the field with 5:31 left in the third quarter. He was seen with crutches after the game. Nathaniel Madrigal rushed for 83 yards and three TDs for Camarillo. Rio Mesa's Noah Ramos had TD receptions of 34 and 32 yards within the span of 46 seconds, the first coming of an fourth-and-13 pass. Chance Harrison scored on a 54-yard pass on the game's first series. Rio Mesa opens its Channel League season on the road against San Marcos this Friday, while Camarillo concludes its nonleague schedule at Saugus.