Turlock, Pitman ready for their annual matchup

TURLOCK -- TURLOCK — Wade Turner has spent much of the fall imitating other people. He was Bryant Brown of Golden Valley one week and Carlos Maldonado of Atwater the next.

This week, though, "Boots" gets to be himself when Turlock faces crosstown rival Pitman in the eighth Harvest Bowl.

"Boots has earned his way on the field, in large part because of the work he's put in each week on our scout team," coach James Peterson said. "That scout team has a lot do with our success, and that's true this week, also."

Pitman (8-1, 3-1), The Bee's No. 4-ranked large school, is a concern for Peterson because of its quick pace. The Pride's offense runs to the line of scrimmage at times, snapping the ball before the defense has an opportunity to make its calls.

Other times it runs to the line, only to pause as quarterback A.J. Derr looks toward the sideline to receive a play.

"No other team we face can match the quick pace of their offense. We played Oakdale and we had trouble handling their quick pace," said Peters, whose club lost 33-7 to Oakdale. "I put a lot pressure on our scout team this week."

The scout team is designed to mimic that week's foe, and it could be running the pistol one week, the veer the next and the Wing-T a week later.

"The better they do during the week, the better we do Friday," said Peterson, heaping praise on the team for its ability to mimic Atwater. "There was little Atwater did that our scout team didn't show."

Motivating players such as Turner and Joey Oliveira is the opportunity to play Friday night, whether it's on special teams or a set position.

Oliveira earned himself extra plays by throwing himself into the role of wedge buster on the kickoff team. His play meant Atwater often started deep in its territory, which played a role in the shutout.

Turner's work was rewarded last week when he stepped into a receiving spot. He rewarded Peterson's vote of confidence with a TD catch and a crucial second-half reception in the 17-0 win over Atwater.

"Boots took a big hit on his catch, but it kept a drive going," Peterson said. "The important part of a successful scout team is you have buy-in from players. We try to put our next best 11 players on the practice field to accurately simulate the opposition."

Turlock (7-2, 3-1) didn't win a Harvest Bowl until the fifth year. It won 21-16 last season and trails 2-5 in the series.