Manteca fumbles away its shot in D-3 playoffs

MANTECA — Alex Martinez lay sprawled out on the gooey turf of Guss Schmiedt Field, trying to pry the football from the defense's clutches.

This would be his swan song, his final drive as Manteca High's quarterback: sack, sack, sack ... fumble lost.

Martinez watched the final four minutes of Friday's 14-0 loss to No. 14 Cosumnes Oaks in th Sac-Joaquin Section Division 3 playoffs — his helmet propped up on his forehead, a glossy look in his eyes — reeling from a series of loud tackles.

"I can't remember back," he said afterward. "Not after that last hit."

Good thing.

On a wet, windy night, the third-seeded Buffaloes' offense treated the ball like a hot potato, pitching it away, or so it seemed, at every opportunity. Martinez accounted for four of Manteca's five turnovers, and for the third consecutive season the Buffs' postseason was left in ruins by a lower seed.

Andrew Williams and Cosumnes Oaks are the latest entrants in this disturbing trend in Manteca lore, joining underdogs Casa Robles (a No. 9 seed, 35-28) in 2009 and Vanden (No. 16, 55-22) last fall.

Williams rushed for one touchdown, threw for another and later sealed the program's first playoff win with a sack and fumble recovery at Martinez's expense.

"Our expectations are to win these games, but you can't win with five turnovers," Manteca coach Eric Reis said. "You won't win any game, at any level, with five turnovers. You got to protect the ball."

Martinez struggled in his third start since returning from a broken thumb on his throwing hand. He was 7 of 14 for just 45 yards, with two interceptions. He fumbled the ball four times, losing two, and could never get Manteca's smashmouth offense into a groove. Even pitching the ball to running back Danny Gouveia (13 carries, 43 yards) proved troublesome.

"To fight through a broken thumb and get back out there … what a great kid," Reis said. "He was playing so good before the injury. … His play speaks for itself — he never came back."

Cosumnes Oaks (8-3) took advantage, turning each interception into the game's only points.

Williams slithered his way into the end zone from 5 yards out early in the second quarter, treating defensive back Eddie Smith like a turnstile at the goal line. Ryan Wakefield's PAT made it 7-0.

The score came six plays after Etewafi Levi intercepted Martinez near the Manteca 40-yard-line.

In the fourth, Martinez underthrew wide receiver Eric Ceja on a fade route into the end zone on second-and-1 from the 20.

It was easy pickings for Marcus Rios, the Boise State-bound cornerback. Four plays later, Williams slung a pass into the flat for Dylan Griffith, who stepped in front of his cornerback and raced the length of the field untouched, completing a 67-yard hook-up.