Oakdale moves on

OAKDALE -- There always will be questions when a football team rolls through a regular season the way Oakdale High did, with nary a close game, with fourth-quarter running clocks the rule.

Would the Mustangs be able to keep their composure if, heaven forbid, they actually trailed in a game? And what would happen if Oakdale actually had to play four tough quarters?

On Friday night, when it counted most, Oakdale not only answered those questions for its fans but also for itself.

The Mustangs twice trailed by 10 points in the first half against Casa Roble before exploding for a quick 21 points to take control in what became a 42-23 victory before about 5,000 fans at The Corral.

"We knew it was going to be a big game, that it was going to be tough and that we wouldn't put a running clock on them," said Oakdale quarterback Spencer Thomas. "We just came out and played hard on offense and defense."

Casa Roble (10-3) ran a balanced and dynamic offense to run up 498 yards and 26 first downs against the Mustangs (13-0), but the Rams also committed 13 penalties for 130 yards and quarterback Mitch Samson had three passes picked off.

One interception came at the Mustang 3 to stop Casa's opening drive, and the other two were turned into Oakdale scores. Without those Rams' miscues, it very well could have been an all-Sacramento area Sac-Joaquin Section Division 3 final next weekend at Sacramento State.

Instead, Oakdale will get the game its wanted all season — a section final rematch against powerful Del Oro.

"Our kids wanted to see D.O. in the final," said Oakdale coach Trent Merzon. "I think our kids would rather lose to D.O. in the finals than to beat somebody else because we want to find out what we're all about, and to be the best you have to play the best — and D.O. is the best in the area."

Yet in the opening quarter, this was Casa's game.

After Eddie Machado's interception stopped the Rams' opening drive, Oakdale was backed up against its own goal line. On third down, Thomas was tackled in the end zone for a 2-0 Casa lead, and four plays after the free kick Casa scored again and got the 2-point conversion for a stunning 10-0 lead less than 5 minutes into the action.

Justin Martin's 43-yard run got Oakdale on the board, but the Rams answered immediately to make it 17-7 midway through the second quarter.

"We've been punched in the mouth before, but we just haven't been losing before," Merzon said. "When we were down 17-7, I just wanted to get the game to halftime down by a touchdown. We knew we were getting the ball to start the second half and that would give us a chance to control our destiny a little bit."

They did better than that, scoring 21 points in a span of 3 minutes, 24 seconds. A nine-play drive ended with Marcus Northcutt scoring from 9 yards out with 4:55 left in the half, and Oakdale was right back in business when Bastian Jimenez intercepted Samson on the next play at the Casa 20.

Three plays later, Marcus Hernandez was in the end zone for Oakdale's first lead at 21-17, and the Mustangs weren't done.

Oakdale forced a punt, taking over at its own 23 with 2:30 left in the half. It took only five plays to cover the 77 yards, with Hernandez breaking off a 28-yard run to set up his own scoring blast from the 9.

Just that quickly, Oakdale had turned a 17-7 deficit into a 28-17 halftime lead.

Northcutt finished with 143 yards on 18 carries, while Hernandez added 100 yards on 20 carries. Samson completed 22 of 36 passes for 263 yards, with Tyler Young grabbing 12 passes for 173 yards, but the Mustangs' defense kept the Rams from breaking the big gainers.

"People said we couldn't play four quarters, but the coaches have been telling us ever since the Sonora game that we would have to play four quarters if we wanted to get where we wanted to go," Thomas said. "We wanted D.O. in the D-3 and we get to play them. It's going to be a great game."