Oakdale falls to Del Oro ... again

SACRAMENTO -- It's one thing to walk off the field at the end of a football season, even at the end of a football career, believing your team reached every attainable goal.

But when Oakdale High's players quickly retreated to their Hornet Stadium locker room, there were few dry eyes, and they weren't crying just because of a loss.

Yes, Del Oro beat the Mustangs 21-7 Friday night in the Sac-Joaquin Section Division 3 final in an outcome eerily reminiscent of last year's 21-0 loss to the same team in this same game.

Oakdale running back Marcus Hernandez summed it up in a few words: "We played our hearts out, and that's why we're all so sad."

It was more than that. Because of last year's season-ending loss to the Golden Eagles, a rematch against Del Oro was this season's goal.

"Our kids wanted to get to this stage and they wanted that team," said Oakdale coach Trent Merzon. "People don't understand that because people don't understand Oakdale people.

"We don't measure ourselves simply by winning or losing, we want to be challenged. We want to set the bar where maybe it can't be reached — that's part of growing up in Oakdale."

This year's big difference, other than scoring a touchdown, was that the Mustangs came into the game thinking they could beat Del Oro, and subsequently left the field believing they let one slip away.

Yes, Oakdale's first drive was stopped by a penalty, and a touchdown pass on their second drive was nullified by penalty.

Had the Mustangs scored on one or both of those possessions, just maybe …

"We moved the ball well all night, we just didn't finish," Merzon said. "We had a touchdown called back and another penalty to stop a drive. You have to finish those drives and both ended without points."

On the other hand, Oakdale's offense, which had averaged 49 points per game this season to enter the game 13-0, was held to one touchdown and 184 total yards.

"We're both much improved over last year," said Del Oro coach Casey Taylor, whose team improved to 13-1 and is likely headed to Carson for the state Division 2 bowl game. "We have a lot of respect for Oakdale and you can tell because we didn't take a lot of chances. Any team that scores 50 a game and gives up only 14 means we're going to have our hands full."

After the Spencer Thomas-to-Marcus Northcutt pass, covering 34 yards, was called back, Oakdale was forced to punt.

Del Oro answered with a ground-based, 87-yard, 11-play march, with Nick O'Sullivan breaking off right tackle for a 25-yard scored with 3 minutes, 49 seconds, left in the half.

Oakdale quickly marched back, but settled for a 46-yard field goal attempt by Justin Martin that had ample distance but sailed wide right.

So the score was 7-0 at halftime, just like last year. And Oakdale kicked off to open the second half, just like last year.

And when the Golden Eagles needed only eight plays to move 55 yards after the second-half kickoff to score their second touchdown, with Brandon Monroe carrying it in on a 29-yard burst, this game was all but over. Just like last year.

Monroe made it 21-0 with a 26-yard run with 39 seconds left in the half before Oakdale finally scored.

Northcutt's 40-yard kickoff return gave the Mustangs possession at the Del Oro 41, and nine plays later Hernandez scored on a five-yard run to make it 21-7.

Oakdale recovered the onside kick for a brief glimpse of hope, but Thomas was intercepted in the end zone five plays later to officially seal the outcome.

Northcutt led Oakdale with 64 yards rushing on 11 attempts, while Hernandez was held to 43 yards on 12 carries. The twin 1,000-yard Del Oro attack was true to form, with Monroe running for 141 yards on 21 carries and O'Sullivan adding 127 yards, also on 21 carries. In all, the Golden Eagles ran for 258 yards.

"Our kids are real disappointed because this is different than last year," Merzon said. "I know the score isn't much different, but the difference is that our kids believe they could have won this game very easily. Last year I'm not sure we were ever really in it."

Bee staff writer Brian VanderBeek can be reached at bvanderbeek@modbee.com or (209) 578-2150. Follow him on Twitter @modestobeek.