D4 championship: Escalon vs. Central Catholic

STOCKTON --

No. 8 Escalon (11-2) vs. No. 6 Central Catholic (11-2)

It’s the third year in a row they meet, Escalon dominating the second half each time to upset the Raiders. This is the best CC team since Louis Bland took it to the State Bowl in 2007, while Escalon is a story folks are falling in love with: A small, public school taking on the parochial dynasty loaded with college talent.

Running back Rey Vega has 986 yards and 24 TDs in seven games, and is showing that same burst of speed that led him to 3,500 yards and 42 TDs the last two years at Davis. He and Ray Lomas (1,650, 26 TDs) have each run for 100 yards in six of seven games since Vega’s return.

Nathan Chunn has run for a school-record 2,154 yards, with 34 TDs. A workhorse, he has 87 carries for 563 yards and 10 TDs in three playoff wins. Coach Mark Loureiro has said there will be no limit on his workload today — the more Chunn runs, the better the odds for an Escalon upset.