Beastmode! Candyman Cameron Cherry, Oakdale run wild on rival Sonora

Cameron Cherry plopped down on the bench, braided hair accenting the gleam in his eyes, and began popping Skittles into his mouth.

Yes, Skittles.

The explosive Oakdale High running back was a kid in the candy store on Friday evening.

Cherry rushed for 244 yards and four touchdowns in less than three quarters of work as the Mustangs launched into the new season with a 47-13 victory over Highway 108 rival Sonora.

Large-school No. 1 Oakdale looked very much like the team that closed 2016 with Valley Oak League, Sac-Joaquin Section Division III and CIF Division III-A State Bowl titles. They were fast, physical and full of confidence.

Coach Trent Merzon was impressed with the Mustangs’ opening number.

“We talked about this before the game: Every team I’ve ever coached has an opportunity to create their own identity; they’re own personality,” he said. “There are a lot of similarities in the stuff we do throughout the years, but each team has its own little niche.

“I was eager to see what this group would be; what they’d bring to the table. I thought we did some good stuff. I still don’t know who we are, but I thought we did a good job of playing fast. I think we’re physical, and we can run the ball. Defensively, I thought we were pretty good, too. It will be interesting to watch this group grow.”

It was the 101st meeting between the feuding neighbors, and like many before it, the game was dictated by the flat-landers.

Oakdale scored on five of its first seven possessions, restoring its dominance in a series it controls (64-32-5). The Mustangs had beaten the Wildcats 10 straight times before last season’s stunning 27-13 loss at Dunlavy Field. That night, Oakdale, young and unsettled at the quarterback position, tossed four interceptions, including a pick-6 to Rodgers.

One year later, the roles were reversed.

Oakdale started 18 seniors in Friday’s opener, including 14 returning starters, and the experience overwhelmed Sonora.

“What a difference a year makes,” said Merzon, whose team forced one turnover and made six tackles behind the line of scrimmage.

Quarterback Marc Dickson exorcised any demons with a 51-yard scoring strike to Bronson Harmon on the opening possession. Harmon later capped the rout with a 48-yard burst in the third quarter.

“Last year was unfortunate. We had 365 days to think about it and that was our motto,” said Cherry, who scored on runs of 4, 1, 60 and 9 yards. “We prepared, we worked hard all summer, and we came out with the win tonight.

“We came out here and did our thing. We have so many seniors returning and three senior running backs, so we feel confident.”

Meanwhile, the Wildcats looked out of sorts.

Sonora started 15 juniors, and looked wide-eyed and lost for most of the night.

The offense sputtered after scoring on their first possession – a 79-yard reception by Kane Rodgers.

Junior quarterback Jake Gookin led the Wildcats in rushing with 91 yards and a 4-yard touchdown run late in the first half, but he misfired on seven of his final eight passes.

To make matters worse, Rodgers, the Wildcats’ do-it-all senior, was ejected in the third quarter after picking up his second unsportsmanlike penalty. The reigning Mother Lode League MVP, Rodgers will miss next Friday’s game at Lodi. Rodgers was ejected in the final minute of the third quarter. The penalty was assessed after the slot back was ankle-tackled for a 2-yard loss.

“We’ve had this discussion,” Sonora coach Bryan Craig said. “‘People know who you are this year. You’re not going to surprise anybody. They’re going to come into a game and try to take No. 2 away.’ They’re going to try to get into your head, and unfortunately, he let them get into his head tonight. I hope he learned his lesson, because he has to sit next week.”

Oakdale was unrelenting. The vaunted Wing-T offense plowed forward for more than 400 yards.

Cherry topped the 200-yard mark with a 60-yard scoring run with about four minutes left in the first half. He showed patience on the run, allowing his linemen to set the block before bolting into space.

Fullback Josh Jacobson had 134 yards and a touchdown, while Harmon had 110 yards of total offense on just four touches.

“We’ll enjoy this until Jamestown,” Merzon said, “and then we’ll start shifting gears toward El Cap.”

Oakdale celebrates its home opener at The Corral, dressed with new artificial turf and a scoreboard, on Friday against El Capitan.

This story was originally published August 26, 2017 at 12:36 AM with the headline "Beastmode! Candyman Cameron Cherry, Oakdale run wild on rival Sonora."