Central Catholic rolls past Oakdale to claim Valley Oak League title

The Central Catholic High football team picked a good time to play its best game of the season.

The Raiders dismantled Oakdale 54-14 on Friday night at The Corral, claiming the Valley Oak League championship and making a statement in the process.

Central Catholic, in coach Roger Canepa’s mind, has earned a Top 2 seed in the Sac-Joaquin Section Division II playoffs and the bye week that comes with it.

The section will announce the pairings on Saturday. The Raiders are ranked third in Division II by calpreps.com, which will play key part in the seedings.

The Raiders’ remarkable performance against a good Oakdale team completed an impressive regular season. Central Catholic finished 9-1 overall (6-0 VOL), with its only loss to national power De La Salle in Concord.

“We hit on all cylinders (tonight),” Canepa said. “Any time you can put 54 on Oakdale and hold them to 14, that’s a great day.

“We made all the plays tonight. So now we just have to turn the page, get ready for the playoffs. ... You know, enjoy tonight, but don’t enjoy it through the week. So just keep moving.”

Oakdale had won three of the previous four meetings with Central Catholic, but this one was all Raiders.

Central Catholic played a near flawless first half, scoring touchdowns on seven of its nine first-half possessions.

Junior Minaya Olivo, who played Pop Warner football in Oakdale, scored four of those TDs, three running (43 yards, 17 and 1) and one on a 58-yard pass play.

Central Catholic quarterback Dalton Durosette was efficient in the first half, going 5-for-8 for 216 yards and three TDs. Sithri Price caught two of those, one for 56 yards and one for 74 yards.

Oakdale (4-2, 7-3) appeared shell-shocked by Central Catholic and couldn’t get much going offensively. The Mustangs punted on their first six possessions, before driving 80 yards for a score late in the second quarter. But by then the Raiders led 40-7.

The challenge now for Oakdale coach Trent Merzon is to help the Mustangs put Friday’s loss behind them heading into the first round of the Division IV playoffs.

“If they’re not ready to play next week, then there’s something wrong with them,” Merzon said. “They’ll be ready to play next week, it’s in their DNA.

“They’ll show up and we’ll play better next week, guaranteed.”

The Mustangs are capable of making a run in the postseason, but Oakdale will have to clean things up in a hurry. The Mustangs had problems tackling against Central Catholic, and dropped open passes that cost them opportunities for first downs.

Central Catholic, meanwhile, is looking forward to proving it can keep up with the big boys in Division II, including 9-1 Del Oro (with its only loss to powerhouse Folsom) and 10-0 Inderkum.

The Raiders combine an efficient passing attack with a dominant running game behind a strong offensive line.

With running backs Olivo, senior Kyle Jacklich (70-yard TD run) and the physically impressive Dawaiian McNeely (15 carries, 116 yards) all healthy, it’s going to be difficult for any team to stop Central Catholic.

Add to that an impressive defense that stifled a good Oakdale running game, and the Raiders are poised to make a run at another section crown.

Friday’s win was a big confidence boost for the Raiders, Durosette said.

“It’s huge,” the senior said. “Knowing that more than likely we’re going to be a 1 or 2 seed and have home-field advantage and a first-round bye ... there’s nothing that beats that.”

This story was originally published October 26, 2018 at 11:28 PM.