Merced’s high-octane offense too much for Gregori. A milestone win for Scheidt.
Rob Scheidt’s players were more excited than him over the milestone victory.. The Merced High players were waiting in a group for their coach in the middle of the field, but Scheidt was busy doing postgame interviews.
Finally, the Bears gave up waiting and broke their huddle by yelling, “150” and rushed Scheidt.
Merced looked impressive for the second consecutive week, handling Gregori 41-22 to give Scheidt career win No. 150 on Friday night at Veterans Stadium.
“A thing like that is going to happen when you’re at a place for a long time,” Scheidt said. “It’s nice to be at a place where the tradition is bigger than you.”
The more import number for Scheidt is Merced’s record this season: 2-0.
The Bears have started the season by lighting up the scoreboard. They opened with a 51-15 win over Del Campo and have now scored 92 points in two games.
The big difference so far this season has been Merced’s ability to make big plays and they aren’t turning the ball over like they did last season.
Quarterbacks Dhameer Warren and Junior Garcia have combined for six touchdown passes and no interceptions this season.
“They’re making good decisions,” Scheidt said. “Those two are unselfish and I really admire them for that. They love each other and they’re rooting for the other guy to do well.”
Warren and Garcia have been rotating in and out with each series and the offense doesn’t skip a beat.
Garcia completed 12 of 14 passes for 261 yards and two touchdowns, connecting on a 75-yard score to Ezra Morales late in the first quarter and later a 38-yard touchdown to Xavier Stewart that gave Merced a 28-8 lead late in the first half.
Warren led the Bears down the field on a 51-yard drive to start the game and hooked up with Morales for a 10-yard touchdown pass. Warren complete 6 of 10 passes for 59 yards.
The two quarterbacks combined for 320 yards through the air.
“Me and Dhameer are working with each other every day in practice, snap for snap,” Garcia said. “We learn a lot from each other. Everyone else has gotten the memo. We don’t want to be a one quarterback team. We support each other most definitely. Our O-line sees it, our receivers see it, even our coaches see it.”
Gregori (0-2) was able to pull within 28-14 just before the half as Baker Melendez found Isaac Herman for a 13-yard touchdown pass.
The Jaguars received the second half kickoff, but Merced’s T.J Powell was able to recover a squib kick from Garcia at the Gregori 41-yard line.
On the next play, Merced running back Desmond Thompson went around the left end and scored to extend the Bears’ lead to 35-14 with 11:46 left in the third quarter.
“I remember Dhameer telling me get ready for a big run as we went out there,” Thompson said. “When I got the ball, I knew I just had to go.”
Thompson followed up his 107-yard performance on the ground last week against Del Campo with 77 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 11 carries.
Stewart added 147 yards receiving on six catches and Morales caught the two touchdowns and finished with 85 yards receiving.
“Our offensive line has been amazing,” Garcia said. “Our running backs have been killing it. Our receivers have been catching balls. Everyone has been doing good.”
The Bears are in for another tough test next week at Downey (2-0), which defeated Manteca 44-42.
This story was originally published August 24, 2018 at 11:28 PM with the headline "Merced’s high-octane offense too much for Gregori. A milestone win for Scheidt.."