The streak is over. Enochs beats Downey in football for the first time since 2010
There were cheers and screams and sighs of relief on the Enochs High football team’s sideline after Friday’s game at Downey.
For the first time since 2010, the Eagles had beaten the Knights, 20-14, in a defensive and turnover-filled game.
“Finally,” some Enochs players said.
Others knew this group could do it and with 30 players, many of whom played on both sides of the ball, they did what they had been waiting to do.
“They never gave up and fought all the way through,” said Eagles coach James Stacy, who has been the team’s coach since 2009. “This is an incredible group of guys.”
Downey plays at Gregori next Thursday; Enochs travels to Turlock on Friday.
Stacy called senior Joshua Quintana the defensive leader and one who “we count on the most.”
Quintana was battered and bruised after the game — his left knee wrapped in ice after injuring it in the fourth quarter.
Not only did the senior make plays on defense, including a fumble recovery in the second quarter, but he had the game’s first touchdown on a 7-yard reception from junior quarterback Keith Orona with 10 minutes, 34 seconds remaining in the opening quarter.
“We are disciplined,” Quintana said about the Eagles’ defense.
Not only are they disciplined, the team attacked the inexperienced Downey offense and forced seven turnovers (four interceptions and three fumbles).
Quintana says the team has no rituals or celebrations once they force a turnover.
“We remain humble about it,” he said with a smile.
After Quintana’s touchdown, the game remained 6-0 until junior running back Jose Torres scored on a 2-yard rushing touchdown to give Enochs (2-0) a 12-0 lead with 11:42 left in the half.
The Knights (0-2) rotated between sophomore quarterbacks Conner Stoddard and Hudson Wyatt for the second straight week and neither one separated themselves from the other. Stoddard did have two rushing touchdowns but threw three interceptions.
“We need to find a rhythm on offense,” Knights coach Jeremy Plaa said. “We have work to do but we are close.”
Stoddard’s second rushing touchdown gave Downey a 14-12 lead with 6:44 left in the third until Orona scored on a 7-yard run with 1:34 left in the quarter.
Orona did have one fumble in his second career varsity start and Stacy said he is “still learning the difference between JV and varsity football.”
Downey had two chances to score in the fourth quarter but Eagles senior defensive back Aggee Tombe had an interception in the end zone with 4:24 remaining and junior defensive lineman Eddie Robertson sacked Stoddard on 4th-and-goal with 2:27 left.
“This feels so good,” Stacy said. “It’s been a long time.”
This story was originally published March 26, 2021 at 11:39 PM with the headline "The streak is over. Enochs beats Downey in football for the first time since 2010."
