Late Delta touchdown dooms Pirates

The San Joaquin Delta College Mustangs raised their helmets and celebrated a sweet win while, across DeRicco Field, Modesto Junior College slowly gathered for a final word of consolation from coach Rusty Stivers.

Two teams swung in opposite directions as the regular season ended. Delta extended its winning streak to four by beating the Pirates 42-35 Saturday, while MJC absorbed a third straight loss.

Delta defensive back Winston Green closed matters with a juggling interception in the end zone with 34 seconds left. He laid on wide receiver Tim Knuettel – who was helpless and on his back – as he collected the 40-yard pass thrown by Trey Cooper.

So ended MJC’s last chance and, perhaps, its season. The Pirates (5-5, 2-3) finished in fourth place in the Valley Conference and no doubt will need a nod from the selection committee Sunday to receive a bowl invitation.

Meanwhile, Delta surged from 1-9 a year ago and vanquished a rival that had captured three of the last four meetings. The Mustangs (6-4, 4-1), runnerup behind champion Chabot, most certainly will advance. Those were the stakes on this sun-splashed day, and Modesto’s control of its destiny has disappeared.

“I think there’s a good chance (MJC will get a bid), based on our strength of schedule. I think we’re still among the top 10 teams in Northern California,” Stivers maintained. “It will be close.”

The lead changed hands three times in the final 5:20. A gutsy 5-yard scramble to the pylon by quarterback Phillip Kimble started the exchange, but Modesto answered immediately on Cooper’s 56-yard strike over the middle to Ravon Alexander.

The Mustangs responded with a drive that led to Johnny Wiernicki’s 1-yard dive for the go-ahead touchdown with 1:18 left. Wiernicki then caught a shovel pass for the important two-pointer. The deuce burned a Modesto team that failed three times to add two-pointers after touchdowns.

The Pirates brought home more than a few regrets. Start with their four turnovers, two fumbles and two interceptions, resulting in 14 Delta points. The Mustangs, guided by the plucky Kimble (22 of 35, 237 yards, TD), suffered zero turnovers.

“It’s that simple,” Stivers said. “We’ve been good at not turning the ball over. That wasn’t characteristic of us.”

Modesto also hurt its cause with 10 penalties for 102 yards, several at costly times. The Pirates stacked tall obstacles in their path and, ultimately, could not clear them.

“A couple of things went against us,” defensive back Herman Harris said. “We kept our heads and tried to stay strong.”

Cooper, who had dented the Delta defense for seven touchdowns and 73 points in 2014, impacted the game as he usually does. He completed 22 of 32 passes for 297 yards and three touchdowns and dashed 23 yards for a rushing TD during the first half.

The fourth-quarter interceptions sapped Modesto’s momentum, however, and – combined with the Pirates’ first-quarter fumbles – handed MJC painful bookends. The early mistakes wasted a touchdown by Javonte Norman on MJC’s first offensive series.

“We still tried to fly on (Cooper’s) cape,” Stivers said. “He was really banged up.”

Modesto toggled from a 21-12 first-half deficit to a 29-21 second-half lead. The Pirates, performing at their best after halftime, raced to back-to-back touchdowns – Cooper’s scoring passes of 24 yards to Knuettel and 16 yards to David Martinez.

The Pirates regained possession once with the eight-point lead but could not pull away. Looking back, that was their final opportunity to impose their will.

In the end, Stivers echoed the words of former MJC coach Sam Young.

“There are no easy games on the road.”

This story was originally published November 14, 2015 at 7:47 PM with the headline "Late Delta touchdown dooms Pirates."