Unbeaten Inkerkum ends Manteca’s season

Inderkum High’s Trajon Cotton ended Manteca High’s football season almost by himself.

Cotton, a junior, passed for three touchdowns and a two-pointer, rushed for a TD and also scored on a pick-six return to lead the Tigers to a 43-18 victory Friday night in the Sac-Joaquin Section Division III quarterfinals.

Inderkum (12-0) advances to the semifinals next Friday night at Oakdale in a rematch of last year’s epic D-III title game won by the Mustangs.

The Buffaloes (9-3) jumped to a 12-8 lead after one quarter, thanks to the first of two touchdowns by senior Marcus Rivas and a 31-yard TD pass from sophomore Gino Campiotti to Jake Menasco.

Cotton anchored Inderkum’s take-charge 22-point run in the second quarter with touchdown passes of 16 yards to Josh Falo and 48 yards to Nate Crocker. Cotton and Crocker also connected for a first-quarter touchdown.

This story was originally published November 21, 2015 at 5:27 AM with the headline "Unbeaten Inkerkum ends Manteca’s season."