Modesto’s Downey never finds rhythm in season-ending loss to CCHS

Downey High football coach Jeremy Plaa stood near the east end zone of Central Catholic’s David Patton Field, conducting his last postgame interview of the season.

The session was interrupted several times by players seeking a hug, a handshake or just a few words of encouragement from their coach.

The Knights had just been upended 24-6 by the four-time reigning state champion Raiders, a game billed as the city championship of Modesto, pitting the city’s top parochial powerhouse against its top public school program.

It was a game that Downey thought it had a legitimate shot to win.

“In years past when we’ve been matched up against Grant or Granite Bay, thoughts sort of creep into your mind, like, ‘If we lose, what do I do about gear collection?’ ” said Plaa, whose Knights (8-3) have won at least a share of the Modesto Metro Conference for five consecutive seasons. “Coming into this game, with the week of practice we had and the way the coaches prepared, there were none of those thoughts.”

If Plaa was thinking about the season’s end before the game, those thoughts probably were there by halftime.

The Raiders led 17-0 at the break, dominating the time of possession to keep Downey’s high-powered offense off the field and its increasingly fatigued defensive unit on it.

“It’s heartbreaking,” said Downey linebacker Aaric Holt. “We had a great week of practice and came in with a great game plan, but you have to give them credit. They’re four-time state champions for a reason.”

Even when Downey did have the ball in the first half, its drives didn’t last very long.

Of Downey’s five first-half possessions – a sixth was halted after just 17 seconds by the halftime horn – only one lasted longer than three minutes (3:03). None of the others were longer than 1:20.

“It’s a tough one to swallow,” said quarterback Brett Neves, who was hassled all night and never got into a rhythm, completing just 15 of 32 pass attempts. “We were trying not to put our defense on the field too many times, but we weren’t able to convert on third downs, and that hurt us.”

Plaa’s Knights have now reached the playoffs for seven consecutive seasons, winning in the first round only twice and never advancing beyond the second round.

“I feel a little slighted because we’re 6-0, a league champion and we don’t get a home game,” said Plaa. “And that comes down the strength of our league and we have nothing to do with that. (Central Catholic) plays in a league with Oakdale and Sierra and Manteca. So, that’s why we’ve tried to schedule a tough preseason schedule.”

And now, even though nobody was thinking about it entering the contest, it is time to collect the equipment.

“You don’t prepare for (the end of the season), but emotions start to set in,” said Plaa. “The coaches are thinking about how to stop them on third-and-4 and the players are thinking about how they’ve only got a few more minutes of high school football.”

This story was originally published November 11, 2016 at 12:00 AM with the headline "Modesto’s Downey never finds rhythm in season-ending loss to CCHS."