Modesto QB Club: How many plays does it take to score 123 points in a game?

The Downey-Patterson game on Friday evening produced awesome numbers, including 123 combined points.

The Knights won, 74-49, thanks in large part to junior quarterback Bryce Peterson’s six total touchdowns. Peterson was 24 of 34 for 358 yards and three touchdowns. He also rushed for 69 yards and two scores.

His sixth touchdown said it all about Downey’s unstoppable attack: On a trick play, Peterson won a jump ball near the goal line and completed a 24-yard reception from wide receiver Anderson Grover with a dive into the end zone.

Here’s another number to chew on, one that truly fills the stat sheet: Downey (2-0) and Patterson (1-1) combined for 215 plays.

“It was a long night,” Downey coach Jeremy Plaa said at the start of Tuesday’s Modesto Quarterback Club. “With the hot weather, the late start and smoke in the air, it was a challenge.”

The Knights, who have scored 132 points in two games, will remain on the road this week. Downey travels to The Grape Bowl, where it will face Tokay (1-1).

The Tigers roughed up Bear Creek Friday, 45-9. Cory Glasgow scored three first-half touchdowns, including a 79-yard run and 83-yard reception.

On Tuesday, Downey was the featured guest of the QB Club. Plaa brought with him five seniors, each a four-year player in the program: UCLA-bound wide receiver/defensive end Isaiah Johnson; defensive end Xavier Lewis; safety Matt Williams; and linemen Jack Dugan and Jairus Lovell.

Panthers play with claws out: Despite all of its experience and explosiveness on offense, Modesto (2-0) is being carried along by its defense.

The Panthers used turnovers, a stout run defense and a blocked field goal to turn Friday’s game at Stagg, which averaged less than a yard per carry in a 28-6 loss.

The game was scoreless at the half.

“We were flat to start,” Modesto’s first-year coach Brett Wagner said. “It was a defensive battle, but a few big plays changed the game. I’m proud of them for getting that victory.”

The Panthers climbed to No. 7 in The Bee’s large-school power rankings, but get no relief from the schedule. Modesto hosts Patterson Thursday at Chuck Hughes Stadium.

“It’s going to be short week, especially with Labor Day,” Wagner said. “We’re looking to continue with our defensive success and shut them down.”

Size versus speed: Enochs has taken quickly to the Wing-T offense and impressed in its first two outings. The Eagles (1-1) led late in a loss to Escalon, the preeminent Wing-T offense in the southern half of the Sac-Joaquin Section, and then thumped West 31-0 last week.

Chris Butterfield scored on touchdown runs of 64 and 24 yards, punishing the Wolf Pack with his speed on the edges.

Enochs coach James Stacy believes the Eagles’ team speed could be their only advantage Friday against Manteca (2-0), the reigning Valley Oak League and Sac-Joaquin Section Division IV champions.

The Buffaloes are blessed with size, beginning with two-way linemen Justin Kakala and Kyle Reis. Even 6-foot-3, 195-pound quarterback Gino Campiotti is a physical specimen.

“They’re going to hit us,” Stacy said. “We’re going to prepare by coaching these kids up as best as we can. ... I believe we have speed to give them problems outside. So it’s going to be their size versus our speed.”

Slowing down the Vikings: Beyer hosts the one team that put up more points than Downey last week and that’s a scary proposition for coach Doug Severe.

The Patriots will play Edison of Stockton, one week after the Vikings exploded for a 77-13 victory over Weston Ranch. Davis Reya-Ruiz completed 11 of his 13 passes for 331 yards and five touchdowns and running back Jordan Whatley rushed for 134 yards and three TDs.

Edison averaged 28.4 yards per completion and 16.2 yards per carry.

Beyer is coming off a win, too, but Severe wasn’t too impressed with the 21-13 triumph over Golden Valley.

“We’re going to have our hands full,” Severe said. “We need to be more consistent, which we’ll work on this week.”

Senior defensive end/wide receiver Brandon Gray was the saving grace for the Patriots. He had 14 tackles, five sacks, three pass deflections and two touchdowns, including a scoop and score.

“He was a big player this week,” Severe said. “Without him, we probably don’t win that game.”

Well, that’s a first: Brian Berkefeld won his coaching debut at Big Valley Christian, but he wasn’t the only Lion to experience that first-time feeling.

Five different players scored in Big Valley Christian’s 36-0 victory over Valley Christian of Roseville, including three seniors for the first time in their careers: James McGuire, Ethan Landers and Trenton Reed.

“It was a big deal to them and a big deal to us,” Berkefeld said. “When Trenton came off the field, he said ‘Coach, that was my first touchdown.’ The crowd heard that and they applauded for him. It was a special moment.”

Reed was voted a team captain before the game and rewarded his teammates’ faith with an all-around performance. He had a 40-yard touchdown reception, interception, fumble recovery and averaged 17 yards on punt returns.

Defensively, the Lions totaled seven sacks, three interceptions and a safety.

This story was originally published September 5, 2017 at 2:43 PM with the headline "Modesto QB Club: How many plays does it take to score 123 points in a game?."