O, my: Oakdale, Orestimba No. 1 in latest polls; each a model of consistency

It's been a long road to the top of The Bee's small-school poll, but the Orestimba High football program has proven itself worthy of No. 1.

Few teams in the Stanislaus District have won as consistently as the Warriors (4-0), regardless of size. With back-to-back seasons of at least 10 wins, Orestimba belongs to an elite class that includes Oakdale and Sonora. That's it.

Under head coach Aaron Souza, a proud alumnus, Orestimba has won 31 games in the last three-plus seasons, and the two-time defending Southern League champions haven't lost in league since 2014.

Last week, the Warriors took apart Ripon Christian in their home and league debut. The Knights didn't record a first down until the third quarter and turned the ball over four times. The game finished with a running clock.

"We've done some good things over the last three years," Souza said. "It's good players and good coaches."

In a season of rotating No. 1s in the small-school poll, Orestimba has the chance to go the distance. With Friday's thumping of Ripon Christian still fresh in our minds, the Warriors probably won't be challenged until Week 10 at Gustine, en exciting proposition for football fans on the West Side.

Here's a look at the rest of power rankings:

Large School

Comprised of teams from the Central California Conference, Modesto Metro Conference, Valley Oak League and Western Athletic Conference.

1. (1) Oakdale (3-1, 1-0): All three of the Mustangs’ running backs found the end zone and the defense stifled the Lancers' vaunted ground game in a 42-6 victory. Friday: at Weston Ranch (1-3, 0-1).

2. (2) Central Catholic (3-0, 1-0): The Raiders forced three turnovers in the red zone, including two forced fumbles by defensive back Adrian Cuevas in a 31-14 win over Manteca. Central Catholic has defeated defending Sac-Joaquin Section champions in back-to-back weeks. Friday: vs. Sierra (2-2, 1-0).

3. (2) Manteca (3-1, 0-1): The loss to Central Catholic will linger for a week. All-everything defensive lineman Justin Kakala will miss one game after he was ejected for punching running back Dauson Booker. Friday: vs. Lathrop (2-2, 1-0).

4. (4) Downey (5-0, 1-0): The Knights forced six turnovers, including five interceptions, Bryce Peterson threw for 315 yards and four touchdowns, and Jordan Wilson scored three times in another “Block D” victory. Friday: vs. Enochs (2-2, 0-0).

5. (5) Gregori (5-0, 1-0): Junior Marcello Longstreth returned a kickoff 85 yards for a score and Fidel Velasquez had three sacks and 14 tackles for the Jaguars, who beat Beyer for just the second time in program history. Friday: Bye.

6. (6) Turlock (3-2, 1-0): Jordan Potter turned the game for the Bulldogs, returning the opening kickoff of the second half for a touchdown. Turlock trailed Buhach Colony 10-6 at the break, but outscored the Thunder 15-0 over the final two quarters. Friday: vs. El Capitan (2-3, 1-0).

7. (8) Los Banos (5-0, 0-0): Idle. Friday: vs. Chowchilla (3-2).

8. (7) East Union (3-1, 0-1): Quarterback Joseph Espinosa scored the Lancers’ only points in a resounding loss to top-ranked Oakdale. East Union was held to a season-low six points and 145 yards of total offense. Friday: at Kimball (0-4, 0-1).

9. (9) Pitman (2-3, 1-0): Payton Bass scored six touchdowns in a wild 50-47 victory over Merced. Pitman trailed 31-13 early in the second half, but came to life with a 21-3 spurt finish the third quarter. Bass scored the game-winning touchdown. Friday: Bye.

10. (10) Patterson (3-1, 0-0): Gabe Sanchez rushed for two touchdowns and had a 15-yard scoring strike to Joe Okitukunda as the Tigers won consecutive games for the first time since 2015. Friday: at Liberty of Madera (5-0).

Small School

Comprised of teams from the Central California Athletic Alliance, Mother Lode League, Southern League and Trans-Valley League.

1. (2) Orestimba (4-0, 1-0): Jacob Sheldon caught two touchdowns and threw another on a double pass, and the Warriors' defense limited Ripon Christian to just 49 yards of total offense in a 40-0 victory. Friday: at Mariposa (2-2, 1-0).

2. (3) Sonora (3-2, 1-0): The Wildcats lost Kane Rodgers (broken leg) for the season, but the offense didn't skip a beat with junior speedster C.J. Castleman, who rushed for 206 and four touchdowns in a 59-50 victory over Calaveras. Friday: at Amador (2-2, 1-0).

3. (1) Calaveras (4-1, 0-1): Calaveras lost another heartbreaker at Dunlavy Field. Triston Madsen and Logan Arledge were home-run hitters, though, accounting for five touchdowns on just nine touches. Friday: vs. Argonaut (2-2, 1-0).

4. (4) Hilmar (4-2, 0-0): Gaven Azevedo secured the Yellowjackets’ 21-10 victory with a 26-yard interception return for a touchdown, snapping a two-game losing streak. Hilmar will have week off to prepare for its TVL title defense. Friday: Bye.

5. (nr) Summerville (4-0, 0-0): Idle. Friday: at Linden (0-5, 0-1).

Dropped out: Modesto Christian (1-4, 0-0).

Others to watch: Gustine (3-1, 1-0), Ripon (3-2, 0-0), Hughson (3-2, 0-0), Big Valley Christian (4-0, 1-0).

To contact reporter James Burns, email jburns@modbee.com, or follow him on Twitter @jburns1980.

This story was originally published September 25, 2017 at 11:13 AM with the headline "O, my: Oakdale, Orestimba No. 1 in latest polls; each a model of consistency."