'Shock the world.' Why Patterson believes it can beat No. 1 Oakdale at The Corral.
Rob Cozart isn’t a superstitious football coach.
He just doesn’t veer too far from script, even when the stakes reach this level. The process is the same, he says, whether the foe is a West Side rival or a regional heavyweight. And that process begins with film.
Cozart has dissected every second of tape on his opponent in Friday’s semifinal round of the Sac-Joaquin Section Division III playoffs. He’s taken that knowledge to the practice field, where the Patterson High football team plots and schemes for the tournament’s top seed, the vaunted Oakdale Mustangs.
Oakdale fills the spotlight with its red-and-gold mystique, its fast-action Wing-T, and undeniable home-field advantage. The Mustangs are the reigning Division III champions, and with 13 returning starters, they’ve gone wire-to-wire as the No. 1 large-school team in the Stanislaus District.
“This is our championship,” Cozart said. “This might be a semifinal to a lot of people in Oakdale and around the section, but when you’re playing the top dog, that’s your championship game.
“In 2010, when we were in this very position, we ran into a buzz saw with Del Oro. We walked away from that game thinking that was our championship game. We see this as our championship game. We’re ready for it.”
Here’s what Cozart has learned by watching all of that game film: Nothing.
Today’s Mustangs are a lot like yesterday’s Mustangs. Much like Cozart, Oakdale is remarkably consistent, year in and year out, and that’s what scares Cozart. On Friday, his Tigers will be facing a program powered by an era of “OKGs” -- Oakdale kind of guys, as the adopted slogan goes.
“There’s more to Oakdale than just the personnel and the Xs and Os,” Cozart said. “There’s so much more to their program, and you have to take all of it into account. It’s the mystique you have to get through. You don’t just win playoff games at The Corral. It’s the way they break the huddle. It’s how they warm up. All of those things play into it. They’re so consistent.”
Under coach Trent Merzon, the Mustangs have produced titles at a factory rate.
Oakdale has won at least a share of 13 of the last 16 Valley Oak League championships, including the last two.
The Mustangs are 84-7 at home since 2004. Last season produced new highs for one of the winningest programs in the section. Oakdale parlayed VOL and section titles into its first CIF State Bowl victory, a 47-0 thrashing of La Jolla in the Division III-A game.
A year later, there’s still plenty of charge in their giddy-up.
Make no mistake, Oakdale, with its twin 1,000-yard running backs (Cameron Cherry and Josh Jacobson) and strong defensive line, is the prohibitive favorite. Cozart is cool with that.
“They’ve been the measuring stick since I took in 2003,” he said. “When you mention the word ‘Oakdale,’ the Mustangs and their colors come to mind. They’re just like Escalon and Hilmar, just on a bigger stage.
"When we were smaller, they (Escalon and Hilmar) were the standards. As we’ve grown, (Oakdale) has become the gold standard. To get to that level, you have to compete with them and go against them. We’re worthy of this challenge, and we’re ready to accept it.”
Cozart would rather his team be the underdog.
They’ve thrived in that role all season, drawing strength from the shadows. Patterson has won 10 consecutive games with a prolific offense and an ever-evolving defense. The Tigers have lived in the bottom half of The Bee’s large-school poll, though, largely because of a 74-49 loss to Downey in Week 1.
“They’ve felt like they’ve been … what’s the new word kids use? Slept on,” Cozart said. “They’ve been looked over. We stumbled and gave up that big spot to Downey and everyone turned their backs on us. We’ll keep doing our thing and eventually everyone will realize what we do.
“They (the players) know who’s been there the whole time. It’s been a small circle, but they’re OK with it. There’s something about being the underdog and having nothing to lose. Let’s go in there and shock the world.”
Patterson hopes to cut down a giant with a two-prong attack.
Gabe Sanchez engineers a fusion offense that blends the triple-option and Spread. The Tigers possess speed at every skill position and have moved through defenses with razor-like precision.
Patterson has scored 40 or more points in eight straight games, and it has topped 60 in three of the last four.
“People really have to stretch to replicate what we do and it makes it hard for them,” Cozart said. “Sometimes, being complex and explosive on offense helps our defense.”
The defense has been solidified with the addition of middle linebackers Chris Garcia, who missed the first five games, and Kingston Mamea, a transfer from Turlock. Jacob Vainuku has also moved from linebacker to defensive line, where he pairs with 6-foot-2, 224-pound senior Armando Robles and 275-pound sophomore Logan Foumai.
That group held the section’s leading rusher, Dominick Norris of Vista del Lago, to less than 100 yards for the first time all season. Oakdale’s Cherry is the Stanislaus District’s leading rusher.
“You have to have that defensive mindset that, even if the ball goes away from you, ‘I have to be in on that tackle. You have to swarm to the ball. “The first time you get a stop, you can’t celebrate like you’ve won the Super Bowl. You have to do it 12 more times. You have to be consistent.”
PLAYOFFS: WEEK 3
Last Week: Burns: 6-4 (259-70). Cortez: (264-66)
FRIDAY
Division II
No. 7 Del Oro (7-5) at No. 3 Central Catholic (10-1), 7 p.m. Burns: Central Catholic Cortez: Central Catholic
Division III
No. 4 Patterson (11-1) at No. 1 Oakdale (11-1), 7 p.m. Burns: Oakdale Cortez: Oakdale
No. 3 Christian Brothers (10-2) at No. 2 Manteca (10-2), 7 p.m. Burns: Manteca Cortez: Manteca
SATURDAY
Division VI
No. 5 Hilmar (7-5) vs. No. 4 Modesto Christian (7-5), at Lincoln H.S., 6 p.m. Burns: Hilmar Cortez: Modesto Christian
Division VII
No. 2 Ripon Christian (7-4) vs. No. 1 Rio Vista (8-3), at Lincoln H.S., 1 p.m. Burns: Ripon Christian Cortez: Ripon Christian
This story was originally published November 22, 2017 at 11:03 AM with the headline "'Shock the world.' Why Patterson believes it can beat No. 1 Oakdale at The Corral.."