Lopez’s look back, look ahead: Davis, Modesto show firepower: MC’s defense shines
The Davis offense was clicking on all cylinders in its 43-6 win over Franklin at Modesto Junior College on Friday.
Senior quarterback Xavier Rodriguez was 18 of 26 for 458 yards and five touchdowns.
“He got into a rhythm,” Davis coach Tim Garcia said Saturday morning. “We got into a pretty good flow offensively after the first quarter where we were a little slow. If not for three big drops, he could have been over 500 yards. He is a senior and very intelligent.”
Junior wide receiver Gregory Smith was Rodriguez’s favorite target as he had seven receptions for 266 yards and four touchdowns.
“(The game) gave a lot of confidence for our kids,” Garcia said.
Not to be upstaged by the offense, the Spartans’ defense pitched a shutout until late in the fourth quarter. Garcia also was happy with the support from Spartan Nation.
“It was a really good turnout for a home opener,” he said. “ It was a great atmosphere and it was a really good night for our school.”
Davis is at Atwater next week.
Behind Eugene’s big night, Modesto picks up first win of season
Senior running back Zaire Eugene ran for close to 200 yards and three touchdowns as Modesto (1-1) beat Beyer (0-2) 44-6 at Gregori High School on Friday.
“We really stayed more disciplined,” Wagner said. “We played good defense and secured the ball a little better. We were a more physical football team.”
After his team’s loss to Clovis in Week 1, Wagner said the Panthers had a really “crisp” week of practice and they had a “good game plan” going into the game.
“The kids were focused,” Wagner said. “I think our team has always been confident but the Clovis loss was tough to swallow. (Friday’s) win shows a lot of resilience from our kids.”
Modesto has a bye next week while Beyer travels to Gregori.
- Modesto Christian’s defense shines
Another week, another strong defensive effort for the Crusaders (2-0) as they traveled to Stockton and beat Edison, 20-9. Modesto Christian held Sierra to three points the previous week.
“They were really big up front,” Modesto Christian coach Mike Parsons said Saturday. “We played great defense and tackled well.”
It wasn’t a great offensive night for the Crusaders and Parsons said “we are still trying to figure out who we are” and they need to work on their red-zone offense.
“We will come around,” he said. “It was a big win last night. We are confident and feeling good. We have a great class of seniors that want to work hard and win.”
- Quarterback battle still alive and well for Central Catholic
Juniors Dalton Durossette and Kyle Jackson each played two quarters in Central Catholic’s 35-7 loss to De La Salle on Friday, the exact formula that was instituted for the Raiders Week 1 game against Clovis West.
“I don’t know if it’s ideal but that’s what we are going to do,” Canepa said. “We are going to do it for another two games and then make a decision.
Durossette played the first and third quarters while Jackson played in the second and fourth. Jackson threw a 5-yard pass to Justin Traina in the second quarter for the Raiders only touchdown on the night.
“It’s a little hard to get your rhythm but the team played well without me,” Jackson said. “It kind of sparked me not being able to play the first quarter. It gave me something to prove.”
- Notes
Despite the loss, Canepa said Friday’s loss to De La Salle helps with the building the program.
“Now we have been tested,” he said. “That’s why you play these games so you can put your kids in tough situations. We are battle tested.” “ ...
A couple of takeaways from Brian Clark, who was in Manteca covering Downey’s come-from-behind victory over the Buffaloes ...
Lost in all the talk about the Downey quarterbacking situation – and the Knights’ impressive receiving trio of Bryce Peterson, Anderson Grover and Ethan Difuntorum – are hard-running backs Jordan Wilson and Robert Rivera. Also not to be forgotten is an impressive offensive line that’s kept quarterbacks Beau Green and Bryce Gouker relatively clean. Opposing defensive coordinators are going to be hard-pressed against assistant coach Chris Cloward’s offense.
Manteca running back Trabron Russell, who had 39 carries for 248 yards and five touchdowns. He played tirelessly all night, gaining most of his yards between the tackles. He’s small in stature, but was as strong in the second half as he was in the first. ...
Enochs coach James Stacy said his team needs to do a better job of controlling the ball after the Eagles had four turnovers in their 13-6 loss to West.
“We need to do a better job of coaching the guys,” he said. “We need to protect the ball in situations with a lot of traffic.”
This story was originally published August 25, 2018 at 1:44 PM.