Downey rallies behind freshman quarterback to stun Manteca 44-42
The freshman quarterback walked onto the field with 84 seconds left in the game trying to do something he’d never done — produce a game-winning drive.
No problem.
Beau Green drove his Knights 70 yards, capping the eight-play drive with a run up the middle from the 3-yard line with 12 seconds left to lift Downey to a thrilling 44-42 victory over talented Manteca at Guss Schmiedt Field.
“On that last drive, I was shaking, I was a little bit nervous,” said the giddy Green, moments after the game. “But I’m just glad we succeeded as a team. Everyone did their job on that last drive.”
Entering the game, the job of quarterback remained a battle between Green and junior Bryce Gouker, who got the start on Friday. The previous week in a 39-19 rout of East Union, the two quarterbacks rotated every series as coach Jeremy Plaa was still deciding who would be No. 1 after preseason practices failed to yield a winner.
After the two switched off early in Friday’s game, Green remained in the game after scoring on a 3-yard touchdown run with a little over 7 minutes left in the second quarter. The dive up the middle capped a 10-play, 68-yard drive, the second to last play a 12-yard run by Green.
Is this be the start of the Green era at Downey?
“That’s premature to say,” Plaa said after the game. “He just presented more of a threat with his feet. It was one more thing Manteca had to prepare for and that was evidenced by his game-winning touchdown. He has the arm to get it outside and the leg power to get it inside.
“We’re going to keep on competing and see what the film looks like and make a decision (on the starter) next week.”
Green completed 15 of 25 passes for 244 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. Jordan Wilson rushed for 114 yards, including a 45-yard touchdown in the first half and Ethan Difuntorum had seven catches.
Downey saw its 23-6 first half lead dwindle to three at halftime, then watched as Manteca — led by star running back Trabon Russell, who rushed for 244 yards and five touchdowns — erase a 38-20 lead in the second half.
The Knights had gone up by 16 on a Green-to-Grover catch-and-run for 80 yards. Then, in a pivotal play, when the snap was botched on the extra-point try, kicker Cris Cortez, also a backup tailback, picked it up and ran around the left side for two points.
But after a Russell 2-yard run 38-28, wideout Jorge Cedano made a spectacular diving catch in the end zone on 4th-and-12 to cut Downey’s lead to 38-35 with 28 seconds left in the third quarter.
On the ensuing kickoff, a low line drive kick bounced off a Downey player and Manteca recovered. The Buffaloes went 10 plays and scored on another fourth-down play, this time a 1-yard run by Russell with 7:57 left.
“When you play good teams, there are going to be momentum changes,” Plaa said. “A coach’s dream is you make enough mistakes and still come out on top.”
Downey got the ball back on its 32 and drove to the Manteca 36 before the drive stalled, ending on two incomplete passes by Green.
With 6:01 left, it appeared Manteca could just hand it to Russell and be done with it.
However, the Buffaloes drove down to Manteca’s 25 yard line when on third down with 2:22 left, Ward tried to run outside but was tackled in the backfield by defensive end Malachi Butler for a 5-yard loss. Manteca went for it on fourth, but Ward tossed a low pass that fell incomplete, setting the stage for Green.
He hit Bryce Peterson on two straight passes, the second a nice toss through the seam that gave the Knights 1st-and-10 on the Manteca 31. Rivera then bolted up the middle with some shifty moves for 14 yards. Green, who admitted that even as a youth player he never led a game-winning drive, found Grover over the middle to get to the 3-yard line, setting up the winning score on the next play.
“Beau Green played physical as a freshman,” Grover said. “I love that kid. He’s so tough. So smart. So football savvy. ... He’s something special for sure.”
This story was originally published August 24, 2018 at 10:43 PM.