In a sloppy game filled with penalties, Turlock High beats Downey in CCAL matchup
The Downey and Turlock High football teams had plenty of challenges as they entered their Central California Athletic League matchup on Friday at Joe Debely Stadium.
After the coronavirus pandemic delayed the start of the season from the fall into the spring for an abbreviated five-week schedule, the teams returned to the field for the first in 16 months and began their seasons with quarterback competitions and plenty of rust due to the lack of preseason scrimmages.
The theme of the night was sloppiness and adjustments as two of the perennial CCAL powers battled with Turlock overpowering Downey in the second half en route to a 56-24 victory.
Turlock (1-0) is at Modesto next week, while Downey (0-1) hosts Enochs, which beat Pitman 30-24.
“It was ugly but we showed heart and came together,” Bulldogs coach James Peterson said.
Downey rotated between sophomores Conner Stoddard and Hudson Wyatt at quarterback while the Bulldogs had senior Dason Evans and sophomore Cole Gilbert behind center.
Gilbert, who made his varsity debut after starting for the JV team as a freshman, got the start and threw an interception on his second drive before the game started to “slow down” for him.
He finished 17 of 21 for 276 yards and two touchdowns and added six carries for 20 yards and a touchdown.
“It was just getting the live snaps and being ready to go,” Gilbert said. “The second half, I started to get the feel of the game.”
With their quarterbacks struggling, Downey relied on senior running back Michael Nevarez, who had 14 carries for 112 rushing yards and two touchdowns and added eight receptions for 57 yards.
Nevarez had a 59-yard run but fumbled into the end zone in the fourth quarter, giving Turlock a touchback. He would bounce back from his mistake and score on his next carry.
“We are a young team ... and have to work on the little things ... the fundamentals,” Knights coach Jeremy Plaa said. “(Nevarez) learned a tough lesson when the ball fell out of his possession.”
Bulldogs senior Josiah Gonzales (eight carries for 53 yards and two touchdowns) scored on a 7-yard run with a little over 10 minutes left in the first quarter for the game’s first score. Nevarez scored later in the quarter to tie it at seven before Turlock stretched its lead.
Junior Logan Hart had four receptions for 82 yards and two touchdowns, all in the first half for Turlock.
The first half was nearly 90 minutes as the game was marred by penalties, mostly unsportsmanlike penalties by both sides. Turlock had over 10 penalties in the first half.
“We are going to be running on Monday because of all the penalties,” Peterson said.
This story was originally published March 19, 2021 at 11:59 PM.
