Downey football has last-minute schedule, opponent change, will play Thursday
The Downey High School football team had to make a sudden change to its schedule this week after its opponent, Cesar Chavez High in Stockton, canceled on the Knights.
Instead, Downey will host Buhach Colony on Thursday at 6 p.m. The Atwater school was scheduled to play Golden Valley, but that game was canceled due to COVID concerns surrounding the Merced team.
Playing on Friday was not an option for Downey because its field is being used for the Modesto-Stagg game.
This is the second time Downey has had to scramble to find an opponent. Its Week 2 matchup against Rio Americano was canceled due to COVID, then the replacement game against Lincoln-Stockton had to be rescheduled for Sept. 24.
“We’re starting to get used to this chaos,” Downey coach Jeremy Plaa said. “We’re starting to get used to this constant change.”
Downey has two more games left before it starts Central California Athletic League play on Oct. 1 against Modesto High.
Junior Conner Stoddard leads Downey with 480 passing yards – sixth best in the section – and six touchdowns. He had his best game in a win over Merced, where he threw for 208 yards and connected with Gabe Hernandez once and Camden Rush twice on scoring passes.
Two of Buhach Colony’s three losses have been by less than a touchdown – a three-point loss to Gregori and a six-point loss to Enochs.
The Downey junior varsity team will still travel to Stockton to play Chavez at 6 p.m.
