Turlock adjusts, runs away from Enochs in second half to likely secure playoff spot
With its top two quarterbacks sidelined due to COVID-19 protocol, Turlock High’s football team relied on its ground game to likely secure a playoff spot.
JT Foreman II, David Salazar and Morgan Perrien combined for 235 yards rushing and two second-half touchdowns as Turlock outlasted Enochs 21-7 on Thursday night at Downey High School.
The Bulldogs, who lost their first four games of the season, improved to 4-5, securing a fourth victory that’s needed to qualify for the Sac-Joaquin Section playoffs. Four victories does not guarantee a playoff spot as strength of schedule and league play a big role.
However, Turlock, ranked eighth among section Division I teams by CalPreps, had a rigorous non-league schedule that included Rocklin (8-0), ranked No. 1 in the section, according to MaxPreps, No. 7 Manteca (7-1) and Bay Area power Clayton Valley Charter (5-2).
“(The win) meant a lot tonight,” said Turlock head coach James Peterson, whose team improved to 3-1 in the Central California Athletic League. “We were up against it.”
Meanwhile, Enochs, which opened the season 4-0, dropped to 4-5 overall, 0-4 in the CCAL.
With third-string quarterback Ty Teixeira starting, the Bulldogs went to the ground, running on 47 of their 61 offensive plays. Foreman had 25 carries for 129 yards and a touchdown and was complemented in the backfield by Salazar (58 yards, touchdown) and Perrien (48 yards).
Kola Babalola scored Enochs’ (4-4, 0-4) only touchdown on the team’s first possession via a 28-yard run.
For the rest of the game, any time the Eagles got momentum, Turlock came up with a stop.
“We were lucky because I didn’t know if we could stop those guys,” Peterson said. “They’re really good offensively, and our defense just showed up at the right time.”
Enochs held a 7-0 lead late in the first half before Teixeira and Salazar hooked up on a 20-yard scoring play.
Foreman added a 9-yard TD run midway through the third quarter and Salazar closed out the scoring with a 4-yard touchdown run.
“Our quarterback was scrambling for his life, and you can’t make reads and you can’t make throws when you’re running,” Enochs coach Tracey Traub said. “We’ve got great athletes out there but if you don’t have time to get them the ball, it’s hard to do much.”
Orona completed 8 of 18 passes for 65 yards and two interceptions.
Beating Turlock could have gone a long way to helping the Eagles secure a playoff spot. They finish the regular season next week against Modesto (2-6, 0-3).
“We had to win tonight and next week to get to playoffs,” Traub said. “We need to finish strong.”
This story was originally published October 22, 2021 at 6:55 AM.
