Manteca too much for young Patterson team in blowout road win
When Patterson scheduled Manteca, it knew what it was getting.
On paper, the Buffaloes have all the makings of a powerhouse. The big-time national recruit, a quarterback with athletes on the outside to get the ball to and a stout defense to keep its opponents off the scoreboard.
“What I saw from Manteca is exactly what I thought I was gonna get,” Patterson coach Rob Cozart said. “They’re an extremely talented team … that’s why we put them on the schedule. They’re a measuring stick for us this year.
“Manteca is one of the best teams that’s gonna be on our schedule.”
The Buffaloes (2-0), who only passed the ball six times in last week’s win, brought both aspects of their offensive game on the road in Week 2. Quarterback Hudson Wyatt threw for three touchdowns, leading the Manteca offense to its second 40-plus point game in a 45-10 win over Patterson.
“It was a goal to open it up and be a little more balanced,” said Manteca coach Mark Varnum. “We know to beat the teams we’ve got to beat down the road, we’ve got to have a balanced attack on offense, so we wanted to work on some things tonight.”
Four-star linebacker and running back Blake Nichelson caught two touchdown passes and one two-point conversion and combined with Bryson Davis and Alijah Cota for nearly 200 rushing yards. Cota finished with one rushing touchdown, Davis contributed two on an 11-yard run; the other was a 15-yard scoop-and-score on defense.
“With the playmakers we have, our theme is, ‘Let our dudes be dudes’ and they did that again tonight,” said Varnum.
Each team started the game with a long first drive. Patterson’s ended with a fumble, Manteca’s ended with a touchdown. The Tigers (1-1) struggled to stop Manteca in the second quarter. The Buffaloes scored three straight touchdowns, two on offense and one on defense, and converted two 2-point conversions, opening up a 29-0 lead.
“That first quarter we were hanging in there,” Cozart said. “But then, in the first four minutes of that second quarter, it got dicey. They started hitting that big play, and that’s what separated (the two teams).”
Patterson’s youth showed as it failed to score on its first five possessions. Three ended in turnovers. The offensive line, which has multiple sophomores and one freshman, had trouble blocking for usually dynamic running backs Lolo Mataele and Sean Hansen. Hansen was the Tigers’ leading rusher with 43 yards on 14 carries.
“Manteca won sections (last year) and we were keeping up with them in the first quarter,” Hansen said. “We shouldn’t put our heads down because we put up a good fight against them.”
Despite the lopsided loss, Patterson didn’t fold, something Cozart noticed and appreciated. Senior Lolo Mataele continued to control the defense at linebacker and Hansen ran harder as the game continued.
The defense forced a turnover on downs that sparked the Tigers’ best drive of the day. A diving catch from Leo Refil helped set up a 27-yard touchdown pass from freshman quarterback Max Medina to Fernando Herrera on the Tigers’ final possession.
“They’re not gonna roll over,” Cozart said of his team. “Guys were still making plays. … Seniors were in there and still fighting, and that helps lead the way for these younger guys.”
This story was originally published August 27, 2022 at 7:54 AM.
