Games to watch: Top Stanislaus District high school football matchups for Week 5
While some teams are finishing up the final couple weeks of nonleague games, Trans-Valley League and Western Athletic Conference play starts in Week 5.
Escalon and Hughson continue their TVL rivalry Friday night. Both teams enter the game at 3-1, with Escalon playing some of the best teams from around the state and Hughson one week away from finishing its nonleague schedule at 4-0 after a loss to Summerville last week. Escalon has won every matchup but one since 2004.
One team will exit Friday night’s Downey-Tracy matchup with a 4-1 record. In a game of completely contrasting styles, the Bulldogs’ offense is centered around the run and the Knights throw the ball with the best of them. Win or lose, the game will help Downey with teams it might see in the playoffs.
Modesto Christian and Ceres look to take their undefeated nonleague records in to TVL and WAC play, respectively. Modesto Christian faces off against a young but improving Ripon team and Ceres hosts Lathrop.
Here is a look at some games to watch on Friday:
Tracy (4-0) at Downey (4-0), 7 p.m.
Knights coach Jeremy Plaa says last year in the playoffs against Lodi, the team wasn’t prepared for the triple option. It’s exactly why Tracy is on the schedule. In a game of contrasting styles, this game will come down to if the Knights can stop the option better than the Bulldogs can stop the passing attack. Downey’s efficient signal caller Conner Stoddard will look to improve on his 1,223 passing yards and 14 touchdowns. Lodi will try to slow the pace of the game. Four players have run for more than 100 yards, with quarterback Cameron Ross and running back Tommy Hayes eclipsing the 200-yard mark and one other back not far behind with 195 yards rushing.
Stoddard’s main targets, Camden Rush and Gabe Hernandez, have more than 360 receiving yards each. Rush leads the team in receiving touchdowns, with five, and Hernandez isn’t too far behind, with three. Gavin Garcia is a target who can keep defenses honest as a threat to have a big game at any time. His 204 yards and three touchdowns are third on the team in each category.
Mountain House (3-0) at Davis (1-2) at Modesto Junior College, 7 p.m.
Davis has had its share of close games so far this season as both of the Spartans’ losses have come by a total of three points. Coach Tim Garcia says his team had tried to find its identity in its nonleague games and the Spartans have “shot ourselves in the foot” in both of their losses. Heading into Western Athletic Conference play, the focus is on the basics: blocking, tackling and winning the turnover battle. Mountain House brings physicality in the box and athleticism very similar to what Davis saw against Weston Ranch, a team it lost to 28-25 in the season opener.
Seniors Adrian Gallegos, Les Derma, Cobi Twist and Daniel Valencia all are hoping to continue to lead their team to a second straight league championship after going 10-0 as juniors. Garcia says he will pull two-way sophomores up at running back/safety and receiver/safety on Friday.
Hughson (3-1) at Escalon (3-1), 7 p.m.
The Cougars will be playing with heavy hearts Friday because on Sunday night, the community lost an important figure in coach Greg Largent, who was a successful baseball, softball and basketball coach, as well as an announcer. The rivalry with Hughson and homecoming will bring a larger crowd there for a football game but also to honor Largent.
The Cougars are one point away from a perfect nonleague record against tough competition. Everyone at Engel Field on Friday night will know that Ryker Peters is going to get the bulk of Escalon’s carries. The senior has 884 yards in four games, good for 19th in the nation, and has scored 16 touchdowns. The deciding factor in this storied matchup will be which side is able to impose its will more. Will Escalon’s offensive ability to free up its feature back shine once again, or will Hughson’s ability to slow him down prevail?
The Cougars will be without an offensive lineman Friday night while Hughson is expected to have sophomore Max Mankins and senior Jacob Yarbrough back from injury to get their first action this season.
Hilmar (1-3) at Livingston (2-2), 7 p.m.
The Yellowjackets may have suffered a big blow. Quarterback Hudson Azevedo, who missed all of last season with a torn ACL, will miss extended time with a shoulder injury suffered against Sonora. Sophomore Caden Bailey took over at quarterback last Saturday in a narrow 7-6 loss to Palma. His first varsity start proved to be a test as he threw three interceptions without a passing touchdown. He did, however, find open lanes to scramble as he rushed for 57 yards and one touchdown. Bailey will look to connect with what was Azevedo’s favorite target, Derek Taylor, as they look to turn their record around and start league play off right.
Modesto Christian (4-0) at Ripon (2-2), 7:30 p.m.
Ripon is playing on a short week after having its Week 4 game against Calaveras moved from Friday to Monday due to the Mosquito Fire. It picked up its second win, but now has to deal with one of the hottest teams in the area, Modesto Christian. Chris Musseman has prepared his team for the very different challenge the Crusaders present. While most TVL teams run downhill, Modesto Christian features a spread offense. While the team is very young, Ripon is working on getting second- and third-string players more reps in practice and over the past two games to give starters more rest as they prepare for league play.
Ray Corral Jr. was a dual threat weapon at quarterback for the first three weeks of the season, but true quarterback Ross Widemon took over and Corral went back to his primary position at running back. The Crusaders are coming off a big Week 4 win over Delta Charter that included a running clock after the first quarter due to injuries on the Dragons’ side. Despite the preseason success, coach Jerry Grimshaw knows the TVL presents a different challenge and Ripon has historically played better as league comes around.
Oakdale (2-1) at Miramonte (3-0), 7 p.m.
The Mustangs bounced back with a big win against Balboa in Week 4 after a bye. They will face a tougher preseason test against Bay Area opponent Miramonte and UCLA commit quarterback Luke Duncan. His main target, Bennett Destino, has accounted for more than half of the team’s receiving yards and four of the six touchdowns. Coach Trent Merzon feels his team got a lot better in its bye week leading up to the Balboa game, and though they realize the test they have Friday night, the players are looking to use last Friday’s performance to propel them through the final nonleague games and into Valley Oak League play.
Lathrop (1-2) at Ceres (3-0), 7 p.m.
The Bulldogs return from their bye week and jump right into WAC play against the Spartans. While Ceres’ offense, led by quarterback Landyn Hudson and running back Tarrell Lee-Gill, gets a lot of praise, the defense has gotten key stops when needed. In the crosstown showdown, a late-game stop on a Central Valley two-point conversion proved to be the game-winning stop. They’ve outscored their opponents 37-18. The experience of multiple returners on offense and defense has paid off in the preseason now, Ceres is looking to bring that success to league.
This story was originally published September 15, 2022 at 10:39 AM.
