Peters powers Escalon past Northwood to win second CIF State Title in three seasons
With a narrow 14-7 lead near the end of the quarter of the CIF Division 4-AA State Football Championship game against Northwood, Escalon High was pinned at its own 15-yard line.
The Cougars needed to march 85 yards, but the team’s offense was hindered by a soggy field with puddles left from the downpour of rain that stopped just before kickoff.
“We couldn’t throw the ball because of the weather,” said coach Andrew Beam. “It nullified our passing game … and running laterally was not working because of the field, we could not get our grip. It just came down to just power run, wing-T football at its finest, and we fed our guy the rock.”
The Cougars made an adjustment, switching from a formation with Owen Nash slotted out wide at receiver to one with two tight ends to ensure there would be more blocking up front. They decided running the ball down the field with Ryker Peters was their best option. Nash said that while he was watching from the sideline, he could see Escalon “break their will.”
The drive ended in a touchdown, which gave the Cougars a more comfortable advantage after chewing up nearly all of the fourth-quarter clock, leaving 3 minutes, 31 seconds left in the game. They would tack on another score in the fourth to secure their second CIF State Championship in three straight state playoff appearances, beating Northwood 28-7.
“For the majority of time, it was the same play,” Peters said. “Wham right, wham left, dive right, dive left, belly right. When you have all those hard-pounding plays up the middle, it’s amazing.”
Nothing was going to keep Peters out of the end zone. The senior carried the ball 16 times on the 18-play drive, converted on third down five times and despite an unsportsmanlike penalty that pushed the Cougars back to the 16-yard line, found the end zone on third and goal from the six-yard line.
“I mean, that last 40-yards stretch was brutal,” he said.” But I just looked at my team and looked at how bad they wanted it and was like, ‘All right, suck it up, get one more yard, get five more yards, get six more yards,’ and it paid off.
Peters finished the game with 33 carries for 157 yards and a touchdown.
Nash didn’t get many opportunities at receiver, but he made an impact on defense. One play after deflecting a pass on Northwood’s first possession of the fourth quarter, he intercepted a Eugene Miyata pass and returned it for a 33-yard pick six. A successful extra point made it a 28-7 game and officially closed the door on a Timberwolves comeback.
“It was crazy, especially right after dropping the first one,” Nash said. “The play before, he threw the same exact ball. … It was awesome. It was amazing.”
The team’s two veterans, Logan Anderson and Nash, were called up to varsity to play with their older brothers in 2019 as freshmen. Though neither played in the game, they got rings. This year, they contributed in big ways all season.
“My freshman year, I got carried,” Nash said. “I didn’t get a single snap that year, but it was still great, I still have a ring for it. But now this one (will say) 13 on it.
“This is definitely at the top for me … this is the greatest feeling I have ever experienced.”
Anderson burst through the hole in the third quarter, scoring the Cougars’ second touchdown of the game on a 49-yard run. He finished with eight carries for 79 yards and a score.
Beam refers to Nash and Anderson as the team’s leaders. Now, they will also be celebrated as two-time state champions.
“I hang out with him every single day,” Nash said of his friendship with Anderson. “We go to school, walk home from school and then come right back to practice right after. It’s amazing. I mean, I couldn’t ask for a better person to be my vet brother.”
The Cougars’ defense held the Timberwolves scoreless in the second half, giving up just 62 yards and forcing punts on two of their three possessions. The offense scored 21 unanswered, seven in the third and 14 in the final frame.
“We put ourselves in some really bad situations early on,” Beam said. “In the second half, we were able to establish our run game and kind of run that clock down and chew up some yards.
Escalon will bring back junior quarterback Donovan Rozevink and sophomore Ryan Lewis, who connected on a 9-yard pass play for the first touchdown of the game. Juniors Jamin Miller and Josh Graham will also be back to continue as Peters and Anderson’s successors.
The Cougars’ history of success continued this season. This is their third state title since the Bowl Game era began in 2006. In addition to the 2019 state title, they won in 2010. It’s a great run that might not slow down any time soon.
“It’s a testament to our community, our coaches, the people that live here and the students that we get to coach,” Beam said. “This roster is filled with guys whose dads, uncles, brothers, moms, were cheerleaders and played football and went to Escalon High School.”
There’s a saying that tradition never graduates, “and we’re proud to be a part of it,” he said.
This story was originally published December 11, 2022 at 7:23 AM.
