Merced pulls away from Patterson to win CCC showdown, 45-17
The Central California Conference football showdown between Merced High and Patterson on Friday night was a battle for three quarters.
But the fourth quarter belonged all to Merced.
Bears quarterback Quintell Dupree passed for two touchdowns, ran for a TD and caught a touchdown pass as Merced pulled away from the Tigers to win 45-17.
Merced (4-2, 3-0 CCC) outscored Patterson 22-0 in the final quarter en route to its most important win of the season.
“That win feels great,” Dupree said. “We anticipated this all week, we just kept moving, kept practicing, kept going. And we showed out on the field today.”
It was a lopsided final score, but the game was close until Merced began pulling away in the final quarter.
“It was a slugfest for a while there,” said Patterson coach Rob Cozart, whose team fell to 5-1 on the season (1-1 in the CCC). “With 10 minutes left in the game, it was six points. That’s all going to get lost. ...
“We just got worn down.”
It was a tough night for the Patterson defense, which was never really able to contain the Merced offense.
After punting on their first possession, the Bears scored on their next four possessions to take a 23-10 halftime lead.
Merced scored on every possession of the second half except one, when Patterson’s defense stopped the Bears on fourth-and-goal from the 1-yard line.
Patterson quarterback Max Medina had a quiet night through the air as the Tigers focused on their running attack. But Medina’s 11-yard TD pass to Noah Cozart got the Tigers within six points with 9:01 left in the third quarter.
That was as close as they got.
Merced star running back Chase Smith scored on an 18-yard TD run, Quintell Dupree caught a 5-yard TD pass from brother Jordan Dupree on a trick play, and Quintell closed out the scoring with a 1-yard TD run in the final two minutes.
“They just keep getting better,” Merced coach Rob Scheidt said of his team. “We knew we had something going in the Golden Valley game, and then the Atwater game. ...”
“We’re just fortunate we played really well. And (Patterson) probably doesn’t feel like they played their best game. But that’s Friday night football.”
Patterson will have to rebound
Patterson was looking to win its third consecutive CCC title, but that appears unlikely now as Merced will be heavily favored in its final three CCC games.
Rob Cozart said he’s not looking ahead to the playoffs — just next week’s game at home against Atwater (3-3).
Patterson will need to get its high-octane offense going again after stalling out against a tough Merced defense. And the Tigers will need to regain their confidence, too.
“It’s gut-check time for us,” Rob Cozart said. “We’ve got homecoming game next week. We have Atwater coming in here. We’re going to have our work cut out for us.
“The last thing you want are back-to-back losses.”
Merced getting better every game
Just a few weeks ago, Merced was reeling after falling to 1-2 after a 42-6 loss to Downey in Modesto.
But the Bears have gotten healthy and are gaining confidence. Three straight wins will do that.
An array of talented skill position players and some toughness on the offensive and defensive lines are proving to be more than enough for Merced.
The Bears play at home next Friday against El Capitan (3-4).
As Dupree put it, the CCC title “is just sitting there waiting for us.”
Then it’s on to the Sac-Joaquin Section playoffs.
This story was originally published September 29, 2023 at 11:51 PM.
