Modesto High football team dominates Central Valley 49-18. ‘We can do something special’
The Modesto High football team’s impressive win over Central Valley on Friday night may surprise some. But it came as no shock to head coach Dylan Miller and his Panther players.
Junior quarterback Israel Ceniceros rushed for four touchdowns and passed for another, and Lucky Dam ran for two scores as Modesto dismantled the Hawks 49-18 at Dan Lanphear Stadium.
The Panthers improved to 2-2 on the season and are feeling ultra-confident heading into their bye week.
“Their belief this year is what we’re getting better at,” Miller said. “They believe in each other, they believe in the program, and wins like this happen when talented kids believe. And I think that’s what you’re getting.”
The belief is well-warranted.
The Panthers impressed from the get-go Friday night, with Ceniceros and Dam leading the way on offense behind a strong offensive line.
And the Panthers’ defense forced four turnovers, including three fumble recoveries, and stifled the Central Valley offense for most of the night.
A bomb threat caused some stress at Modesto High on Thursday. But the Panthers didn’t seem fazed by any changes to their schedule.
“The whole thing tonight was to play together and play with joy in our heart,” Miller said. “We had a lot of adversity at Modesto City Schools this week, a lot of opportunity to be average and not do the things we want to do. But our guys believed, had a blast out here tonight and it showed up on the field.”
Turnaround season for Modesto?
It’s been a struggle for Modesto’s football program since Miller took over before the 2019-20 season. The Panthers have gone just 6-38 during the previous five seasons. The last winning season for Modesto came six years ago.
But the Modesto JV team went 8-2 last season and the number of players on the team is the highest it has been in years.
Now they’re off to a 2-2 start, having overcome a disappointing season-opening loss to Johansen, 37-0.
Dam said going 2-1 since then has given the Panthers momentum.
“It’s motivating,” the senior running back said. “We have a very talented team. We can do something special, and I can’t wait for it.”
Dam scored the first two touchdowns for Modesto en route to a 28-6 halftime lead.
Central Valley pulled within 35-12 late in the third quarter, but Ceniceros’ 20-yard TD pass to Ian Poulsen put the game out of reach. Dam finished with 132 yards on 15 carries.
Tough night for Central Valley
Central Valley (1-2) struggled to move the ball against Modesto’s hard-hitting defense.
The Hawks also were hampered by mistakes and 10 penalties.
“We just didn’t really get anything to go our way,” Central Valley coach Derrick Goblirsch said. “We made a lot of mistakes, and also the ball didn’t really bounce our way.
“But we couldn’t get out of our own way tonight.”
Central Valley opens Western Athletic League play against Davis (1-2) next week in Ceres.
Modesto opens Central California Athletic League play on Oct. 4 at Enochs.
The Panthers have averaged 51 points a game since being shut out in Week 1. And Modesto is feeling confident.
“The goal is playoffs, the goal is to contend ... and a championship maybe?” Ceniceros said. “We don’t know yet, but that’s the goal.”
This story was originally published September 14, 2024 at 12:19 AM.
