Games to Watch: Downey vs Turlock CCAL matchup highlights Week 9
The Central California Athletic League champion will likely be decided Friday night when Downey visits Turlock. Both teams are perfect in league play and have a history. Downey is hungry to avenge last season’s loss in a game they felt they let slip out of their grasp. Turlock, battle tested, physical and skilled, enters the game as the defending league champions looking for back-to-back wins against the Knights.
Also in CCAL play, Modesto and Gregori are both hungry to reach their fourth win and become playoff eligible. They face off this week.
In the VOL, Oakdale and Central Catholic put their dominant rushing attacks against each other in a key rivalry game with second place on the line behind unbeaten Manteca. The Raiders have already played the Buffaloes and the Mustangs play them in the regular season finale.
Downey (7-0, 2-0 CCAL) at Turlock (4-3, 2-0 CCAL), 7 p.m.
Downey won’t hesitate to say Friday’s game has been circled on the calendar since last season. After the Knights went up 11-0, Turlock roared back to score 24 unanswered points in a 24-11 win to claim the league title. The Knights welcomed back defensive leader Ryne Moore last week, who played in his first game since hurting his knee early in the season. Head coach Jeremy Plaa said he played a few snaps against Modesto to test it out and he felt good. The Knights will be playing their first game outside of Modesto since Sept. 6. They had three straight home games and a road game against Modesto at Johansen. It will be interesting to see how they respond to their first true road test. Turlock coach James Peterson says the team has momentum after a big Harvest Bowl win over Pitman. The team is battle tested with games against Folsom, Rocklin and good competition from the Central Section. Peterson says the coaching staff has used those games as teaching opportunities all season and motivation on the field and in the weight room. In a game like this, there are no surprises. Downey knows in order to win it will have to be physical and Turlock knows its key to victory will be covering receivers on the outside.
Oakdale (6-1, 3-0 VOL) at Central Catholic (4-3, 2-1 VOL), 7 p.m.
Central Catholic’s first half last Friday against East Union was its best half of football all season. They tackled well, the offense produced 35 points in the first two quarters and the defense held the Lancers’ offense scoreless. Carter Meeks had one of his best offensive games, rushing for 135 yards and three touchdowns. They’ll need more of that Friday when they take on one of the hottest teams in the Stanislaus District. The Raiders have history on their side as they’ve won the last three matchups and are 6-4 since 2014. Oakdale’s rushing attack has produced more than 50 points in three of the last four games. The Mustangs have won six straight since dropping the season opener against Sonora and coach Garrett Martin says they’re feeling good and getting better every week. Wes Burford always presents a problem with his 1,513 rushing yards and 18 touchdowns and Chase Lopez and Gavin Wyatt provide balance to the high-scoring offense. Lopez (754 rush yards, 6 touchdowns) has blossomed into a great runner, making great strides this season as a rusher on the outside. Wyatt, the Mustangs’ hybrid running back/wing does a lot of the team’s blocking but doubles as a threat on the outside run as well as in the passing game. Wyatt has 272 rushing yards and three touchdowns and is the team’s top receiver with 125 yards and three scores. Though this is a big rivalry with VOL positioning on the line, both sides kept it simple, noting tackling and maximizing the run game will lead them to victory.
Ceres (4-3, 2-2 WAC) at Davis (4-3, 3-1 WAC) at MJC, 7 p.m.
With Ceres and Davis both postseason eligible, Friday night’s game is strictly for league positioning. The Spartans are tied with Livingston for second place behind unbeaten Lathrop and Ceres isn’t far behind in fourth. A win for the Spartans would create some separation, a Bulldogs victory keeps things very interesting. Davis is 10-2 against Ceres since 2004 but the two sides are 2-2 in the past four meetings. Davis coach Trevor Mew said the team played its most complete offensive game last week against Beyer. The Spartans passed for 140 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for 194 yards and two more scores in a 28-8 win. Defensively, they came away with two interceptions and a fumble. They are hoping to keep things rolling and earn their third straight win this week. Mew knows Ceres has the potential to do “things that can give us trouble.” The Bulldogs have three senior receivers who have over 150 receiving yards and at least one receiving touchdown. Reis Smith is the team’s leader with 282 yards and six touchdowns. The Spartans are chasing their first postseason berth since their perfect regular season in 2021 while the Bulldogs are looking to get back to the playoffs for the fourth straight year.
Modesto (3-4, 1-1 CCAL) at Gregori (2-5, 1-1 CCAL), 7 p.m.
Two teams in the hunt for the CCAL’s third seed face off Friday night in what could be one of the top games of the week. Coaches at the Modesto Quarterback Club meetings every Monday speak glowingly of the progress Modesto High has made this season. Coach Dylan Miller has the Panthers playing tough, physical and disciplined and it has translated to wins. The team is one win from qualifying for the playoffs and a 2-1 CCAL record will give them sole possession of the league’s No. 3 spot behind Downey and Turlock. Lucky Dam, the CCAL’s leader in rushing yards according to MaxPreps, has continued to lead the rushing attack with 699 yards and 10 touchdowns. Israel Ceniceros is third in the league in rushing yards, total touchdowns and total points. Gregori has a star running back of its own in Alton Williams who returned last week in a narrow win over Enochs with 214 total yards and two receiving touchdowns. He has battled shoulder injury all season and is hoping to stay healthy for a late season playoff push. He has rushed for over 100+ yards in two of his four games this season.
Ripon Christian (4-3, 2-2 TVL) at Escalon (2-5, 1-2 TVL), 7 p.m.
Ripon Christian is one of the newcomers to the Trans-Valley League but coach Phil Grams feels like they’ve played well through their first four league games. They’re 2-2 but are a few plays away from being 4-0, showing the Knights you can’t make mistakes in the TVL. They will dress 22 players this week in a big game against four-time defending section champion Escalon. Ripon Christian enters Friday night with momentum after beating Ripon for the first time in the school’s football history last week. The Knights are already playoff eligible, earning their fourth win last week. Any win now can only help their playoff seed. Escalon is 4-0 against the Knights. The two sides have not played since 2009. The injury bug continued to bite the Cougars as they lost star freshman Dylan Ball to a groin injury last Thursday in a loss to Woodland Christian. As of Wednesday, Beam said he was hoping to have either Ball or quarterback Logan Huebner return for this week’s matchup. The Cougars need wins. In order to qualify for the postseason, they must win two of their next three matchups. They play the Knights Friday and Ripon and Orestimba, respectively, in their final two games.
