Prep football roundup: Escalon playoff eligible with win, two coaches earn win No. 100
A pair of Stanislaus District coaches earned milestone victories Friday night as Orestimba’s Aaron Souza and Turlock’s James Peterson each took home career win No. 100 against league opponents. Souza reached the mark in a rivalry game against Ripon Christian. The two have met every season since 2014 and both entered the Trans-Valley League from the Southern League. Peterson’s came against Central California Athletic League foe Modesto High in a shutout victory.
Escalon beat Ripon in another notable contest from Friday night. Both teams entered the contest one win shy of the Sac-Joaquin Section’s four-win playoff qualification threshold. Thanks to a great second half defensive effort, one team is postseason eligible while the other needs to win its regular season finale to qualify.
In the VOL, Patterson could not hand Manteca its first league loss and Oakdale put up a season high in points. Central Catholic put up over 50 points in a blowout win over Mountain House. Riverbank out of the Mother Lode League earned its fifth shutout win this season.
Downey 66, Enochs 7: Downey bounced back from their Week 9 loss to Turlock with a big win over Enochs Thursday night. Carson Lamb threw for 332 yards and three touchdowns. Elias Haynes rushed for 122 yards and three scores and Marcus Cruz, Elijah Tamayo and Lamb added one rushing touchdown. RayMelo Thurman caught nine passes for 175 yards and two touchdowns and Ethan Woodmansee added a receiving touchdown. The Knights had 10 tackles for loss and Haynes had two interceptions.
Riverbank 14, Bret Harte 0: The Bruins picked up their fifth win this season and earned their first Mother Lode League victory Friday night. Riverbank has four wins on the field and one via forfeit. They have not allowed a point in their wins. They finish the regular season next week against River Islands.
Central Catholic 52, Mountain House 19: The Raiders rushed for five touchdowns and added two more through the air in a dominant win over winless Mountain House. Kayden McHenry passed for 137 yards and two scores and Joey Alcutt rushed for 168 yards and two touchdowns. Carter Meeks, Wyatt Dragoo and Jonathan Fuentes each added a rushing touchdown.
Pacheco 18, Davis 14: The Spartans could not improve their chances at a postseason berth, narrowly falling to Pacheco Friday night. Davis looks to rebound from back-to-back losses next week against Johansen.
Johansen 32, Livingston 7: Johansen trailed only 7-6 in the first quarter before scoring 26 straight points to lock up a tie for second place in the Western Athletic Conference heading into the season’s final week.
Gregori 25, Pitman 22: Alton Williams continued to showcase his versatility Friday night, rushing for 103 yards and a touchdown on 14 carries and catching four passes for 46 yards and another score to lead the Jaguars to their third straight win. Quarterback Emmanuel Vasquez completed 22 of 28 passes for 276 yards and a touchdown. Noah Wegner had an interception
Manteca 39, Patterson 27: Patterson could not hand the Buffaloes their first Valley Oak League loss Friday night, falling to the league’s top team. This was Patterson’s 10th straight game and will have a Week 11 bye. The Tigers end the regular season 5-5 overall and 3-3 in their first VOL season.
Oakdale 63, Sierra 21: Wes Burford (5 carries, 180 yards, 3 touchdowns) and Chase Lopez (9 carries 116 yards, 2 touchdowns) led the way once again for Oakdale’s high powered offense that responded to last week’s loss by scoring a season high in points. Gavin Wyatt and Bas Stice added a rushing score each. The Mustangs travel to Manteca for next week’s season finale.
Sonora 64, Modesto Christian 0: The Crusaders could not score their first points of the season. Sonora scored 21 points in the first and second quarters and added 15 in the fourth to earn its third TVL win.
Ceres 28, Beyer 0: Ceres maintained second place in the WAC after a shutout victory over Beyer. Ceres and Central Valley face off in a crosstown rivalry next Friday. The game was a non-league contest in prior years, but they will now play Week 11 in Central Valley’s first season in the WAC.
Turlock 42, Modesto 0: Turlock coach James Peterson took home win No. 100 and the Bulldogs remained perfect in CCAL play. The Bulldogs scored four passing touchdowns and added a rushing score in their sixth win.
Orestimba 21, Ripon Christian 17: Orestimba’s Aaron Souza is a member of the 100-win coach’s club after picking up a key TVL win over the rival Knights. Ripon Christian led 17-14 at halftime but the Warriors answered with a touchdown on the first possession of the second half. Neither defense allowed a point the rest of the game. The Warriors beat the Knights for the first time since 2022. Orestimba moves to 3-3 in TVL play while Ripon Christian falls to 2-4.
Summerville 47, Big Valley Christian 21: The Bears and Lions were tied at 14-14 after the first quarter, but Summerville’s offense broke through in the second quarter, breaking the game open with 23 points. Big Valley Christian has its bye next week. It finishes the 2024 regular season 5-4 overall and 3-3 in MLL play.
Lathrop 34, Central Valley 7: The Hawks trailed 21-0 at halftime and 27-0 after three, but scored their first points on a short touchdown pass from Edgar Peralta to Pahulu Anitelea. A late Lathrop run gave the team its final score.
Escalon 23, Ripon 14: Escalon trailed 14-7 at the half, but the Cougars’ defense pitched a shutout in the second half and the offense found life. Carson Medina tied it in the third and 10 unanswered points, including a late fourth quarter Logan Huebner rushing score, gave Escalon its first lead of the game and helped it seal the win. By securing its fourth victory Friday night, Escalon becomes playoff eligible.
