Merced holds off Downey’s furious rally, wins in Friday night thriller
It had been seven years since Merced last beat Downey. On Friday night, in front of a roaring crowd, the Bears finally broke through.
Quarterback Vicente Cortez scored three times on the ground and threw for another touchdown, while running back/defensive end Cammarri Jackson added two rushing scores as Merced escaped with a 41–39 victory in a nonleague shootout at Chuck Hughes Stadium. The game wasn’t sealed until junior defensive back Isayah Smith intercepted a pass in the end zone with eight seconds left, ending Downey’s final drive.
“This is what we expected tonight,” Merced head coach Rob Scheidt, in his 30th season, said. “Every time we play Downey, it’s a back-and-forth, who-has-the-ball-last kind of thing. Hats off to Jeremy and his group.”
A TALE OF TWO HALVES
Merced (3–0) controlled the first half, racing out to a 28–12 lead. Cortez opened the scoring with a 6-yard run, then found Hayden Czirban for an 18-yard touchdown pass in the beginning of the second quarter. Jackson provided the power, scoring twice from short range.
Downey (1–2) responded with a furious rally after the break. Junior running back Elias Haynes gashed the Bears for 158 rushing yards and two touchdowns while also catching eight passes for 70 yards. Sophomore Mark Sanchez added two short touchdown runs, and senior Bryant Mendes punched in a 3-yard score. The Knights even recovered an onside kick and surged ahead 39–35 with just over seven minutes to play.
“There was a time there we were kind of having our way moving down the field at will,” Downey head coach Jeremy Plaa said. “That onside kick gave us a chance to take the lead. In the second half, we caught fire, but we just had a hard time containing their quarterback. He’s a good athlete.”
CORTEZ DELIVERS, DEFENSE SEALS IT
Cortez and the Bears answered with a bruising, clock-chewing drive. He converted a fourth-and-1 with his legs before powering in from 4 yards out for the go-ahead touchdown — his third rushing score of the night and fourth overall. The extra point missed, leaving the lead at 41–39.
“Man, that felt great,” Cortez said. “We just knew we had to come out here and execute. I just did it for my team. We haven’t beat this team since 2018, so it feels really good for our coaching staff and for our players.”
Downey wasn’t finished, driving inside the Merced 30-yard line in the final seconds. But Smith’s interception in the end zone capped the Bears’ dramatic win.
SETTING THE TONE
Jackson, who rushed for 65 yards and two touchdowns, said the victory showed Merced’s toughness. “We played our hearts out. We ran the ball good, played hard the whole game. This game really put us in the mindset, like, yeah, we can go 10-0 and go to the playoffs,” he said.
For Scheidt, the win was about more than the scoreboard. “They’re learning how to work, how to do the little things right,” he said. “We’ve got a lot to clean up, but we’re taking the right strides at the right time. Sometimes games like this can lead to great things.”
Plaa said his young team is still learning, but he saw signs of growth in the near-upset. “There were three or four lead changes in the second half, and we’re showing signs,” he said. “The only way you get better is playing good teams like this.”
He singled out Haynes for his all-around performance. “We were trying to find ways to get him the ball that Merced hadn’t seen,” Plaa said. “He’s got a big heart. He wants to win, and we’re lucky to have him.”
LOOKING AHEAD
For Merced, Cortez finished with 250 total yards and four touchdowns. Jackson scored twice and Czirban hauled in six passes for 99 yards and a touchdown.
Julian Masaniai threw for 238 yards and a touchdown to Brysyn Powell, and Mark Sanchez chipped in two scores for Downey.
Merced has a bye next week, and will be looking to keep its perfect season alive on Sept. 19 against Madera.
Downey looks to bounce back against Amador Valley next Friday, Sept. 12.
This story was originally published September 6, 2025 at 6:32 AM.
