Prep football roundup: Gregori earns first CCAL win Thursday against Enochs
Gregori head coach Lamar Wallace said Thursday that it was good to get a win under their belt.
The Jaguars shook off a six game losing streak and an 0-2 start to Central California Athletic League play. Gregori fell to the league’s two undefeated teams, Downey and Turlock, in back-to-back weeks.
With the new playoff format including bowl games for seeds nine through 16, every game is, essentially, a must-win for Gregori, which went into the game as the No. 16 team in Division I. A win also would have helped Enochs, the No. 17 team in the MaxPreps SJS D-I rankings.
“There’s just an opportunity to be on the positive side of the win column if we win out and that gives us an opportunity to play in the first ever bowl game,” Wallace said.
The two sides combined to score 52 points in a competitive and at times chippy game. Gregori had a seven point lead after the third quarter but a 22-yard field goal by Santiago Hernandez with 8 minutes, 35 seconds left in the game put the Jaguars ahead by 10.
The game was called with 35 seconds left after a string of flags were thrown for unsportsmanlike penalties.
Ripon Christian pulled out a key win in the Trans-Valley League, becoming the second straight team this season to hold Escalon to under 10.
In other CCAL action, Downey beat Modesto High, setting up a battle of unbeaten teams next week when the Knights host Turlock, which beat Pitman in the Harvest Bowl Friday night.
In the Western Athletic Conference, Davis and Johansen each earned wins.
Gregori 31, Enochs 21: Two big interceptions by Bryce Simonds, including a 33-yard pick six paced the evening defensively for Gregori. Offensively, it was a dominant showing in the ground game as Chris Knight rushed for 173 yards and a pair of touchdowns of 44 and 45 yards. Maxximus Foster also scored on a 33-yard run in the third quarter. Gregori’s defense stepped up in the fourth quarter, forcing a turnover on downs with 5:22 left and Simonds’ second interception with 3:56 remaining in the game.
Patterson 56, Sierra 6: The Tigers scored 20 points in the first quarter, 15 in the second and 14 in the third before allowing a touchdown. Sierra scored just six fourth quarter points as Patterson captured its second VOL victory and third win overall.
Ripon Christian 38, Escalon 8: Ripon Christian earned a big TVL victory, holding Escalon to just a touchdown and two point conversion in the third quarter. Lushen Sanders rushed for 186 yards and two touchdowns on 18 carries. Mason Tameling passed for 105 yards and a touchdown. The Knights scored 13 points in the second quarter, 18 in the third and added a fourth quarter touchdown and extra point to seal the win.
Linden 42, Riverbank 0: Riverbank gave up 35 first quarter points and could not recover. After shutting out Millennium two weeks ago, the Bruins dropped two straight league games.
Hughson 38, Orestimba 13: Hughson advanced to 7-2 overall and 3-2 in TVL play. A fast start saw the Huskies get out to a 31-0 halftime lead. Orestimba scored its first points in the third quarter.
Calaveras 28, Big Valley Christian 0: The Lions fell to Calaveras, the Mother Lode League’s undefeated team. Big Valley Christian fell to 3-2 in league play.
Davis 43, Ceres 10: Ceres got on the board first with a first quarter field goal but Davis outscored the Bulldogs 20-7 to end the half. The second half was all Spartans as they held Ceres scoreless in the third and fourth quarters while putting up 16 points in the third quarter and seven in the fourth to seal the win. Davis is 4-1 WAC play and riding a three-game win streak.
Johansen 28, Central Valley 7: The Vikings came away with two interceptions and gave up just one touchdown to rebound from a narrow Thursday night loss last week. Johansen moves to 4-1 in WAC play and Central Valley falls to 2-3 in league play.
Beyer 20, Pacheco 7: Beyer earned its first WAC win and third victory overall Friday night, beating winless Pacheco. The Patriots snapped a four-game losing streak and only gave up a touchdown in their best defensive showing this season.
Downey 56, Modesto 14: Downey led by just a point after the first quarter but scored 29 unanswered points in the second frame to break open a lead over Modesto. The Knights outscored the Panthers 20-8 in the second half to stay unbeaten in CCAL play, setting up a potential league title game next week against Turlock.
Sonora 46, Ripon 20: Cash Byington rushed for 177 yards and three touchdowns on eight carries and Eli Ingalls had 100 rush yards and three touchdowns on 12 carries to lead the Wildcats to a dominant win and keep the team undefeated.
