Oakdale just short of first title since 2016 in D-III shootout loss to Woodcreek
It’s rare for a football team to score 52 points, have a player rush for five touchdowns and still lose the game, but that was Oakdale’s fate Friday in the Sac-Joaquin Section Division III championship against Woodcreek.
The Mustangs entered the 4 p.m. matchup at Sacramento City College’s Hughes Stadium chasing their sixth ever blue banner. They have the second-most title game appearances, behind Central Catholic, and each of their two appearances since claiming the 2016 title ended in a loss.
This season, Oakdale was on a roll entering the title game. After a season-opening loss to Sonora, its only blemish was a loss to Manteca in the Valley Oak League championship. The Mustangs rebounded by averaging 40 points in two playoff games, beating Ponderosa and Vanden in the quarterfinals and semifinals.
The Mustangs had no problem scoring, but neither did the Timberwolves. In a game that climbed to 110 total points, 11 total touchdowns by two players and a matchup of contrasting styles, Woodcreek outlasted Oakdale 58-52 in a classic championship shootout to claim the school’s first ever section championship.
Oakdale’s season ends at 10-3, with runner-up finishes in D-III and the VOL.
“Only seven teams get to win their last game, and we were close,” head coach Garrett Martin said. “It’s the small moments in these big games that compound. We were close in the end. Yeah, we’d love to win, but it can’t always be about that.
“We went out on our sword.”
Oakdale one possession short in shootout
The Timberwolves and Mustangs have history as recent as 2024. In last season’s playoff run, Oakdale eliminated Woodcreek in the D-III quarterfinals. Oakdale was the top seed and Woodcreek was No. 8.
This year, Woodcreek, which finished second in the Capital Valley Conference, entered at 11-1, with its only loss coming in league play to Inderkum. Its dynamic passing attack, led by senior quarterback Josiah Melendez, accounted for over 2,000 yards and 17 touchdowns.
Sometimes, championship games come down to a few key plays, and when it was all said and done, a fourth-quarter onside kick made all the difference.
Right after Woodcreek took a 50-44 lead, head coach Kyle Stowers called a gutsy onside kick in an attempt to steal an extra possession.
Woodcreek recovered the kick, taking over possession on the Oakdale side of the 50-yard line, and six plays later was in the end zone, making it a two-possession game.
It was the latest twist in a game full of action.
Woodcreek scored on all four of its first-half offensive drives and Oakdale scored on three of its four possessions, each a rushing touchdown by senior Air Force commit Wes Burford. The Mustangs, as they typically do, went for two-point conversions after each score, converting on two, once with each Burford and Anthony Navarro. The Timberwolves went into the half with a 28-22 lead.
“I’ll do everything I can for (my teammates) because I know they did everything they possibly could for me,” Burford said. “I want to do my all for them, however many times I need to run the ball, how many times I need to be on defense, I’ll do whatever I need to for them and my coaches.”
Oakdale turned the ball over on downs on its first offensive possession of the second half but forced a Woodcreek turnover as Chase Lopez caused a fumble that was recovered by Gavin Wyatt. Burford rushed for his fourth touchdown of the game on a three-yard score to tie the game at 28.
Oakdale took its first lead of the second half on its next offensive possession, answering Woodcreek’s rushing touchdown with a nine-yard Burford score and another Navarro conversion. The two teams traded scores until the savvy onside kick call from Woodcreek’s first-year head coach.
Burford and Melendez put on a show all night. In his final high school game, Burford carried the ball 42 times for 175 yards and five touchdowns and added 19 receiving yards. Melendez completed 19 of 26 passes for 358 yards and four touchdowns and rushed for 135 yards and a pair of touchdowns.
Also for Oakdale, Navarro finished with 127 yards and a touchdown on nine carries, while Lopez added 71 yards on eight carries. Senior quarterback Grant Gardner completed a 36-yard touchdown pass to Eli Briseno.
“They have speed we can’t simulate, but I thought we adjusted fairly well in the second half,” Martin said. “We still didn’t stop them much. That’s a really good football team.”
End of the line for seniors
The heartbreaking loss marks the end of the high school careers of Oakdale’s star senior trio in Burford, Lopez and Richard Flores. There are a total of 27 seniors on the team’s roster.
Despite a season-ending injury in the regular season finale against Manteca, Richard Flores finished with career highs in nearly every major rushing category. He tallied 1,105 yards, 110.5 yards per game, 20 touchdowns and had five games of 100-plus rushing yards. Consistently, he provided a needed change of pace on the outside to the bruising Burford-style runs.
Chase Lopez, though he didn’t have the breakout season he did as a junior, still finishes with just over 1,000 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns. He took a step back in carrying the ball from last year’s 152 carries but continued to be an integral part of the offense, opening gaps for the ball carriers with physical blocks.
Burford has been the team’s bell cow for the past three seasons and on defense flies around, racking up sacks, tackles for loss, tackles and interceptions. An Air Force commit, Burford’s 7,188 rushing yards entering Friday’s title game were first in Sac-Joaquin Section history and 14th in the history of California high school football, according to the Cal-Hi Sports list. With his efforts Friday, Burford stamps his name in the state history books, 7,363 yards and 101 touchdowns.
“I want to thank my town, my brothers and my coaches. I want to thank my family and everybody,” Burford said. “I love playing for Oakdale and it’s something I’ll take with me forever.”
This story was originally published November 29, 2025 at 7:51 AM.
