Oakdale withstands Turlock rally for hard-earned win

Oakdale and Turlock teed off on each other for the 79th time Friday night in a way their fathers and grandfathers probably would have enjoyed.

These old Stanislaus District rivals verbally sparred, physically pounded on each other and sometimes didn’t let the whistle end the action. Before it was over, they combined for seven personal fouls and two player ejections – one from each side – but it was Oakdale smiling as the lights were shut off at The Corral, 24-13.

“It is a rivalry. I think it’s turning into a huge rivalry,” Turlock coach James Peterson said. “Nobody wanted to back down.”

Tops on that list was Oakdale fullback Brad Aquino, a slightly smaller version of last year’s battering ram Frankie Trent. Aquino, a wirey 185-pounder and the Mustangs’ Scout Team MVP last year, pushed for 118 yards and three touchdowns on 28 no-nonsense carries.

He performed like someone who’s patiently waited his turn for a program that has won two Sac-Joaquin Section titles over the last three years. Most of his yards came straight ahead, though a stout Turlock defense was deployed to stop him.

“Frankie mentored me last year. I pretty much took on his traits,” Aquino said. “Now I’ve got my shot to be there for my teammates.”

Aquino’s steady output, combined with Oakdale’s fast start, defined the night for a crowd of about 3,000. The Mustangs (2-0) and the Bulldogs (1-1) are not unaccustomed to waging close games – the previous two were decided by a point – but Oakdale bolted this time to a 17-0 lead.

Aquino’s 15-yard burst up the middle keynoted the scoring, and it was a harbinger. The Mustangs churned for 224 rushing yards and outgained Turlock 326-233. Senior Darus Nelson, still finding his form after off-season knee surgery, worked hard for his 86 yards on 22 attempts.

“We answered some questions about ourselves tonight,” Oakdale coach Trent Merzon said. “We’re a pretty good team, and we can play good defense.”

Indeed, Oakdale limited Turlock to 122 rushing yards as sophomore tackle Matt Kjeldgaard proved hard to budge. The Bulldogs were reduced to some determined running by senior quarterback Peyton Dunseth, who rushed for a touchdown and passed for another.

The Bulldogs launched a midgame counterattack and closed the deficit to 17-13. Dunseth passed 4 yards to Allen Padilla seconds before halftime to give the visitors life. Then, after a fourth-down, 24-yard Dunseth-to-Padilla connection, Dunseth sneaked in from the 1 early in the third quarter.

Oakdale answered immediately, however, after senior Adam Olsen found Gregory Hickman downfield for 33 yards. Eight plays later, on fourth-and-a-foot from the 8, Aquino again charged forward for the important 11-point lead.

Any chances for a Turlock comeback in the fourth quarter were blunted by interceptions by Lane Trapp (he booted a 33-yard field goal in the second quarter) and Isaac Moreno.

The game’s rough-around-the-edges tone hurt Turlock more than the home team. The Bulldogs were penalized heavily during their season-opening win last week over Enochs, and they were gashed a week later for 112 yards. Oakdale’s drive to its second touchdown twice was aided by Turlock penalties on third down.

“We tried to clean up the penalties. After tonight, we know we’re committing too many penalties,” Peterson said.

Oakdale won’t stress about the flags. It answered with a heavy dose of Aquino and Nelson when Turlock rallied, and that’s all Merzon needed to see.

“It was chippy, and the volume was turned up,” he said. “Our kids did not back down.”

This story was originally published September 5, 2015 at 1:40 AM with the headline "Oakdale withstands Turlock rally for hard-earned win."