Chief changes hands: Orestimba wins rivalry game, Southern League title

Turns out the Orestimba High School football team has a defense to match its high-powered offense.

And now it has the coveted Chief, too.

The Warriors intercepted Gustine four times, recovered a fumble in the end zone and stuffed the Redskins on their final four possessions, setting the tone for a come-from-behind win that will resonate along Highway 33 long after the season has ended.

Austin Martins rushed for 231 yards and closed the game with an interception, and Joe Sheldon rushed for two tide-turning touchdowns as the Warriors celebrated a Southern League championship with a 21-13 victory.

Gustine (9-1, 6-1 SL) led 13-0 early in the third quarter, but in an unprecedented season at Orestimba (10-0, 7-0), history wouldn’t be denied.

“This is so many things all at once: a perfect season for the first time, the first 10-win season in school history, and depending on what the (Sac-Joaquin Section) says, we’ll host our first playoff game at current Warriors Stadium,” Orestimba coach Aaron Souza said. “All the goals we put together this year, we did them ... and brought the Chief home.”

The Chief was the only thing missing from a rivalry game 70 years in the making. The 5-foot-tall wooden statue didn’t make it to the field. Instead, it remained in the Gustine administration office. The Chief is so heavy that school officials wait until the following week to make the exchange.

The logistics mattered little to a capacity crowd of about 6,000, which filled the bleachers and pushed against the temporary fencing.

Gustine, which leads the all-time series 36-33-2, delivered the first blow with a Sebastian Figueroa touchdown run and a goal-line stand to end the half. Unfazed, Orestimba stayed the course, pounding the ball up the middle with Martins and Sheldon. The duo combined for 414 rushing yards on 66 carries.

As dominant as the Gustine defense has been, the Warriors believed they could wear down their rivals with long drives and a power run game.

“I knew they had a tough defense and they showed it,” said Sheldon, who highlighted the third quarter with touchdown runs of 36 and 45 yards. “That was the best defense I’ve seen all year. It all came down to heart and a will to win, and obviously, we wanted it more. We knew they had to be tired, so we kept grounding and pounding on them and we got it.”

As Orestimba partied in the south end zone, Gustine coach Russell McWilliams was left to pick up the pieces. The Battle for the Chief exhausted his team physically and emotionally.

Regardless of Friday’s outcome, Gustine will make its second consecutive playoff appearance. That was the message McWilliams delivered in his postgame huddle.

As he walked off the field, he wasn’t sure his words had sunk in yet.

“These kids are born and then taught about the Chief. That’s it. There’s nothing else. It’s all about the Chief, and they’ve never had a chance for anything else,” McWilliams said. “These kids have to learn there’s life after the Chief. There are banners out there. Once they figure that out, we’ll be fine.”

Gustine senior Brandon LaBry carried the ball 18 times for 118 yards, but the two-way star was slowed by cramps in the second half.

That left Figueroa, a fleet dual-threat quarterback, to shoulder the load. He was nearly up to the task.

Figueroa rushed for 75 yards and offset three interceptions with two touchdown runs. He bolted around the right edge for a 10-yard score with 5:07 left in the first half. Orestimba blocked the extra point and trailed 6-0 at the intermission.

Gustine roared out of the break with their best drive of the game. LaBry burst through the line of scrimmage for a 42-yard gain to the Orestimba 5. Two plays later, Figueroa sneaked in from the 1 to make it 13-0.

“He’s a gamer,” McWilliams said of Figueroa. “He’s a lot like their quarterback (Sheldon) – he can’t be tackled at times. He can make things happen with his feet that are just incredible.”

Still, there was no panic on the Orestimba sideline.

“I told them, ‘If they score on their first drive, don’t worry. It doesn’t matter. We’ll shut them down and finish this game off,’ ” Souza said. “That’s what we did.”

Mike Garcia, Josh Barron, Josh Dominguez and Martins each had an interception. Isaiah Escobar blocked a punt, and Chad Eddington delivered a strip sack that provided the final margin. Eddington crashed into Figueroa, who was trapped in his end zone. The ball bounced to Toby Silva, who covered it for the insurance score.

For the third consecutive year, the Battle for the Chief was decided in the final moments.

Souza said his defense, which has been overshadowed by an offense averaging nearly 50 points per game, played with a chip on its shoulder.

“Our defensive backs played well – best they’ve played all year. We got four interceptions,” Souza said. “You know, it’s that old adage, ‘Defense wins championships.’ Everyone talks about Gustine’s defense; well, ours was the one that shined tonight.”

This story was originally published November 7, 2015 at 1:27 AM with the headline "Chief changes hands: Orestimba wins rivalry game, Southern League title."