Best for last: Sierra shuts out Liberty Ranch for first section football championship

The last team in the Sac-Joaquin Section’s field of 72 will lead it into the CIF Northern California Regional round.

Mired in mediocrity for most of the season, Sierra High School has saved its best football for last, reeling off three consecutive postseason victories to win the school’s first section football championship.

The third-seeded Timberwolves turned up the heat on No. 4 Liberty Ranch on a chilly Saturday night at Elk Grove High School, scoring two defensive touchdowns en route to a 42-0 victory in the Division IV final.

Linebacker Scott Teicheira recovered a fumble in the end zone and cornerback Gio Juarez turned one of his two interceptions into a pick six to remove the drama in this meeting of first-timers.

Like Sierra (8-5), Liberty Ranch (8-5) was appearing in its first section final. The Hawks had won eight consecutive games and rallied around coach Warren Schroeder’s cancer-stricken 9-year-old son, Timothy.

Running out of the Wing-T, Liberty Ranch averaged 44.5 points in postseason victories over Dixon and Los Banos. On Saturday, the Hawks threatened the Timberwolves’ end zone only once. Liberty Ranch botched a field-goal attempt at the end of the first half and spent the rest of the game stuck in neutral.

“It’s about that over there,” Sierra coach Jeff Harbison said, pointing to the party erupting on his sideline. “It’s about those kids, celebrating the way they’re celebrating. It’s about the hard work they put in since February. We had a whole bunch in other sports and they joined in in June. This is the culmination. This is what it’s all about.”

Fittingly, linebackers Enrique Jasso and Teicheira led the celebration. Jasso, Teicheira and wide receiver Daniel Wyatt lifted the school’s first basketball section banner in March.

On Saturday, Jasso dropped to his knees near the sideline, playing toward the crowd. He accounted for one of Sierra’s four sacks of Liberty Ranch quarterback Rick Van Houten, who completed just 4 of 11 passes with two interceptions.

“Everything is clicking right now. After that Calaveras game, I really thought we were the best team in the division,” Jasso said of their semifinal win. “Now we’re section champions.”

With the winter and spring sports seasons still ahead, Teicheira is already the most decorated student-athlete in the school’s 21-year history. The senior was a part of Sierra’s football, basketball and baseball championships during the 2014-15 school year, completing the first major sports title sweep in the Valley Oak League’s modern history.

Now, he can claim section titles in two major sports.

Teicheira was the last to leave the field on Saturday. He walked slowly down the home sideline, the Timberwolves’ flag laid over his shoulder.

“This is an unbelievable feeling, to be a two-time section champion,” Teicheira said. “I don’t think it has really hit me yet.”

Teicheira made it 12-0 in the second quarter, bear-crawling after Van Houten’s fumble in the end zone. Marcos Castillo added a 26-yard field goal to make it 15-0 at halftime.

Liberty Ranch had a chance to cut into the lead just before the half, but Devin Hardaway pushed his 28-yard field-goal attempt wide.

It was the only time the Hawks crossed the 50-yard line. Sierra’s big-game experience playing in the Valley Oak League and against Wing-T programs in Ripon, Lodi and Oakdale turned this section final into a layup.

Liberty Ranch wasn’t nearly as dynamic or fast as the Timberwolves’ past opponents, and it showed on the scoreboard.

Sierra finished fifth in the VOL at 3-4 and qualified for the postseason as one of four 5-5 teams across six divisions.

Section director of communications Will DeBoard said Sierra rounded out the field of 72 playoff teams at the recent small-schools banquet for finalists.

“The trials of the Valley Oak League prepared us for this,” Teicheira said. “We got into the playoffs and got hot. Our defense came together and played with a swagger.”

The offense was sharp, too. Running back Mark Paule Jr. had 92 yards and two touchdowns on 14 carries. He also had four catches for 51 yards.

Junior quarterback Mark Vicente was 11 for 16 for 199 yards. He threw two touchdown passes to Wyatt, who had four catches for 119 yards. The two collaborated on a 40-yard screen on the opening possession to make it 6-0.

“That first pitch and catch by Mark and (Wyatt) set the tone for the entire night,” said Harbison, in his 11th season. “They were weary of our screen game and we were able to get it working tonight.”

Wyatt later won a jump ball with cornerback Enrique Gamez in the third quarter, stepping out of the tackle to complete a 49-yard touchdown.

Juarez’s pick six on Liberty Ranch’s next possession staked Sierra to a commanding 35-0 lead after three, inducing the running clock.

Counted out by many, upstart Sierra will continue its historic ride with a regional game Dec. 11 or 12 against an opponent to be determined. The Timberwolves are the second program from Manteca to reach this stage of the postseason, joining the 2013 Manteca Buffaloes. With a win, Sierra would clinch a state bowl berth.

“This is a pretty special time with everybody gathering around,” Wyatt said, clutching the blue banner. “We had a lot of people doubting us, but we managed to overcome it.”

This story was originally published November 29, 2015 at 12:23 AM with the headline "Best for last: Sierra shuts out Liberty Ranch for first section football championship."