With a 27-14 victory over rival Ripon to kick off a festive Homecoming night, the Escalon JV football team captured the Trans-Valley League title on Friday, Oct. 20.
“This was a hard-fought win to clinch the TVL title,” said head coach Brant Rose. “Really proud of how hard the boys played for four quarters and how they responded after falling behind early in the game.”
In the opening quarter, Ripon scored on a 19-yard rushing play with the kick good to take a 7-0 lead.
Escalon answered in the second quarter, Ben Ferreira scoring on a 1-yard plunge and Isaac Patino adding the extra point to knot the score at 7-7. The host team pulled ahead 14-7 as quarterback Ethan Butler connected with Rylan Koops on a 24-yard pass play for the touchdown and Patino put the extra point through the uprights.
“There was a lot on the line for them in this game,” Rose added of his team. “TVL title, Homecoming, stadium reveal, rivalry game, but the boys seized the moment and should be really proud of themselves.”
In the third quarter, Ripon tied the game on a 12-yard rushing play with the kick good but once again, Escalon answered. This time, Butler completed a 3-yard pass to Mason Haverkamp for the score, Patino’s kick was good and the JV boys had a 21-14 lead.
They added the final touchdown of the night in the fourth quarter, Ferreira finding the end zone after a 7-yard run; the kick was no good but the final score was 27-14 in favor of the host JV Cougars.
“One more game to try to complete and impressive, perfect run through the TVL,” Rose said, with the JV boys headed to Livingston for a 5 p.m. kickoff on Friday night, Oct. 27.
Freshmen
Though it was a relatively short road trip, heading just to Ripon, the freshman team came home disappointed, taking their first Trans-Valley League loss of the season.
It was a 21-7 final in the Oct. 19 contest.
Ripon scored on their opening drive and, after Escalon was held to a three and out on their first possession, things continued to go downhill.
“They blocked our punt and returned it for a touchdown and made the extra point to go up 14-0 early on,” explained head coach Joey Costa. “Then we settled in and started playing.”
The young Cougars were able to move the ball behind the offensive line and “hard running” by Noah Dooley, said the coach.
“We scored our only touchdown by K’oz Castro from four yards out in the second quarter, and Damian Morales made the extra point,” Costa said.
That made the halftime score 14-7 in favor of Ripon.
Escalon hoped to get closer in the second half, but things didn’t quite go according to plan.
“We received the opening kickoff but couldn’t get anything going,” admitted Costa. “They scored the last touchdown to go up 21-7 late in the third in which they had to convert a fourth down.”
Ripon came in to the contest with a perfect 8-0 record, providing the Cougars with a tough task.
“I am super proud of how the kids played tough and hung in after a bad start to go down by 14,” he said. “Ripon is a good team so we knew we had to play well. Defense did a good job after the bad start, playing tough. Mikey Lourenco had an interception on defense.”
The team is scheduled to play at Livingston on Thursday, Oct. 26 to close out the season.
