No home field, no problem as the Escalon Youth Cougars made the Motherlode Valley League their home field going undefeated in the season 12-0 and bringing back the Super Bowl trophy last won by an Escalon team in 2015. Summerville High School would play host to the Super Bowl game this year. Gorgeous mountain views and a cool climate perfect for football would set the stage for the big game on Nov. 4. The Cougars would take on the other undefeated squad, the Argonaut Mustangs, and the youth team from Escalon came away with the championship and a 29-20 victory.
Escalon would receive the kickoff as Argonaut won the coin toss and deferred to receive in the second half. The Cougars would strike first with a two-yard touchdown rush by Leo Marrufo. The extra point kick was blocked by the Mustangs making the score 6-0. Argonaut would come back scoring a touchdown of their own on their offensive drive making it a tie game as they would miss their extra point kick 6-6. Escalon would take their offensive drive from the 20-yard line and finish with a one-yard rushing touchdown by Dylan Ball. The extra point snap was low and holder Ian Trejo would pick up the ball and throw a pass to Marrufo keeping his toes in the end zone for the extra point. The score would be 13-6 in Escalon’s favor.
A resilient Mustang team who would find themselves slipping out of tackles all game long would not give up, scoring on a 41-yard rushing touchdown with a minute left in the half. A controversial point after kick that Escalon’s Dylan Ball blocked but a penalty on the Mustangs would have the referees give them another chance at the kick which was successful. The points would give Argonaut the lead in the game bringing the score to 14-13 Mustangs.
If you are an Escalon resident, you have probably experienced some of that football magic watching the high school team and a little bit trickled down to this team on the following drive. With a minute left in the half, the Youth Cougars would drive down the field and with the last play in the half would complete a 28-yard pass from Jake Ferreira to Leo Marrufo who would make a fantastic catch while getting hit in the air and conveniently landing on his back in the end zone. Ryan Huebner would kick the extra point and the Cougars would go into half time with the lead 21-14.
The Mustangs would start the second half with the ball and would score on their drive with a passing touchdown as their quarterback’s throwing accuracy was on point all game long. Their extra point would sail far left and would bring the score to 21-20. The Cougars would put together a wonderful offensive drive from the 47-yard line that would end on a one-yard rushing touchdown attempt fumbled in the end zone that the Mustangs would recover. This time the Cougars defense, which only allowed opponents to score four touchdowns in the season, toughened up and would make a stop on fourth down, getting the ball back. The Cougars would drive down the field and score on a 12-yard rushing touchdown by Ball. Making the extra point would be crucial as it could make it a two-score game for the Mustangs to take the lead. Fortunately, Escalon’s No. 84 with the golden boot would kick it perfectly through the uprights and give the Cougars breathing room bringing the score to 29-20. The Mustangs would go to their air attack again but this time Escalon was ready with Jake Ferreira intercepting a pass that would seal the win for the Cougars.
Defensively, Leo Marrufo was a force to be reckoned with, not only on offense but also on the defensive side of the ball. He registered an impressive six tackles, making it clear that he can impact the game in various facets.
Joining Marrufo in the defensive highlights were DJ Bass, Carter Yates, Ryan Huebner, Ian Trejo, Jake Ferreira, Dylan Ball, Trey Herrera, and Kolten Kjellberg. These players contributed significantly to the team’s victory with their relentless efforts. Bass, Yates and Huebner each tallied four tackles, while Trejo and Ferreira recorded two tackles apiece. Ball, Herrera and Kjellberg each chipped in with a tackle of their own.
This article was contributed by Alonzo Trejo on behalf of the EYC program.
