In their final Trans-Valley League game of the season on Friday, Nov. 1, Escalon had a few missteps but ultimately put away Orestimba by a 41-14 final. In doing so, the Cougars won their third game in a row, raised their overall record to 5-5 on the season and improved to 4-2 in league play.
Better yet, the regular season finale win at home was a good springboard for Escalon into the postseason, as they were rewarded with a five seed in Division 3 and host the number 12 seed Fairfield Falcons on Friday night, Nov. 8 in the opening round of the Sac-Joaquin Section playoffs.
Escalon won the toss on Friday night for the regular season finale but deferred, giving the ball to the visiting Warriors to start the game.
Moving efficiently at first, Orestimba’s first drive then stalled with some penalties and an incomplete pass. They opted to go for it on a fourth and four but were stopped, turning the ball over on downs to Escalon near midfield. The Escalon drive led to the end zone, quarterback Logan Huebner taking it in himself on a 42-yard run and then adding the 2-point conversion to put Escalon up 8-0 with 7:42 to go in the first quarter.
Orestimba faked a punt on a fourth down play on the next series but Noah Gutierrez sniffed it out and made the tackle, setting Escalon up just outside the red zone. It didn’t take too long for Huebner to connect with Chase Cummings on a 26-yard pass play, with the kick good, for a 15-0 Escalon lead, 5:58 remaining in the first quarter.
In the second quarter, Escalon made it a 22-0 lead with a misdirection play that saw Huebner getting the ball to Donovan Martinez for a 16-yard scoring strike. The kick was good and the Cougars were rolling, up early in the second quarter.
But a resilient Orestimba team converted on a 45-yard pass play, with the kick good, to trim the lead to 22-7 with just under three minutes left in the first half. Escalon’s subsequent drive would be wrought with trouble – from losing Cummings to an injury when he was hit hard on the kickoff return – to a series of penalties. Then, with a bad snap on a punt and the ball rolling around, an Orestimba player scooped it up and rumbled into the end zone. They added the kick and it was a game, Escalon clinging to the 22-14 lead late in the second and Orestimba stealing all the momentum.
“We were rolling at 22-0 and I was starting to feel like we were really playing Escalon football,” head coach Andrew Beam said.
But then the last few minutes of the first half happened, and they were back to square one.
“That injury to Chase was a swift kick to the gut,” Beam admitted.
He said coaches again had to get the team focused at the halftime break, urging them to keep their foot on the gas and not let Orestimba get back in the game any more than they already had.
Second half play saw the Cougars do just that, as they shut the door on the Warriors and never let them back in the end zone the rest of the way. Escalon added two touchdowns in the third quarter, one more in the fourth to seal the 41-14 win.
“We decided we were going to run the wham play until they could stop it,” Beam said of the smashmouth football style. “Twelve of the wham rushing plays in the third quarter, 12 of the 15 we ran, were by Carson Medina. He was getting five to six yards every carry.”
Medina scored on a six-yard run in the third, the 2-point attempt was no good; and then a huge interception by Dom Arauza, returning it for 58 yards to stop an Orestimba drive, set up a six-yard touchdown pass from Huebner to Ryan Lewis. The kick was good, putting Escalon in control, 35-14, after three quarters.
Fourth quarter scoring came from Huebner on a one-yard QB keeper; the 2-point attempt fell short, but Escalon secured the 41-14 win.
“We had 29 rushing attempts in the second half and 15 in the first half,” Beam said. “When you get after a team physically like that, we took the fight right out of them.”
Offensively, Huebner was 8-for-13 passing for 83 yards and three touchdown tosses. He also had five carries for 76 yards and scored two touchdowns.
Medina had 19 carries for 114 yards and a touchdown; Carter Yates had eight carries for 50 yards.
“He ran rally well,” Beam said of the freshman Yates. “Also, a special shout out to Cruz Snow and Jeremy Grivette, they were the lead blockers on the wham play and they did a great job this week, without them leading the way, that play isn’t successful.”
Defensively, Dom Arauza had three tackles and one interception, Noah Gutierrez had four tackles and a strip sack.
“We had almost 400 yards of offense to their 193,” Beam said.
He said it was satisfying to notch the third straight league win and, better yet, get the five seed for the playoffs.
“It’s like we told the kids, your tough (preseason) schedule, that grueling schedule, gets us the number five seed and a home game in the Division 4 playoffs,” said the coach.
Hughson claimed the Trans-Valley League title this season, their first time since 1998. Escalon ended in a tie for second.
“We have had three pretty good wins at the end of the season and now we just take it week by week but I like the fact that we’ve found a little more rhythm,” Beam said.
Gates for the opening round playoff game Friday night will open at 6:15 p.m. and kickoff at Engel Field is at 7 p.m.; no cash accepted at the gate, fans must pre-purchase tickets through GoFan.
