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Jags celebrate win on Cougars’ homecoming
Bulletin football 2018
Weston Ranch receiver Fletcher Pitts tries to break free from Kimball’s Santino Lozano. - photo by Photo by WAYNE THALLANDER

STOCKTON — Weston Ranch High finally played its first home game on Friday.
Kimball dampened the Cougars’ homecoming spirit with a 41-13 Valley Oak League victory.
The Jaguars did so with a strong second half led by quarterback Mateo Decoite and running back Louie Pacheco.
Decoite threw three touchdown passes, including two to Cam Sims and another to Kaleo Ballungay during that span. Pacheco, who rushed for 93 yards on 19 carries, scored three times on short yardage.
"They wore us down," said Weston Ranch coach Marcelo Zamarripa, who recently took over from Kevin Breaker at the helm. "It didn't help that we had self-inflicted wounds."
He was referring to the over 120 yards in penalties racked up by his team, most of that occurring in the second half when the Jaguars broke it open with 27 unanswered points.
The Cougars (0-2 VOL, 1-5 overall) didn't get their offense untracked until late in the second quarter.
Likewise for Kimball (1-2, 2-5), which strung together the game's first score, getting help with a face-masking penalty and Decoite's pass completion to the Weston Ranch 1.
From there, Pacheco punched the ball in for the first of his touchdowns.
Quarterback Amier Bowen had a hand in answering back, hitting a series of quick passes to Omar Hernandez and his receiving corp consisting of Andrew Williams and Fletcher Pitts.
His 24-yard scoring strike to Pitts pulled Weston Ranch to within a point shortly before the intermission, 7-6.
The Jaguars were nearly unstoppable in the second half. They quickly marched 56 yards on opening drive of the third, capping it off with Decoite connecting with Ballungay on a 21-yard score.
The Cougars responded with Bowen hitting Pitts on a 30-yard completion to inside the Kimball 10. He then hooked up with Pitt, who caught six passes for 104 yards during the game, on a 9-yard scoring strike.
Ahead 14-12, Kimball pulled away with Pacheco scoring on a pair of touchdowns and Decoite twice finding Sims in the end zone.
"I was proud of the way our guys kept fighting back," Zamarripa said. "They never gave up."

SCORING SUMMARY

Kimball    0  7  19  15— 41
W. Ranch 0  6   7     0 — 13

Second quarter
K—Louie Pacheco 1 run (Jonathan Cordero kick), 4:44.
W—Fletcher Pitts 24 pass from Amier Bowen (kick failed), 1:37.

Third quarter
K—Kaleo Ballungay 21 pass from Mateo Decoite (Cordero kick), 10:21.
W—Pitts 9 pass from Bowen (Miguel Ramirez kick), 7:51.
K—Pacheco 1 run (kick failed), 4:13.
K—Can Sims 13 pass from Decoite (pass failed), 1:46.

Fourth quarter
K—Pacheco 4 run (Jaxen North run), 3:51.
K—Sims 34 pass from Decoite (Cordero kick), 1:26.