OAKDALE – In a much anticipated Valley Oak League showdown between Oakdale and Central Catholic, the Mustangs galloped to a 48-28 home win and earned a split of the league championship.

The title is Oakdale’s fifth in eight seasons and the second time it has had to share with Sierra, which completed its championship run with a 49-7 victory at Weston Ranch.

Darus Nelson rushed for 193 yards on 18 carries and scored three times for the Mustangs, who blew open a tie game with a 21-0 spurt in the second quarter. Oakdale lead comfortably at the intermission, 35-14.

“We executed our game plan perfectly,” Nelson said. “We suited up and got the job done as a team. Seniors, underclassmen all of us worked together and got a huge win tonight.”

Central Catholic (7-3, 5-2) jumped out to an early 7-0 lead on a 35-yard pass play from quarterback Hunter Petlansky to his sure-handed running back Justin Rice. However, the Mustangs (9-1, 6-1) answered with Nelson’s 50-yard touchdown run to even the score 5:25 remaining in the first quarter.

Central Catholic didn’t help its own cause in the second quarter, committing three turnovers.



Kimball 35, Lathrop 24

In Tracy, Matt Hernandez kicked three field goals and Diego Chavez tossed an 11-yard touchdown to Hawaii Leafa Teo for the Spartans (1-6, 2-8), but it wasn’t enough to overcome another big night by Kimball’s Rashad Cooper.

Cooper scored three touchdowns, including a 74-yard scamper for the game’s first points as the Jaguars (1-6, 2-8) notched their first VOL win of the season.