MODESTO — Sometimes the big plays can be the difference.
While Sierra managed to outpace the Central Catholic Friday night on paper, it was the big-play connection between Dalton Durossette and Sithri Price that proved to be the difference as the Valley Oak League’s lone unbeaten team suffered its first loss of  49-36 at David Patton Field.
“You just can’t make mistakes against a team like that and expect to come out with a win,” Sierra head coach Chris Johnson said. “And that’s not taking anything away from them, they made some amazing plays and they’re a good football team and they’re going to do that.
“But we made a lot of mistakes tonight and you just can’t do that against a team like that.”
It took the Raiders (2-0 VOL, 2-4 overall) just over two minutes to jump start their offense, as quarterback Durossette connected with Price on a 61-yard touchdown strike — the first of two long passes that the two would cash in before the night was over.
On the ensuing drive, Sierra (1-1, 5-1) managed to drive downfield and answer with a Jordan Shinn 33-yard field goal before the Raiders came roaring back. Central answered with a 10-yard Minaya Olivo run to keep a two-possession lead that continued to grow in the second half with the Raiders up 28-10 at halftime and making it look like they were finally starting to put everything together.
And when Durossette jumped a corner as a defender and managed to take a Shane Johnson option pitch more than 30-yards into the end zone for a 35-10 Central Catholic lead, it looked like the Timberwolves were letting it slip away.
They weren’t done just yet.
After answering back with a Kimoni Stanley 60-yard run to close the gap slightly, Sierra gave up one touchdown only to respond with two unanswered scores and a third with less than a minute left to bring the gap back to less than two touchdowns before time ultimately expired.
The late-game rush and Stanley’s powerful running — which put him over the 1,000-yard mark for the season along with 17 touchdowns —  gave coach Johnson something to be happy about despite the fact that the scoreboard wasn’t shining in his team’s favor.
“He embodies everything that this team is about,” Johnson said about Stanley, who at times would move the entire Central Catholic defense on bruising runs up the middle. “I think that’s a testament to our offensive line as well. We’re about 170 or 180 pounds across our line going up against guys that are 220 or 230, and are still able to get those kinds of yards.
“It sets that tempo and shows the kind of football that we’re here to play.”
For Stanley, who finished with 170 yards and two touchdowns, the contest showed that Sierra is able to play with the Valley Oak League’s best and give them a run for their money — especially when the offensive line, which was without injured two-way standout Holden Fishburn, plays like it did.
“It all started with the offensive line tonight and we showed that we’re able to put points on the board, too,” Stanley said. “We showed that we aren’t the same team that we’ve been in years past, and we’re here to play.”
Sierra will get a week off before traveling to Oakdale to take on the perennially-tough Mustangs at The Corral.  They’ll be without two-way player Matt Dunham, who was ejected in the fourth quarter.
 

SCORING SUMMARY
Sierra                  3     7      6     20 — 36
C. Catholic 14   14    14    7 — 49

First quarter
C—Sithri Price 61 pass from Dalton Durossette (David Gallegos kick), 9:39.
S—Jordan Shinn 33-yard field goal, 6:05.
C—Minaya Olivo 10 run (Gallegos kick), 4:29.

Second quarter
C—Nic Sani 17 pass from Durossette (Gallegos kick), 11:17.
S—Nyco Mendoza 34 pass from Shane Johnson (Shinn kick), 7:37.
C—Price 43 pass from Durossette (Gallegos kick), 1:06

Third quarter
C—Durossette fumble recovery for touchdown (Gallegos kick), 10:40.
S—Kimoni Stanley 67 run (Shinn kick blocked), 5:27.
C—Aiden Taylor 24 run (Gallegos kick), 1:17.

Fourth quarter
S—Stanley 50 run (Shinn kick failed), 11:26.
S—Melvin Ceja 31 pass from Johnson (Shinn kick), 7:43.
C—Durossette 2 run (Gallegos kick), 1:09.
S—Henry Palacios 95-yard kickoff return (Shinn kick), 0:55.