SCORING SUMMARY
Golden Valley 13 13 7 14 — 47
Sierra 0 10 13 7 — 30
First quarter
G — Tyrrell Johnson 35 run (Jonathan Gomez-Roldán kick), 4:59.
G — Deavon Williams 1 run (run failed), 1:04.
Second quarter
G — Johnson 72 run (Gomez-Roldán kick), 9:41.
S — Tali Vaipuna 20 pass from Zak Willson (Trevor Sutton kick), 6:11.
S — Sutton 21 field goal, 0:18.6.
G — Johnson 95 kickoff return (run failed), 0:05.
Third quarter
S — Anthony Grady 22 run (kick blocked), 9:40.
G — Jonah White 1 run (Gomez-Roldán kick), 6:25.
S — Vaipuna 30 pass from Willson (Sutton kick), 2:12.
Fourth quarter
S — Josh Seals 57 pass from Willson (Sutton kick), 11:41.
G — White 2 run (Gomez-Roldán kick), 6:33.
G — White 14 pass from Austin Mello (Gomez-Roldán kick), 3:08.
Sierra players were in a somber mood on the heels of their first loss of the season Friday, perhaps a sign that things have truly turned around for a program that has claimed two Sac-Joaquin Section titles and a state championship in the last 10 years.
The Timberwolves lost to Golden Valley 47-30 on their homecoming night but showed they’re no longer walkovers for playoff-caliber teams. Sierra, 1-9 the last two seasons, battled back from a 20-0 deficit and had an opportunity to take the lead in the fourth quarter but was thwarted by a bad break that led to its only turnover of the game.
“Our kids showed a lot of heart,” Sierra coach Jeff Abrew said. “Last couple years, they might have folded the tent, but these guys have some grit in them and they’re competitors. They want to win, and they have the will to win. They’re a pleasure to coach. I feel terrible for them, but we’ll come back Monday and get to work.”
Sierra (2-1) closed in 33-30 with 11:41 left when Zak Willson hooked up with Josh Seals for a 57-yard touchdown. The defense then held, forcing the Cougars (2-1) from Merced to punt from the Sierra’s 33-yard line.
The Timberwolves’ potential go-ahead drive ended before it could begin. Golden Valley punter Joseph Alonzo did well to land the ball inside the 5, where Sierra’s Nikko Camarena was blocking Shaun Stover. The ball bounced off of Camarena, and Stover recovered the loose ball on the 2.
One play later, Jonah White scored his third touchdown for Golden Valley.
The sequence was a microcosm of the Timberwolves’ night, which was marred by momentum-killing mistakes.
“Kind of a sluggish, sloppy first half offensively, but I thought we came out in the second half and played pretty well,” Abrew said. “We created some turnovers, but at the end, we had some unlucky bounces and that’s the way it rolls sometimes.”
Tyrrell Johnson starred for Golden Valley (2-1), rushing 16 times for 158 yards and two touchdowns. His biggest moment, however, was a 95-yard kickoff return for a touchdown in the waning moments of the first half, quickly answering Trevor Sutton’s 21-yard field goal. The Cougars led 26-10 at halftime.
Willson led the comeback, completing 18 of 36 passes for 258 yards and three touchdowns. He hit 6-foot-2 receiver Tali Vaipuna (five receptions, 79 yards) for a pair of scores.
“This just makes us better,” Vaipuna said. “We’ll have to practice better and just commit to it, man. We’ll come back harder.”
Golden Valley’s big and physical front did well to bottle up Sierra running back Anthony Grady for a half, but he eventually broke through. He contributed 126 yards of offense on 25 touches as well as a touchdown on a hook-and-lateral from Sutton (five receptions, 77 yards).
While disappointed by defeat, Sierra showed well against an opponent that went toe-to-toe in a competitive loss to a reigning state champion in Escalon two weeks ago.
“I’m proud of the kids, man — they competed,” Abrew said. “That’s a pretty solid program over there. When we saw the film against Escalon, we knew what we were up against.”
