Eleven carries for 167 yards with two touchdowns is not a bad outing for a quarterback. But it is an even better half.
Sierra’s Miguel Sequeira shredded the Lathrop defense Thursday and finished with 17 carries for 205 yards with three touchdowns to lead the Timberwolves to a 28-6 freshman win over host Lathrop at Bennie Gatto Field in Valley Oak League freshman action.
After Sequeira scored on runs of 28 and 59 yards in the first three minutes of the second period, the Spartans (1-5 VOL, 2-7 overall) answered quickly with a 46-yard scamper by Raylyn Carter to make the score 14-8. With Lathrop driving late in the first half Sierra (3-3, 5-3-1) turned the tables when Joseph Tarango snagged an interception and returned it 75 yards for a touchdown to give the Timberwolves a 21-6 lead with 34 seconds left in the second period. Sequeira added a 5-yard run in the fourth quarter to cap the scoring.
Carter finished with eight carries for 50 yards and teammate Justin Manuel was 8 of 16 passing for 91 yards and an interception.
East Union 35, Central Catholic-Modesto 21
JoJo Espinosa ran for two touchdowns, threw for one and set up another to keep the Lancers (6-0, 9-0) undefeated at Dino Cunial Field.
Espinosa raced 70 yards on the third play of the game to put East Union ahead 7-0. Espinosa added a 10-yard touchdown run, a 65-yard touchdown pass to Anthony Contreras and set up Andrew Mount’s 5-yard touchdown run with a 53-yard scamper to the Raiders 8-yard line. Dezmin Ware legged out a 62-yard touchdown run to round out the East Union scoring.
The Lancers win sets up a battle for first-place in the VOL finale with Manteca on Thursday at Dino Cunial Field. The Buffaloes are also undefeated in league play.
Manteca 24, Oakdale 0
A.J. Martinez was the workhorse for the host Buffaloes (6-0, 8-1) on Thursday, grinding out 103 yards on 21 carries with a 1-yard touchdown to help set up a winner-take-all championship tilt for the VOL championship on the road next Thursday with East Union.
Nick Creighton (six carries, 81 yards) added a 68-yard touchdown run and Chris Ortiz had a 16-yard touchdown run.
Chris Ortiz led the Manteca defense with seven tackles. Nick Creighton added six stops and Tyler Brintley (interception) and Geo Alvarez had five apiece.
Escalon 26, Ripon 18
Despite more than 300 yards rushing, the Indians were plagued by late turnovers in the Trans Valley League loss, ending their season.
Roland Davis had touchdown runs of 7 and 21 yards for Ripon and Adam Wood scored from 1 yard out.
