Just over a month ago, Manteca narrowly escaped Dino Cunial Stadium with a 7-0 victory over the Lancers early on in Valley Oak League play.

“That was a close game and I’m not sure we had everyone bought in and doing their jobs at that point,” Manteca head coach William Riddick said. “It’s taken us some time to figure things out, but I think we’re finally getting there.”

Riddick’s Buffaloes figured things out in all phases Monday night as they jumped all over the Lancers early on the way to a 33-0 victory over East Union at Guss Schmidt Field. Senior quarterback Lily Dundas accounted for all five scores by Manteca, throwing for three and running for two.

The win keeps Manteca (8-2 VOL, 15-4 overall) in sole possession of second place in the league, while helping to bolster its Sac Joaquin Section Division II Playoffs resume when postseason play gets going in a few weeks. The Buffaloes have not lost a game to a team not named Central Catholic since Aug. 22 when they fell to West Park.

“We have been playing really well,” Dundas said. “Everyone has really bought into what these coaches have been telling us, and I think you can see the progress in the results we’ve been putting up here the last month or so.”

Dundas (234 yards passing) set the tone early on finding junior Sari Lawson (two catches, 67 yards) across the middle for a 66-yard touchdown pass putting the Buffaloes up 6-0 less than 20 seconds into the game. After the defense forced a three-and-out from East Union (5-4, 6-8), Dundas would get on the board yet again for Manteca this time finding freshman Terra Bucanan (three catches, 39 yards) from 24- yards out to make it 13-0 before most in attendance had gotten to their seats.

“Lily has made a ton of progress in this offense,” Riddick said. “It gives the team a huge boost when we can score early like that and her confidence was contagious in the other girls on both sides of the ball.”

The Lancers found success on offense throughout the entire game. Senior quarterback Julianna Gaspar (136 yards passing, 27 yards rushing) and leading receiver Alexa Bretao (10 catches, 82 yards) helped East Union sustain drives and move into Manteca territory on multiple occasions. Each time they did however, the Manteca defense would come up with a big play to send the Lancers away without points. No play was bigger on the defensive side of the ball than the first of three interceptions on the night for the Manteca defense. With just 10 seconds left in the first half, Raniya Nelson stepped in front of a pass and caught it to deny a goal-to-go situation, sending the hosts into the halftime break up, 19-0.

Gaspar and the Lancers started the second half moving the ball as they did in the first before turning it over on fourth down from the Manteca five-yard line. Dundas would then orchestrate a nine-play 75-yard drive capped by a three-yard touchdown run of her own to put Manteca up 26-0 late in the third quarter.

“We’ve been a bend-but-don’t-break defense most of the season,” Riddick said. “We knew coming into this game what an athlete Julianna is and they were going to move the ball, but to hold them to zero points again is a huge win for our defense.”

Manteca would go on to turn East Union over two more times in the game on interceptions by Lawson and Jaelyn Rosas. A 5-yard touchdown pass from Dundas to Gabby Leon (five catches, 64 yards) capped the scoring in the rivalry.

Manteca’s recent form has it well positioned in a tough SJS Division II playoff picture. East Union will look win win its last three games and get some help to get into the Division III tournament.

“We just need to keep improving,” Riddick said. “We know we are going to face some good teams but we are playing our best ball at the right time which is huge.”

Both teams will get back in action on Wednesday, with East Union heading to Mountain House and Manteca hosting Oakdale.