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Bulldogs breeze by Sheldon Huskies to open playoffs
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Once again Jeremiah Bertalotto was on fire on the field. In Friday’s playoff game against Sheldon, the senior notched two rushing touchdowns (ALEX MORALES/The Journal).

The No. 6 ranked Turlock Bulldogs imposed their will on the No. 11 Sheldon Huskies (Sacramento) on Friday night at Joe Debely Stadium by a 57-14 score to start the CIF Sac-Joaquin Section Division I playoffs. 

The Bulldogs grabbed hold of the lead midway through the first quarter when Dominick Luna and Owen Miller worked together to sack Huskies quarterback Malaki Savage in the endzone for a safety, and they never looked back.

Luna’s sack was the first of two on the night. He also had three tackles for loss.

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Carter Crivelli catches a 45-yard pass from QB Vincent Gonzales (ALEX MORALES/The Journal).

“We just try to bring the energy for the offense. We just set the tone for them,” Luna said.

The tone was certainly set for the Bulldogs’ next two offensive drives, where the ball was consistently fed to Jeremiah Bertalotto.

The speedy senior continued to lead the Turlock offense with a pair of rushing touchdowns immediately following the safety, one from 5 yards out and the other for 21 yards. It was his sixth consecutive game with a touchdown and fourth game of the year with multiple scores. He finished with 80 rushing yards and 93 receiving yards.

“He’s just a great player,” said Turlock head coach James Peterson. “He’s so dynamic. He makes plays all over the field. His all-purpose yards are insane and they continue to grow each week. Now, he’s proving that he can do it in the playoffs…”

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Turlock quarterback Vincent Gonzales had a big day through the air on Friday, completing 11 of 19 passes for 256 yards and three touchdowns (ALEX MORALES/The Journal).

Turlock quarterback Vincent Gonzales also had a big day through the air, completing 11 of 19 passes for 256 yards and three touchdowns. The scores came by way of a 45-yard connection with Carter Crivelli, a 48-yard bomb to Junior Silva and a 9-yard pass to Brady Green.

Also finding the endzone for the Bulldogs were some recently-called-up underclassmen in sophomore Kalen Guinn, who ran the ball in from a yard out, and freshman Braiden Fuentes, who scored an 8-yard touchdown in the winding seconds of play. 

Aside from the safety, the defense pitched in on the scoring courtesy of a 51-yard fumble return by Logan Durkee.

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Jackson Mendonca gains some yards for the Bulldogs in Turlock’s 57-14 victory over Sheldon in the first round of Div. 1 playoffs (ALEX MORALES/The Journal).

“That was a fun one,” Peterson said with a smile.

The Bulldogs now have a date booked next Friday with a familiar foe in Oak Ridge of the El Dorado Hills, which are ranked No. 3 in the bracket. Last year, the Trojans eliminated Turlock by a 24-0 score in the CIF Sac-Joaquin Section Division I semifinals.