The 2024 season has consistently brought forth challenges to James Peterson and his Turlock High football team. Whether it’s been losing starters to injury, having players deemed ineligible because of grades and transfer issues, or having to navigate tragedy alongside the young adults, the hits had just seemed to keep on coming. Nevertheless, they persisted to achieve a 5-3 overall and 2-0 league record heading into the most anticipated game of their year on Friday night.

Under the lights of Joe Debely Stadium, the Bulldogs faced off with the undefeated Knights of Downey High in a game that will likely determine the winner of the Central California Athletic League. By the final whistle, it was the Bulldogs who again persevered, winning 33-14 to take sole possession of first place in the conference.

The Bulldogs faced emotional and physical challenges early and often. Before each team even took the field to warm up, a skirmish between the two junior varsity teams had many on edge. By kickoff, Downey’s offense, led by senior quarterback Carson Lamb, had Turlock defenders on their heels by converting four quick first downs. Amid more pushing and trash talking, the Bulldogs eventually stopped the Knights on a fourth down. Then, on their first play from scrimmage, they turned the ball over when Turlock’s freshman quarterback Scout Silva was intercepted. Or at least that’s what most people thought.

The play was called back after Downey was penalized for roughing Silva. After the apparent interception, the Knights were penalized again for unsportsmanlike conduct. Each call helped move the ball towards midfield and propelled a nine-play drive capped off with a 1-yard scoring sneak from Silva. And they never looked back.

The touchdown was Silva’s first of five on the day. The dual-threat thrower gave the Knights trouble throughout the night, passing for 132 yards and rushing for another 106. 

The 5-foot-9, 165-pounder’s agility was on full display on their second drive, when he eluded multiple defenders to find the open field and sprint 44 yards to the end zone to put his team up 14-0. He then showed off his arm during a 12-play drive that was capped off with an 11-yard strike to senior Joseph Delte to give the Bulldogs a 21-0 cushion. 

Silva did have his growing pains, though, as a second quarter fumble led to a quick Downey touchdown. The Knights then forced a three-and-out before striking again to make it a 21-14 ballgame at the half. But the Bulldogs answered back in the third quarter when Silva scrambled and tossed the ball downfield to a wide-open Junior Silva to push the score to 27-14. The young quarterback put a bow on the game with another 1-yard touchdown sneak to make it 33-14 with 7 seconds in the game.

One player who was absent from Turlock’s scoring frenzy was senior Jeremiah Stine, though he drew immediate praise from Peterson and other Bulldog players after racking up 114 combined yards. Most of his damage was done out of the backfield, as he ran for 83 yards on 17 rushes and helping convert for six first downs.

Stine’s first carry came after Silva’s non-interception. On that 10-play drive, he carried the ball eight times, all for positive yardage. It was much different from the pass-heavy approach taken by the Bulldogs in recent weeks.

“We really found comfortability in the running game, so we kind of stuck with it,” Stine said. “It’s like, if they aren't going to stop it, let’s not stop running it.

“I was honestly prepared for the workload. We had prepared every day of practice. My coach is telling me, ‘Be ready.’ I just went out and prepared to get the ball, and that's what I came out and did.”

As for Silva’s counterpart, Lamb, the Bulldogs held him to 125 yards on 13 completions and 33 rushing yards — a stark contrast to the statistics he had been putting up in the Knights’ previous seven games. The 6-foot-1, 175 pound gunslinger came into Friday’s contest with 2,167 yards and 26 touchdowns through the air.

Peterson, in his 16th season as Turlock’s head coach, believes that one simple approach made all the difference in keeping Lamb in check.

“He escapes the pocket, so everybody has been pass-rushing him. I saw it in film all week. And I just thought, ‘Maybe we just not rush as much and wait till he runs.’ And that's kind of what we did. We tried to send like one or two guys really hard to get him to make a move once he saw his lane. Well, he saw his lane, but we actually had a guy fast enough this week in (Dominick) Luna.”

Luna, a senior linebacker, was one of the players who had missed most of the year with grade issues. He finished his night with three tackles, including one for a loss.

The Knights had a season-high seven empty possessions, including a pair that were thwarted by unsportsmanlike conduct penalties. One of their players was even ejected for multiple unsportsmanlike infractions. 

“It was a battle out there, but our guys just continued to play Bulldog football,” Peterson said. “I'm so proud of the team and how everybody just kept their composure tonight. When guys were getting ejected and the game's getting a little bit chippy, our guys played with great sportsmanship, and I’m really proud of them for that.”

Next on the schedule for Turlock is a trip north Friday to take on Modesto High, who is 4-4 and 2-1 in conference play.