The 2018 football season is officially over for Turlock High after a 27-9 loss to Oak Ridge High in the second-round game of the Sac-Joaquin Section Division I playoffs on Friday.
“I thought we matched up pretty well with them,” Turlock head coach James Peterson said. “We just got to a point in the game where we couldn’t pound the ball. We had to start throwing it to get big chunks.”
Entering the matchup with the Trojans (3-3 SFL; 8-3 overall) on a six-game win streak and on the heels of back-to-back shutouts, the Bulldogs (5-0 CCAL; 8-4 overall) struck first with a 21-yard field goal from Christian Gardner. Things quickly took a turn in the second quarter, however, as Oak Ridge surprised Turlock with a string of trick plays, including a successful onside kick and a sweep-pass for a touchdown.
“They did a few things I wasn’t expecting them to do,” Peterson said.
The Trojans scored 20 points in the second quarter and entered halftime with a 20-9 lead after a two-yard touchdown from Bulldog quarterback Jonah Kosakiewicz in the closing minutes of the second quarter.
Turlock’s offense was silent for the remainder of the night while Oak Ridge notched its final score on a rushing touchdown with eight minutes left in regulation.
“There were certain times in the game when we needed to catch a break and it didn’t go our way. Part of that is because we made mistakes, part of that is because they’re a good football team,” Peterson said.
“We won the first CCAL championship, we won the city championship. We have a lot to be proud of,” Peterson added. “We’re not, by any means, leaving this field with our heads hanging.”
Pitman High also fell in its second-round game, 63-7, in the SJS Division I bracket Friday night as it traveled to take on Monterey Trail High.
The Pride and the Mustangs traded touchdowns in the first quarter with Monterey Trail scoring on the ground and Pitman scoring via a 55-yard touchdown pass from Treyton Fair to Denzel Steckwren, but the Mustangs proceeded to score 56 unanswered points to advance to the semifinals where they will face the Oak Ridge Trojans.
