Pitman High’s football team scored 20 unanswered points en route to a 26-7 victory over Central Valley (Ceres) in the season-opener for both teams Friday night at Ceres High. 

Joey Stout scored two of the Pride’s three second-half touchdowns, returning the kickoff to start the third quarter and then hauling in a 26-yard pass from quarterback Drew Walker, who completed 7 of 25 pass attempts for 98 yards. 

Stout carried the ball 20 times for 147 yards. 

“Our previous regimes all had Wing-T concepts, and we still have Wing-T concepts, we’re trying to modernize our Wing-T a little bit,” said second-year Pitman head coach Eric Reza. “We want to get more guys out in space. We’ve got a few athletes, and we want to get them one-on-one and play some backyard football. That’s what we’re trying to do.” 

Walker found Dylan Freeman to open the scoring, but the Hawks countered when Elijah “Booty” Jackson, a lineman turned skilled player, banged in from the 3 for their lone score of the contest. 

The CV score was set up by Anthony Ramirez’s interception, one of three picks he had in the first half. 

“I was very pleased with the way we played,” said Reza. “We have some linemen that are inexperienced and a couple of seniors that have never played, but they got right in there.” 

The Pride will take on Cosumnes Oaks (Elk Grove) on Friday at Joe Debely Stadium in its home opener. The Wolfpack lost 49-0 to Oak Ridge last week.