Week 1 for teams is usually a week of nerves, anticipation and excitement, but after that, it’s all about finding your rhythm and mastering your identity. What kind of identity are the local high school teams in Merced County establishing? Let’s look at the scores across the county and find out:
Hilmar 31, Los Banos 21: Hilmar jumped out in front of Los Banos early in the game and secured a 21-point lead by halftime. The Tigers made a valiant push in the second half, but they couldn’t stop the Yellowjackets. Hilmar has now won five straight against Los Banos and will look to start the season 3-0, next week, against Palma high school in Salinas.
El Capitan 26, Central Valley 21: Turnovers and miscues were the story early in this game, but once each team settled in, the battle was quite competitive. The Gauchos took the lead midway through the 4th quarter when Sergio Mendoza tossed a 31-yard pearl to wide receiver Anthony Johnson (their second TD of the game). The Gauchos defense protected the lead to close out the game and improved the Gauchos record to 2-0. El Capitan running back Lorenzo Peters added 2 touchdowns on the ground as well.
Merced 45, Gregori 13: Merced jumped out in front of Gregori 10-0 in the 1st quarter, but Gregori struck back and took the lead before halftime, 13-10. That was as close as this game would get. After halftime, the Merced offense, led by quarterback Vicente Cortez, receiver Hayden Czirban, and running back Cammarri Jackson, scored 35 unanswered points while the defense shut out Gregori in the second half.
Dos Palos 31, Chowchilla 7: Dos Palos Broncos cruised to a home opener win against Chowchilla. The Broncos’ tough running game and explosive playmakers were simply too much for Chowchilla. Dos Palos has looked very good to begin the season. They have outscored their first two opponents 74-26.
Stone Ridge Christian 50, Modesto Christian 14: Modesto Christian has really struggled offensively. Even though they were able to put up 14 points, their highest total in a game since 2023, it was not enough to overcome the powerful Knights’ offense. Stone Ridge appears to be really clicking. The Knights are averaging 42 points a game over their first two games of the season.
Gustine 34, Millennium 20: After getting shut out in their first game of the season against Orestimba High School, Gustine traveled to Millennium High School with something to prove. Gustine outmatched Millennium throughout four quarters and appears to have regained their confidence after getting their first win of the season.
Delhi 22, River Islands 12: The Delhi Hawks toughened out a physical win against River Island for their first victory of the season. Delhi needed a bounce back performance from their team after getting dominated in their first game, and they got it! Their defense led the way, holding River Island to just 12 points, the lowest point total allowed by the Hawks in their last five games dating back to last season.
Tokay 41, Golden Valley 23: Golden Valley took the lead early in this game and led at halftime 10-7. However, a devasting 3rd quarter that included two turnovers by the Cougars and three rushing touchdowns by Tokay running back Amire Fleming ultimately resulted in a route by the Tigers. Golden Valley scored two touchdowns late in the game, but by then, the game was far out of reach.
Sonora 51, Livingston 0: Sonora has been a very tough matchup for Livingston. Sonora is 3-0 against the wolves since 2023. During that time, they have outscored Livingston 42-13(2023), 45-7(2024), and 51-0.
Johansen 27, Buhach Colony 6: The Thunder continue their search for their first win for Head Coach Matthew Granado. Since taking over the program in 2023, only the underclass team has managed to win a game for the Thunder program. However, this streak may end soon. Buhach’s next two opponents are a combined 0-3. Hang in there, Thunder. Sometimes the journey is more important than the arrival.
Ripon Christian 41, Le Grand 6: After defeating Livingston with a last-minute drive last week, Le Grand looked competitive, tough, and prepared. This game, however, was a humbling experience for a Bulldogs team with high hopes. Ripon Christian has been great out the gate. They defeated defending Division 7 champion Summerville in week 1 and pounded the Bulldogs at home in week 2. Look out for Ripon Christian.
Minarets 21, Pacheco 17: Panther’s quarterback Raul Moreno ran for two touchdowns and completed 10 of 17 pass attempts, but it wasn’t enough for Pacheco, as the Minarets narrowly defeated them by 4 points. Two touchdowns for the Minarets in the 4th quarter sealed the victory. Pacheco is now 0-2.
Grace Davis 34, Orestimba 14: Last week, Orestimba looked solid in their home opener when they shut out Gustine. Meanwhile, Davis got blanked by Hilmar. What a difference a week makes! Davis got on top of Orestimba and stayed on top with a dominate defensive display that included six sacks and two fumble recoveries.
Hughson 27, Atwater 21 (Overtime): The stage was set for this one: Defending Division 5 champion Hughson Huskies coming to town to take on the revamped Atwater Falcons and their powerful offense that broke all kinds of school records in week 1. Would this game live up to the hype? The answer is no – it would exceed it! These teams went blow for blow for four quarters – a tough, tense, high stakes affair – before heading into overtime after Hughson missed a field goal that could’ve won it. However, once they got into overtime, the game became a match of who would blink first. It was Atwater who would blink with a fumble in overtime that allowed Hughson to win the game.
With two weeks in the books there are now five teams in Merced County still undefeated: Merced, Hilmar, El Capitan, Dos Palos and Stone Ridge.
There are five teams still searching for their first win: Los Banos, Golden Valley, Buhach, Livingston, and Pacheco.
The rest are all 1-1: Atwater, Le Grand, Orestimba, Gustine, and Delhi.
