SACRAMENTO — In a showdown between two high-octane offenses, it was the defense that carried that night Friday for No. 4 Manteca in a stunning 20-14 win over reigning champion and top-seeded Capital Christian in Sac-Joaquin Section Division III semifinal action.
The win sends the Buffaloes to the Section finals Saturday afternoon at 4 against No. 2 Placer of Auburn at Sacramento City College.
Manteca (10-2) deferred to the second half on the coin toss and the Cougars (9-3) took full advantage, marching 66 yards on 10 plays to start the game to take a 7-0 lead. Those were the last offensive points Capital Christian would score.
“This was the defense’s night,” Buffaloes coach Mark Varnum said. “This was (defensive coordinator) Rick James’ house. He showed that tonight by shutting down that type of talent that they had.
“That was just an amazing effort. The defense just kept coming and got it done. It was all 11 of them, and they swarmed the ball and played Manteca Buffalo defense.”
Manteca held the Capital Christian offense to 61 yards in the first half and 180 on the night.
In addition to being in the Cougars’ backfield all night, Manteca’s Angel Garay pulled down two interceptions and on the other side of the ball busted loose for a 44-yard run.
“We knew we had to execute and do our jobs,” Garay said. “Coach had a plan for us.
“These guys were faster and more athletic than us so we had to come out and play with our heart on every single down. And we played for each other — it’s a brotherhood.”
The Buffaloes clearly won the battle of the line. Manteca’s Elias Malio posted two huge sacks in the fourth quarter.
“Heart over height,” Malio said. “We battled.”
Early in the fourth quarter with the Buffaloes leading 20-14, Evans Nicolas blocked a Capital Christian punt, giving Manteca the ball near midfield only for a holding penalty to stall the drive.
“Nobody was blocking me,” Nicolas said. “I saw the opportunity, I just had to go get it and I blocked it.”
Following Malio’s second sack, the Buffaloes got the ball back with 3:55 showing on the clock and they put the ball into the hands of Trabron Russell (21 carries, 73 yards, touchdown), who reeled off successive 12- and 10-yard runs that chewed up the clock enough for Ryan Ward to knee out the last few plays, leading to pandemonium on the Buffaloes sideline.
“I have always been taught that a running back had to finish the game,” Russell said. “When they put the game in my hands to finish it, I knew I had to get the job done because that is what my team needed right there.
“They battled all game and I needed to do my part then.”
Russell answered the opening score by the Cougars, capping off a grind-it-out 16-play, 66-yard drive with a 2-yard plunge late in the first period to tie the game at 7-7.
Ward (9 of 14, 153 yards, two touchdowns, two interceptions) connected with Jacob De Jesus (five catches, 108 yards, two touchdowns) for touchdown passes of 15 and 63 yards for a 20-7 third quarter lead.
Capital Christian’s Justin Hope returned an interception 16 yards later in the third period for what turned out to be the game’s last points.
In the past, calls have gone against Manteca — particularly in the playoffs — and Friday was no different. With the Buffaloes driving the ball late in the first half after Garay’s 44-yard rumble they were using a hurry-up approach, quickly tiring out the bigger Cougars. With Capital Christian back on its heels and gasping for air on third down with 1 yard to go at the Cougars 9, Manteca went to snap the ball but Capital Christian was granted a timeout.
But the Cougars had no timeouts coming.
A penalty was called, which would have given the Buffaloes a first down, but it was waved off when it was determined a Capital Christian player was alleged to have been leaving the field with an equipment issue. The drive then stalled.
In the third quarter following the Cougars pick six, Manteca went three and out and punted. The Capital Christian receiver signaled for a fair catch and muffed it with the Buffaloes recovering the muff immediately. But between the muff and the recovery there was an inadvertent whistle and the ball had to be punted again. When the dust settled Manteca not only lost the ball, it also lost 20 yards from the spot of the muff.
“I think that was a testament to our experience,” Varnum said. “The will these guys have to win is phenomenal. We have all sorts of obstacles with being on the road in a hostile environment and sometimes with the calls, but they found a way. 
“The difference between last year and this year is that this year we were not going to allow those obstacles to dictate the game, we overcame them this time.”

SCORING SUMMARY
Manteca  7 6 7 0 — 20
Capital Ch. 7 0 7 0 — 14 

First quarter
C—Max Rodarte 7 pass from Austin Amador (Chris Hickey kick), 7:25
M—Trabron Russell 2 run (Kevin Thornburg kick), 0:17

Second quarter
M—Jacob De Jesus 15 pass from Ryan Ward (kick fail), 3:48

Third quarter
M—De Jesus 63 pass from Ward (Thornburg kick), 10:21
C—Justin Hope 16 interception (Hickey kick), 2:14