SCORING SUMMARY
Manteca 14 22 14 0 – 50
Sierra 0 0 0 0 – 0
First quarter
M – Nikko Juarez 3 run (Matthew Kong kick), 8:50
M – Garrison Reis 18 run (Kong kick), 6:06
Second quarter
M – Julian Moncada 63 pass from Reis (Kong kick), 11:50
M – Jhadis Luckey 101 interception return (Kong kick), 8:15
M – Juarez 6 run (Kong run), 1:29
Third quarter
M – Reis 8 run (Kong kick), 10:20
M – Juarez 45 run (Kong kick), 1:38
The Sierra offense played nail Friday night to Manteca defensive back Jhadis Luckey’s hammer.
Twice Luckey ended long Timberwolves drives on interceptions – one on the Sierra 1-yard line and one a yard deep in the Timberwolves end zone that he returned 101 yards for a touchdown on the way to a 50-0 win for the visiting Buffaloes in Valley Oak League action at Daniel Teicheira Memorial Stadium.
“The guy ran a shallow cross and we were in man coverage,” Luckey said. “It was the perfect time to pick it and run it back for 101 yards.
“On the first one I was a little late getting to it, but I picked it off on the 1-yard line and we were able to drive down the field.”
Garrison Reis (6 of 8 passing, 140 yards, touchdown; three carries, 33 yards, two touchdowns) directed the offense for Manteca (2-0 VOL, 5-2 overall) through the first half to the opening drive of the second half, posting touchdown runs of 8 and 18 yards and throwing a 63-yard scoring pass to Julian Moncada.
“You just have to make sure everyone is in the right spot,” Reis said. “If people are in the right place we are going to make the plays.”
Recent freshman call-up Nikko Juarez scored the three times he touched the ball on runs of 3, 6 and 45 yards.
“I couldn’t do it without the line,” Juarez said. “It’s great to be up here, but like I said I couldn’t do it without the line and we have a great offensive coordinator (Brian Rohles).
“I’m just proud to be up here.”
As high-octane as the Buffaloes offense was, the Manteca defense was just as stifling, limiting Sierra (0-2) to just 26 yards rushing. Without a 58-yard completion from Zak Willson to Josh Seals, the Timberwolves would have only had 60 passing yards. Isaiah White helped spearhead that Buffaloes offense with seven tackles.
“Our defense did its job,” White said. “That is how we have been practicing all week and I hope we do better next week.”
Carson Sablan (interception), Thomas Perea and Joshua Mellion added four tackles apiece for Manteca with three for K.P. MacDannald and Daniel Bernal.
“They are much improved,” Buffaloes coach Varnum said. “Coach (Jeff) Abrew is doing a great job.
“But we are just a different kind of beast. Our defense right now is playing lights out. We have that young secondary, obviously, that has grown up, and the guys up front on defense like Isaiah (White), K.P. (MacDannald), Josh (Mellion) and Daniel (Bernal) are just pounding quarterbacks, so it makes life difficult for those spread teams.”
Buoyed by that 58-yard completion to Seals, Willson was 9 of 14 passing for 118 yards and three interceptions.
Sierra stymied itself early on with snap issues and fumbles resulting in nine first-half plays that totaled negative-65 yards.
“We didn’t play clean free and you have to play clean free to compete with Manteca High,” Timberwolves coach Jeff Abrew said. “We had some chances to make some plays early on and we were unable to and then we just couldn’t stop them.
“They are phenomenal up front and they have a lot of dudes. It is just a great program.”
Next Friday night at 7 Sierra goes to Tracy to face Kimball and Manteca hosts East Union.
