Manteca’s Nikko Juarez got the Buffaloes on the board Friday night with an 80-yard touchdown, and the Buffaloes never looked back in a 49-9 romp over host Elk Grove in season-opening non-league football action.
Juarez finished with 235 yards on 17 carries with additional touchdown runs of 6, 9 and 78 yards. Preston Smith was 4-of-6 passing for 72 yards with touchdown runs of 4 and 6 yards, and Maava Tialavea (five carries, 51 yards) added a fourth-quarter touchdown run.
Manteca’s Owen Gully was 6-of-9 passing for 41 yards, while Quinn Martinez pulled down three receptions for 52 yards.
Isaiah White was all over the field for the Buffaloes (1-0) and was in on 18 tackles. Xyloh Kuresa tallied nine stops, Joshua Mellion and Carlos Flores eight apiece with four each for Martinez and Landon Baptist.
Summerville 24, Ripon Christian 21
After falling behind 14-0 on the road, the Knights (0-1) battled back to knot the score at 14 late in the second quarter, only for the Bears (1-0) to kick a field goal with 10 seconds left in the first half. That proved to be the difference in the game.
Amos Cady (two receptions, 72 yards) pulled down a 59-yard pass from Mason Tameling (9 of 15 passing, 143 yards, two touchdowns, interception) with 3 minutes, 46 seconds left in the first half to draw Ripon Christian within 14-7. The Knights tied the game at 14 a little over two minutes later on a 30-yard run by Braden Schaapman. Tameling tallied the last Knights score with 6:12 left in the game on a 1-yard plunge to come within the final score of 24-21.
Daniel Lambdin led Ripon Christian with 15 tackles followed by Cady with 11 stops, Trevor Van Elderen (10), Logan De Jong (seven), Jimmy Heida (six) and Josh Miller (four).
Franklin 41, River Islands 0
The Riptide (0-1) held the host Yellowjackets (1-0) scoreless in the fourth quarter and to just seven points in the first.
“I was really proud of the kids and how hard they played right up to the final whistle.” River Islands coach Nick Hardenbrook stated. “Michael Figueroa was the leader our team needed and competed to the very end. Our coaching staff has worked hard every day to put this team together, and I couldn't be prouder right now.”
Figueroa paced the Riptide offense with 101 yards passing, going 13 for 28 with two interceptions, along with 16 yards on four carries. Alex Henry III ground out 34 yards on 15 carries while Chigozie Ugorji made one catch for 35 yards followed by Idress ElFarra (three receptions, 28 yards), Euan Costales (two receptions, 25 yards) and Jaden Yong (two receptions, 16 yards).
Henry III and Maddox Queen tallied three stops apiece for the River Island, Andre DeLeon 2.5 with two apiece for Ty Phan, Ian Gamis and Israel Fuentes.
“A couple of miscues on special teams hurt us tonight,” Hardenbrook said. “But we'll clean that up and be ready again next Friday at Modesto Christian.”
