Manteca started with ferocious, long-range efficiency Friday night, scoring three touchdowns in just six plays on the way to a 49-0 win over host East Union in Valley Oak League football action at Dino Cunial Stadium.

The Buffaloes win, coupled with Central Catholic’s win over Oakdale on Friday light, puts them in first place by a game. Manteca faces Patterson next Friday on the road followed by the VOL finale with Oakdale on Friday, Nov. 1 at home, and possibly the christening of the remodeled Guss Schmiedt Field.

Sophomore standout Nikko Juarez wasted little time showing he had no rust from the shoulder injury that has kept him sidelined for much of the past three weeks, covering 56 yards in the first two plays of the game and capping his two-play drive with a 9-yard touchdown run for the Buffaloes (4-0 VOL, 7-1 overall). Juarez finished with 144 yards on eight carries with two touchdowns.

“This felt good,” Juarez said. “I couldn’t do it without my line.

“Also, I practiced doing my therapy and getting my body right. If I hadn’t gotten my body right, this would have never happened.”

The next drive was nearly identical for Manteca, covering 84 yards in three plays with the final 65 coming on a touchdown scamper by Quinn Martinez.

Traditionally a ground-and-pound offense, the Buffaloes took to the air for two first-half scores, one coming on an 18-yard hook and lateral. Owen Gully (6 of 9 passing, 59 yards) completed a 3-yard pass to Eddie Anthony, who lateraled to offensive lineman Ratu Tomasi. Tomasi in turn lumbered the final 15 yards to make the score 35-0 with 5 minutes, 50 seconds left in the second period.

Nate Slikker (three receptions, 28 yards) capped the first-half scoring when he pulled in a 5-yard touchdown toss with 17 seconds left in the half.

“Obviously, being a lineman all these years, I never expected to get the ball, especially in that type of situation,” Tomasi said. “We installed it on Monday, and we have been working on it every day since.”

The Lancers (0-5, 4-5) were held to just 81 yards in the first half, due in part to the tenacious play of Manteca defensive lineman Isaiah White, who notched 10 tackles. The Buffaloes held East Union to 81 yards in the first half and139 yards total, while racking up 391 yards of offense.

“I like it in their backfield,” White said. “That’s where I’m used to being.

“I did my job and that’s what we practiced all week, just doing our job right and being in the right position. Everyone did their jobs — 11 men on offense and 11 men on defense.”

Manteca’s other first-half scores were a 52-yard scamper by Elijah Stevenson (four carries, 70 yards) with 1:16 left in the first period to make the score 21-0 followed by Maava Tialavea’s 12-yard touchdown run early in the second period to up the score to 28-0.

With the clock running after the second quarter, the only touchdown in the second half came on a 3-yard burst by Juarez late in the third period.

“I told the guys that this is not about who is the better football team,” Buffaloes coach Mark Varnum said. “We know we are the more talented team; it was about if we could match their enthusiasm and their intensity, and we matched it and then some.”

For the Lancers, Kirk Simoni was 7-of-11 passing for 42 yards, and Anthony Morales came on in the second half, going 5-of-9 for 36 yards. Jackson Fay pulled in six receptions for 50 yards.

“We have a lot of areas we need to improve on and clean up,” East Union coach Booie Daniels said. “We are finally going into our bye week, and we have some guys who are banged up.

“The good thing is, we will never see these guys again. We have to focus on the playoff teams we are going to see, so we have to lock it in during bye week, beat Mountain House, get some momentum rolling again, and then get ready for playoffs.”

The Lancers have a bye next Friday and wraps up VOL play on Friday, Nov. 1 at Mountain House at 7 p.m.