Lights-out defense helped the Manteca Chargers Jr. Novice football team capture the Western National Youth Football Championships title in Las Vegas on Nov. 22-23.

They gave up just seven points in two games to rule the 7-8-year-old division. In all, 26 Western NYFC champions were crowned by the end of the four-day event on Thanksgiving weekend. The Manteca squad competed in the youngest age division.

The Chargers kicked it off on Nov. 22 with a 13-0 win over the Empire Ducks Tiny Mites of Corona at Fountain Park Field. Gianni Addiego and Marcelo Morales accounted for the touchdowns, while the defense allowed just 50 total yards of offense.

Manteca never trailed in the championship game the following day, when it produced another defensive gem in an 18-7 victory against the San Diego-based Balboa Raiders Mitey Mites Black. Morales got the Chargers on board five minutes into the contest, and Andrew Ortega doubled the lead, 12-0, with a 95-yard fumble-recovery return.

Balboa answered its lone touchdown in the final moments of the opening half. Late in the fourth quarter, Morales rushed in the final points of the game to put it out of reach.

The Chargers team was led by head coach David Smith and his assistants Anthony Estrada, Chris Wlodarczyk, Steve Aguire and Daniel Nunes.



SOCCER

Jim Frazier Winter League

The Manteca Area Soccer League’s under-19 Fury took two tough losses on Saturday at Tracy Sports Complex — first a 4-0 shutout at the hands of Modesto, then a 5-1 defeat to Tuolumne.

Carla Ochoa scored the team’s lone goal of the day. Goalie Ashley Freeman was busy between the posts, racking up 18 saves. Taylor Gray contributed four stops.