MARIPOSA — The Gustine Reds struggled to gain traction under the Friday night lights this week, falling 50–6 to Mariposa in a game marked by early miscues and momentum‑shifting plays.

Head coach Collin Lane said the Reds dug themselves into another early deficit — a pattern he hopes to break as the season continues.

“We are really struggling putting together mistake‑free games right now,” Lane said. “This is the second game in a row where we kind of dug ourself in a hole very quickly. We need to improve on our ball security if we are going to have a chance at success this year. We are still young, so I am proud of our players for keeping their heads up.”

Gustine’s defense entered the matchup focused on limiting Mariposa’s explosive plays, but Lane said those big‑yardage moments ultimately defined the night.

“We need to limit the big plays going into this game,” he said. “The big plays are what’s hurting us.”

Despite the challenges, the Reds found steady production from quarterback Juan Aguilera, who continued to anchor the offense with another strong dual‑threat performance.

“Juan Aguilera is doing very well for us on offense,” Lane said. “He is continually contributing 100 yards of offense rushing.”

Lane said the team remains positive and committed during the week, but translating that effort into game‑day execution has been difficult.

“Our kids are very positive and worked very hard at practice,” he said. “We are just having a hard time transferring that to the game.”

Gustine will look to regroup as it prepares to face Denair on Friday, Oct. 2, at 7 p.m. in Denair.