NEWMAN – A field goal and two more touchdowns sealed the win and the Chief.
The Orestimba High football team did just that in Friday’s home and season opener against its rival in Gustine’s squad at Warrior Stadium. That led to the Warriors posting a 26-0 win over the Reds.
“Our guys just kept playing four quarters of football,” said Orestimba Coach Austin Martins. “We talk about it all the time in practice of finishing strong and playing four quarters and they did that.”
Orestimba (1-0) led 7-0 entering the final quarter over Gustine (0-1) in the rivalry game.
“Anytime you hold a team to seven points for a majority of the game, you are doing something right,” said Gustine head coach Collin Lane. “We ran out of gas towards the end of the fourth quarter and that hurt us. But overall, our defense was flying around and playing with maximum effort.”
The Warriors went to work in expanding their lead with Angel Barajas booting a 35-yard field goal for a 10-0 score.
Then the Warriors used their running game to score two more touchdowns to secure the win. Gio Gudino crossed the plane first with a 20-yard run. Richie Rivas scored on a 2-point conversion on a run for an 18-0 score.
The Warriors added the final touchdown in the quarter when halfback Emmanuel Alcantar scored on an 8-yard run. Rivas scored on another 2-point conversion, also a run.
Orestimba scored its first touchdown in the first quarter when Gudino scored his first touchdown of the game on a 46-yard scramble. Barajas booted the extra point for the 7-0 score.
“We had great opportunities on offense that were spoiled by flags,” Martins said. “Our offense had 287 yards in just 32 plays. There wasn’t much adjustments besides keep playing football and cleaning up the flags.”
The Warriors had 248 yards rushing in the game. Running back Jose Cuevas had eight carries for 104 yards. Gudino was next at 6-84 and Alcantar 8-39.
On defense, Cuevas, from his linebacker spot, had eight tackles for the Warriors. Alcantar, along with linebacker Traveyon Wright and defensive lineman Noah Valenzuela, had seven tackles each. Alcantar also had an interception in the contest.
“Our team showed how to ride the wave of momentum and when the opportunity came there, we took it,” Martins said.
Lane had less than 20 guys suited up for the game. He was proud of his team playing the way it did for the first three quarters of the game.
“I was very pleased with how hard our kids played,” Lane said. “I thought we did a great job, controlling the clock and giving our guys a chance to win in the fourth quarter. I was very happy with how we were able to compete with a Trans-Valley League team. The fact that we were able to have a chance to win the fourth is something we are very proud of. The boys never quit and show (ed) that they can push through adversity.”
Lane looked at the pros and cons of Friday’s game.
“One of the positives is that we have great leadership on our team from our seniors and juniors,” Lane said. “We currently have eight sophomores on varsity, and we were able to keep the game close. I think that playing a school with nearly double the enrollment will pay off for us once we hit (Southern Athletic League).”
Those sophomores are quarterback/cornerback Eric Navarro, fullback/outside linebacker Jack Swafford, wingback/cornerback Juan Aguilera, quarterback/wingback/cornerback Jacob Olivo, wingback/strong safety Avery Ethridge, tight end/defensive lineman Ernesto Medina, offensive/defensive tackle Isai Toquillas and offensive/defensive tackle Heston Duarte.
The seven seniors for the Reds are wingback/outside linebacker Isaac Fuentes, tight end/cornerback Rafael Gomez, wingback/strong safety Joao Palomino, fullback/outside linebacker Jesue Mejia, tight end/middle linebacker Jacob Ocampo, offensive/defensive tackle Joseph Sifuentez and center/noseguard Edgar Garcia.
Lane feels his team will improve as the season progresses.
“One thing I would like to see us improve on is self-inflicted wounds,” Lane said. “There were a couple times where we made some crucial mental errors that ended up costing us in the end.”
This Friday, Orestimba continues its preseason schedule against Grace Davis of Modesto at Modesto Junior College. The game is scheduled to start at 7 p.m.
Gustine is back on the road for another non-league game at Millennium of Tracy. This contest also has a 7 p.m. start.
Mike Bush is a multimedia journalist who was born and raised in the Stanislaus and Merced County areas. Follow him on X/Twitter @MikeBMultimedia and Instagram @mikebushmedia.
