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JV Football Cougars Bring Home League Win
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Leading just 14-6 at the half, Escalon's JV football team fought for three more touchdowns in the second half and limited their opponent to just one more, winning on the road Friday night at Orestimba, 35-12.

Coach Randy Northcutt said he was pleased with the win, but saw a lot of things the team has to clean up to be ready for the final three-week stretch of the season.

"We had two interceptions that hurt us, penalties bothered us again and both interceptions came when we were driving to score," he said. "These things can't happen in the next three games against Hughson, Hilmar and Modesto Christian, we just can't make those mistakes."

Single touchdowns in the first three quarters - Ben Hood on an 11-yard strike to Jacob Salvador, a 4-yard run by Frankie Bavaro and a 4-yard run by Brandon Grogan, with the kick good each time after by Thomas Diniz - were supplemented by two scores in the final frame.

Those came from Josh Redding on a 4-yard run, kick good by Diniz and a 45-yard run by Grogan with the point after good. Orestimba got a 25-yard touchdown pass, kick failed, in the second quarter and added a 28-yard pass play for a score in the fourth, the 2-point conversion was stopped.

The JV Cougars had a total of 434 yards of offense, including 287 yards rushing on 41 plays.

Bavaro accounted for 145 of them, on 25 carries, with Redding carrying the ball nine times for 86 yards and Grogan, five carries for 51 yards. QB Hood had one carry for four yards.

Defensive leaders were Redding, five tackles and one interception; Colin Strasser, six solo tackles, two assisted tackles, one sack; Adam Roberson, one sack, one fumble recovery; Lance Davis, six tackles.

"This was a good game to get ready for the big part of the season," Northcutt said.

The JV boys are undefeated in league play, 3-0 at the halfway point, but will need to have a cleaner effort on the home field against Hughson to put the next game in the win column.

Kickoff will be at 5:30 p.m. Friday at Engel Field.