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Novice, JV Outlaws Craft Homecoming Week Wins
Cullum Outlaws
Novice player Austin Cullum, 44, has plenty of running room during Saturdays Homecoming game against Linden. He ran for a couple of touchdowns as the Outlaws squad defeated the Lions, 21-6. Marg Jackson/The Times

In a busy Saturday of football, recognized with a ‘Back The Blue’ salute to law enforcement for Homecoming, the JV and Novice Outlaws got youth football victories against visiting Linden. Here is a brief recap of the action at all competition levels.

 

Varsity

The Escalon Outlaws met the Linden Jr. Lions in another Mountain-Valley Football League tilt Saturday evening. Both teams were looking to better their position atop the League standings. These two opponents were in a tie with the Ripon Chiefs at 3-1 on the season. These two teams had met the first week of the season, with Linden coming out on top. Escalon wanted to avenge the one blemish on their record, but Linden would again prove to have more questions than Escalon would have answers.

Escalon would receive the opening kick-off, but could not gain any traction offensively. The Outlaws would punt the ball away to the Jr. Lions. On their first offensive possession EJ Lewis would step in front of the intended Linden receiver and return the ball 29 yards for the touchdown. The point after kick was converted by JP Lial giving Escalon a very early 8-0 lead. Linden would answer with their next possession. On the first play from scrimmage after Escalon scored, Linden would respond with a receiver finding an opening in the Outlaws’ defense and out running them to the end zone. The Linden point after kick would be blocked by Lial to preserve the Outlaws’ lead 8-6.

Christian Tinoco would step in front of another Linden receiver to end the first quarter. Escalon would take this possession and control the ball for the next 9:41, resulting in a 22-yard run by Tinoco around the left end to extend the Escalon lead. The point after kick was missed but the lead did grow to 14-6. This would be the last lead the Outlaws would enjoy on Homecoming Night. The Jr. Lions’ speed from the backfield would prove to be too much, tallying three unanswered scores. The final score would be 26-14 with Linden leaving town the victors.

Escalon will try to recover on the road next week. The Outlaws will travel to Waterford on Saturday, Sept. 23.

 

Jr. Varsity

The Jr. Varsity Outlaws looked to extend their winning ways with a victory on Homecoming afternoon. The JV Outlaws seem to be clicking now on both sides of the ball, spelling trouble for their opponents. With their first possession of the ball, Escalon took a long sustained drive ending with a 28-yard pass from Donovan Rozevink to Austin Ewing. The point after kick was good by Jacob Martin giving the Outlaws an early lead of 8-0. The defense would get the ball back in short order. Rozevink would again strike through the air, this time finding Seth Britton behind the Linden defense. The point after kick was true again by Martin extending the Outlaws’ lead to 16-0.

Owen Nash would intercept an errant Linden pass inside the Escalon five-yard line stopping the Jr. Lions’ threat in the second quarter. The air attack of the Outlaws could not be stopped. Rozevink found his third different receiver for a touchdown when he found Caleb Cavanaugh on a score from 38 yards out. The point after kick was converted pushing the lead further to 24-0. Cameron Ruiz ended the first half intercepting another Linden pass as time expired.

Rozevink would find Ewing one more time from six yards out, and with the point after kick the Outlaws would enjoy a 32-0 lead. Linden would break the shutout late in the game with a score of their own. The point after conversion would be run in, taking the score to its final of 32-7.

 

Novice

The young Outlaws were taking the field on Homecoming afternoon with a confident attitude. They have played well all season with their lone loss coming in overtime to Waterford two weeks ago. That seemed like a distant memory with the performance that the Novice Outlaws displayed Saturday.

The Outlaws would open the game with an onside kick that was recovered by Lavin Gouzenne. Austin Cullum would take the ball on the first play from scrimmage and rumble 43 yards through the left side down deep into the Jr. Lions’ territory. Cullum would finish what he started with a three-yard plunge into the end zone. Kyrin Barajas would carry the ball into the end zone for the point after conversion, logging a 7-0 lead for the Outlaws. Cameron Medina had virtually shut down the defensive left side stopping any ball carrier that tried to run his direction. Medina would tally a fumble recovery among his tackles as well.

Cullum found the end zone again with a one-yard dive into the middle of the defense. The score was set up by a fourth down pass from David White to Gouzenne extending the Outlaws’ drive. Barajas would again carry the conversion into the end zone pushing the score to 14-0. Escalon would surrender the shutout in the third quarter on a short Linden drive. The point after conversion was stopped to have the scoreboard read 14-6.

Escalon would tally one more score on a four-yard pass from White to Cruz Snow. Jacob Cavanaugh would race around the left side of the defense for the point after conversion taking the score to its final 21-6.

 

Jr. Novice

The youngest of the Outlaws continued their season on Homecoming Saturday as well. The Outlaws would surrender an early score, but Escalon would answer with a 64-yard sprint by Ethan Butler. The game was mostly a defensive struggle with neither team notching any real advantage. Late in the game, with Linden driving, Oscar Lopez was able to fall on a loose ball to give the ball back to the Outlaws. Conner McDowell and Griffin Gerber pitched in on defense as well.