It was a good Saturday of football for Outlaws youth football teams, with two of the three scoring squads getting wins on the home field.
Varsity
The windy conditions could not slow down the Escalon Outlaws on Eighth Grade Honor Night at Engel Field on Saturday evening. The Outlaws faced the shorthanded roster of the Linden Jr. Lions after honoring the eighth grade participants in the Escalon program, both cheerleaders and football players alike.
A full roster would not have helped to stop the steamroller that is the Escalon Outlaws Varsity squad. The Outlaws scored quickly on a 10-yard pass from Kaden Christensen to Jacob Walden. Walden, whose largest contributions to the team this year have come from the defensive side of the football, would have a career night for the offense. Walden would tally two more scores as a recipient of passes from Christensen, racing in from 40 and 65 yards respectively.
Christensen would add a scramble into the end zone from 19 yards out. The scoring did not stop there as the Lions had few answers to stop the multifaceted attack from the Outlaws. Colton Panero raced 70 yards through and around the Lions defense. Christensen capped the scoring with a 20-yard screen pass to Panero, who found a convoy of blocking to the end zone. After the point after touchdown the score reached 42-0.
The Outlaws defense surrendered few positive yards to the Lions. Garrett Nash and Shane Johnson stepped in front of stray passes headed for Linden receivers to record interceptions.
The varsity is not sitting waiting for the playoffs. After the run that ended short of their goal last year, the returning players Christensen, Walden, Logan Tom, P.J. Flores, Steven Gately, and Mitchell Cole will not stop driving the team. The Outlaws will be on the road to face off against the Hughson Huskies next weekend.
Junior Varsity
The Junior Varsity Outlaws found the visiting Lions a challenge, but still were able to impose their will, upending the Lions 28-0. The Outlaws dominated the trenches on both sides of the football. The offensive line of Anthony White, Luke Andersen, Giavanni Brunetti, Shane Campbell, and Josh Miller supplied running lanes for the Outlaws running backs to slash away at the Lions’ defense most of the day.
Logan Webster did the dirty work with short yardage plunges into the end zone tallying three scores on the day from one, seven and two yards out. The Outlaws were able to tally a score through the air as well as Ty Harris connected with Evan Lewis on a 25 yard catch and run.
Andersen and Jacob Redding terrorized the Linden offensive backfield during most of the contest. Andersen was able to cause and then recover one fumble and recover one other.
Novice
The Novice Outlaws were outdistanced by the visiting Jr. Lions 25-7. The Outlaws found themselves trailing 13-0 at the halftime break after having a positive looking drive stall deep in Linden territory. The first half of play officially ended on an interception by Seth Britton.
The Outlaws managed a scoring drive in the third quarter with a drive-extending catch and run by Britton. Alfonso Gonzalez weaved his way through the Linden defense to score from 25 yards out.
The Novice Outlaws next game will have playoff implications. The young Outlaws will need a win on the road against the Hughson Huskies next week.
Junior Novice
The Junior Novice exhibition allowed the youngest of the Outlaws bunch to display what they have learned up to this point in the season. All of the boys deserve some recognition, but these stood out during the performance this week: Austin Cullum, Hayden McPherson, and David White contributed on defense for the Outlaws, using all that they had to make sure to stop the Linden ball carriers.
Jacob Cavanaugh, Sammy Sandoval and Max Gonzalez displayed their skills on the offensive side of the football. If this group of boys continues to work hard, it looks as though they will be able to make larger contributions when they get older.
