On a night where they rolled up over 500 yards of offense, the varsity football Cougars weren’t satisfied.

Yes, they got the win. Yes, it was the first Homecoming victory in three years – and the first for this year’s senior class – but many players felt it wasn’t their best effort.

The sentiment was echoed by head coach Andrew Beam, regardless of the 40-7 final score that saw the Cougars soundly defeat rival Ripon in the Oct. 20 Homecoming contest.

“We had almost 530 yards of offense and we gave up less than 100 yards passing and 100 yards rushing and it was unfulfilling,” Beam admitted. “It wasn’t clean but there was so much going on …”

That ‘so much’ included everything from the hectic Homecoming Week full of activities, the long-awaited dedication of the new football field, track and scoreboard at Engel Field and associated speeches, the formal ribbon cutting, the unfurling of a huge American flag also used at home games of the San Francisco 49ers, crowning of the Homecoming Queen … there were distractions everywhere you looked.

“It was a night to remember, on many fronts,” Beam assessed. “I’m kind of relieved and I just keep reflecting; it was beautiful, to see our community come out that way, and in that east end zone, to see the multitude of coaches, both varsity and JV, who coached together here for years … it reminded you of what Homecoming is supposed to be about.”

Longtime former head coach Mark Loureiro – with some state titles of his own with the Cougars – was also on hand as an honorary captain for the coin toss at midfield prior to kickoff.

Escalon built up a 21-0 lead by halftime; senior Jamin Miller had the honor of scoring the first varsity touchdown on the newly renovated Engel Field, capping a first quarter drive with a 38-yard run and then going into the end zone on the next play with a 3-yard plunge. Talan Reider put the extra point through for a 7-0 lead in the first quarter.

Two more scores in the second quarter came on a 10-yard rushing play from Josh Graham, kick good by Reider; and a 9-yard touchdown toss from quarterback Donovan Rozevink to Nico Franzia, with the kick by Reider, to extend the advantage to 21-0 at the half.

Ripon, which received the second half kickoff, had to deal with the Cougar defense on that drive and though they did move the ball, they went for it on a fourth down play, only to see Sam Jimenez break up the pass and force the turnover on downs at Escalon’s 25-yard line.

“We get the stop and then on our first play from scrimmage, Josh Graham goes 75 yards for the score,” Beam said.

The kick was good and it was 28-0 Cougars.

Nate Krieger then found the end zone on the next Escalon possession, doing the heavy lifting on that series, carrying the ball six times for 63 yards on the drive, and going in from a yard out for the touchdown. The snap on the extra point was bad but it was a 34-0 lead, the Cougars narrowly missing forcing the running clock against Ripon.

The ensuing kickoff was bobbled and dropped by the Ripon returner, but he quickly gathered it back in, escaped a couple tackles, and exploded for an 82-yard return. The kick was good and Ripon was on the board, trailing 34-7 in the third.

Undaunted, the Cougars came back and put one more score on the books. Wide receiver Jimenez was somehow left uncovered as the Cougars set up for the first play in the fourth quarter and it was a quick toss from Rozevink that set Jimenez off for a 78-yard rumble to the end zone. The Cougars went for the 2-point conversion but were stopped just short, settling for the 40-7 lead.

Neither team would score again and as time expired, the Cougars had their first Homecoming victory in three years.

Three-year starter, senior quarterback Donovan Rozevink, enjoyed nailing down that elusive Homecoming victory but is looking for more.

“We’ve just got to make sure we have a good win and clinch the TVL title there,” Rozevink said of the upcoming game at Livingston. “We’ll be a part of the TVL title even if we lose but that’s not our plan; we want the whole thing.”

Fellow senior Nate Krieger was also glad to be part of the victory on Friday night.

“It felt great, I couldn’t have asked for anything else,” he said of finding the end zone for a Homecoming touchdown. “It feels great, it has been a while so we had to win one; I’m happy.”

Workhorse Josh Graham once again had multiple carries and shredded the Ripon defense, finding the holes and squeezing through them.

“It feels good especially because we haven’t won Homecoming the last couple years but it was nowhere near our best effort,” Graham noted. “We’ve got to come back, prepare for Livingston and, after that, prepare for a very difficult playoff run, we’ve got to be way better than we were tonight.”

Escalon moves up to Division 4 for the playoffs this season and hopes to lock in the top seed. A win at Livingston would help secure that spot.

Offensively against Ripon, Josh Graham had 12 carries for 143 yards and two touchdowns; Jamin Miller had eight carries for 102 yards and a score; Nate Krieger had six carries for 63 yards and a touchdown. Donovan Rozevink was 7-for-14 passing for 179 yards with two touchdowns and an interception. Sam Jimenez had four catches on the night for 153 yards and touchdown.

Also notching receptions were Nico Franzia, with a touchdown, and Chase Cummings.

“We only had three penalties and turned it over one time,” Beam said. “We totaled 526 yards of offense and we gave up only 160, Ripon had 84 yards rushing and 76 yards passing.”

Defensively, Franzia had a sack, Ryan Lewis had nine tackles and Krieger had eight.

“It really does feel great; the last two years we’ve been unlucky with it but finally getting a win, my senior year, last Homecoming, it feels good,” said senior Anthony Jones.

Three-year varsity starter Gio Chavez said the family that is the varsity football team worked hard to secure this year’s Homecoming win.

“Honestly it feels amazing … this is a good feeling, winning against our rivals, Ripon,” said Chavez.

Junior Ryan Lewis, on the varsity since his freshman year, was glad to be a part of the big victory, ushering in a new era at Engel Field.

“I thought I had a curse for a while,” he said of not getting a Homecoming win the past few years, either in football or basketball. “It’s really good to win Homecoming for once.”

Having the chance to play on a new field, following the dedication ceremony, was something that junior Sam Jimenez said was special.

“It was pretty surreal, just walking out here, goosebumps everywhere,” he admitted. “I’m happy we got the job done.”

Scoring the first varsity touchdown on the new Engel Field, senior and three-year varsity starter Jamin Miller made his presence felt on Friday night.

“It feels good, honestly, knowing that it’s basically history,” he said of the touchdown, but quickly adding that there’s one more game to get on the league schedule. “I think we just need to go (to Livingston), respect the opponent and go harder in practice, and just do what we do best.”

Ultimately, Graham said the evening was a success.

“It was an amazing environment with all the fans here,” Graham said. “It was a good night.”

This week, the Cougars are back on the road. They head to Livingston for the regular season finale on Friday night, Oct. 27. A win against the Wolves would clinch an undisputed Trans-Valley League title for the Cougars and Beam said the team will be focused on that goal this week.

“Hilmar put themselves in a position to be co-champs with a win over Hughson,” Beam pointed out. “We need one more; let’s go get this one, win the TVL title outright.”

Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. in Livingston.