In the end, they just couldn’t hold on.
Escalon came close – roughly four inches short – to getting a pivotal first down and a chance to kneel out the clock on Friday night. But the fourth down play didn’t result in a first down and they turned the ball over to Chavez. The visiting Titans seized the opportunity and got out of Engel Field with a 27-22 win on Sept. 4.
Chavez improved to 1-1; Escalon fell to 0-2.
“That one hurt,” head coach Andrew Beam admitted. “It was one of the more sickening and maddening losses, the ultimate gut punch in a way … we are just a couple of plays away. We made some of the big plays and there were a lot that we didn’t make Friday night.”
The teams traded touchdowns in the first quarter, Chavez getting on the board first on a five-yard touchdown toss with the kick good, going up 7-0. Escalon countered with a drive capped off by a 32-yard run from Dylan Ball. The kick by Brody Abbott was good to tie it 7-7.
In the second quarter, Chavez scored on a three-yard run and the kick was blocked, making it a 13-7 lead for the visitors.
Jake Ferreira broke free for a 45-yard rushing touchdown and, after a penalty on Chavez on the extra point attempt, Escalon went for two and Ball ran it in to put the home team up 15-13.
“Right before halftime, we get a fumble recovery, Ethan Butler got the fumble, K’Oz Castro knocked it out, but we didn’t get any points,” Beam said of not being able to take advantage of the turnover.
Escalon, however, did get the second half kickoff and kept the ball for the entire third quarter.
“It was an epic drive,” Beam said. “It lasted about 12½ minutes.”
The Cougars used up the entire third quarter and then scored on the first play of the fourth, Ball going in from two yards out and Abbott adding the kick to make it 22-13 Escalon.
Chavez would then go on to score two unanswered touchdowns, including the dagger with less than a minute left in the game after the Cougars failed to convert on the fourth and short deep in Titan territory with time running down.
“I think this team is close,” Beam reiterated of looking to find their identity and get all the players on the same page.
Defensively, Conner McDowell had seven tackles, linebacker Carter Cummings also had seven, K’Oz Castro had a forced fumble and Ethan Bulter had the fumble recovery.
Offensively, Ball had 22 carries for 116 yards and two touchdowns, Ferreira had eight carries for 89 yards and a touchdown.
“Dylan Ball had a tremendous night, he made plays when we didn’t have room to get a yard but he made guys miss,” Beam noted.
A senior and one of this year’s team captains, Ethan Butler, said the Cougars have things to clean up so they can get in the win column.
“We need to have a lot better practices, we go slow in practice sometimes and that’s just not good,” Butler said. “Also hydrate more, we’re going out with cramps at the end of the game and it’s players we need.”
He also said he and his fellow captains have to step up their leadership.
“I’ve been trying to get in their heads a little bit, I really hope our team cares enough to make it far in the playoffs this year,” Butler shared.
Junior Dominic Rissetto said letting Chavez walk off with the win was a “tough loss” for the Cougars and one he wants to see them bounce back from this week.
“I think there was just some miscommunication, we have some young guys out here,” Rissetto said. “We just need to settle in, get the butterflies out early in the first quarter.”
Junior Ian Trejo sees the upcoming Sept 11 contest hosting Oakdale as a key game on the Cougar schedule.
“The two losses are just wake up calls and I think it starts at practice, this week we’ve got to stay focused, practice hard and it’s a rival game,” Trejo said. “I’m hoping we take this one really serous, just come back and show what we can do.”
Escalon will be looking for its first win of the season as they host Oakdale, with varsity kickoff set for 7:30 p.m. Friday night at Engel Field.
