Written by: Zed Drivdahl
The Sonora Wildcats opened league play with a victory over the reigning TVL champion Escalon Cougars 35-14 on Friday night in Escalon.
Both offenses started the game slowly, with Escalon punting on their first two possessions of the night. The Wildcats got some traction on their opening drives but were unable to convert it to points as both series ended in turnovers. After another stalled drive, Escalon got the first big break of the game when a punt ricocheted off a Wildcat player, resulting in a Cougar recovery in Sonora territory. The very next play, Escalon hit pay dirt with a 44-yard touchdown pass down the sideline for a 7-0 lead. Sonora immediately answered, with Cash Byington taking the ensuing kickoff to the house, knotting the score at 7 a side. The Cougars answered right back with a big return of their own, taking the kickoff back to the Wildcat 35-yard line. A few plays later, Escalon again found the endzone for a 14-7 halftime lead.
Sonora received the second-half kickoff and wasted no time tying the score as fullback Tommy Sutton broke a run up the middle for a 60-yard touchdown. A quick three and out later, and the Wildcat offense went back to work. This time Brody Speer got the call, racking up big chunks of yards on toss sweep plays and finishing the drive with a 14-yard TD run on an option pitch from quarterback Eli Ingalls to give Sonora their first lead of the night. As the fourth quarter started, the Wildcats faced a crucial 4th down and 2 just past midfield and converted on an option pitch from Ingalls to Byington. From there, Sutton took over, steamrolling the Escalon defense with a series of punishing runs up the middle, capped by a 22-yard carry for the score. Sonora would recover an Escalon fumble on the next drive and put the game away with more runs by Sutton, followed by a touchdown pass from Ingalls to Byington.
Tommy Sutton earned Chicken Ranch Casino Player of the Game honors for his 150+yrd, 2TD night. Wyatt Ling took home the Faust Heating and Air Hot Hit of the game for a punishing hit delivered on a 3rd down pass defense early in the game. Sonora improves to 4-0 on the season and 1-0 in Trans Valley League play. Sonora returns home next week to face the Orestimba Warriors in another critical league matchup.
In other gridiron action, the Calaveras Redhawks won on the road over the Riverbank Bruins with a final score of 55 to 7.