Head coach Bret Durossette held a postgame meeting with his staff. Steven Downs was the last player to exit the locker room. The 6-foot-6, 270-pound lineman walked gingerly with a swollen left knee en route to the school parking lot.
The Ceres High varsity football team dropped its season opener, 40-0, to Manteca Friday night in Ceres. The Buffaloes won with their running game and an impressive defensive performance.
"We did horrible," Downs said. "We had a lot of mental breakdowns."
Added Durossette: "There's a lot of things we didn't do well tonight."
Manteca amassed 14 first downs and 330 yards of total offense.
The Buffaloes rumbled for 302 yards on 45 carries. Andre Patterson led the way with 99 yards on 11 carries and two touchdowns. Dominic Bennett, Jared Acaya and Michael Alexander added 81, 52 and 37 yards, respectively.
Ruben Cedeno threw a 27-yard touchdown pass to Michael Turner.
The Buffaloes limited Ceres' offense to just four first downs and 67 total yards. Junior quarterback Ross Tate completed 6 of 18 passes for seven yards in his varsity debut. He was sacked five times. The Bulldogs gained 60 yards rushing on 26 carries. Dingko Luangchai, Jake Keidel and Byron Clark had 35, 25 and 16 yards, respectively.
Manteca took control after stalling on its first drive.
Lineman David Mills stripped the ball from Ceres fullback Luis Malagon. Patterson, a linebacker, returned the fumble 4 yards for a score with 8:05 remaining in the first quarter.
Cedeno hooked up with Turner on a scoring play at the 1:49 mark. Turner broke several tackles on his way into end zone.
Patterson recovered a blocked punt inside the Ceres 5. He ran it in from the 4 with 5:54 left in the first half.
Down 21-0, Ceres allowed three more touchdowns in the second half. Manteca scored on three of its four possessions.
Patterson's 12-yard TD run capped an eight-play, 70-yard drive with 5:24 remaining in the third quarter.
Alexander and Forrest Conner had TD runs of 37 and 2 yards, respectively, in the fourth quarter.
"We're going to learn," said Ceres defensive coordinator Brett Johnson. "We're going to get better. We're going to be a good football team."
Added Luangchai: "We're better than this. We just got to turn the page."
Weston Ranch will play host to Ceres High on Friday at 7:30 p.m. Terjean Saffold and the Ravens posted a 36-14 victory over Natomas last week. Saffold rushed 16 times for 249 yards and scored four touchdowns. - By DALE BUTLER / Staff reporter of the Ceres (Calif.) Courier
The Ceres High varsity football team dropped its season opener, 40-0, to Manteca Friday night in Ceres. The Buffaloes won with their running game and an impressive defensive performance.
"We did horrible," Downs said. "We had a lot of mental breakdowns."
Added Durossette: "There's a lot of things we didn't do well tonight."
Manteca amassed 14 first downs and 330 yards of total offense.
The Buffaloes rumbled for 302 yards on 45 carries. Andre Patterson led the way with 99 yards on 11 carries and two touchdowns. Dominic Bennett, Jared Acaya and Michael Alexander added 81, 52 and 37 yards, respectively.
Ruben Cedeno threw a 27-yard touchdown pass to Michael Turner.
The Buffaloes limited Ceres' offense to just four first downs and 67 total yards. Junior quarterback Ross Tate completed 6 of 18 passes for seven yards in his varsity debut. He was sacked five times. The Bulldogs gained 60 yards rushing on 26 carries. Dingko Luangchai, Jake Keidel and Byron Clark had 35, 25 and 16 yards, respectively.
Manteca took control after stalling on its first drive.
Lineman David Mills stripped the ball from Ceres fullback Luis Malagon. Patterson, a linebacker, returned the fumble 4 yards for a score with 8:05 remaining in the first quarter.
Cedeno hooked up with Turner on a scoring play at the 1:49 mark. Turner broke several tackles on his way into end zone.
Patterson recovered a blocked punt inside the Ceres 5. He ran it in from the 4 with 5:54 left in the first half.
Down 21-0, Ceres allowed three more touchdowns in the second half. Manteca scored on three of its four possessions.
Patterson's 12-yard TD run capped an eight-play, 70-yard drive with 5:24 remaining in the third quarter.
Alexander and Forrest Conner had TD runs of 37 and 2 yards, respectively, in the fourth quarter.
"We're going to learn," said Ceres defensive coordinator Brett Johnson. "We're going to get better. We're going to be a good football team."
Added Luangchai: "We're better than this. We just got to turn the page."
Weston Ranch will play host to Ceres High on Friday at 7:30 p.m. Terjean Saffold and the Ravens posted a 36-14 victory over Natomas last week. Saffold rushed 16 times for 249 yards and scored four touchdowns. - By DALE BUTLER / Staff reporter of the Ceres (Calif.) Courier
