A foggy morning sendoff by the town to show their support for the Oakdale High School Mustangs football team turned into a high scoring championship game.
Oakdale traveled to Sacramento City College to take on Vanden in the CIF Sac-Joaquin Section Division 3 title contest. The game would be tied at 28 after the third quarter but it was the Vikings who reigned supreme over the last 12 minutes to earn a 49-35 victory and their sixth blue banner. Oakdale came home with runner-up status.
The Mustangs started the game off with a fumble recovery by Aiden Adams at the Vanden 31 with 9:36 remaining in the first quarter. However, Oakdale could not cash in on the opportunity as Wes Burford was stopped on fourth down at the Vikings 19-yard line. The defensive battle continued as Vanden drove the ball down field deep into Oakdale territory. On fourth and goal from the Oakdale three-yard line, Vanden could not convert on a pass attempt in the end zone resulting in a turnover. Mustangs quarterback Grant Gardner threw a deep pass to an open Gavin Wyatt but the ball bounced off Wyatt’s hands resulting in second down. The next play Burford burned the Vikings defense on an 87-yard carry. Burford finished off the drive with a four-yard touchdown run for the first points of the game and Oakdale had a 6-0 lead with 1:23 left in the first quarter.
Fans in attendance were treated to a high scoring second quarter. Vanden’s quarterback Kalani McLeod found Logan Bailey from 13 yards out to give the Vikings their first lead of the afternoon 7-6 with 9:06 left in the half. The tandem of McLeod and Bailey would connect 14 times for a total of 246 yards and three touchdowns in the win.
Facing a fourth-and-four from their own 41, Burford rushed for a seven yard pick up to continue the Oakdale drive with 7:21 remaining in the half. The Mustangs regained the lead later in the drive as Burford scored from 16 yards out and got the two-point conversion with 5:31 left in the half to give Oakdale a 14-7 lead. Vanden tied the game at 14 when Zack Tayeh scored on a three-yard run with 2:42 to play in the second quarter. Following a three and out for Oakdale, Vanden struck on a 75-yard catch and run by Bailey with 1:30 left to play in the half to go up 21-14. The Mustangs did not flinch and answered with a Richard Flores three-yard rushing touchdown with eight seconds left in the half and both teams went into the locker room with 21 points.
Oakdale came out aggressive to start the second half as they marched down the field and scored on a Burford four-yard run to go up 28-21. The Mustangs caught the Vikings off guard with an onside kick that was recovered by Bas Stice at the Vanden 45-yard line. However, Oakdale would go three and out and were forced to punt. Then the Mustangs’ momentum hit a wall as the Vikings went on a 28-0 run.
With 4:49 remaining in the third quarter, Vanden scored on a 33-yard pass play to tie the game at 28. Vanden scored again less than a minute into the fourth quarter on an 84-yard catch and run to give the Vikings back the lead 35-28.
An interception by Vanden on Oakdale’s next possession paved the way for more points, on a 23-yard pass play with 5:57 left in regulation. With 2:26 remaining in the contest Vanden scored for the final time of the night on a 26-yard touchdown to make it 49-28. Oakdale did not fold as they marched down the field and scored when Gardner found Flores from 13 yards out with just 39 seconds left to play to make it 49-35. The Mustangs recovered the onside kick as Eli Fisher came up with the ball for Oakdale but they would get no closer, falling to Vanden.
“I am proud of the way the boys played and fought to the bitter end tonight,” said second year Mustangs head coach Garrett Martin. “They are a great group that exhibited the character that we strive for in our program.”
