Central Valley’s varsity football team will face Sierra for the third time under head coach Scott Edwards’ guidance.
The Hawks will travel to Manteca today to play the Timberwolves.
Central Valley lost 23-13 to Sierra in 2015 and 56-0 in 2014.
“I don’t want to shy away from competition,” Edwards said. “They’re coming off a state championship. They beat some tough teams. Last year, we were up on them and let it slip away. It was a competitive game.”
The Hawks opened the 2016 season with a 43-6 win over host Atwater last Friday.
Central Valley’s new-look offense—the Hawks lost nine of 11 starters to graduation—piled up 267 yards and six touchdowns on 46 carries against the Falcons.
“There wasn’t a lot of flash to what we were doing,” Edwards said. “We moved the sticks.”
Jonathan Barragan rushed for 74 yards and two TDs on 10 carries.
Gerardo Solorzano ran for 55 yards and two touchdowns on 10 carries.
Quarterback Willie Soriano gained 39 yards and scored once on eight carries.
Nasson Sanchez added 36 yards and one TD on seven carries.
Cory Cantaloube, Estevan Barragan, Carlos Rodriguez and Gabe Campos chipped in with 21, 18, 15 and 12 yards, respectively.
Central Valley was penalized eight times for 55 yards.
The Hawks also lost four of seven fumbles.
“We did a lot of things sloppily on offense,” Edwards said. “We certainly didn’t overachieve. We played a solid game for Week 1. There’s a lot to clean up.”
Sierra edged Ripon 22-19 last week.
Mark Vicente completed 14 of 17 passes for 236 yards and two touchdowns.
Marcos Castillo rumbled for 134 yards on 14 attempts.
Ripon sophomore quarterback Ryan Daggett threw for 265 yards and three TDs with two interceptions.
“That’s one of the toughest teams we played last season,” Central Valley junior strong safety/running back Estevan Barragan said. “We almost beat them. They’re always good.”
Sierra will welcome Central Valley for its first home game of the season.
Kickoff slated for 7 p.m.
“I’m sure there’s a celebration coming because of what they accomplished last year,” Edwards said. “They’ll be jacked, rightfully so. It will be a tough one.”
Added Soriano: “I feel like the game will be close. It will come down to who makes the least mistakes and executes better. We just need to stick to our game plan, make sure we stay disciplined. It would be amazing beating a team coming off a state championship.”
