2 weeks Ago By Merced Sun-Star
Quintell Dupree’s knee looked healthy when it mattered most. The Merced High quarterback sprinted around the left side, beating an Atwater defender to the front left corner of the end zone for an 18-yard touchdown run in overtime to deliver a thrilling 27-24 victory over Atwater in Santa Fe Bowl 44 on Friday night at Dave Honey Stadium. The Bears’ victory clinched a second consecutive Central California Conference championship and denied the Falcons their first title since 1998.
“It doesn’t get any better than this,” Dupree said. The status of the third-year starter was up in the air all week after he injured his knee on the first play of last week’s victory over El Capitan. Dupree said he was convinced on Thursday that he’d be able to suit up in the rivalry game.
Merced head coach Rob Scheidt said even though Dupree looked good on Wednesday and Thursday, he wasn’t sure until they got out on the field before the game that his quarterback would be good to go. “He ran tonight like he was protecting his knee,” Scheidt said. “That last play was full Quintell that we’ve seen all year.
We didn’t call his number very often.” Dupree said his knee felt great on the final play. It’s a play the Bears desperately needed after Atwater (7-2 overall, 3-1 CCC) took its first lead of the game at 24-21 on the first possession of overtime when kicker Trevor Hill drilled a 35-yard field goal.
An offside call against Merced turned a fourth-and-nine to a fourth-and-four and moved the Falcons into field-goal range. Atwater head coach Seneca Ybarra said he thought about going for the first down. “We thought about it a lot,” Ybarra said.
“But we trust our kicker.” The lead didn’t last long because Merced (6-3, 4-0 CCC) answered with a 6-yard run by Adarius Morales-Saetern and that set up the walk-off touchdown by Dupree. “I knew coach was going to me,” Dupree said.
“It was supposed to be an inside run but I went outside...
I got a great block from Jeremy (Garcia). I didn’t want it to be that close but you’ve got to do what you’ve got to do.” A CCC championship on the line in a rivalry game set up an electric atmosphere with a large crowd.
“It was definitely the most fun I’ve ever had playing football,” said Merced defensive end Jatavious Lewis, who recorded two sacks and forced a key fumble late in the fourth quarter. “The atmosphere, the crowd, everybody chanting, I mean it was so crazy I jumped offsides three times, but we’ll forget about that.” After taking a 7-0 lead into halftime, Merced twice extended the lead to two touchdowns on a pair of third-quarter touchdown runs by Cammarri Jackson.
However, the Falcons battled back. Senior James Bell subbed in at quarterback and led two scoring drives in the third quarter. Bell connected with running back Jeremiah De La Rosa on a 20-yard touchdown pass to cut Merced’s lead to 14-7 with 5:34 left in the third quarter.
De La Rosa carried the ball 23 times for 154 yards and added three catches for 58 yards. After the Bears stretched the lead to 21-7, Bell found receiver Seneca Ybarra II on a quick screen to the outside and Ybarra raced 53 yards for a touchdown to cut the lead to 21-14. Ybarra finished with five catches for 114 yards.
The Falcons finally pulled even at 21-21 when AJ Banks capped an 80-yard drive with a 4-yard touchdown pass to tight end Vinny Valladao with 4:21 left in the game. Momentum seemed to be on Atwater’s side late in the game and Falcons were driving for the game-winning score late, but Lewis forced a fumble by De La Rosa and Merced’s Aden Garza scooped up the ball with 1:19 left on the clock. Scheidt had called a timeout during the Falcons’ drive and expressed to his players someone had to step up and make a play and Lewis delivered.
“His energy took us to another level tonight,” Scheidt said. “I am proud of him. He’s a guy who broke his thumb, played through a cast and now he’s got both hands.
He’s a great kid.” It was a heart-breaking loss for the Falcons, who were trying to earn their first CCC crown in 26 years. “Our two losses this year are in overtime and a one-point loss (to Hilmar),” Ybarra said.
“We’re doing some good things here in the program. We just have to learn how to finish some of these games.” Merced now holds a 39-15 all-time lead in the Santa Fe Bowl.
Scheidt said it’s a credit to Atwater that Friday’s matchup brought some sizzle back to the rivalry. “It’s nice that this game meant so much,” Scheidt said. “In the past, it really hasn’t meant that much.
And so the energy that their kids brought to win, my hat’s off to their coaching staff and all the work that they put in to get to this point.” Meanwhile, the Bears can celebrate back-to-back championships. “It feels great, back-to-back, you know we put a lot of hard work and dedication for this,” Lewis said.
“It means a lot for all the guys. It was just a very crazy game for us, but we had to close it out in the end.”.
