The Madera Coyotes and the San Joaquin Memorial Panthers combined for more than 100 points and 1,000 yards of offense in an offensive shootout to commemorate Madera’s Senior night last week.
The Coyotes scored 34 second half points for a 55-46 victory over the Panthers last week. The Coyotes also amassed 583 yards of total offense while the Panthers had 445 in an offensive shootout.
Darius Smith was the offensive highlight for the Coyotes. He carried 32 times for 272 yards and a touchdown. Lawrence Flores gained 109 yards of total offense with two touchdowns. Jayden Martinez had 159 yards of total offense with three touchdowns.
Quarterback Elias Mena was efficient all night. He threw just one incomplete pass. His other incomplete pass was an interception. He threw for 176 yards and three touchdowns.
Madera took the opening kick-off down the field after starting at its own six. Mena hit Martinez on a quick pass, and he ran down the left sideline for 32 yards. Smith gained 22 on the next play to get into Memorial territory.
Smith carried twice for 19 yards to the 10. After a 12-yard loss, Mena hit Martinez on the left, and Martinez made his way into the end zone for a 7-0 lead after a Jayden Perez point after kick.
Memorial answered with a seven-play, 63-yard drive that included a 23-yard scramble on third-and-21. The Panthers scored on the next play from 17 yards out to tie the game at seven.
Smith got the carries four straight times, and he gained 65 yards, including a 28-yard run to get to the five-yard line. Mena kept on an option for the touchdown, and a 14-7 lead.
After Memorial punted, the Coyotes converted on fourth-and-four with a fake punt, but a penalty moved them back. The Coyotes had trouble with the punt, and it only went for two yards.
Memorial scored on the next play, on a screen pass to the left, for a 29-yard touchdown to tie the score at 14.
Three plays into the next drive, Mena was picked off. The Panthers went on a eight-play drive that was helped by a pair of Coyote penalties. Memorial scored on an eight-yard quarterback keeper to finish off a 76-yard drive to take a 20-14 lead.
After a trade in punts, the Coyotes got a big play from Smith. Mena hit Martinez for 12 and Perez for 16 to the Coyote 47. Smith got the hand-off, and went, untouched, down right sideline for a 53-yard touchdown. Perez’s kick gave Madera a 21-20 lead.
Memorial drove 66 yards on nine plays to reclaim the lead. On fourth-and-18, the Panthers found a receiver at the eight, and he sidestepped two defenders at the two for a 28-yard touchdown. The two-point conversion run was good for a 21-18 Panthers’ lead at the half.
Two plays into the second half, the Panthers got a big play. A pass for a 16-yard gain went for 81 yards after a missed tackle to give the Panthers a 34-21 lead.
The Coyotes battled back with three straight scores.
Two plays into the next drive, Mena found a wide-open Martinez on a reverse pass. Martinez caught the ball all alone at the 20, and ran into the end zone. The point after kick was blocked for a 34-27 Memorial lead.
On the next play, Xsavier Elenes tipped a Memorial pass, and Brian Guzman caught the pass for an interception.
Five straight runs by Smith went for 32 yards to the one. Martinez finished the drive from a yard out, on fourth-and-goal, for the touchdown. Flores ran in the extra point as the holder, outrunning the defense to the corner of the end zone for a 35-34 Coyotes’ lead.
The Madera defense forced a memorial punt, and added another score. After the punt, the Coyotes got a 19-yard pass play to Martinez on a back shoulder throw to the Memorial 34.
After Smith ran for five, Mena hit Perez for 11. Then, running up the seam, Flores was wide open, and caught an 18-yard touchdown pass for a 42-34 lead after the extra point.
The Panthers got a pass interference penalty to get the ball to the Coyote 34. Three plays later, Memorial hit a tunnel screen for a 12-yard touchdown to cut the lead to 42-40 after the run was stuffed.
Smith opened the next drive with a five-yard carry, and Mena got the first down with a nine-yard run.
Then, Smith went up the middle, behind a block by Jackson Von Burgh, and broke for a 63-yard touchdown for a 49-40 lead.
Memorial took the next drive into the fourth quarter after a 52-yard pass play. The Panthers scored on the third play of the fourth quarter, on third-and-goal, from three yards out to cut Madera’s lead to 49-46 after the conversion run failed.
Madera went on a time-consuming drive to close out the game. The Coyotes went 14 plays for 84 yards to put the game away.
After Smith carried for nine, Martinez gained 10. Martinez gained 11 on fourth-and-one. Then, Smith gained 13 and 10 yards to the 23. Mena hit Martinez for 11 yards on third-and-nine to the 11.
Two plays later, Mena went up the middle on a keeper. The point after failed for a 55-46 lead.
Brian Qualls sacked Memorial on the first play of the next drive. Elenes made a tackle for no gain on third down. On fourth-and-16, Memorial’s quarterback scrambled for 14 yards, but was stopped before the first down marker.
Smith got a first down, and Mena took a knee to close out the game with a Madera win.