Madera’s Lawrence Flores returned a kick 75 yards to give the Madera Coyotes a 55-54 lead with two minutes left in the game against the Sunnyside Wildcats.
However, the Wildcats, whose only win this season was a forfeit win over Justin Garza, drove 77 yards on nine plays to score the go-ahead touchdown with 31 seconds for a 62-55 victory in a rare Thursday night Coyote home game.
The loss to Sunnyside may have been a factor in the Coyotes traveling to Templeton on Friday in the first round of the Div. III Central Section playoffs.
It was also the second straight game for the Coyotes in which the teams combined for more than 100 points, and 1,000 yards of offense. Sunnyside had 617 yards of offense on 87 plays. Meanwhile, Madera had 462 yards on 51 plays.
The Coyotes also had to overcome three lost fumbles that came on three consecutive drives, and two interceptions.
Madera’s Darius Smith had a second straight game of 200 yards or more with 202 yards and four touchdowns. Flores caught five passes for 125 yards.
However, the Coyotes’ defense couldn’t contain the Sunnyside offense. Quarterback Manuel Ortega threw for 209 yards, and rushed for 112 more. Running back Alvin Battiste carried 38 times for 220 yards, and Jeremiah Monia carried 74 times for nine yards, and scored five touchdowns. Sunnyside rushed for 408 yards, and threw for 209.
The Coyotes got the opening kick-off, and drove 55 yards on eight plays. Elias Mena hit Smith for 10 yards on fourth-and-nine to keep the drive going.
Three plays later, Mena found a wide open Flores on a skinny post for a 20-yard touchdown less than three minutes into the game.
The Wildcats’ fast-moving offense drove down the field with a 25-yard run. The Wildcats converted on third-and-one, but a Brian Guzman sack, and a Brian Qualls tackle for loss forced a fourth-and-12. Ortega tried to scramble, but Matthew Prince and Jayden Silva stopped him after a gain of three.
But, three plays later, Mena was picked off, and Sunnyside drove for a score. After a 19-yard pass play on the first play of the drive, the Wildcats scored four plays later from two yards out. The Wildcats ran in the two-point conversion for an 8-7 lead.
After the kick-off, Smith took the ball off left tackle, and followed Jayden Perez into the Sunnyside secondary. Smith outran the Sunnyside defense for a 55-yard touchdown run, and a 14-8 lead with 3:16 left in the first quarter.
The Wildcats scored a minute, 30 later. After a first down pass, and a personal foul penalty, Ortega scrambled to his right and found an open receiver in the end zone for a 23-yard touchdown to tie the score at 14 after the conversion was stuffed for a loss.
But, the Coyotes scored quickly. After Mena hit Martinez for a five-yard gain, Mena kept the ball on a read-option to the right. He ran past the Sunnyside defense for a 58-yard touchdown run just 45 seconds after Sunnyside’s score for a 21-14 lead.
The Wildcats scored on the first play of the second quarter on a direct snap, 52-yard run to cut Madera’s lead to 21-20 after the conversion run was stopped.
Despite a holding penalty on the first play of the next drive, Mena hit a wide-open Flores up the seam. He caught he ball 30 yards up the field with a juggling catch, and ran the rest of the way for a 63-yard touchdown, and a 28-20 lead.
Five plays later, the Wildcats found the end zone with a three-yard run just 1:23 after Madera’s score. They ran in the two-point conversion to tie the game at 28.
Madera faced a fourth-and-two, and went to their short-yardage personnel, and gained eight yards, but Sunnyside stripped the ball carrier of the ball, and recovered.
The Wildcats went on an 11-play, 60-yard drive to find the end zone. The key play was an Ortega scramble for 18 yards on third-and-17. The Wildcats scored four plays later from a yard out to take a 34-28 lead.
Unfortunately, the Coyotes fumbled on the next play, and Sunnyside recovered.
The Wildcats scored on a fourth-and-six with a 21-yard pass completion into the end zone for a 40-28 lead with 3:20 left in the first half.
Smith carried three straight times for 27 yards to the Sunnyside 12-yard line. However, the Coyotes fumbled on the next play, and the Wildcats recovered.
The Wildcats got a pass interference penalty to give them a chance before the end of the first half, but the Wildcats are stalled at the 26.
The Coyotes got a stop to open the second half, and Sunnyside punted.
Martinez gained eight on a fourth-and-one, and the Coyotes got a personal foul penalty go move to the Wildcats’20. Smith gained 14 to the three for a first-and-goal.
Two plays later, Smith carried fro, three yards out to cut Sunnyside’s lead to 40-35 in the third quarter.
The Wildcats went on an 11-play, 59-yard drive to find the end zone. They got a fourth-and-five offsides penalty to keep the drive going. Ortega gained two on fourth-and-one. The Wildcats scored from a yard out to open a
48-35 third quarter lead.
Smith opened the next drive with a 12-yard run. Mena found Perez for 12 yards, and a first down.
Three plays later, Smith ran up the middle from six yards out to cut the lead to 48-42 after a Jayden Perez extra point with 29.1 seconds left in the third.
Madera’s defense gave the offense a chance. Ezeyah Lopez and Sebastian Cerrillo sack Ortega for a loss of nine, and force a punt that went for just two yards.
Mena carried twice for 13 yards. On fourth-and-17, Mena hit Flores for a reception, but it went for 16 yards, and the Coyotes turned the ball over.
Sunnyside got an initial first down, but was hindered by a holding penalty before punting. The punt went for just 17 yards to the Sunnyside 32.
Smith got the ball off the left side, and ran over a defender at the 20 for a 32-yard touchdown run to tie the game at 48 with 6:33 left in the game.
Sunnyside went on a 10-play, 63-yards to score. The key play was an Ortega scramble run for 33 yards on third-and-nine. The Wildcats scored from a yard out with 2:24 left in the game for a 54-48 lead after Brett Qualls stuffed the conversion attempt.
Flores took the bouncing kick-off at the 25. He ran the ball right up the middle, and split the Sunnyside defense. He got the Madera crowd on its feet with a 75-yard touchdown return. Perez hit the extra point for a 55-54 lead with 2:13 left in the game.
The Madera defense forced a fourth-and-10. However, Ortega scrambled for a 24-yard gain with 1:22 left.
Ortega found a receiver for a 34-yard gain to the 19 on the next play. Sunnyside converted a third-and-six with an 11-yard gain. Ortega scored from four yards out for a touchdown with 36.5 seconds left. The Wildcats ran in the conversion for a seven-point lead.
Mena quickly hit Martinez for a six-yard gain on the first play of the drive with 26.8 seconds left. However, Mena was forced out of the pocket, and scrambled to his left. He threw on the run, and was picked off by the Wildcats to end the game.