Del Oro falls to Jesuit despite 2 special-teams touchdowns

Few teams in the Sac-Joaquin Section entered Friday night's game in need of a win as much as Del Oro High School. Sitting at 1-6, the Golden Eagles needed to win out to reach the four-win minimum to qualify for the postseason. Unfortunately for the Golden Eagles, Jesuit took an early lead and pulled away for a 34-14 triumph in Loomis. The loss eliminates Del Oro from playoff contention, marking the first time since 2008 it will not be in the postseason. The Marauders took the lead early, as a 10-yard scoring scamper by Teddy Rios capped an 82-yard drive to open the game. Del Oro marched down the field on the ensuing drive but turned it over on downs inside the Jesuit 30-yard line. Jesuit extended the cushion to 14 in the second quarter, but a 93-yard kick return for a touchdown by Del Oro's Landon Vander Kooi cut the lead in half. The Marauders added one more score on the next possession with a 25-yard touchdown run by Jack Patock. The Marauders put the game out of reach in the fourth when Rios found Ryan Reeves for a touchdown pass to extend the lead to 24. Jesuit added a field goal late in the game, which Del Oro responded to with a 96-yard kick return for a touchdown by Marcel Urquhart. The win moved Jesuit to 5-3 overall and 3-2 in the Sierra Foothill League. The Marauders host top-ranked Folsom (7-1, 5-0 SFL) this week. There is still a trophy on the line this week for Del Oro (1-7, 0-5 SFL), which hosts Rocklin (7-1, 4-1 SFL) for the annual Battle of the Shield. Del Oro finishes its season at Davis (1-7, 0-5 SFL) next week.