Turlock holds off Tracy’s late surge to win ‘Battle for the Bone’

You’re in for an entertaining matchup when two teams nicknamed the “Bulldogs” play each other in hopes of winning a coveted dog bone.

The Tracy Bulldogs hosted the Turlock Bulldogs for Friday’s “Battle for the Bone” game. These teams last faced each other nearly five years ago, in 2019. The all-time series was tied at 4-4.

It’s unusual to see freshmen play on or even start at the Varsity level, but Turlock’s freshman quarterback Scout Silva is breaking the norm.

At 5’9” and 165 lbs, Silva showed why he’s at the helm of Turlock’s offense as an underclassman.

After deferring the opening kickoff to Tracy, Turlock’s defense recovered a fumble. Silva connected with senior wide receiver Leo Contreras for a 62-yard gain, nearing the goal line. Tracy’s defense forced a fumble and got the ball back at their own 5-yard line.

After being backed up to the 1-yard line, Turlock sacked Tracy’s quarterback, junior Juan Godoy, for a safety, opening the score with a 2-0 Turlock lead.

After receiving the punt following the safety, Turlock got to work. Silva connected with junior wide receiver Landyn Fitzgerald for a touchdown, extending Turlock’s lead to 10-0 following a 2-point conversion.

Starting the second quarter, senior middle linebacker Dayne Hart intercepted a pass, setting up Turlock with prime field position. Silva connected with Contreras again, this time for a 38-yard gain to the opponent’s 2-yard line. Silva ran the ball in for a touchdown on the next play, extending the lead to 17-0 with just over nine minutes remaining in the first half.

SILVA - CONTRERAS CONNECTION

Turlock quarterback Scout Silva and wide receiver Leo Contreras’ chemistry didn’t start in team practice. It was created at the beginning of the summer when the pair knew they had to work to create a spark for the upcoming season.

“He’s my guy,” said Silva when asked about Contreras. “He’s open all the time.”

The quarterback/wide receiver duo connected five times for 155 yards on Friday night. “Our connection, we’ve been working on it a lot in the summer, and it’s definitely paying off,” said Silva. “He’s a dog.”

Silva’s ability to throw the deep ball and use his legs to scramble when no one’s open makes his game tough to defend. “He’s got a great arm,” said Contreras about his quarterback. And he can run the ball.”

FOURTH QUARTER MADNESS

After a scoreless third quarter, Turlock started the fourth quarter with a rushing touchdown from sophomore running back/strong safety Alex Ventura.

Down 24-0, Tracy’s offense knew they had to get on the board. Tracy quarterback Juan Godoy hit senior wide receiver Jager Lea for a wide-open 39-yard touchdown. Turlock’s special teams blocked the point after attempt, bringing the score to 24-6.

After a much-needed stop by Tracy’s defense on Turlock’s next offensive possession, Tracy’s offense went back to it. After a long drive, Tracy scored a touchdown, this time from senior running back/outside linebacker Elijah Gutierrez.

With a score of 24-12 and under three minutes remaining in the game, Tracy executed an onside kick, providing their team with some life in the final minutes. It only took them three plays to score again, this time with Gutierrez receiving a touchdown from a check-down pass from Godoy.

Trailing by five points with under two minutes left, Tracy had to perform another onside kick. After a dog-pile of special teams, the referees huddled and made the call—Tracy ball.

Fans from the Tracy sideline were brought to life. At the start of the fourth quarter, their team was trailing 24-0. Now they’re a touchdown away from winning the game.

Turlock’s defense sacked Godoy on third down, bringing Tracy’s hopes for a victory down to one play – 4th and 15 on their own 40-yard line. Godoy ran the ball to the sideline with no options down the field, short of the first down, leaving teammates and coaches frustrated he didn’t loft the ball up, hoping for a miracle.

Turlock kneeled out the remaining seconds on the clock and won 24-19 in an entertaining fashion.

“That’s a wild game right there, man, what a finish,” said Turlock head coach James Peterson. “The Tracy Bulldogs, they fought hard in the second half, hats off to them. They’re well-coached and didn’t give up. That’s what football is all about.”

Peterson never doubted his team, even when Tracy was building off momentum in the fourth quarter.

“I’m a dog; I never quit,” said Peterson. I don’t think that our players felt that either.” Peterson describes onside kicks as “ UFOs.” He told his team to tighten up on defense and get a big stop, and they listened.

“We had a sloppy second half; we should’ve finished them off early,” said Silva. The Turlock quarterback completed 12 of 24 passes for 267 yards, with one passing and one rushing touchdown. He says his team needs to fix many mistakes on offense and special teams, notably with clock management. “We gotta clean that up because we’re playing a tough Central Fresno team next week.”

Silva attributes his team’s victory to their deep ball completions at the beginning of the game. “Their safeties were down really far,” he said. “That’s what got us going.”

TRACY LOOKING FORWARD

Tracy head coach Jeff Pribble was proud of his team, noting their non-stop effort throughout the game while trailing for most of it.

“They showed their heart and played four quarters,” said Pribble. “They never quit. And as a Tracy High Bulldog, that says a lot.”

After a large departing group of seniors last year, Tracy’s varsity football team consists of 37 juniors and nine seniors. “I think they came out here a little bit intimidated about the Bulldogs,” Pribble said about the rivalry with Turlock. “Maybe we built it up too much about our history and past.”

When asked what Pribble told his team at halftime, down 24-0, he said that character mattered. “These are young kids and they can get overwhelmed really quick, and it’s my job to refocus that,” he said. “We just talked about showing their families how big their hearts were and how much time they put into this and all the effort, and in the long run, I think that that struck a match under them.”

The all-time “Battle for the Bone” series is now at 5-4 in Turlock’s favor.

“I’m proud to have it back. The boys are excited,” said Peterson, talking about taking home the “greasy dog bone.” “It’s been a great rivalry with these guys,” said Peterson.

Tracy (1-1) hosts Mountain House (0-2) next week. They hope to build off their strong fourth quarter against Turlock.

Turlock (1-1) hosts Central Fresno (2-0) next week. They hope to win their first-ever victory against a strong Central Fresno team.