Merced College football wins conference showdown to extend winning streak to seven games
The Merced College football team dominated the matchup of Golden Coast Conference undefeated team as the Blue Devils won their seventh consecutive game with a 41-14 victory over West Hills Coalinga on Saturday afternoon at Stadium ‘76.
Merced College allowed its offensive line to do the heavy lifting as they paved the way for both Justin Incaprera and Isaiah Hidalgo to rush for over 100 yards on the day.
Incaprera carried the ball 27 times for 132 yards and a touchdown. The sophomore running back from Los Banos High School also scored on a 35-yard screen pass late in the game.
Hidalgo carried the ball eight times for 132 yards and a touchdown.
“They’re both dynamic in different ways,” said Merced College head coach Justin Pinasco. “With Incaprera just consistently pounding and then breaking through and Isaiah, he’s like a ninja.”
The Blue Devils took control of the game late in the first quarter, scoring touchdowns on four consecutive possessions to open up a 27-0 lead.
Incaprera started the scoring with a 13-yard run that gave the Blue Devils (8-1 overall, 5-0 GCC) a 7-0 lead with 3 minutes left in the first quarter.
MC safety Amare Padilla then intercepted a pass from West Hills quarterback Jaice Holt to set up the Blue Devils offense at the Falcons’ 27-yard line.
Seven plays later, Merced College fullback Luke Anderson plunged into the end zone on a 1-yard run to extend the lead to 14-0 with 13:04 left in the second quarter.
Blue Devils quarterback Aiden Meyer added touchdown runs of 2 and 4 yards to stretch the lead to 27-0 with 4:29 left in the first half.
The Blue Devils never looked back as the defense kept constant pressure on Holt, sacking him five times.
Defensive end Jaylon Thao-Booth recorded three sacks which brings his state-leading total to 16 for the season.
“We knew they were a decent team and they could hang with us,” Thao-Booth said. “We just have to bring our everything.”
The win clinches at least a share of the Golden Coast Conference championship for the Blue Devils.
The Blue Devils have been firing on all cylinders during their seven-game winning streak, outscoring their opponents 279 to 83 during the streak.
“I gave them the wheel seven weeks ago,” Pinasco said. “I said, ‘You’re driving.’ So they took it, they absolutely took it. I couldn’t expect them to have ownership without giving it to them. It’s on them, I’m just pointing them the right way.”
Thao-Booth says there is a trust out there when they take the field.
“It’s our trust in one another and our ability to execute in every area,” Thao-Booth said. “We’ve got great players all around the field and we can just trust each other to make plays.”
The Blue Devils will finish the season next week at Monterey Peninsula at 6 p.m.
“These guys are fired up,” Pinasco said. “Now we have to finish, we still have one more.”
