Merced’s Becerra has become disruptive force

It took a while for the Merced High offense to get its footing during last week’s 33-20 win against Lincoln in Stockton.

Three first-quarter turnovers helped limit the Bears to just three points during the first 16 minutes of the game. Meanwhile, the Trojans’ offense couldn’t do much of anything against Merced’s defense.

A big reason was John Becerra.

The Bears’ junior defensive end had Lincoln quarterbacks Colby Dickson and Aaron Thomas looking over their shoulders the whole game after Becerra recorded three sacks.

“A sack is the best feeling in the world,” said Becerra, who has four sacks this season. “I think the comparison would be a touchdown for a running back or a receiver. It brings the whole team up.”

Becerra was constantly running loose in the Trojans’ backfield, causing quick throws and disrupting the Lincoln offense.

Becerra will try to be that disruptive force again Friday when Merced (2-3) hosts Atwater (1-4) in the 46th Santa Fe Bowl. Tonight will be first time in the rivalry that the game will be held on Merced High’s campus.

“We played a game here last year and it was awesome,” Becerra said. “I had friends and family that were able to come to the game. I think I had one or two sacks in the game. I could feel the whole stadium vibrating.”

As a second-year starter, Becerra has emerged as one of the playmakers for a Merced defense that has picked up steam in recent weeks, holding Edison (Fresno) to just six points three weeks ago and shutting out Lincoln through three quarters last week before the Trojans scored 20 points in the fourth quarter.

Clovis North’s 38 points against Merced two weeks ago are misleading. A pick-six, a punt return for a score and a muffed punt led to 21 of those points. The Bears held the Broncos to just seven points in the second half.

“The success we had in the second half against Clovis North carried over to last week,” Merced coach Rob Scheidt said. “I think the previous four games prepared us for Lincoln’s speed.”

Becerra felt it was only a matter of time before the Merced defense came together with a lot of new faces this season.

“The first couple of games, it took us a while to get up to speed on defense,” Becerra said. “It was a huge transition from last year. We probably only had three or four returning guys on defense, so we had to learn how to play together.”

The 6-foot-1, 190-pound Becerra had basically one tool in his shed last year as a sophomore, and that was his speed. This year he brings experience to go along with the physical improvements he’s made by working hard in the offseason.

“John is a special guy with a really high motor,” Scheidt said. “That’s hard to teach. Because of that high motor, he demands extra attention and that frees other people up to make plays. Physically he’s a lot stronger. He understands the game more. Last year he used a lot of speed rush, and I think this year he’s doing some good things with his hands.”

Becerra has become more of a student of the game. He watches video, looking for ways he can beat his opponent. He has also improved his technique so he doesn’t have to rely solely on his speed.

“The rip and swim moves are probably my favorite,” Becerra said. “Sometimes I’ll do the push-pull move, but most of the time I’m trying to use my speed. As a junior now, I’ve learned to read the quarterback a lot better. I read plays better. I get off blocks better and making as many tackles as I can.

“I’m definitely going to school each week. I’m watching games to learn everything I can about my opponent.”

Becerra is hoping all the work will help lead Merced to a third consecutive CCC championship. He feels the team turned the corner with last week’s victory.

“It was a really big win,” Becerra said. “We were losing a lot and it helped us get our confidence back. Now, mentally, we can focus on winning the CCC championship.”

This story was originally published October 8, 2015 at 3:22 PM with the headline "Merced’s Becerra has become disruptive force."