That is a wrap on the 2025 football preseason campaign. Friday night, Sept. 12 Oakdale traveled to Folsom to take on Vista del Lago in the preseason finale. When the final horn sounded it was the visitors walking off with a 49-17 victory. Following a season opening loss to Sonora, Oakdale rattled off three straight preseason victories.
The Mustangs trailed 7-0 entering the second quarter but the team did not blink or budge. Oakdale tied the game at seven when Wes Burford scored on a one-yard rushing touchdown with the point after good. Later, following a booming 72-yard punt by Vista del Lago, Chase Lopez rushed the ball for an 83-yard touchdown. Lopez finished the game with 152 yards on the ground on 14 carries. The Eagles answered with a 2-yard field goal to make it a 14-10 game midway through the second quarter. The Mustang defense helped Oakdale pull away from the Eagles as the second quarter continued, though, as Gavin Wyatt intercepted the ball to set up a Richard Flores touchdown to go up 21-10. The final touchdown of the first half came from Burford on a 36-yard rushing score. Oakdale went into the half up 28-10.
The Mustangs defense continued to punish the home team as Peyton Wallace came away with an interception to start the third quarter and returned it 28 yards. The next play Richard Flores ran the ball 59 yards. Burford finished off the drive with a three-yard touchdown run to extend the Mustangs advantage to 34-10. Burford finished the game with 187 yards rushing on 18 carries.
Oakdale quarterback Grant Gardner threw the ball four times, completing three passes for 34 yards, including a 17-yard touchdown pass in the third quarter to Richard Flores to give Oakdale a 42-10 lead. Flores finished the night with 106 yards rushing and one reception for 17 yards.
The fourth quarter started just like the third quarter, an Eagles turnover. With the team driving, Gavin Sulamo intercepted the ball at the two-yard line and returned it 23 yards.
“We have a young defense and they have done a great job the last three weeks getting more comfortable in the scheme,” said Mustangs coach Garrett Martin.
The final score for Oakdale came on an Anthony Navarro five-yard rush during a running clock in the fourth quarter. Vista del Lago’s final score of the night came with less than a minute left to play on a 15-yard rushing score.
Oakdale went 3-1 in the preseason and now turns its attention toward Mountain House, set for Friday night to open Valley Oak League play.
“We are just looking to continue our progress each day; continue to grind it out on both sides of the ball,” Coach Martin said following the win.
Oakdale’s league opener will be on the road with a 7 p.m. kickoff time scheduled on Sept. 19.
JV/FRESHMEN
Oakdale’s JV team battled on the road but ultimately came home with a 30-24 loss to the host Eagles. Oakdale was up, 16-7, after the first quarter, but was shut out in the second quarter as Vista del Lago put 10 points on the board to lead it, 17-16, at half. There was no scoring in the third quarter; Oakdale scored eight points and Vista del Lago put 13 more on the board in the fourth to capture the victory. The JV boys will play at 5 p.m. Friday at Mountain House.
The freshmen were on the home field for a Thursday night, Sept. 11 contest, hosting Tokay out of Lodi. The frosh team picked up its second win of the preseason by defeating the visitors by a decisive margin, 42-6. The Oakdale frosh will return to The Corral for Thursday night action, Sept. 18, hosting Mountain House with a 6 p.m. start time.
Leader Editor Marg Jackson contributed to this report.
