Home of the Delta Kings

STOCKTON - Don Norton could feel the postseason slipping away.

Norton's seventh-ranked Stagg High football team led No. 10 Atwater into the third quarter before losing 18-13 in the first round of the Sac-Joaquin Section Division II playoffs Friday night at Chavez High.

"It was just a change of momentum," Norton said. "You could feel it from our side jump over there. They took advantage."

The turning point came on Stagg's first drive of the second half with the Delta Kings leading 13-12. A 33-yard pass from Francisco Ortigoza put Stagg (8-3) at Atwater's 3-yard line, but the Falcons (8-3) stuffed running back Theo Wofford twice and Stagg fumbled the snap on third down. On fourth down, quarterback Aaron Raya had Wofford alone in the flat, but Wofford couldn't make the catch.

Atwater scored on the ensuing drive by going 97 yards in 15 plays. The Falcons pounded the Delta Kings up the middle and scored what proved to be the game-winner on a 1-yard run by Armando Garcia with 10 minutes, 9 seconds left in the game.

Wofford carried Stagg back down to the Falcons 10-yard line, but the Delta Kings caught another bad break when the ball was knocked loose out of Wofford's hands at the 5-yard line on a run to the left. Players scrambled to recover it, but the ball went out of the end zone for a touchback.

Stagg stopped Atwater on the next drive and had one more chance to score inside the red zone, but Wofford was stopped on a fourth-and-3.

"In all my years coaching this is probably one of the toughest losses I've experienced," Norton said. "I mean, we dominated the game, but just couldn't score."

Wofford led all rushers with 199 yards on 25 carries, including a 10-yard touchdown. He caught two passes for 53 yards and a 49-yard touchdown. In the first half, Wofford accounted for 200 of Stagg's 214 yards of offense.

"I'm just disappointed, disappointed in myself," Wofford said. "I couldn't carry the team on my back."

Wofford shared the backfield with fellow senior Ty Minkin much of the season, but Minkin did not suit up Friday. Also missing was defensive back Jamen Jones.

"They just weren't here," Norton said. "I'm going to leave it at that."

Chris Ortega was the Delta Kings' second leading rushing with four carries for 35 yards.

Andrew Morgan had an interception return for a touchdown to put Atwater up 12-7 in the second quarter. He also had two catches for 30 yards.

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