Vanden’s underdog duo is too much for Oakdale in the D-III football section title game

Vanden doesn’t mind being the underdog.

The Vikings, the No. 3 seed in the Sac-Joquin Section Division III playoffs, took their first-round bye in stride, enjoyed their playoff opener at home, a 28-7 win over Vista del Lago, and then moved on Embracing the underdog mentality in the next two games, he traveled to West Park for a 14-7 victory in the semifinals.

Waiting for the Vikings on Saturday night was top seed Oakdale in the section title game. After a first-round bye, the Mustangs (9-4) defeated Woodcreek and Destiny Christian Academy to advance to the finals.

When the lights were brightest, Vanden’s (11-2) stars shone. Senior quarterback Kalani McLeod, who entered the game with over 3,000 passing yards and 26 touchdowns, and the team’s leading receiver, Logan Bailey, were unstoppable.

Bailey finished the game with 14 catches for 235 yards and three touchdowns. He recorded single-game career highs in catches, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns.

“They were mostly playing in the zone, so I was just trying to find open spaces,” Bailey said. “There’s a lot of open space in a zone, so I just tried to sit there for the quarterback.”

McLeod completed 23 of 29 passes for 445 yards and six touchdowns, leading the Vikings to a 49-35 victory.

“I think we expected to get the win as a team,” McLeod said of the team’s confidence. “We were voted underdogs in every game and used that as motivation.”

The Mustangs, playing in their first section title game since 2021, did everything they could to stop the Vikings’ dynamic duo, who scored more than 10 times in the game.

“This is a really good football team, they’re really well coached, especially on defense,” Oakdale head coach Garrett Martin said of Vanden.

Burford doesn’t leave the field

Wes Burford doesn’t leave the field.

He runs the ball and is the team’s leader in carries, rushing yards and rushing touchdowns. When he scores, he holds the ball for the field goal taker. In case the Mustangs need to make a push, he flexes his leg muscles and sends booming kicks across the field. Defensively, he plays defensive back and linebacker and returns kicks.

His father, Seth, paces the sideline talking into the headset, starts and stops his stopwatch as the Mustangs’ personal game clock, and pulls a Gatorade bottle from the pocket of his cargo pants between games to ask his son if he needs anything a drink.

On Saturday afternoon, Wes carried the ball 33 times for 226 yards and three touchdowns.

“He’s a warrior,” Martin said. “He is everything you would want in a child. He works hard every day. He’s one of the ones who hurts me the most. A lot goes through him.”

Richard Flores scored on a three-yard run and caught a 12-yard pass from quarterback Grant Gardner to cap the score.

Oakdale took a 14-7 lead in the first half but fell behind 21-14 after two unanswered Vanden touchdowns. They tied the game by halftime with a Flores touchdown run. They took a 28-21 lead on the first drive out of the half, but Vanden responded with three unanswered points to take a 49-28 lead late in the game.

This is a lesson for the Mustangs.

“Sometimes it’s not always about winning and losing. You play with the players you have and this is about making memories with your brothers,” Martin said. “Do we want the championship banner? Of course, this may be a bit of a rationalization, but life goes on. We start preparing for next year in three weeks in January and the hustle and bustle continues.”

A lot returns next season

If there’s any glimmer of hope for Martin and the Mustangs, it’s that they could very well be back next season.

All of Oakdale’s offensive production will be back next season. Burford, who will likely finish the season as a top-five rusher in the Sac-Joaquin Section and California, although his season may end two weeks ahead of the other leaders. His running mate Chase Lopez, who is expected to rush for nearly 1,200 yards and nine rushing touchdowns, is also only a junior, as is the team’s breakthrough rushing star Flores.

Their quarterback, Gardner, is also just a junior and is expected to return next season after a year leading the Mustangs’ complicated offensive program.

Defensively, there will be eight players back with at least 15 tackles and one tackle for a loss. And of the eight players who suffered a sack in 2024, half will be back. Four players who recorded an interception return.

Not only will an extra year of experience do them good, but a loss on the section’s biggest stage will serve as motivation.

“You love that part of it,” Martin said of the idea of ​​production returning to Oakdale. “Hopefully we start next year on the right foot.”