GUSTINE, Calif. — It was an exhilarating night for Gustine football and its fans as the Reds secured their first playoff win in years, defeating Golden Sierra 21-18 in the first round of the CIF Sac-Joaquin Section Division 7 playoffs.
The game marked the Reds’ third consecutive playoff appearance. This victory was particularly special as it was the first home playoff game since 2018 when they faced Millennium. The Reds are the #8 seed and Golden Sierra was #9.
For many players, this was their inaugural playoff win. For the younger classmen, it was their first playoff experience, while for the seniors, it was another cherished week to play alongside their teammates, whom they consider brothers.
Senior Mike Saaranzin reflected on the significance of the win, saying, “As a senior, it feels really special to win round one of playoffs and advance because any game can be your last, and knowing that we have one more week is an amazing feeling. I want to thank God for blessing me with another week of football and getting to play for him every down.”
The game began with both the Reds and the Grizzles keeping it close. The Reds struck first when Osiel Torres caught a 15-yard pass, putting them up 6-0. Golden Sierra quickly responded, tying the score at 6-6 by the end of the first quarter.
In the second quarter, Gustine’s defense held strong, allowing only one touchdown from Golden Sierra. The Reds capitalized on their opportunity when quarterback Daniel Navarro handed the ball off to Saaranzin for a 5-yard touchdown, followed by Navarro’s 2-point conversion, leading 14-12 at halftime.
“We pushed through everything that happened and knew we wanted to win,” Navarro said.
The Reds knew they had to minimize mistakes in the second half. Despite an interception thrown by Navarro in the third quarter, which led to a Golden Sierra touchdown, Gustine’s defense tightened up, preventing any further scoring.
“We are going to ice our injuries, fix our mistakes, and work on some things that will help us going into next week’s game,” Navarro stated.
The fourth quarter was intense, with both teams prepared for a tough battle. The Grizzles controlled the ball for most of the quarter, but a crucial tackle by Edgar Ramirez on Golden Sierra’s fourth down gave the Reds possession with five minutes left. Gustine managed the clock effectively, and with just 10 seconds remaining, Alex Quezada ran in a 5-yard touchdown, followed by his successful kick, sealing a 21-18 victory for the Reds.
“We prepare for these situations at practice by running the plays to make it routine so we can get the job done when these important moments come,” Quezada said. “The moment felt good especially with it being a close game it came down to who wanted it more and we knew that it was a pretty big thing for our school especially being the first playoff win in a while.”
Looking ahead, the Reds are focused on their upcoming quarterfinal game against Summerville.
“All I can do as a player going into this week is be a good teammate, do my job, and do what God put me here to do,” Quezada stated.
Saaranzin added, “I want to keep positive talk towards my teammates and to make sure that not just some of the players but the entire team is ready because it is going to take every single one of us on our team to win each down of the game. I am not going to stress about the outcome of the game but to have faith because I know the Lord is in control and He will be on the field with me guiding me throughout the game.”
The Reds will be advancing to the next round of playoffs when they travel to Tuolumne County to face the Summerville Bears at 7 p.m. on Friday. Summerville is the #1 seed in the division.
