Prep football: Sparked by defense, Vacaville takes win over Lodi in Division II

Home games mean a little something extra to Vacaville head coach Mike Papadopoulos, especially at Tom Zunino Stadium.

It’s simple, really. Papadopoulos married into the Zunino family, which is synonymous with Vacaville High School. The stadium was named after Tom Zunino for his contributions as longtime head coach of the Bulldogs beginning in the 1960s.

“That’s a reminder every time,” said Papadopoulos, who has been with the Bulldogs’ varsity program for more than three decades. And, in what was very likely the final home game of 2022, eighth-seeded Vacaville handed No. 9 Lodi a 35-20 loss and advanced to the quarterfinals of the Sac-Joaquin Section Division II playoffs.

Papadopoulos remembers the days where funding for the program was limited. So, after every win, each varsity coach hands out a penny to players they thought performed well. A penny for their thoughts, if you will.

“That tradition is my father-in-law’s,” Papadopoulos explained. “They didn’t have awards and things so they started pennies, and it’s just kind of a recognition thing for the kids.”

Vacaville, the Monticello Empire League champion, entered the postseason with an active streak of 30 straight league wins. It’s the second-longest streak in the entire section, behind only St. Mary’s of Stockton (42).

On Friday, Vacaville running back Cristian Diosdado rushed for 169 yards and a touchdown while the Bulldogs’ defense had four takeaways, punctuated by a fourth-quarter pick-six by Jemeir Buckner that sealed the victory.

“I was just staying there, locked in,” Buckner said. “I just saw the ball and I took it home.”

Vacaville, which allowed only 30 rushing yards per game during MEL play, withstood a 114-yard performance from Lodi running back Kaiden Merryman, who added three touchdowns for the Flames.

Vacaville had fumble recoveries from Jaden Beamon-Santos, Massimo Menicou and Noah Siaosi, whose scoop turned into a 50-yard touchdown return for the first score of the game at 4:26 in the first quarter.

“To see two defensive touchdowns in a playoff game,” Papadopoulos said, “Our kids made some great adjustments and really had another solid performance to get us in the game.”

Liam Flaherty also punched in two short scores, sneaking in under center for 1- and 3-yard quarterback keepers. His second TD of the night put Vacaville up 28-14 with 11:16 to play. Merryman’s third touchdown of the night brought Lodi back to a one-score deficit at 28-20 at the 8:48 mark, but Buckner’s pick-six clinched the Bulldogs’ victory.

Vacaville (8-3) now travels to the top seed in the D-II bracket, the Manteca Buffaloes, who feature all-around star Blake Nichelson.

“We’re gonna bring the same thunder, the same lightning to the same game,” Buckner said. “We ain’t stepping down to nobody. We’re gonna be there.”