Defending champion Vanden survives Merced comeback, advances to SJS semifinals
It took the longest road trip in the Sac-Joaquin Section, two first-quarter turnovers, and a last-second defensive stand, but the defending Division III champions are still alive.
Vanden High survived a furious comeback and a final-play deep ball to escape with a 26-25 win over previously undefeated Merced on Friday night, advancing to the Division III semifinals for the second straight season.
The Vikings didn’t officially seal the game until the final tackle — on a completed pass. With seven seconds left, Merced quarterback Vicente Cortez launched a desperate heave to Israel Rodas, who caught the ball in stride near the Vanden 40-yard line. But the Vikings swarmed and pulled him down as the clock hit zero, preserving Vanden’s one-point victory.
“We talk about championship pedigree,” Vanden head coach Mike Clark said. “Going on the road, being in tournament mode — this is nothing new for us. Winning these types of games takes a full team effort.”
Jones sparks a fast start
Few players in the section impact games the way senior captain Caleb Jones can — and he showed it in the opening quarter.
Merced (10–1) came in as one of the region’s last undefeated teams, but Jones flipped the tone early. First he jumped a route for an interception, setting up a short touchdown run by quarterback Xavier Zambrano. On Merced’s next offensive drive, Jones scooped up a fumble and sprinted into the end zone to give Vanden a 13–0 lead.
“For me, that’s regular — I’ve been doing it since game one,” Jones said. “As a senior, I have to set the example. We knew all their plays from watching film. We wrote everything down — their pass plays, their run plays. If we executed, we knew we could stop them.”
For most of the first quarter, it looked as if the Vikings might cruise.
But Merced had other ideas.
Merced storms back — then Vanden responds
Cortez and senior receiver Hayden Czirban connected for three touchdowns — from 12, 46 and 20 yards — to erase Vanden’s early lead. On the snap after their second touchdown, Merced linebacker Damari Washington intercepted Zambrano and returned it 20 yards for a score, pulling the Bears within 20–18.
Merced continued its surge into the third quarter. Cortez fired a 20-yard touchdown to Czirban, giving the Bears a 25–20 lead and sending the home fans into a frenzy.
But Vanden, which won the Division III title last season and returned a battle-tested senior core, didn’t panic.
“That’s football — it’s an imperfect game,” Clark said. “Our guys have been in these situations. We didn’t flinch.”
Dokes delivers the highlight — and Chavez closes it out
Vanden delivered its counterpunch early in the fourth quarter. Zambrano rolled out and fired a 13-yard pass to Kimani Dokes, who elevated and hauled in a one-handed touchdown catch to put the Vikings ahead 26–25 with 11:12 remaining.
The Vikings never scored again — but they didn’t need to.
Vanden leaned heavily on senior running back Josiah Chavez, who powered an all-run, clock-draining drive that forced Merced to use all of its timeouts. The possession didn’t result in points, but it flipped the game into a race against time — a race Merced ultimately couldn’t win.
“We were able to take the air out of the ball in that last drive,” Clark said. “That’s what we’ve been building toward all season — being able to run the football when we need to.”
One last scare — then a ticket to the semifinals
Merced regained possession with seven seconds left. Cortez rolled left and launched a deep throw down the sideline. Rodas caught it at the Vanden 40 — but the clock hit zero as Vanden defenders dragged him down, setting off a celebration from the visiting sideline.
“That’s playoff football,” Clark said. “You have to do the right things at the right time and trust all three phases. Offense picked up defense, defense picked up offense. That’s the way we have to play to keep advancing.”
Jones, whose two turnovers and defensive touchdown shaped the night, said the Vikings are still fighting for something bigger.
“Nobody wanted to respect us,” Jones said. “They gave us a five percent chance to win state. They ranked teams a hundred spots above us. Tonight we showed we deserve respect.”
Next: A championship rematch
Vanden (9–2) now heads to Oakdale for a rematch of last year’s Division III championship game — a matchup the Vikings won 49-35 to claim the blue banner.
The road to another title runs through one of the toughest stadiums in the region. But Vanden proved Friday that its championship identity travels.
“We have a group of seniors who’ve done this before,” Clark said. “We’re letting them drive the car.”
