In their late-game rally, the Turlock Christian Eagles scored two touchdowns in the final two quarters against Big Valley Christian High in last Friday’s nonconference meeting in Modesto. But it was too late, since the Lions had already built a commanding lead en route to a 33-14 victory.

 The Eagles hope to continue last week’s rally this Friday night, when they take on Elliot Christian High at Hilmar High at 7:30 p.m. Elliot Christian easily beat Delta High of Clarksburg last week, winning 53-6 over a team that went 10-1 last season.

The Eagles couldn’t overcome a 24-0 halftime deficit against BVC.

Turlock Christian is 0-2 entering this week and hopes to avoid an eight-game losing streak that stretches back to last season. This Friday’s game will be the Eagles’ final nonconference meeting before they play Waterford High in the league opener.

Against BVC, Eagles junior quarterback Chase Gonzalez completed 24 of 48 passes for 368 yards with two touchdowns and five interceptions. His second-half TD passes were a 27-yarder to Micah Larsson in the third quarter and a 14-yarder to Schyler Johnson in the fourth.

TC utilized an aerial attack for most of the night, as the Eagles finished with just 13 rushes — 11 of them by Gonzalez, the QB. Seven different receivers finished with receptions.

Three of them recorded at least five catches, with Martin Moreda collecting a team-high six receptions for 95 yards. Nick Truax and Schyler Johnson both finished with five catches each, combining for 132 receiving yards.

The Eagles, the small-school program with 23 players on the roster, will look to redeem themselves Friday night against Elliot Christian — a team they beat last season in a 18-14 thriller.

Riverbank, guided by former THS coach, tops Denair

Denair High just couldn’t find a way to beat Riverbank High, a team that hasn’t had a winning season in seven years. So far, the Bruins have already matched the school’s win total for the past two seasons after a 43-7 win over Denair.

Arguably, much of the early success is credited to Jim Oliver, the Bruins’ new head coach who was also part of the Turlock High football coaching staff.

Last season, under the supervision of Turlock coach James Peterson, Oliver took on several roles, including being one of the three varsity offensive coordinators. He was also assigned to the school’s freshmen program.

“He unselfishly took that position and ran with it,” Peterson said about Oliver’s latter coaching role. “He really understood that that position was very important for our youngest level.”

Peterson is not surprised by Oliver’s success, despite the importance of guiding the Bruins to their second win. Last season, Riverbank went 0-10 after notching just one win during its previous campaign.

“I’m really proud of him,” Peterson said. “I knew he would be a success. We were sad to see him go, but I’m very happy for him.”

To contact Chhun Sun, e-mail csun@turlockjournal.com or call 634-9141 ext. 2041.