Could this be the year of the Giants in Valley Conference football?
College of the Sequoias took a major step toward winning its first conference championship in 11 years with a wild 47-44 upset victory over Fresno City on Saturday night at Mineral King Bowl.
The Giants, ranked No. 10 in Northern California, emerged as the lone unbeaten in the Valley Conference with a 2-0 record. The No. 5 Rams fell to 1-1, along with Reedley, San Joaquin Delta and Sierra.
COS bolted to a 20-0 lead on the Rams and led 23-8 at halftime en route to its first victory over Fresno City in four years.
Fresno City's Isiah Barton returned the second-half kickoff 93 yards for a touchdown to make it 23-15 and the Rams kept coming, pulling within three points on Emmanuel Lewis' 1-yard scoring run with 1 minute, 47 seconds left.
COS recovered the ensuing onside kick and ran out the clock.
-- Reedley 30, San Joaquin Delta 28: The Tigers escaped with the victory behind five interceptions and Curtis O'Neill's three fields -- including a 50-yarder to close the first half.
Dontea Smith had two interceptions, but it was picks by Trey Wolfe and Noah Fagundes in the final 7 minutes that turned back the Mustangs' final two drives.
The Mustangs had rallied from 14 points down entering the fourth quarter.
No. 12 Reedley improved to 4-3 overall and 1-1 in the Valley Conference, knocking off the eighth-ranked Mustangs (4-3, 1-1) and avenging last year's loss in Stockton -- the Tigers' lone setback en route to the conference title.
O'Neill, a freshman out of Clovis East High, also converted field goals of 24 and 39 yards. Jason Kelly recovered a Mustangs fumble in the end zone for Reedley's first score and also had an interception.
Reedley's Jesse Lownsbury completed 13 of 25 passes for 157 yards and two touchdowns.
-- Sierra 35, West Hills 28: The Falcons' bid for a rare win in Rocklin ended when they were stopped on downs at the Wolverines 35 in the closing minutes.
No. 15 West Hills (2-5, 0-2) took a 21-14 lead into halftime, but 14th-ranked Sierra (3-4, 1-1) answered with a 20-point third quarter.
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