Windsor beats Benicia for NCS championship

The handshakes and hugs began being passed around on the Windsor sideline with more than four minutes left in the fourth quarter. Around the same time, Jaguars quarterback Chase Vehmeyer started taking knees and delays of game, intentionally, deep in their opponent’s territory.

Even with that much time on the clock, there wasn’t anything left that Windsor needed to prove.

In their first season under head coach Paul Cronin, the Jaguars brought home the North Coast Section Division 3 title with a 38-14 rout of Benicia in front of a capacity home crowd on Friday night. It’s the first section title since 2011 for Windsor and just the second in school history.

The Jaguars, who were the top seed in their division for the section playoffs, put forth a dominant performance in a wire-to-wire win. They led 38-0 at the end of the third before Benicia, the No. 3 seed, scored twice in garbage time.

“It feels good to bring something home, bring something to the community that everybody can take part in,” said Windsor senior wide receiver Makhi Johnson, who had two catches for 79 yards.

The dream season continues for Windsor (11-1) next week in the CIF State NorCal playoffs. The Jaguars will find out their division and seeding on Sunday.

“Super proud of the kids,” said Cronin, who won five section titles over 18 seasons at Cardinal Newman before leaving for Windsor in the spring. “I mean, the seniors, whether at Newman or Windsor, they win these games. They’re the driving force in the weight room, the driving force in practices and the locker room. It’s their title. I’m just super proud of them.”

Like they have all season, the Jaguar seniors led the way on Friday.

After a slow first quarter, the Jaguars put together a deliberate and tactical effort in the second to take a 24-0 lead into halftime on the backs of their veteran leaders.

Senior running back Damien Escarcega opened the frame with a 19-yard touchdown to make it 7-0 before senior kicker Flynn Stokeld connected on a 22-yard field goal on their next possession to make it 10-0. Senior linebacker Cayden Homan then recovered a Benicia fumble, which Windsor converted into a three-yard scoring run for Escarcega shortly after.

Escarcega was a workhorse for Windsor all night, going for 89 yards on 18 carries with two scores.

To cap off the half, Windsor put together one last scoring drive after getting the ball back with less than a minute on the clock. A 38-yard bomb to Johnson set up a 22-yard touchdown pass to Nick Fa’aghata to make it 24-0 at the break.

After the two teams traded empty possessions to start the third, Windsor found the end zone on a quick scoring drive midway through the frame. Aided by a Benicia horse-collar penalty on punt coverage, the Jaguars got the ball at the Panthers’ 14 and scored three plays later on a 13-yard keeper from Vehmeyer.

For good measure, on Benicia’s following possession Fa’aghata took an interception 39 yards to the house to make it 38-0.

On the evening, Vehmeyer was 8-15 passing for 161 yards with a touchdown and an interception, and added 104 yards on the ground on 16 carries with a score.

“We wanted to beat them by more than we did last time,” said the senior quarterback, referring to Windsor’s 38-14 win over the Panthers during preleague play in early October. “I think this was probably the best week of practice we’ve had this year. We were just ready for them and we came out and did our thing.”

Friday’s game followed an eerily similar script to the first meeting between these two. Windsor led 31-0 in the third last month before a few late scores made the game seem closer than it was. Such was also the case this time around, as Benicia scored twice late in the fourth quarter facing a 30-plus-point deficit.

Other than a few big plays in garbage time, Benicia couldn’t get anything going on offense, a testament to Windsor’s defensive effort. The Panthers have two receivers committed to playing at Pac-12 schools and a lineman who is committed to Fresno State.

None of that mattered on Friday night. As Benicia huddled near an end zone, facing the reality its season was over, Windsor celebrated at midfield, taking turns holding the section plaque and banner that will proudly be displayed in the school’s trophy hall.

“I can’t even describe it. It feels great right now,” Vehmeyer, a senior, said about winning a section title at the end of his high school career. “Emotions are just through the roof right now.”