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With last week’s 21-7 win over Ripon, Escalon (8-1) clinched a share of the Trans Valley League and will try for its first outright league crown in 10 years when it plays Livingston this week.

While success isn’t uncommon at Escalon, this year’s version has done so with youth throughout the starting lineup. The Cougars have eight offensive starters that are juniors or younger and seven such starters on defense, head coach Andrew Beam said.

“I thought we had a lot of growing up to do. We lacked game experience,” Beam said of his prognosis heading into the season.

This season, the defense has been stout in giving up eight points per game during TVL play and have only given up more than 15 points twice this season.

“Our defense is improving every week. It is the strength of our team,” Beam said. “It is a very, very physical group. They have bought into the mindset of just being tough.”

Two key players are linebackers Caden Gonsalves and Ryker Peters.

Offensively, Escalon was tasked with replacing three year players at quarterback and running back. This fall, it has sophomore quarterback Donovan Rozevink, three junior runners including Logan Anderson and junior wide receiver Owen Nash, who leads the team in yards. Escalon also starts two sophomores on the offensive line.

In the first two years under Beam, who replaced his high school coach and the Sac-Joaquin Section’s all-time wins leader Mark Loureiro, Escalon won 23 total games with a state bowl win in 2019. It went 2-1 during the spring season.