Delta River

Schedule/Scores

Week 1 Scores
Pleasant Grove 28, Lincoln-Stockton 29...Folsom 41, Davis 21
Jesuit 3, St. Mary's 48...Sheldon 25, Lodi 10
Monterey Trail 28, Fairfield 32...Florin 12, Laguna Creek 34

Week 2 Scores
Pleasant Grove 39, Roseville 15...Jesuit 42, Golden Valley 28
Monterey Trail 27, Elk Grove 0...Sheldon 32, Chico 21
Folsom 54, Oak Ridge 33...Florin 13, Sacramento 42
 
Week 3 Scores
Jesuit 6, Christian Bros. 21...Monterey Trail 48, Capital Christian 21
Pleasant Grove 48, Laguna Creek 7...Sheldon 36, Elk Grove 19
Florin 22, Cordova 49...Folsom 69, Sacramento 26

Week 4 Scores
Pleasant Grove 24, Elk Grove 10...Jesuit 43, Modesto 28
Monterey Trail 51, Valley 0...Sheldon 42, Laguna Creek 12
Folsom 43, Franklin-Elk Grove 13...Florin 12, Armijo 38

Week 5 Scores
Pleasant Grove 7, Del Campo 20...Folsom 55, Casa Roble 33
Monterey Trail 39, Bethel 0...Sheldon 21, Franklin-Elk Grove 14
Florin 26, Valley 0...Jesuit 41, Laguna Creek 34

Week 6 Scores
Folsom 55, Jesuit 21...Pleasant Grove 63, Florin 7
Monterey Trail 44, Sheldon 0

Week 7 Scores
Monterey Trail 22, Folsom 21...Jesuit 48, Florin 6
Pleasant Grove 41, Sheldon 27

Week 8 Scores
Folsom 49, Florin 7...Pleasant Grove 28, Monterey Trail 21
Sheldon 49, Jesuit 7

Week 9 Scores
Folsom 27, Pleasant Grove 26...Monterey Trail 57, Jesuit 41
Sheldon 28, Florin 0

Week 10 Scores
Folsom 63, Sheldon 28...Florin 6, Monterey Trail 40
Pleasant Grove 21, Jesuit 14

2009 CNS SPORTS AWARDS

LEAGUE MVP: TYLER TROSIN, WR/S, FOLSOM
OFFENSIVE MVP: DANO GRAVES, QB, FOLSOM
DEFENSIVE MVP: ROZALE BYRD, LB, MONTEREY TRAIL
BEST LINEMAN: SIONE SINA, OL/DL, MONTEREY TRAIL
ELITE 20: Dano Graves, QB, Folsom; Tyler Trosin, WR/S, Folsom; Kori Babineaux, WR/CB, Folsom; Jordan Richards, RB/WR/S, Folsom; Stephen Sippel, OL/DL, Folsom; Taylor Congdon, QB, Pleasant Grove; Jalen Saunders, WR/DB, Pleasant Grove; Drew Ahmann, WR/DB, Pleasant Grove; Charlie Rodriguez, OL/DL, Pleasant Grove; Drake Tofi, RB/LB, Monterey Trail; Sione Sina, OL/DL, Monterey Trail; Kalamani Fili, LB/RB, Monterey Trail; Ethan Clark, DB, Monterey Trail; Rozale Byrd, LB/RB, Monterey Trail, Sedale Hunter, FB/LB, Monterey Trail; MIke Calvan, QB/DB, Monterey Trail; Raymond Dickerson, QB/DB, Sheldon; Bryan Gates, OL/DL, Sheldon; Marcus Allen-Paige, OL/DL, Sheldon; Sione Fanaika, OL/DL, Florin; Jackson Welch, RB/LB, Jesuit; Joshua Hines, OL/DL, Jesuit.  

TEAM/UNIT AWARDS
BEST OFFENSIVE BACKFIELD: MONTEREY TRAIL
BEST OFFENSIVE LINE: MONTEREY TRAIL
BEST RECEIVING CORPS: FOLSOM
BEST DEFENSIVE LINE: PLEASANT GROVE
BEST LINEBACKING CORPS: MONTEREY TRAIL
BEST DEFENSIVE BACKFIELD: FOLSOM






2009 DELTA RIVER ALL-LEAGUE AND AWARDS 

LEAGUE MVP: Dano Graves, Folsom
OFFENSIVE MVP: Taylor Congdon, Pleasant Grove/Tyler Trosin, Folsom.
DEFENSIVE MVP: Jim Meadows, Monterey Trail.
ALL PURPOSE PLAYER of the YEAR: Jalen Saunders, Pleasant Grove/Jay Flury, Monterey Trail.
LINEMAN of the YEAR: Sione Sina, Monterey Trail.
Tri-Coach of the Year: T.J. Ewing, Monterey Trail; Kris Richardson, Folsom; Joe Cattolico, Pleasant Grove.

OFFENSE:
QB: Dano Graves, Folsom; Taylor Congdon, Pleasant Grove; Raymond Dickerson,  Sheldon; Michael Calvan, Monterey Trail.
RB: Drake Tofi, Monterey Trail; Jordan Richards, Folsom; Burnis Chambers, Sheldon; Mason Hastings, Pleasant Grove.
WR: Tyler Trosin, Folsom; Jalen Saunders, Pleasant Grove; Kori Babineaux, WR, Folsom; Drew Ahmann, WR, Pleasant Grove.
OL: Bryan Gates, Sheldon; Sione Fanaika, Florin; Guido Benitez, Jesuit; Stephen Sippel, Folsom; Mike Metildi, Folsom; Keith Serne, Pleasant Grove; Sione Sina, Monterey Trail. 
DEFENSE:
DL: Sione Sina, Monterey Trail; Marcus Allen-Paige, Sheldon; Michael Corcoran, Sheldon; Josh Hines, Jesuit; Charlie Rodriguez, Pleasant Grove; Devin Young, Pleasant Grove;
LB: Kalamani Fili, Monterey Trail; Rozale Byrd, Monterey Trail; Josue Quinonez, Jesuit; Jackson Welch, Jesuit; Burton DeKoning, Jonathan Bias, Pleasant Grove. DB: Ethan Clark, DB, Monterey Trail; Jay Flury, Monterey Trail; Jalen Saunders, Pleasant Grove; Tyler Trosin, Folsom; Jordan Richards, Folsom. 






NEVADA UNION DEFENSE CARRIES THE DAY

December 12, 2009


All season long it has been the Miners offense that has come through and won the big games. This fact was further supported by last week's Division I Sac-Joaquin Section semi-final victory over Pleasant Grove, in which the Miners were forced to score 31 points to avoid the upset. In this section championship game, however, it was the Miner offense that struggled against Monterey Trail (the section's fifth-best defense by yardage) while the defense pitched a shutout in its greatest performance of the year.

In addition to its standout defense, Monterey Trail also features a brutally efficient running attack that had pummeled foes to the tune of 311.5 rushing yards per game. The Nevada Union defense knew that slowing down the Mustang running game was the first and most important component to victory.  If the Miners could effectively take away their inside running game, then they would put a whole lot more pressure on Junior quarterback Mike Calvan, who has not proven capable of winning a high scoring football game with just his arm.  In addition, taking away the inside running game would put more pressure on the Mustangs' defense, which is rated so high statistically in part because they are not on the field much and are never tired; two of the biggest perks to having an offense that chews up clock by moving the chains without throwing the ball.

Although the Miners knew exactly what they needed to do to win, it was still up to the boys on the field to execute...and execute they did.  The Miner's defense was led by Colorado State bound Eric Niederberger (8 tackles), Arizona bound Dan Pettinato (10 tackles, 1.0 sack), Zach Vallejo (12 tackles, 1.0 sack), Chad Knight (12 tackles, 1 fumble recovery) and Juan Espinosa (7 tackles). The Miner front seven did a fantastic job of anticipating the snap count and firing into the line of scrimmage.  From start to finish they controlled the line of scrimmage and took away that which the Mustangs totally depend on; a consistent four yards out of the fullback dive.  The poor weather also helped the Miner defense as both teams would have a difficult time moving the ball through the air.  In all, the Miners held Monterey Trail to just 114 total yards of offense, including just 82 on the ground...both season lows.  The Miner defense also forced three turnovers, all of them fumbles, and recorded a pair of sacks.

Offensively, the Miners had a difficult time themselves handling the athleticism and aggressiveness of the Monterey Trail defense.  The Mustangs may be a bit undersized in some spots, but what they lack in size they certainly make up for with speed, athleticism, and desire.  Miner Quarterback Broughan Jantz attempted just three passes in the rain, completing one of them to Jason Slade for 13 yards.  Another of his passes, however, was intercepted by Evan Favors and returned 22 yards.  Most of the Mustangs' opponents this season, including even pass-happy Folsom, have learned firsthand just how dangerous it is to throw the ball around against this defense.  With the kind of athleticism they have at linebacker, it is much like having five safeties on the field at once, and their impressive season total of 19 team interceptions is a pretty clear indicator. 
The Miners pretty much stuck to the ground after quickly learning their lesson, rushing for 143 yards on 51 carries.  Jason Slade and Drew Hoskin led the way, rushing for 78 and 68 yards each, respectively.
 
It is not always the case, but in this one the statistics truly tell us the story.  Nevada Union and Monterey Trail engaged in a brutal, slug it out run-fest in which the teams combined to throw just 14 passes.  Of course the pouring rain had much to do with this fact.  Nevada Union rushed for 143 yards while Drake Tofi (69 yards on 20 carries) and the Mustangs rushed for a total of just 82 yards on 36 carries.  The total yardage gained advantage just barely went to Nevada Union, 156-117.  Both offenses struggled against fantastic defenses and poor weather.  Clearly, the difference in this game was in the turnover battle, in which the Miners had the three to one advantage.  Verily, the breaks just seemed to go the Miners way, and the result was the end of a magical season for the upstart Monterey Trail Mustangs and the Miners' fourth Division I Section Championship in the Dave Humphers era.



-Justin Cruise
 


ONE FOR THE AGES

December 5, 2009


In perhaps one of the very greatest high school football games that has ever been witnessed in the Sac-Joaquin Section, the Del Oro Golden Eagles overcame a 35-7 halftime deficit to upset the Folsom Bulldogs in stunning fashion, 43-42. A couple of early fumbles by Del Oro running back Bryce Pratt were largely to blame for the huge first half hole that the Eagles dug themselves. However, the star runner more than made up for his costly mistakes by rushing for a career-best 327 yards on 39 carries and scoring four touchdowns and the game-winning two-point conversion.

The first half was all Folsom, and by halftime it certainly looked like the Bulldogs would be playing for a section championship for the first time since 1990. Dano Graves was his usual fantastic self, making play after play in the first half with both his arm and his legs. On just the third play of the game, in fact, Graves cut through the Del Oro defense and broke free for a 78 yard touchdown run to open the scoring. On Del Oro's first drive, Bryce Pratt and the Eagle's rushing attack marched down the field on successive running plays. However, after breaking a couple tackles Pratt lowered his shoulder at the one yard line to get into the end zone. Superstar safety Tyler Trosin stripped the football as Pratt was going in and Folsom recovered. From their own one yard line, the Bulldogs quickly put together their second touchdown drive on the strength of several passes from Graves to Trosin, the last of which went for a touchdown. A few drives later, after Del Oro had cut the Bulldog lead to 14-7 and had gotten their first defensive stop of the game, putting them in a position to tie the score at the end of the first quarter, Pratt fumbled again after fighting for extra yards. The fumble was recovered by none other than Tyler Trosin who returned the fumble ten yards to set up the Bulldog offense deep in Del Oro territory. In just a few plays, Folsom scored another touchdown to take the 21-7 lead.

After the two costly Pratt fumbles and a couple other Del Oro mistakes, and the fact that the Eagles simply could not stop the Bulldog passing attack, Folsom held a 28-7 lead late in the second quarter. Del Oro was putting together a late drive that was promising to cut the Folsom lead to 28-14 at halftime, which would have left the Eagles in a managable situation to start the second half. It appeared that the Eagles were about to score when backup Ibrahim Abukadair broke a 25 yard run down to the Bulldog two yard line. However, the play was called back by a terrible holding penalty called by a group of referees that was bound and determined to make their presence felt in this big game. Just a couple plays later the Golden Eagles were forced to put the ball in the air and Max Magleby's pass was intercepted by safety Tyler Trosin, who was almost single-handedly burying the Eagles. A few plays later Dano Graves found running back Jordan Richards streaking down the sideline. Richards caught the pass and made a fool out of one unnamed Del Oro defensive back on his way to a 70 yard touchdown. This was the proverbial "nail in the coffin". One look at the Del Oro sideline and one knew that this football game was over! The Bulldogs had played just about as perfect a first half as any team this season, were ahead of a running team by 28 points and it seemed like any defensive adjustments that Del Oro could make would simply be futile. Folsom appeared to be a team of destiny, on its way to a showdown with undefeated Grant or Rocklin next week. There was only one problem...the Del Oro Golden Eagles were, in fact, not quite so convinced that they had been defeated.

The Golden Eagles came out in the second half looking like a completely different football team. The most important factor pertaining to the Eagles and their chances of mounting a successful comeback was that they remain patient and stick to what they do best regardless of the game circumstances. The Golden Eagles have a fantastic running back and a huge, devastating offensive line. It is true that they also have a quarterback that has shown himself to be capable of producing points and yards through the air, and that wide receivers Spencer Butterfield and Freddie Cargile and beastly tight end Adrian Williams are all capable playmakers. However, if the Golden Eagles felt panicked and went to a spread passing attack to try to comeback they would have been eaten alive by Folsom and their superior athletes. Instead, the Golden Eagles elected to do exactly what they do best (run the football and mix in the occasional play-action pass), albeit with a serious sense of urgency. The result was a resounding success. The Golden Eagles pounded the football to the tune of over 400 rushing yards, 327 of them from Bryce Pratt, and scored on several long, well-sustained drives. This style of play was able to frustrate and disrupt the fast-paced Folsom Bulldog offense by keeping them cold and off the field. It was the same strategy employed during the only other Bulldog loss this season, a 22-21 thriller against Monterey Trail.

Del Oro slowly but surely chipped away at the Folsom lead and made the huge plays in the fourth quarter when the game was on the line. The Golden Eagles secured two late onside kicks and Bryce Pratt scored the game's final three touchdowns...all of them one yard runs. After Pratt's fourth touchdown run made the score 41-42 with 40 seconds left in the game, Del Oro decided to put the entire season on the massive shoulders of their offensive linemen and go for the win. Needing just three yards to complete one of the greatest comeback victories in the history of Sac-Joaquin Section football, Del Oro coach Casey Taylor decided to put his faith in the star running back and dominant offensive linemen that have enabled the Golden Eagles to enjoy so much success all season. Running behing stud linemen Travis Doupnik and Ryan Cope, Bryce Pratt plunged his way into the endzone to put the Golden Eagles on top for the first time in the entire game, 43-42.

With 40 seconds remaining, however, Dano Graves and the dynamic Folsom Bulldog offense had plenty of time to get into field goal range and take back a game that was once completely theirs. Graves was perfect on what would be the final drive of his outstanding junior season, quickly moving the ball down the field with big plays both through the air and on the ground. The Bulldogs gave their kicker a great chance to win the game with one second left, but his kick was partially blocked and struck the crossbar, landing no-good and sealing the amazing Del Oro comeback victory!

This was certainly a game of two halves. In the first half the Folsom Bulldogs were perfect, looking like perhaps the very best football team in the entire section. Stars Dano Graves, Tyler Trosin, Kori Babineaux and Jordan Richards showed just how good and clutch they really are with an abudance of game-changing plays. However, as good as Folsom looked in the first half, Del Oro looked even better in the second. The Golden Eagles certainly have their own fair share of star football players, including Bryce Pratt, Spencer Butterfield, Freddie Cargile and Adrian Williams. Each of these stars made the big plays that his team needed to comeback and win (especially Pratt), but the most valuable commodities in this game were undoubtedly the Del Oro offensive line, as a complete unit, and coach Casey Taylor. The Golden Eagle offensive line worked their tails off all night, dominating the Bulldog defensive front and wearing them down late in the game. It was their constant brute force that paved the way for Bryce Pratt's career day. And Coach Casey Taylor? Well, first of all, it must have taken quite a motivational halftime speech to get the Eagles to hold their heads up and believe in the coming victory after the whooping they received in the first half. And secondly, hats off to Casey Taylor for his genius and patience in sticking to his game plan and team strength's despite the deficit and the inherent urgency. This was truly an amazing win for Del Oro.


OTHER SEMI-FINAL PLAYOFF GAMES:

Nevada Union 31, Pleasant Grove 28
Last year, Pleasant Grove knocked off the Nevada Union Miners in the second round of the 2008 Division I playoffs on their way to a Section Championship appearance. This year the Miners were looking for revenge, but were once again tasked with the job of knocking off a Pleasant Grove team that was playing by far its best football of the year at just the right time. Pleasant Grove's 38-28 upset victory over 10-1 powerhouse Vacaville one week ago was as clear a message as any that the Eagles were ready to make another run at the title this season. Nevada Union, however, also seems to be playing their best football of the year right now, especially on the defensive side of the ball, as they smothered Sheldon 41-7 last week.

In this game, the Miners ran the ball extremely well (347 rush yards) and stuffed the Pleasant Grove rushing attack. The Miners did not, however, have an answer for Taylor Congdon and the Pleasant Grove passing attack. Congdon completed 14 of 25 passes for 275 yards and three touchdowns, including a 17 yard TD pass to DI recruit Jalen Saunders (180 all purpose yards, 1 rec TD) and a 61 yard TD pass to WR Drew Ahmann (6 rec, 161 yards, 1 TD) that tied the score at 28 early in the fourth quarter. For the Miners, Broughan Jantz had a quiet game in the passing department, completing just 2 of 5 passes for 43 yards. However, Jantz ran the offense efficiently and was an impact player as a runner, gaining 80 yards and scoring a touchdown. Defensively the Miners looked very good once again, despite Pleasant Grove's success through the air. Den Pettinato recorded 10 tackles and a sack, Zach VAllejo was active in recording 8 tackles and making many big hits, Eric Neiderberger recorded 9 tackles, Conner Klauer recorded 10 tackles and a sack as well, and Josh Cena made by far the biggest play of the game.

After Nevada Union kicked what would be the game-winning field goal with around six minutes to go, Pleasant Grove put together a nice drive of their own. The Eagles' Kenny Taylor, however, fumbled the ball at the Miner 20 yard line with 3 minutes to play and Cena made the recovery to seal the Eagles' fate.





Monterey Trail 49, Los Banos 14
This year's Division I Cinderella story came to a close this week as Los Banos finally met their match. For the past three weeks, Los Banos has survived with dramatic one point victories. First it was their 48-47 win over Buhach Colony that put them into the playoffs and gave them their first CCC title. Then Los Banos survived week one of the playoff with a 27-26 win over ninth seeded Modesto. Last week Los Banos shocked the world by knocking off top-seeded Tracy 28-27. Three weeks, three wins, and probably nearly three heart attacks for Dennis Stubbs, head coach of the new Cardiac Kids. This week, however, the Tigers met their match and were dominated by a much more physical football team from start to finish.

The Mustangs ran all over Los Banos with dominant play by their offensive line. The rushing total for the night finished at 341 yards, with several backs sharing in the fun. Starter Drake Tofi gained 84 yards on 14 carries and scored twice. Sedale Hunter (11 car, 96 yards, 1 TD) and Derek Bellamy (14 car, 92 yards, 2 TDs) were very impressive on the ground as well. Also do not forget the consistent play of quarterback Mike Calvan, who rushed for 20 yards and completed 5 of 9 passes for 53 yards and 2 TDs with no interceptions. Calvan has been a model of efficiency all year. On the entire season, the junior QB has completed 57 percent of his passes for nearly 1,000 yards, and has 17 TDs with just one interception! The veer that they run is deadly, and coach Ewing has his team playing tough, mistake free football. Monterey Trail will be very tough for the Nevada Union Miners to defeat next week!





LET THE BATTLE BEGIN

October 15, 2009


It's time for the Delta River League games to begin and there will be some good ones!  Although it is unlikely that anybody will be able to stop the Folsom Bulldogs this season, there are three teams that could conceivably do it.  Regardless of whether it is possible to beat Folsom or not, the games will be amazing in one of the section's very best leagues.

ROUND 1- October 16
♦ Pleasant Grove gets to take it easy this week and will try to rebound from their tough 20-7 loss to Del Campo last week by beating the Florin Panthers (1-4).  No suprises here, watch QB Taylor Congdon get back on track by repeatedly hitting stud receivers Jalen Saunders and Drew Ahmann.  Pleasant Grove will easily win this game.
♦ Jesuit has rebounded quite nicely from their early season whooping against St. Marys, winning big games against Golden Valley, Modesto and Laguna Creek while building a respectable 3-2 record.  This week, however, they might get a repeat of week one as they have to take on the Folsom Bulldogs.  Expect a lot of points in this game...a lot of points and a Folsom blowout victory, of course.
♦ The monster match up of the weekend showcases the brutal running attacks of the undefeated Sheldon Huskies (5-0) and the upstart Monterey Trail Mustangs (4-1).  The true story of this game will be the battle between the offensive and defensive lines of each team.  Both teams are very strong on both sides of the line, and that is exactly where this game will either be won or lost.  This will be as physical a game as one will find this weekend!


-Justin Cruise 






AROUND THE LEAGUE: CHAMPIONSHIP WATCH

September 30, 2009

It's still really early to start throwing around the word champion, but many people are ready to crown the Folsom Bulldogs Delta River League champs after just three weeks of play, albeit totally dominant play.  While the Folsom Bulldogs certainly appear to have all the makings of a championship team, the road to a Delta River League crown is riddled with an abundance of quality football teams. 

FOLSOM BULLDOGS (3-0)
Although the talent level is high at four different Delta River schools, the Folsom Bulldogs have by far the most talented team.  After roasting Sac High 69-26 last week, including a 41 point first half, the Bulldogs must now be considered simply the best offensive team in the section.  Quarterback Dano Graves has been near perfect, hitting on 46 of his 58 passing attempts for 771 yards and 16 touchdowns with just one interception!  That one interception just so happened to occur after one of Graves' passes hit a Folsom receiver right in the hands just in front of the goal line, so in reality Graves could easily have had 17 TDs versus 0 INTs right now.  He is just about the perfect quarterback for coach Kris Richardson's spread attack.  Though certainly not big, Graves makes great decisions, is a tremendous athlete and the Bulldogs' leading rusher, and is deadly accurate, as his seventy nine percent completion percentage can attest.

Graves is without question blessed with not only a magic touch but also a ridiculously talented group of receiving weapons.  Folsom's running back, Jordan Richards, is more of a short yardage receiver than anything else, as he is used mostly for screens, swings and an overhead shovel-like pass that they like to run.  Richards has the ability to take any one of these short little passes and turn it into a really big pass, something that he has already done a few times this season.  At wide receiver there are a big group of possession guys who would start at most other schools.  At Folsom, however, guys like Spencer Hodson (2 rec, 16 yards), Michael Geist (1 rec, 11 yards), and Troy Watson (0,0) hardly see the field due to the presence of Folsom's big three.  Mac Carlsen (10 rec, 118 yards, 2 TDs) is essentially the best of the type of possession receiver that we previously mentioned and has been both efficient and effective this season.  Kori Babineaux is an even more dangerous possession receiver than Carlsen.  At 6-4, 195 lbs, with a basketball background and a baby soft pair of hands, Babineaux may be second only to Linden's Aaron Judge (6-7, 230 lbs) in terms of being the best red zone receiving threat.  His 7 TD receptions in 3 games this year is a testament to that fact.  Meanwhile, Tyler Trosin may very well be the best.  While Babineaux is dangerous in the red zone and on jump balls and fades, Trosin is dangerous just anout anywhere and in any way.  He can catch a screen pass, break a few tackles, juke a few others and burn the rest with some impressive speed, or he can just run right by you and catch a perfectly delievered bomb from Graves.  He is a threat to score on offense, on kick and punt returns and even on defense as a safety.

With all of the talent that the Bulldogs have at the skill positions on offense, it is easy to overlook a few things.  One important 'thing' to take note of is just how impressive the Bulldog O-Line has been as well.  Although they are relatively small, the Bulldog O-line is perfect for the spread offense in that they are strong and athletic.  This, as well as the inherent quickness of delivery in the offense, is why the Bulldogs have not allowed a single sack in three games.  In fact, starting QB Dano Graves has not even taken one significant shot this year!  To make matters worse for Delta River opponents, the Bulldog O-line and backfield has proven itself capable of running the football in the event that some team somehow slows down their passing attack.  The balance of the Bulldogs' offense and the ease with which they have scored so far this season should terrify future opponents.  Indeed, this looks like the team to beat.

SHELDON HUSKIES (3-0)  
 
The Sheldon Huskies are off to one hell of a start to their football season.  With one of the biggest and most physical group of linemen in the league and beyond, the Huskies have brutalized foes with their ground game. 

Running back Dewone Young (493 yards, 3 TDs), QB Raymond Dickerson (256 yards, 4 TDs) and reserves Andre Woodson (88 yards, 1 TD) and Burnis Chambers (46 yards) have combined to form one the second best rushing attack in the Delta River with 293.67 yards per game.  After weeks one and two, where the Huskies basically just stuck to the ground game in punishing Lodi 25-10 and Chico 32-21, there was some concern that the Huskies were too one-dimensional to compete for a league title.  Those concerns were put to bed in week three, when the Huskies unleashed Dickerson, resulting in a 13/20, 222 yards and three touchdown pass performance without an interception.

By far the most impressive, and the most critical, part of this Sheldon Huskies football team is their offensive and defensive lines.  With a total of 15 players who are 220 pounds or larger, this is one of the biggest and most physical teams perhaps in the entire section.  Many schools struggle to get fifteen total varsity football players, let alone fifteen big boys to push people around with.  Guys like Michael Corcoran (6-1, 220), Steven McCarthy (6-0, 220), Ajonte Britton (5-10, 230), Bryan Gates (6-2, 250), Khanlin Rodgers (6-1, 220), Marcus Allen-Paige (5-9, 254), Qwaishoan Warren (6-1, 261), Tyler Fulks (5-7, 268), Eric Lucas-Jasso (6-1, 292), and Freddie Townsend (6-4, 283) form a monster group of linemen who have effectively controlled the line of scrimmage in every game that they have played thus far this season.

If the Huskies are going to have a shot at knocking off the Folsom Bulldogs this year, which should now be the goal of every one of the other Delta River teams, then the Huskies must do it by dominating both lines of scrimmage with this group of monsters.  Offensively, the Huskies can and should be able to run the football right at the smaller Bulldog defense.  They must grind down the clock and control the football, thereby keeping that explosive Folsom offense on the sidelines and frustrated.  Defensively, this group of big boys, along with standout linebacker James Drake, must find a way to get pressure on QB Dano Graves, or else the Folsom offense will rip the Huskies' secondary to shreds just like they have done with every other team this season.

PLEASANT GROVE EAGLES (2-1)

Don't let the blemish on their record fool you, this Pleasant Grove team is very good.  Offensively, the Eagles have what it takes to compete with the Folsom Bulldogs, provided that they can get a few stops defensively.  Quarterback Taylor Congdon, although used far less than Dano Graves in Folsom, has produced some very Graves-like numbers this year with regards to efficiency.  The senior quarterback has thrown eight touchdown passes without an interception, and his 553 yards are second best in the Delta River.  His main target, and Pleasant Grove's best player, is wide receiver Jalen Saunders (14 rec, 356 yards, 7 TDs).  The Congdon to Saunders combination will continue to be one of the most deadly combinaions all season (provided everybody stays healthy), and Congdon has another viable weapon in Drew Ahmann (6 rec, 128 yards, 1 TD), and there are others who could step up if the chance arises.

The emergence of running back Laquwon Warr (291 yards, 3 TD) as a serious rushing threat has transformed Pleasant Grove into a much more balanced and deadly offense.  Warr is averaging 8.31 yards per carry, opening up the play action pass and creating new opportunities for quarterback Taylor Congdon.

Defensively, Pleasant Grove may be the most well-suited team to challenge the Bulldogs.  The Eagles have a fantastic defensive secondary, led of course by Jalen Saunders. If any team in the Delta River could slow down Folsom's passing attack, it would definitely be Pleasant Grove.  Still, the Eagles are built similarly to the Bulldogs, and that should be a reason for concern.  Most of the time, if you do the same kinds of things as another team, but not as well, then it is pretty hard to beat them.  In football, you cannot usually fight fire with fire...you need water.  To beat Folsom, you do not want to come out and try to outscore or outthrow them.  You must beat them up physically, wear them down and frustrate them by keeping the ball out of their hands.  Then when they do get the ball you have to make some big plays.  This feat will be easier to accomplish by Sheldon and, especially the next team we will talk about.

MONTEREY TRAIL MUSTANGS (2-1)

The Mustangs have looked amazing at the beginning of this season.  After making the Division I Play-offs last season as a 3-7 team, the Mustangs faced a great deal of criticism.  This season, however, they have looked like every bit of a playoff team in blowout wins over Elk Grove (27-0) and Capital Christian (48-21), respectively.  In fact, Monterey Trail could very easily be undefeated right now.  Their only loss, just like Pleasant Grove, occured in week one and against a fellow playoff caliber football team in the Fairfield Falcons.  They lost 32-28 against a team with an explosive offense in a game that really should have been won.  The Mustangs have made some great strides since that game, and will be as dangerous a team as one can find in this league.

Offensively, the Mustangs are a very athletic running team.  They have nowhere near the power or depth of Sheldon, but their offensive line is impressive in their own way.  Sione Sina (6-2, 230), Josh Kirk (6-0, 210), Alex Avalos (6-0, 225) and Sophomore Leonard Wood (6-2, 275) use athleticism, angles and aggressiveness to open up holes for a talented group of backs.  Drake Tofi (303 yards, 3 TD), Sedale Hunter (246 yards, 2 TD), Derek Bellamy (102 yards, 2 TD) and QB Mike Calvan (266 yards, 4 TD) have combined to form the best rushing attack in the Delta River and 12th best in the entire section at 351.67 yards per game.  Although they do not throw the football much, Calvan has shown the ability to do so on a limited basis, and receiver Jay Flury (7 rec, 117 yards, 1 TD) is a capable playmaker.

The Mustangs are equally talented on defense.  The elite group of running backs also forms the core of a very talented group of defensive backs and linebackers.  Sione Sina is a force up front, while Derek Bellamy, Rozale Byrd, and Lamin Wilson fly around and make plays from sideline to sideline.  Jay Flury and Sedale Hunter are playmakers in the backfield and Jim Meadows has four and a half sacks in just three games.

There is no question that the Mustangs will be a major nuisance in the league this year.  Clearly they are not the favorite to take the title with so much talent in the league, but do not count them out of that race entirely.  At the very least, Monterey Trail should make the playoffs again this year and be in a position to do some serious damage.

THESE GUYS ARE GOOD

September 26, 2009

With some big matchups and impressive victories, there are a few teams that will certainly be moving up the rankings list this week. However, there are two teams in particular that wont be moving up, but flying up. With a 69-26 victory over previously unbeaten Sacramento High, the Folsom Bulldogs proved for a third time this year just how potent and deadly their offense truly is. Although the Bulldogs looked unstoppable Thursday night, they were not the most impressive team of the weekend. That honor must go to Del Oro, a team with perhaps the section's most brutally efficient running game and a defense that makes old linebackers like myself...well lets not go there.

If the five touchdown passes, 330 plus yards, and 35-0 lead at the half against Davis week one and the 54 points against Oak Ridge last week were not enough to convince everybody that the Folsom Bulldogs had by far the best passing offense in the section, then their performance Thursday night certainly should be. The Dragons entered the contest coming off of back to back blowout wins over Woodside and Florin, respectively. The point here is that they are by no means a bad team, and yet after thursday's game one could only make one of two plausible arguments. Either A). The Dragons were grossly overrated after victories over sub-par opponents, or B). The Folsom Bulldogs are so good that they make other good teams look downright silly. Anyone lucky enough to have had the priveledge of watching the Bulldogs play this year would tell you without a moments hesitation that the answer is undoubtedly B.

The Bulldogs' opening drive of the season should have been a hint to us all. After a couple of short gains and a couple of "lets let everybody know we're here" penalties by some hanky-happy refs (which has been a disturbing and unwelcome feature of just about every game that I have seen this season), the Bulldogs faced a fourth and four deep in their own territory. When on the opening drive of the season, on the road, facing a fourth down in your own territory, one would think that common sense and pure reason would lead one to punt the ball and play some defense. However, the Bulldogs and their coaching staff acted like a bunch of cowboys and went for it. Of course, Folsom converted. Then they proceeded to march straight down the field with a handful of perfectly executed plays, culminating with a touchdown pass from quarterback Dano Graves to wide receiver Mac Carlsen. The simple fact is that no matter what the circumstance, the Bulldogs just know that they will succeed. Their cowboy play-calling and cavalier attitude is the product of an inherent confidence of the sort that can only be found in the hearts of champions. Anyone watching should have known right then and there that this Folsom Bulldogs team is destined to do some serious damage this season.

That same swagger was present this thursday night, but to an even greater degree. After two lopsided victories, the Bulldogs know to their very core just how good they truly are. After a nice return, Folsom started from their own 38 yard line. Two Dano Graves runs later and the Bulldogs were celebrating their first of many touchdowns. After shutting the Dragons' offense down on three plays, Folsom got the ball back and did something truly evil; they started throwing. Although it would prove to be one of the Bulldogs' more difficult drives of the game, the three straight Dano Graves completions, including the final 15 yard touchdown pass to junior wide receiver Kori Babineaux, sure seemed impressive at the time. After another three and out, the Bulldogs had the ball back with a 13-0 lead. A couple plays later, Babineaux caught his second touchdown pass, a 29 yarder in the back of the end zone after quarterback Dano Graves delivered a rocket while scrambling to his left! Just a few minutes into the first quarter it was 20-0 and the rout was on.

The Bulldogs scored 41 first half points on the strength of four Dano Graves touchdown passes and a Tyler Trosin kick return. The Bulldogs amassed 302 total yards of offense in the first half, and that number would have been far larger had they not started most of their drives in Dragon territory. Although Sac High did manage to put up 12 points on a couple of big plays, the Folsom defense was pretty darn impressive too and the outcome of the game was never for a single moment in question.

If you were to call the Folsom game amazing or awe-inspiring, then the Del Oro-Franklin game would have to be described as downright ugly. From the opening kickoff, the Del Oro Golden Eagles took a proud, and by all accounts very talented Franklin team, and beat them into a bloody pulp. While Del Oro running back Bryce Pratt is an extremely talented runner, with both the speed to make big plays and the power to put opposing linebackers on their backs, it is the Del Oro offensive line, collectively, that is most impressive. Tackles Ryan Cope and Jon Root, Guards Travis Doupnik and Nick Zieour and Center Eddie Love form one of the section's best offensive lines. Even against what is supposed to be an extremely talented defense, the big boys up front opened up holes that someone could drive a tractor through. On every running play the line of scrimmage seemed to get pushed a good five or six yards forward, and there was nothing that Franklin could do about it. And if there is some studly run defense out there that wants to go toe to toe with the Eagles, beware of Quarterback Max Magleby and receivers Spencer Butterfield, Freddie Cargile, and Daniel Thomas, any and all of whom can make a big play at any moment.

To make matters worse for the teams in the Sierra Foothill League, and quite honestly, the entire section, Del Oro is every bit as good on defense. There are far too many standout players on that side of the ball to mention. Collectively, the Del Oro defense flies around all over the field, hits you in the mouth, gang tackles, and is both disciplined and fundamentally sound. They shut down and frustrated an offense with a handful of outstanding football players and that came into the game averaging 494 yards and just under 30 points a game. This, of course, all comes on the heels of a 49-14 beat down of perennial powerhouse Cardinal Newman last week. I think it is fair to say that this Del Oro team is as complete as any in the section and they should scare the hell out of anybody who is unlucky enough to be on their schedule.


-Justin Cruise