Growing by the week and showing promise beyond their years, the Inderkum Tigers are ready to serve notice that they have arrived.

This is no new program by any means, but it is largely a new group of Tigers on the loose after graduation cleared out a host of impact players from last season. And never mind the youth – nine underclassman starters on defense – the goal of making another title run remains intact.

Unranked and eager to crash the rankings party, Inderkum beat No. 12 Monterey Trail 17-6 Friday night in Elk Grove in a nonleague encounter featuring run-dominant programs.

The one beaming the most when it was over was coach Terry Stark, whose 4-1 bunch had 17 turnovers in its first four games but none here.

Though Inderkum was stopped on downs five times, it showed tremendous resolve in downing a team that reached the Sac-Joaquin Section Division I final in each of the past two seasons and has cruised in recent weeks.

"I'm really pleased," said Stark, leading his youngest Tigers team. "It's tough to move the ball on Monterey Trail. They're good and physical. We're getting better. It's nice to see."

Inderkum's wing-T produced two big plays, and its spirited defense kept the prolific triple-option veer Mustangs in check. Inderkum allowed one big play, a 78-yard touchdown sprint by Sterling Powell with 6.9 seconds left in the half, but otherwise owned the night.

Monterey Trail (2-3) was rumbling in for a 60-yard touchdown reception late in the third quarter before a fumble doomed the drive at the 2.

On the next play, Inderkum's D.J. Myart took off for a school-record 98-yard touchdown and had his entire bench jumping as he raced past. That put the Tigers up 10-6 on the last play of the quarter. Myart finished with 151 rushing yards.

Stark said he thought of his old coach at Mira Loma, Don Brown, who loved to go with the "21 Quick Sucker" trap to buckle teams. Stark quarterbacked Mira Loma to championship success in 1977 and still uses that play, as Myart scored on it.

"Coach Brown would've loved it," Stark said.

Brown, a defensive guru now retired in the foothills, also would have enjoyed how Inderkum defended Friday.

After being held on downs inside its 10 with 3 minutes to go, Inderkum returned the favor. Myart broke up a fourth-down pass with 2:02 to play, and on the next play, Josh Montes broke three tackles for a 22-yard touchdown to ice it.

"That is a statement game," Inderkum players hollered when it was over.

They were right. Stark said it was as big a nonleague win as his team has had. Next is the Tri-County League.

Inderkum has won 22 consecutive league games dating to 2006.

Myart, Montes, Brandon Powell, Eric Walters, Terrence White and Hunter Royal make for a swift and deep backfield, and the defense showed what it was made of against Monterey Trail.

"You just proved what you can do," Stark told his team. "We gave up one big play."

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Joe Davidson co-hosts with Mike Finnerty the SureWest Sports Radio Show each Saturday from 9 to 10 a.m. on ESPN 1320.

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