In the spirit of good sportsmanship and good old common sense, Chris Nixon ignored conventional wisdom that a UC Davis Aggie should not associate too closely with a Sacramento State Hornet.

Rivals don't mesh.

But they do now.

Nixon is the Elk Grove Thundering Herd football coach whose 7-0 team is anchored by a dominating offensive line, coached by Moe Loller. Nixon is a UCD alum and Loller of Sac State stock, a "Hammerhead" lineman from Sac State's last playoff team in 1988.

Loller calls his Thundering Herd linemen the new-era Hammerheads, and how fitting after yet another impressive outing, this one a 23-7 win over No. 5 Franklin on Friday night in a Delta Valley Conference showdown at Cosumnes Oaks.

No. 3 Elk Grove has now peeled off wins against ranked heavyweights in Nevada Union, Sheldon, Grant and Franklin. It is now a win shy of matching the program's victory total for the last two seasons combined.

Against the speedy Wildcats, line play helped the Herd's wing-T chew up yards and clock – a staple all season – and kicker Justin Singh boomed field goals of 35, 48 and 40 yards.

Nixon said he was impressed with how Loller coached Elk Grove youth football teams and "how amazing he could get 12- and 13-year-olds to operate with such precision."

It's a continuing theme for a Herd team team that makes few mistakes and pounces on the miscues by opponents.

Added Nixon, "Moe's a Hornet, but my wife, Tina, won't let me hold that against him because she's a Hornet, too. The linemen hate Moe before they hit the sled every day but love him when they see the results."

The line consists of Isaac Encinas, Watson Tautuiaki, Marcus Worthy, Steven Moore, Casey Whalen and tight end Josh Letuligasenoa. Encinas isn't bulldozer big at 5-foot-8 and 185 pounds, but he wins most tussles with sheer tenacity, a team trademark.

Said Nixon: "He's a terrific player. Any nose tackle who labels him 'undersized' is in for a rude awakening. His heart and desire are huge."

The same can be said for the Herd's three defensive linemen, who yielded some plays by the Franklin backs but more than held their own. That group is led by nose guard Matt Nugent, Jorjon Nanca and B'won Canada and is coached by Steve Blum.

Tommy Arnold scored on a quarterback keeper on fourth down from the 1 for a 13-7 first-half lead, and Robert Frazier made it 20-7 on Elk Grove's first possession of the third quarter with a nifty 53-yard scoring sprint. Deon Ransom later had his apparent 52-yard touchdown run for the Herd nullified because he hurdled a defender, a no-no at this level. Ransom rushed for 115 yards, Frazier 87 and Wadus Parker 72.

That Elk Grove held Franklin (5-2) to a season-low point total is a testament to its defense. Franklin, the newer school in Elk Grove, had beaten the Herd in the previous three meetings. Elk Grove has played football since somewhere around the turn of the century, or close, as one of the region's oldest and most storied programs.

Admiration and respect flows between the teams.

"Their greatest asset in my opinion has been their 'Herd mentality,' " Franklin coach Mike Johnson said. "They have found that spirit again this year, and that makes them very dangerous. Chris Nixon has done a masterful job. … This group has the ability to put the Herd back on top."

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Joe Davidson and Mike Finnerty co-host the SureWest Sports Radio Show each Saturday morning from 9-10 a.m. on ESPN 1320.

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