Elk Grove Unified flavor dots next installment of Bee’s prep football rankings
The Elk Grove region has grown by leaps and bounds, and then some.
There were 4,000 people in the town in 1975. Now there are more than 170,000, the growth reflective in nine high schools dotting the Elk Grove Unified School District.
And the playoff-regular programs each has its unique identity, including: Elk Grove (tradition), Franklin (consistent), Sheldon (sleeping giant), Monterey Trail (gritty), Cosumnes Oaks (upstart) and Pleasant Grove (hungry).
“We’re all a little different, and that’s what makes it fun,” Franklin coach Mike Johnson said.
• Breaking down The Bee’s 16-20: Christian Brothers, Whitney, Del Campo, Placer, Vista del Lago.
This installment of The Bee’s Top 20 rankings includes three of this lot:
The Bee’s Top 20 countdown (Nos. 11-15)
11. Franklin (5-5 in 2016)
Coach: Mike Johnson
League: Delta
Enrollment: 2,673
Division: I
School opened: 2002
Opener: McNair-Stockton, Aug. 25
Pedigree: Nine playoff teams since 2006 under program-founding coach Johnson, including a 12-1 team in 2012.
The skinny: Sixteen starters return from a team that lost two league games by a total of five points. Jalen Lampley is one of most versatile running backs in the Sac-Joaquin Section, flanked by fullback Daniel Ross and receiver Brady Johnson, son of the coach, who coached a bulk of the roster when they were 10-year-olds in the feeder programs.
12. Sheldon (8-4 in 2016)
Coach: Joe Cattolico
League: Delta
Enrollment: 2,322
Division: I
School opened: 1997
Opener: Woodcreek, Aug. 25
Pedigree: Four playoff berths since 2009 and a program-reviving showing last season in Cattolico’s first year.
The skinny: Sheldon won more games last season than it did in the previous three seasons combined, including a late drive to topple powerhoue Grant. The Huskies have four offensive linemen starters back in Koby Barrett, Jade Garrett, Louie Lewis and Jack Middleton to work under position coach Dale Ellingsworth, the program’s founding coach.
13. Sacramento (10-2 in 2016)
Coach: Joe McCray
League: Metropolitan
Enrollment: 986
Division: II
School opened: 1856
Opener: Mitty-San Jose, Aug. 25
Pedigree: Eight consecutive playoff berths and first-time program playoff wins in 2013 for the oldest school in the region.
The skinny: McCray is the program’s third coach since 2014, and he inherits a talented team that returns 15 starters, many of whom played a role in upsetting Folsom, including linebackers Eliah Haag-Larry and Payton Hunter. The Dragons will play home games at Sacramento City College for a taste of the night life after years of day games.
14. Antelope (12-1 in 2016)
Coach: Matt Ray
League: Capital Valley
Enrollment: 1,807
Division: II
School opened: 2008
Opener: Nevada Union, Aug. 25
Pedigree: Back-to-back 12-1 seasons and four league championships – all under Ray – since the school opened in 2008.
The skinny: 10 starters return for a program that has stormed onto the regional scene, punctuated by a stirring playoff win against storied Grant last season. The new quarterback in a long line of good ones is Nathan Lucero, but replacing the 2,223 yards and 25 touchdowns by running back Elijah Dotson, now at Sacramento State, is paramount.
15. Cosumnes Oaks (8-4 in 2016)
Coach: Derick Milgrim
League: Capital Valley
Enrollment: 2,240
Division: I
School opened: 2008
Opener: River Valley, Aug. 25
Pedigree: Six consecutive playoff berths, the first three under founding program coach Ryan Gomes and the last three under coach Milgrim.
The skinny: The Wolfpack have lost just four league games in three years, two of them on two-point conversions at the end. Nine starters return, including receiver/defensive back Kahelf Hailassie, who has committed to Colorado, and linemen Matt Doucette and Josh Young, both 270 pounds and generating recruiting interest as they will block for speedy back Jacob Trach.
Coming Monday: Nos. 6-10
Joe Davidson: 916-321-1280, @SacBee_JoeD, JoeDavidsonMedia on Instragram, sacbeepreps on Facebook.
This story was originally published August 13, 2017 at 5:24 PM with the headline "Elk Grove Unified flavor dots next installment of Bee’s prep football rankings."