Bless Casa Roble High School sophomore Maria Gasts' heart.
In a long-standing football tradition, she and her fellow Rams cheerleaders do pushups after each of her team's scores based on the number of points they have put up on the board. And with the way Casa Roble has been blowing teams out this season, those biceps and triceps are getting a workout.
The Rams (6-0) took down Bella Vista 55-3 in the Capital Athletic League opener on Friday night and now are averaging 43 points per game, to Gasts' delight and chagrin.
"I get pumped up early on," she said. "But toward the end I get really tired."
Luckily, there is a cutoff for the pushups, Gasts says – usually around 30 points, so that part of the cheer squad's job was wrapped up before halftime. Matt Satchwell scored his fourth touchdown of the first half – and third on consecutive carries – on a 37-yard romp with 4:18 left in the second quarter to make the score 35-0, effectively ending the game.
"Our line was throwing down some massive blocks," Satchwell said. "I just have to follow them."
Satchwell followed those blocks and added some nifty moves en route to a 17-carry, 221-yard performance, pushing his season totals to 906 yards and 13 touchdowns. The senior is averaging 11 yards per carry and is one of the hardest backs in the area to tackle.
Satchwell is just part of the Rams' three-headed monster. Quarterback Sam Martinez and receiver Tristan Baer also got in on the fun against Bella Vista. Martinez connected on 10 of 18 passes – five of them to Baer, two for scores – for 155 yards, and ran for a score. Baer totaled 122 receiving yards to round out the balanced attack.
"They feed each other," Satchwell said. "When the running game is working the passing is working. When the passing game isn't working, we can't run. It's a cycle."
Though Casa Roble coach Norm Ryan hesitates to call Friday's blowout a statement game, it was a crucial first step toward winning a cherished CAL title. Casa Roble, Bella Vista and Del Campo had entered Friday undefeated. The Rams and Del Campo once again appear to be on a collision course, with their meeting Nov. 7 likely to produce a champion.
"We just took care of the neighborhood rivalry tonight," Ryan said. "We take it one street at a time. Fair Oaks, Carmichael and then on to Sacramento."
Call The Bee's John Parker, (916) 326-5519.
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