No matter how they do Friday night at fourth-seeded Folsom in the opening round of the Sac-Joaquin Section playoffs, No. 13 Woodcreek already has had a remarkable season.
Although it is one of only four teams in the 76-school playoff field with a losing record, few would argue against the 4-6 Timberwolves being among the loaded, 16-team Division II field.
Woodcreek finished in a three-way tie for third with Granite Bay and Del Oro to earn a playoff spot in the Sierra Foothill League, arguably the section's toughest. They also beat two of the area's top teams in Del Oro and Del Campo.
But for awhile, it looked as if the Timberwolves were headed for a repeat of 2007, when they went 0-10, rather than last year's breakthrough campaign in which they made the football playoffs for the first time in school history. Woodcreek went 6-6 and advanced to the D-II semifinals, losing to eventual Open Division state bowl champion Grant.
This season, Woodcreek started 0-3, losing to Casa Roble, Placer and Bear River. The 35-34 loss to the Bear River was the toughest to take. The Timberwolves failed to make a two-point conversion run and missed a field goal late in the game that could have won it.
"That start shook us up a little, considering our high expectations and good feelings coming from 2008," Woodcreek coach John Hildebrand said. "We kind of hit rock bottom. To overcome such a slow start is pretty awesome."
Woodcreek lost league games to Rocklin and Granite Bay without senior running back James Nunley, the team's heart and soul. He's battled and assortment of dings, including a slight shoulder separation suffered in a 16-7 must-win over Roseville in Week 9 that secured a playoff berth for the Timberwolves.
Those are the only two games he has missed in 11 years of football, Hildebrand said.
"I almost had to wrestle with him to keep him off the field against Rocklin (a 28-0 loss)," Hildebrand said. "We've climbed on his back a lot this year."
Against Roseville he carried 42 times for 283 yards, including 12 times in the Timberwolves' winning touchdown drive. It's also the drive in which he banged up his shoulder.
The 5-foot-11, 178-pound Nunley is one of those rare kids who has played four varsity seasons. He has carried the ball an amazing 735 times for 4,279 yards and 43 touchdowns.
"That's what I love about James," Hildebrand said. "He's built more like a scat back. But in addition to the moves, he has the toughness and the ability to finish runs."
And the stamina and courage to keep going when tired and hurt.
"When you have a kid that carries the ball 42 times and keeps asking for it even at the end, you have someone special," Hildebrand said.
Hildebrand decided to hold him out of the 34-10 loss to Granite Bay last Friday because the shoulder was still tender and a playoff berth already was secured.
That resulted in a nice bonus.
Junior Blake Cervantes, a 6-2, 185-pound defensive back and wide receiver moved over to running back and gained 133 yards on 27 carries behind the Timberwolves undersized but tough interior line of guards Sean Boyle (6-foot, 190 pounds) and Sam Klein (5-9, 208) and center Blaine Wickstrom (5-8, 175).
Woodcreek will need good games out of both Nunley and Cervantes, plus some timely passing from senior quarterback Matt Mazzuca, to carry out a pretty simple game plan - keep the ball away from Folsom's high-powered offense as much as possible.
"We've done our best when Matt's had his best games," Hildebrand said.
Mazzuca was 10 for 16 for 140 yards and a touchdown in the 27-23 win over Del Campo and 10 of 14 for 124 yards and two touchdowns in a key 28-6 win over a then 5-1 Oakmont team. The senior, who didn't play last year to focus on baseball, threw no interceptions in those two games.
"Sometimes I see him make a mistake or be a little late on something and wonder what could have been had we had him for two years," Hildebrand said. "But at the same time, he's taken every snap and taken some hellacious hits. When he's on, we have a nice balance."
But that might not be enough against a team like Folsom, which is averaging nearly 48 points and 500 total yards per game.
"No one quite runs the spread like Folsom," Hildebrand said. "They are at a whole other level. When most offenses run middle screens, they're looking to pick up maybe five or 10 yards. Folsom's screens go for 80-yard touchdowns."
Woodcreek's defense has played solidly through most of the season.
The senior leaders are all-league defensive end Cameron Stettner (eight sacks) and defensive back Nick Stephenson. Junior defensive back Geordan Nunley, James' younger brother, and linebacker Jason Stewart also have been standouts.
"We don't have the greatest record, but we believe in ourselves," Hildebrand. "By the same token, we are going to have to play our best game by far to beat Folsom."
