Sidelined last year with a broken leg, Ponderosa running back is punishing opponents
His jersey was a couple of shades darker than those of his Ponderosa Bruins teammates, the sweat seeping through the uniform with tiny, black specks of recycled tires stuck to it.
Jake Chaney works very hard. His uniform works even harder.
The senior running back and strong safety bashed, battled and broke down a stout Casa Roble defense Friday night to lead the No. 20 Bruins to a 31-21 victory against the No. 17 Rams in a non-league game in Orangevale.
Chaney had touchdown runs of 12 and 5 yards, but helped set up every other Bruins score. Coupled with his play as a strong safety and on special teams, the only time Chaney comes off the field is for halftime and when the final horn sounds.
“He’s one of those guys who you build your program around,” Bruins coach Davy Johnson said. “If you want to be a physical program you need a guy like that running the ball. But he’s known as a two-way guy who always does what he’s supposed to do on and off the field.”
Chaney broke his leg in last season’s opener against Lincoln and missed eight games, so this is his first varsity season to show what he can do.
Chaney is listed in the program at 185 pounds. The scales didn’t account for an opposing linebacker on his pads and a corner hanging on to his stout legs. Johnson said he’s a quiet leader in the weight room and lets the clanging of the barbells speak for his intensity and focus. The cracking of pads and the cheers from the Bruins’ sidelines and stands creates plenty of buzz for Chaney, who is one of those 3 percent body fat guys that linemen hate.
Chaney is one of four senior captains. The others are quarterback/free safety Elijah Henderson, receiver/defensive back Jordan Iodence and guard/defensive end Shane Ryan.
Both teams entered the game 3-0, the best starts in years. The last Rams team to start 3-0 was the 2008 edition that later finished 13-0 and Sac-Joaquin Section D-III titlists. The last time Ponderosa started 4-0 was in 2013. The Bruins then lost their last six to miss the playoffs.
But with a healthy Chaney doing it all and leading the Bruins on both sides of the ball, an 0-6 finish seems almost impossible.
The Rams stuck around on the arm of senior quarterback Austin Ehinger.
Ehinger, who started behind center every game last season, suffered a spiral fracture in his right leg two weeks before spring ball began in April. Casa Roble coach Chris Horner said Ehinger still has a couple of metal plates in his leg just above his ankle.
“He’s been working really hard in physical therapy to get back because he relies so much on his feet,” Horner said. Ehinger threw touchdowns of 55 and 18 yards to Elijah Johnson and Ruben Voznyuk, respectively.
Foothill Valley League play starts next week for the Bruins at home against Cordova. The Rams play at Oakmont in a rivalry game. Casa Roble opens Golden Empire League play in two weeks against Mira Loma. Going into Friday’s contests, the Matadors had been outscored 186-0. The GEL was a combined 1-12 after Week 3.
“You have to play the teams in the league that the (Sac-Joaquin Section) gives you,” Horner said. “We have a couple of rivalry games with Bella Vista (53-26 win) and Oakmont, but we have to schedule tough in the preseason. We had Ponderosa on the brain this week and we think they’re the best team on our schedule this season.”