Prep notebook: Injuries already taking a toll on football season
Depth will be key this season – any season – as injuries tend to mount in high school football.
Davis beat Grant 35-6 in an opener in Yolo County in large part because coach Steve Smyte has backups who play like starters.
When Luke Carrell was sidelined for a precautionary concussion protocol shortly after hitting Ben Busano for a 70-yard touchdown, Brennen Garvin stepped in and kept the offense rolling. Garvin also hit Busano for a score as Davis rolled up 437 yards of offense, leading the Blue Devils past a Mike Alberghini-coached Grant team for the first time since he took over in Del Paso Heights in 1991.
Grant’s lone score was a 26-yard interception return by national recruit defensive lineman Omar Norman-Lott.
It doesn’t get easier for Grant as Central Section No. 1-ranked Central of Fresno comes for a visit Friday.
No. 8 Jesuit takes on top-ranked Folsom on Friday at Sacramento State a bit short handed as quarterback Daniel Susac is out for at least a month. A Major League Baseball catching prospect, Susac is undergoing physical therapy to treat bicep tendinitis.
Inderkum lost receiver star Javi Daniels to a fractured tibia early during its 34-32 victory at Elk Grove.
“We are a M*A*S*H unit. No healthy backs and best receiver done. Quarterback’s hurt, two linemen hurt. Long year already,” Inderkum coach Terry Stark said.
The senior speedster was told by his doctor that he needs up to six weeks of recovery.
Inderkum on Friday visits Del Oro, fresh off of a 32-19 win over Northern Section No. 1 Pleasant Valley of Chico. Del Oro led 32-0 at the half behind leaders Sheldon Conde and Aiden Foster and emerging quarterback Logan Stough.
But the news is not good in Loomis on the health front. Stough is out indefinitely with a broken ankle. The fear is it is a season ending injury.
Also in Placer County, Colfax running back Daniel Bliss went down against Golden Sierra with a broken fibula and is likely lost for the season.
Even coaches have fallen. In a game against Bear River, Truckee coach Josh Ivens was plowed under by a mass of players on the sideline, suffering a torn ACL and a broken leg.
Hall of Fun
Bella Vista inducted brothers Don and Ron Barney into its Hall of Fame on Friday, as presented by former Broncos football coach Doug Grush.
Don was also a longtime baseball coach at Bella Vista. He has courageously battled cancer in recent years. Ron won championships as a football and baseball coach at Mesa Verde.
Dragon fire
Sacramento didn’t know what it had entering this season but it has an idea now.
The Dragons stunned NorCal ranked Rancho Cotate of Rohnert Park 24-6 on Saturday at Hughes Stadium, punctuated by a 99-yard fumble return for a score by Jordan Drayton and solid quarterback play from Jaylen Betschart.
Volleyball
Top-ranked Rocklin plays at No. 2 St. Francis on Tuesday in a meeting of star-studded programs expecting to compete for Sac-Joaquin Section and CIF Northern California championships.
Rocklin is led by Kennedy Crane, Ivana Erlandsen and Lulu Leppek. St. Francis is paced by Pacific-bound Alexa Edwards.
No. 3 Whitney beat No. 8 Christian Brothers on Friday behind Raley Gillmore, Kendall Gimenez and Ana Mora.The Wildcats on Tuesday face No. 5 Pleasant Grove, a team led by Oregon State-bound Vivian Light.
No. 15 Nevada Union went 6-0 in the Flock Tournament at Cosumnes River College behind seniors Faith Menary, Kendall Hughes and Emerson Dunbar. - Cameron Salerno
The Bee’s Top 10
Football
Sac-Joaquin Section
Small Schools
1. Escalon (1-0)
2. Hilmar (1-0)
3. Colfax (1-0)
4. Bear River (1-0)
5. Center (1-0)
6. Ripon Christian (0-1)
7. Sonora (0-1)
8. Denair (1-0)
9. Ripon (1-0)
10.(TIE) Hughson (1-0)
10. (TIE) Bradshaw Christian (1-0)
- Julian Lopez/Joe Davidson
The Bee’s Top 20
Sac-Joaquin Section
Football
Large Schools
1. Folsom (0-0)
2. Monterey Trail (1-0)
3. Central Catholic (0-1)
4. St. Mary’s (0-1)
5. Oak Ridge (1-0)
6. Turlock (1-0)
7. Vacaville (0-1)
8. Tracy (1-0)
9. Capital Christian (1-0)
10. Del Oro (1-0)
11. Oakdale (1-0)
12. Inderkum (1-0)
13. Jesuit (0-0)
14. Granite Bay (0-1)
15. Downey (1-0)
16. Davis (1-0)
17. Manteca (1-0)
18. Edison (1-0)
19. Buhach Colony (1-0)
20. Rocklin (1-0)
- Joe Davidson/Julian Lopez
* For The Bee’s Sacramento-area rankings and team-by-team comments, go to sacbee.com
Volleyball top 20
1. Rocklin (1-0)
2. St. Francis (0-0)
3. Whitney (1-0)
4. Oak Ridge(5-1)
5. Pleasant Grove (0-0)
6. Ponderosa (0-1)
7. Rio Americano (0-0)
8. Christian Brothers (0-1)
9. Folsom(0-0)
10. Cosumnes Oaks (1-0)
11. Vanden (0-0)
12. Granite Bay (0-0)
13. Lincoln (0-0)
14. Del Oro (0-0)
15.Nevada Union (6-0)
16. El Camino (1-0)
17. Vacaville (6-1)
18. Vista Del Lago (0-0)
19. Oakmont (1-0)
20. River Valley(0-0)
- Cameron Salerno
Football schedule
(all games kickoff between 7 and 7:30 p.m.)
Thursday
Natomas vs. Laguna Creek at Cosumnes River College
Friday
Western Sierra at Johnson, 4 p.m.
Antelope at Lincoln
Argonaut at Union Mine
Bear River at El Dorado
Bella Vista at El Camino
Bradshaw Christian at Durham
Capital Christian at Patterson
Center at Liberty Ranch
Bradshaw Christian at Durham
Chavez vs. Valley at Cosumnes River College
Chico vs. Sacramento at Sacramento City College
Christian Brothers vs. Pleasant Grove at Sheldon
Clovis East at Wood
Damonte Ranch at Granite Bay
Davis at Cordova
Delta at Riverbank
Denair at Woodland Christian
Dixon at Winters
Franklin at Rocklin
Golden Sierra vs. Mesa Verde at San Juan
Highlands at Lindhurst
Inderkum at Del Oro
Jesuit vs. Folsom at Sacramento State
Kennedy at Woodcreek
Marysville at Wheatland
McClatchy at Rosemont
McNair at Cosumnes Oaks
McQueen at Del Campo
Millennium at Rio Vista
Mira Loma vs. Brookside Christian at St. Mary’s (Stockton)
Nevada Union at Napa
Oak Ridge at Vacaville
Pioneer at Armijo
Placer at Whitney
Pleasant Valley at Yuba City
Ponderosa at Vista del Lago
Rio Linda at Casa Roble
River City at River Valley
Roseville at Oakmont
Sheldon at Burbank
Spanish Springs at Monterey Trail
Vanden at Rancho Cotate
Waterford at Foresthill
Woodland at Colfax
This story was originally published August 27, 2019 at 3:30 AM.