Grant ponders ‘rock bottom’ after Del Oro pounds to another SFL victory
Del Oro found its footing again Friday night in Loomis and the Grant Pacers vow to continue to find their way in an increasingly long season.
In a meeting of two of the region’s storied programs, Del Oro beat Grant 38-21 in Sierra Foothill League action to all but secure the program’s 30th playoff berth and 16th in 17 seasons in continuing an era of grand gridiron living in Placer County.
Before the kickoff, Golden Eagles coach Jeff Walters embraced each of his fourth-year players on Senior Night, thanking them for their commitment and telling each that he loved them. This all matters to the coach because Walters was once a senior player at Del Oro, in the early 2000s.
He is in his third season as head coach at his alma mater, coming off a season that included the program’s 12th Sac-Joaquin Section championship since 1989 and the program’s sixth state-final appearance this decade.
Walters also had his mother in mind. He took a knee during a moment of silence that honored those lost to cancer. Jana Walters died of breast cancer when Walters was 10.
Del Oro (5-3) unleashed its array of seniors such as Sheldon Conde and Kal Lunders and even a sophomore in quarterback Ryan Lewis, who dazzled with running and passing. He accounted for three first-half touchdowns for a 38-14 lead.
Lunders returned the first of his two interceptions 20 yards for a 24-7 lead, and Conde’s 38-yard scoring sprint made it 31-7.
The offensive line is an all-senior lineup, and they played like it in controlling the trenches. The big boys: Tucker Black, Carson Evans, Jared Hill, Kaiden Morales and David Veske.
Grant frustrations
Grant, meanwhile, is in a full free-fall, which doesn’t look right, sound right or even feel right.
The Pacers have one victory in eight outings and have top-ranked Folsom and Whitney left on the schedule. This is a program that has made the playoffs 35 times since 1981, including 27 of the previous 28 seasons to go with seven Sac-Joaquin Section, 16 league and a CIF State banner since 1991 — all under famed coach Mike Alberghini, winner of an area-record 280 games.
The win this season was a 31-21 effort over Franklin on Sept. 13, but injuries, youth and the inability to keep up with opponents have led to successive losses to Granite Bay (17-3), No. 4 Oak Ridge (45-23) and No. 3 Rocklin (43-7).
Having a down season in the muscle-bound SFL never ends well.
Alberghini has always demanded effort — and living with the results. But maximum effort has not defined the team this season. In pulling scores of freshmen and sophomores, Alberghini is leading his youngest outfit. And the last time Grant had this few wins this late in the season was in 1990, when the Pacers went 2-8.
Alberghini looks and sounds weary, but he wasn’t without his sense of humor, joking at the half when asked by son Rob Alberghini, “What’s the plan for the second half?”
“Pray!” Alberghini said.
“We have a lot of young players, and they’ll get better,” Alberghini said.
Pacers ponder future
Grant has a quarterback leader in the making in junior Peni Kauifusi, who had a touchdown pass and ran for two to pull to within 38-21 in the third quarter behind a line that had no seniors
Alberghini said before the game, “Losing is never fun. We’re just struggling right now. We had the area’s most wins for 20 straight years (in the 1990s and 2000s) but times have changed. If you give into the fight, then you’re part of the problem. I don’t care about wins and losses right now. We’re helping kids, keeping their grades up. I want to finish this season, do the best we can, play as hard as we can, and see how it goes.”
Alberghini is never without purpose and fight. He said he will ponder his coaching future once the season ends, but it seems likely he will return to watch this young group come of age. He does not golf, does not fish, does not shop (he leaves that to his wife, Mary).
Carl Reed has known Alberghini for nearly 30 years. He played for Grant in the mid 1990s and has coached the Pacers since 2001. He teaches computer science at the school and is the Pacers’ athletic director.
“This season could be rock bottom,” Reed said. “Every program has gone through it at some point. It just took us 30 years to get there, and everyone would wish to have 30 years like we’ve had. We’ve been spoiled and blessed. It’s a terrible thing to go through right now, but the potential with our young guys is there to have that upswing.
“There’s no mutiny here. The players still respond to Al. I know it’s been hard on him. He’s been through all of it but he and this program can bounce back. This is just temporary. We’re a program that can shoulder this.”
Reed has no visions to move on, either.
“Some have asked my what dollar amount I’d need to leave,” Reed said. “This is my home. I love it here. I will see our program come back.”