Division II football title: Harris and ‘The Hammerheads’ thunder past Whitney
This one was controlled in the trenches by a pack of guys who proudly go by “The Hammerheads.”
And it was emphatically decided by a diminutive and dangerous quarterback whose speed index is anywhere between blur and flash.
On Friday night at Hughes Stadium, old-school football prevailed as the storied Elk Grove Thundering Herd powered past Whitney 35-0 in the Sac-Joaquin Section Division II championship.
In its 10th title-game appearance and in its 35th playoff campaign, sixth-seeded Elk Grove won its first banner since 2001.
Harris is a player for all eras and seasons, and he sizzled on the coldest Friday of the 14-week season for Elk Grove (10-4), which will find out who it plays next Sunday when the CIF releases its Northern California Regional brackets.
Carter Harris rushed for 231 yards on 21 carries and four touchdowns in expertly running his team’s triple-option running game that is big on read and reaction, even if the triggerman isn’t the biggest guy on the field.
For Harris, size is relative The 5-foot-6, 160-pound senior towers in ability, leadership and confidence. He excels with instincts, balance and burst. He scored on runs of 92, 2, 4 and 9 yards and had a 19-yarder called back because of a penalty.
Harris now has 1,499 yards rushing for Elk Grove this season and 19 touchdowns.
“We did what we were supposed to do,” Harris said. “We have been coming together and playing stronger every week. The line is the one doing the dirty work. I have to keep loving them. It was cold but when you’re running the triple-option, you don’t really feel anything.”
Harris wasn’t alone bursting through the line for gains. Damian Allen rushed for 96 yards, including a 62-yard scoring spring, Jacob Crook went for 90 and Hunter Hall 66. Hall’s father, Darren Hall, was a fullback for Elk Grove’s title teams a generation ago.
Elk Grove’s offensive line — “The Hammerheads” — is coached by one-time Hammerhead Moe Loller. He played in the trenches at Sac State in the late 1980s when guards and tackles went by that moniker.
The Herd’s line of Jeffrey Brown, Jesse Hughes, Jacob Hudson, Payton Maze, Simione Pale, Elijah Vallier, Jack Spithorst and Soni Finau dominated a strong Whitney defense that was the difference in a 3-0 Wildcats playoff showing coming in, including a 28-6 rout of top-seeded Rocklin in a semifinal.
When it was over, Elk Grove players and coaches celebrated, including longtime coaching pals John Heffernan and James Pale.
Heffernan and Pale coached Burbank to playoff success and reached the 2008 section D-II finals only to be flattened by eventual CIF State Open Division champion Grant.
Elk Grove players did back flips at midfield to celebrate, but none of the coaches attempted that. Elk Grove (9-4) showed championship glimpses at times this season and also lost games it felt it should have won and has played its best ball in a 4-0 playoff showing.
“You get to a final and you never know if you’ll get back,” Heffernan said earlier this week. “It’s hard to get here. It took a lot of work for us to get a new system in place (the option), but it’s worked. And we suffered some tough losses this season. You learn a lot about yourself through tough games. You find out what you’re mad up, facing adversity, and the kids handled it so well. Super proud.”
The one coach who was part of the Elk Grove program that thundered to section titles in 1997, ‘98 and 2001 is Jeff Carlson as an assistant. As Elk Grove’s co-head coach last decade, he led some 12-win teams.
Now the defensive coordinator, Carlson still appreciates winning. He also happens to have coached Elk Grove baseball to eight section D-I crowns.
Elk Grove’s defense didn’t allow Whitney (7-7) to get on track. The Herd had seven sacks, two by Kade Jordan and two by Jack Spithorst, who says he especially enjoys this sport because of the camaraderie and contact.
That Whitney made it this far was testament to second-year coach Zac McNally and players such as junior quarterback Eli Brickhandler. Whitney went 0-10 a year ago and rebuilt through the weight room.
The Wildcats needed to win their regular-season finale just to reach the postseason, and then eliminated Lincoln, Rocklin and Jesuit before falling to a team that was too fast and a bit too tough in the trenches.
This story was originally published November 30, 2019 at 5:58 AM.