Full speed ahead: After a wild postseason run, Whitney hopes to keep up momentum
Placer County is home to a majority of the high school football teams in the Sierra Foothill League. It has a strong collection of programs and tradition. And it can be difficult for lower-tier programs to surge amid the steep competition.
After going winless in 2018, Whitney went 7-7 in 2019 with a Cinderella run to the Sac-Joaquin Section Division II championship game. In the postseason, the Wildcats knocked off rivals Lincoln and Rocklin and Jesuit before falling to Elk Grove.
A handful of key returners make this a team to watch this spring season, an SFL-only schedule with no playoffs because of the coronavirus pandemic. The slate includes two games against crosstown rival Rocklin on March 12 to open up and on April 16 to end the season.
Starting at quarterback will be senior Perry Payne. He was the backup in 2019 to Eli Brickhandler, who transferred to Pittsburg High School in the Bay Area last winter.
Other returners: receiver/cornerback Nick Tawney, defensive back Anthony Parker, linebackers Austin Hauptman, Brandon Wong and Dylan Hale and linemen Jordan Tinetti and Josh Wesselman.
“It’s a six-game schedule but it’s an SFL meat-grinder schedule,” said 2019 Bee coach of the year Zac McNally. “Last year was a key year (for our program) — huge momentum. We’re not going to sneak up on anybody — everyone wants to blow us out.”
On the opening day of padded practice, Whitney players had a pep in their step and bounced from drill to drill euphorically.
“It’s been great out here seeing the guys,” McNally said. “A lot of us coaches were kind of lost without (football). (I) spent a lot of time with family, but my mind wasn’t wrapped around football like it normally is.”
“Being back out here is kind of like Christmas,” he added. “Even a bad play, it’s a play. I don’t care if you mess up, I get to coach. I have been coaching up my 11-month-old daughter (during the pandemic) on all of these things, just looking for opportunities to coach.”
McNally preaches purpose with his group. He understands the importance of sports in the lives of teenagers.
“There’s nothing like high school ball,” McNally said. “We’re holding on to dear life to these memories because for a lot of these kids, it’s the last time they can hit somebody and not go to jail.”