Herd is the word in Elk Grove. Who will be key players in spring football season?
Where’s the coach?
Players at Elk Grove High School wandered across the blacktop earlier this week, outside the gymnasium and storage unit, in search of their leader, John Heffernan.
He was atop a tall ladder, reaching for spiffy new helmets in plastic coverings, and handing them out to players who never expected this day to come. In other words, it was the first day of practice in the opening week of March, with a winter chill still in the air.
That’s what a pandemic does to a sports team — throws everything into disarray. Heffernan has 37 varsity players and 39 on the junior varsity, and both will kick off later this month in a season that will not include a Delta League banner or even a playoff tournament. That’s OK, the man known has Hef said. Games include a March 19 scrimmage at Grant, home games against Davis and Laguna Creek and road games against Franklin and Cosumnes Oaks.
“We’re playing, and it’s great for the kids, and as much as we want to win, we’re treating this like college spring drills — to learn, get better, and get ready for the fall,” Heffernan said. “I think that’s the right approach. The kids deserve to play.”
Heffernan was in the midst of issuing head gear, practice pants and pads for knees, hips and wherever else they go, careful not to tip over on the high perch. The Thundering Herd has looked the part of trend-setter for decades as one of the region’s powerhouse programs, qualifying for the playoffs 35 times since 1984 with a string of Sac-Joaquin Section championships, including to cap the 2019 season.
One of the key cogs to that 2019 team was Ethan Archuleta. The running back agonized at the prospect of a lost academic year without his beloved sport. He has it now, and he reminds that he has kicked tail in the weight room and is ready to do similar in games.
“We’ve been waiting for what feels like forever,” Archuleta said. “We don’t have the playoffs but in our heads, it’s better than nothing.”
Archuleta maintained his 4.0 GPA during the trying fall and winter months, saying he could control what he could, including, “keep my head in the books, lift weights.”
And his new helmet? He places it on the dresser a few feet from his bed.
“Every morning when I wake up, it’s there,” he said. “I love it.”
Another running back of note is Zeke Burnett. There are two shadow-casting linemen amid quite a few in Soni Finau (6-foot-4, 285 pounds) and Simi Pale (6-3, 310), a terrific student and the son of assistant coach James Pale. Simi has received scholarship interest from Pac-12 programs, and, according to Heffernan, “be the best lineman in Northern California.” This much we know: Even when things are topsy-turvy because of a pandemic, Heffernan isn’t shy about promoting his kids.