Bee Best: No. 21 Casa Roble football anchored by experienced line, passionate coach
The Sacramento Bee will unveil our Top 25 football rankings from No. 25 to No. 1, a team a day, right up to the Aug. 20 kickoff.
No. 21 Casa Roble Rams
City: Orangevale
School opened: 1966
League: Golden Empire
Division: IV
Enrollment: 1,198
2021 spring record: 4-0
Coach: Chris Horner
Outlook: If this sport still comes down to blocking and tackling, then the Rams have a foundation in the offensive line with four returning seniors back in the trenches in Ben Gumpfer, Adam Lish, Ryan Nishida and Cody Wills, each of whom helped since-graduated tailback star Dyan Overstreet rush for more than 800 yards in a 4-0 spring showing.
There’s also a new quarterback leading the Rams in senior Jason Lindahl, a 4.0 student with “a rifle for an arm,” coach Chris Horner said.
The defense is headed by captain and middle linebacker Dylan Crabtree, also a 4.0 student The defensive line is anchored by Justin Spradling and the secondary is led by Josh Mattei. Sophomores to look for include Cole Owens at receiver and free safety and Ethan Elder as a lineman. Elder is already on the college radar due to his 6-foot-4, 280-pound frame.
And there’s coach Horner, a man in his element in practice and games. He lives for this, an early 1990s All-Metro lineman at San Juan who has directed three playoff teams in his four-year run at Casa Roble, not including the spring season that did not include a postseason for any teams. Horner leads the charge during linemen vs. sled sessions.
“The sky’s the limit with this group of boys,” Horner said. “We feel the pieces are all there and we have a ton of experience at key positions to make a run.”
He added, “The break was short-lived, but we are excited to get back at it and compete. The players know what it’s like to grind, and we couldn’t be more excited. Fingers crossed that we avoid the hurdles COVID-19 threw at us in the spring.”
Casa Roble opens the season at home against longtime regional power Placer and hosts Wood of Vacaville on Aug. 27.
This story was originally published July 30, 2021 at 6:57 AM.