Bee’s Best: No. 16 Whitney ready to move up in muscle-bound SFL football battles
The Sacramento Bee will unveil our Top 25 football rankings from No. 25 to No. 1, at least a team a day, right up to the Aug. 20 kickoff.
No. 16 Whitney Wildcats
School opened: 2005
League: Sierra Foothill
Division: I/II
Enrollment: 2,065
2021 spring record: 1-4
Coach: Zac McNally
Outlook: Zac McNally found out in a hurry just how good football is in the Sierra Foothill League as a first-year coach.
His beleaguered Whitney team limped home to an 0-10 campaign in 2018, plowed under by the best collection of teams in the one conference in all of Northern California and where teams don’t care if a new coach is trying to find his way.
In 2019, McNally basked in the joy of a bounceback season, leading the Wildcats to the Sac-Joaquin Section Division II finals by inspiring any way he can, including sporting a 1970s-era mustache. He earned Bee Coach of the Year honors that season.
But that cycle of up-and-down seasons? It hit Whitney in a shortened spring season like a forearm to the chops, resulting in a 1-4 showing that included more tight games than blowouts. A host of starters return for another playoff run, led by the senior coach in the SFL.
That’s right. In Year 4, McNally stands as the coach with the longest tenure in the SFL after a late-spring of coaching turnover.
“Isn’t that crazy?” McNally said with a laugh. “Seems like just the other day, I was the first-year guy. It’s great football in the SFL. The only other league that is better in the state is the Trinity League in Southern California (with national powers Bosco and Mater Dei). I’m biased to the SFL. Being that all of our teams are public schools with high caliber coaching and great players...it’s old school.”
McNally said Whitney has the best collection of skill players in his tenure. He has been impressed with the effort and spirit of workouts. He has also had alums of previous teams stop by to talk to players over the past few months, including those who went 0-10. The theme: Enjoy the sport, your teammates and give it all you’ve got. Football can be hard, just like life.
“Our guys are excited, top to bottom, starters to reserves, and no one is complaining about how hot it is,” McNally said. “We’re just glad to have an opportunity and not be practicing with pods.”
Roman Floyd exemplifies Whitney’s versatile player. He plays quarterback, receiver and helps on defense, a unit anchored by linebacker Brandon Wong and cornerback Phoenix Rose. Anthony Parker is a returning All-SFL running back who also plays linebacker, Takai Takahashi plays in the secondary and runs the ball, and the lines include returners Ian Don, Noah Garcia and Wesley Houk.
The Aug. 13 home scrimmage against Jesuit will feature two onetime De La Salle products and good friends in McNally and Jesuit’s Marlon Blanton. The Aug. 20 season opener is at Franklin of Elk Grove with the home opener Aug. 27 against Chico.