Bee’s Best: No. 10 Capital Christian football has a QB star, but will there be playoffs?
This week, we’re blowing up with prep two-a-days. We’re publishing two previews a day as we dive into the top 10 of our rankings for high school football in the Sacramento area.
No. 10 Capital Christian Cougars
City: Sacramento
School opened: 1977
League: Capital Athletic
Division: III
Enrollment: 259
2021 spring record: 2-1
Coach: Saul Patu
Outlook: Capital Christian has all the makings of a championship team.
The Cougars feature the top-rated quarterback prospect in the Sac-Joaquin Section in 3-star recruit Anthony Garcia, who has the benefit of big linemen and skilled receivers.
The team stands as the favorite to win the Capital Athletic League championship, but what about a CIF section championship banner, the goal of any ranked program used to such pursuits?
Unless an appeal in the coming weeks turns out favorable, Capital Christian will not be able to test its mettle in the postseason after the section last month imposed a two-year playoff ban and probation for the program after it was deemed out of compliance in playing club football on campus during the early spring months.
Coach Saul Patu has the double-duty task of keeping his players engaged on the immediate, starting with a season opener on Aug. 27 against powerhouse Rocklin and making sense of the CIF order. But kids are future-thinking creatures, as are their parents and boosters and fans. Everyone wants to play in December.
“The kids here are pretty resilient,” Patu said. “We came into last year trying to do what’s best for the kids and their families in regards to playing club, and we didn’t do it without their input. The collective wisdom to advocate what we could do for the kids, club, and that’s what we did. The CIF didn’t feel that we did it by the rules, but we felt that we did. As our leadership council and school works with the CIF on this, it’s business as usual for us. We’re getting ready for the season.”
Patu added, “The kids understand it’s a process. What we can control now is practice and our effort and preparing for our first game. We’re not football fanatics who are so crazy for football that we put kids in harm’s way.”
Garcia is the focal point. A 4.2 student who can make all the throws at 6-foot-3 and 185 pounds, Garcia dazzled in spring games under the tutelage of his offensive coordinator father, Aaron, the region’s top passer a generation ago when he was at Grant in the late 1980s.
“Anthony can do everything, such a great athlete who does baseball, football, track, does back flips off his roof into his pool,” Patu said. “He’ a good kid, a good human being, and the family has done a great job with. Any time you have someone like that in that position, the face of the program, we’re in good shape.”
Garcia will throw to Desmin Rushton, Kanye Clark and Cameron Sampson, also a superb running back and defender. The offensive line is anchored by center Ty Kubicek, who also plays defense.
“Ty is super smart, a 4.3 GPA, a great leader and we feel his highest ceiling as a player is at center,” Patu said.
C.J. McMillan, one of the region’s top linemen prospects as a 3-star recruit, is working with his school and the section office to see if he is cleared to play this fall. The Cougars figure to be formidable, but will it be for the regular-season grind or beyond?
The Cougars play at Northern California power Valley Christian of San Jose on Sept. 3 and open CAL play against Vista del Lago.