Prep football notes and rankings: Kai (Sky) High at Jesuit, with two do-all seniors
One is diminutive and dangerous, a shock of hair flaming out of the back of his head gear like a jet trail.
The other is long and lanky, relentless in pursuit and adding pounds by the day to add to his ferocity.
It’s a Kai-High good feeling for Jesuit High School football with Kai Santos, he of the impressive locks, and Kai Wallin, a fast-emerging two-way threat. Both did their part for Big Red on Friday, downing Granite Bay 28-14 to save the week. It started with a resounding defeat at top-ranked Folsom 56-7, and ended with cheer heading into Saturday’s 50th Holy Bowl clash with Christian Brothers at Hughes Stadium.
Santos is a 5-foot-10, 175-pound blur as a running back and safety. He scored on a touchdown run against Granite Bay. Wallin is a 6-5, 225-pound defensive end who doubles as a tight end. He caught a touchdown pass from Preston Vukovich and recorded two sacks and played on special teams.
“We’re just trying to do our best,” Wallin said after the Granite Bay effort.
Neither has received scores of recruiting interest, but they’re worth a peek.
Bulldogs bite
Folsom defeated longtime North Coast Section powerhouse Pittsburg 38-17 Saturday, stretching a 21-17 game at the half to a second-half shutout, and it resonates because it solidifies who the top two teams in Northern California are.
De La Salle is still top dog, and has been since the 1992 season — that’s no typo — as it has gone 317 games without a defeat (and two ties) against NorCal teams since falling to Pittsburg in the 1991 playoffs. De La Salle plays at Folsom in a nonleague contest on Oct. 8.
Tyler Tremain was superb again Saturday, passing for 388 yards, and he spreads the wealth as good as anyone in the state. He hit five different targets for touchdowns: Justin Arnaz, Rico Flores, Walker Lyons, Mason Norberg and Lucas Wolfe. The Folsom defense has put the muzzle on Monterey Trail, Jesuit and Pittsburg, a unit led by linebackers Justin Eklund and Josh Tremain.
Streak enders
Game ball to Bella Vista coach Jim Gray, his staff and every player on the roster that rejoiced in the emphatic end of a dreadful 48-game losing streak, one shy of the state record. BV devoured Highlands 67-0 for its first triumph since the middle of the 2015 season. What followed were 0-10 seasons the following four seasons and a winless spring season a few months ago.
But the thing about streaks and image is they don’t always match. Bella Vista has never been a sad-sack school with students stumbling over themselves in the quad between advanced-placement courses. The Broncos and much of the San Juan Unified School District is not a destination place for football. For academics? Can’t beat it.
More Streaks
Bella Vista’s skid bettered — worsened? — the previous Northern California mark of 39 by Richmond of the Bay Area from 2001-04.
The area’s worst skids included Colfax losing 34 in a row in the 1970s and McClatchy with a 36-game slide that ended in 2006.
Mira Loma is riding a 28-game skid. A power in the late 1960s, 70s and early ‘80s, the Matadors halted a 31-game skid in 2016.
Boo on you
The deflated game ball of the week goes to, ingloriously, to the Lincoln Unified School District in Stockton, which would not allow the Lincoln Trojans to play Friday night at Oak Ridge, citing poor air quality.
The blunder was that Lincoln district administrators did not trust the administrators who were in El Dorado Hills, who assured that their data showed the air quality index would be well below the allowable 150 by kickoff. It was 120 at 7 p.m., but Lincoln bailed because those in suits pulled the plug.
Oak Ridge should get the forfeit
LONGEST SACRAMENTO-AREA LOSING STREAKS
48, Bella Vista, 2015-2021: It’s over! The Broncos smoked Highlands 67-0 on Friday to end the second longest skid in state history.
36, McClatchy, ending in 2005: The Lions practiced using a victory formation, for fun, and then used it amid cheers and tears when victory came at long last.
34, Colfax, ending in 1975: Coach Bob Claycamp said he was “young, dumb and naive” in those days though he was plenty bright when he was defensive coordinator for Colfax’s 1986 section championship team.
32, Natomas, ending in 2014: Everyone in school colors embraced when the skid ended and then really celebrated more when making the playoffs.
31, Mira Loma, ending in 2016: Players, coaches, custodians and band members did a victory lap to celebrate the end of the streak, but everyone was too tired to scale fences to dive into the pool.
30, Rio Linda, ending in 1983: Coach Don Dillon’s first task was changing the culture, including halting the players’ midweek, after-school pheasant hunting trips.
28, Mira Loma, 2017-current: The Matadors have scholars but very little experience, a good many entering high school having never pulled on gear.
28, Sacramento, ending in 1985: Coach Ron Reclusado received standing ovations in class when the streak ended, and his coaching brother Pete fielded calls “from old girlfriends.”
28, Kennedy, ending in 2013: Coach Matt Costa was refreshed after “waking from a coma” and then led Kennedy to an 8-3 mark in 2015.
28, Encina, ending in 1990: The school switched mascots from Apaches to Bulldogs, anything in an effort to change the image and karma.
28, Encina, ending in 2012: Since they couldn’t change mascots again, Bulldogs coaches promised to dance after a win, and did so when the skid ended.
26, Galt, ending in 2002: It was so grim for the Warriors that the leading rusher at one midseason was the punter, on three busted plays and a fake.
THE BEE’S Top 25
1. Folsom 3-0
2. Rocklin 2-0
3. Vacaville 2-1
4. Oak Ridge 1-1
5. Inderkum 2-0
6. Jesuit 1-1
7. Christian Brothers 2-0
8. Granite Bay 2-1
9. Capital Christian 1-1
10. Del Oro 3-0
11. Elk Grove 0-1
12. Pleasant Grove 2-0
13. Sacramento 2-0
14. Lincoln 1-1
15. Whitney 2-1
16. Grant 0-2
17. Monterey Trail 0-3
18. Vanden 2-0
19. Yuba City 1-1
20. Woodcreek 3-0
21. Vista del Lago 1-1
22. Casa Roble 1-1
23. Antelope 2-0
24. Roseville 2-0
25. El Dorado 3-0
Bubble teams (alphabetical order): Bear River (0-0), Bradshaw Christian (2-0), Center (2-0), East Nicolaus (0-0), Johnson (2-0), Laguna Creek (1-1), Pioneer (3-0), Placer (0-2), Ponderosa (1-0), Sheldon (1-1), Sutter (2-0), Union Mine (2-0), Woodland (3-0). - Joe Davidson