Prep football notes, rankings: Mira Loma ends skid; How De La Salle’s loss affects Folsom
The thing about losing streaks is they often unfairly label a high school as a loser.
This could not be further from the truth for two programs within the San Juan Unified School District, where students would gladly compare college entrance exam scores with anyone. Football-wise, it’s a work in progress for a good many within the SJUSD, but two programs are proof that perseverance pays off, that victory formations are indeed the best play of any game.
A week after Bella Vista halted the second-longest losing streak in state history at 48 with a 67-0 rout of Highlands, Mira Loma slammed the brakes on its 28-game skid with a resounding 62-6 effort over Western Sierra Academy of Rocklin. Game balls to one and all, and a bag full of them for Hamzah Mustafa, who reached the end zone a school-record eight times. The senior team captain rushed for 258 yards and five touchdowns and caught three of quarterback Brennan Collins’ four touchdown throws to tie a regional mark for most scores in a game.
Mira Loma doesn’t want to make it a habit of halting dreadful runs. This is s school known for football excellence in the 1960s, ‘70s and early ‘80s before the decline. The Matadors ended a 31-game skid in 2016, leading to players, coaches, band members and custodians doing a victory lap. This time there was joy for the Mats, especially for team captains Derek Rea and Oscar Tenorio.
For first-year Mira Loma coach Jesse Collins, sheer glee. He graduated from the school in 1999, played football and basketball there, and returned because of what the school gave him: opportunities.
“I’m thrilled and excited for our kids,” he said. “It’s been a long time, all that losing. The kids practically had tears sitting under that scoreboard, and it’s such a cool thing to get that streak off their backs. I coached at Mira Loma before and at Bella Vista, so I know there are a lot of great kids at those schools, just not a lot of playing experience. We have seniors who have only played five games because COVID took away 2020 and we didn’t have a spring season. We’re getting there. Games are super valuable to have.”
Florin on the clock
The region’s longest losing streak now rests on the shoulder pads of the Florin Panthers. They have lost 25 in a row in games played (Florin was awarded a forfeit from San Juan in 2018, though that game was not played).
Dan Davis is the third-year coach at Florin, and there is progress. In his first meeting with Florin players days before the start of the 2019 season, Davis was greeted by six players. No one got lost or was late. That was the grand total. Florin has 26 players now. The season started with a 27-0 loss to Franklin of Stockton, then a competitive 19-12 setback to Mesa Verde before a 54-6 loss to McClatchy, which can speak of long losing skids and program revival.
Florin is a sleeping giant program but does not have football tradition. The school opened in 1989 in the Elk Grove Unified School District and has produced just two winning seasons and two playoff teams since, none since 1996.
De La Salle defeated
The stunner this season or for any season was De La Salle falling to Saint Francis 31-28 in a nonleague game in Mountain View. That ended DLS’s remarkable 30-year, 318-game Northern California unbeaten streak that included two ties. DLS has also done it with class, never accused of running up the score or taunting, and DLS handled the loss with class.
Said DLS coach Justin Alumbaugh to Darren Sabedra of the Bay Area News Group, “It’s an incredible thing. That 30-year span, that’s a testament to a lot of really good teams and a lot of great coaching. We took out a lot of great teams over that time.”
Bee No. 1 Folsom now moves to No. 1 in Northern California, and the Bulldogs host DLS on Oct. 8. Should Folsom win that and win the Section Division I championship, it would have the inside track to play Mater Dei or Bosco in the CIF State Open Divison finals, the premier division. Of course, too early to tell, especially if No. 2 Rocklin defeats Folsom, or someone else in the playoffs.
The last time DLS was not NorCal No. 1 was in 2010, when Grant was state-ranked No. 1 by Cal-Hi Sports for 12 weeks before falling to Folsom in the Division II section finals.
Scoring greats
The most touchdowns scored in a single game, according to Cal-Hi Sports, is Frank Greene of Coronado with 11 in 1929, a 108-0 win over National City Sweetwater. (Added thought: coaches didn’t comprehend sportsmanship then?)
The regional record for non-throwing touchdowns is nine by James Montgomery of Cordova against Vacaville in 2004, all on the ground. Donald Hair had eight rushing scores for McClatchy in 1984 against Oakmont, and Mark Jenkins of Pleasant Grove had eight rushing scores against Roseville in 2010.
The most passing touchdowns for a regional arm is 10, by Jake Browning in 2012 against Woodcreek.
Reese the racer
On his 75-yard touchdown burst Friday against Elk Grove, Reese Catchings was concerned about running out of gas. The Oak Ridge star had two scores, and then rejoiced with his teammates after stuffing the winning two-point conversion attempt as time ran out.
“Reese is the sort of player we’ve got to get the ball to because he can do it all,” Oak Ridge coach Casey Taylor said.
Stat marvels
▪ Luke Green of Colfax is the latest from his family to tear it up. He passed for three touchdowns and had return touchdown in a shootout loss to Nevada Union. His brother Jake was a star for the Falcons.
▪ Brady Meyers has 28 receptions this season, five for touchdowns, for Valley Christian Academy of Roseville, which is 2-1.
▪ Arthur Draeger of Liberty Ranch rushed for 201 yards and four touchdowns in a 35-3 win over Bear River.
▪ Tyler Tremain of Folsom leads Northern California with 16 touchdown passes in three games.
▪ Zack Mercado of Vacaville Christian leads the section with seven sacks in four games and teammate Noa Siaois is second with five.
▪ Aemon Aldrich of Foresthill leads the section with four interceptions.
▪ Ariel Till of Vacaville leads the section with six field goals, three of them coming in a 14-9 loss to Granite Bay on Friday.
THE BEE’S Top 25
1. Folsom 3-0
2. Rocklin 3-0
3. Jesuit 2-1
4. Granite Bay 3-1
5. Del Oro 4-0
6. Vacaville 2-2
7. Oak Ridge 2-1
8. Inderkum 2-0
9. Lincoln 2-1
10. Elk Grove 0-2
11. Sacramento 3-0
12. Christian Brothers 2-1
13. Vanden 4-0
14. Whitney 2-2
15. Woodcreek 4-0
16. Yuba City 2-1
17. Antelope 3-0
18. Vista del Lago 2-1
19. Capital Christian 1-2
20. Monterey Trail 0-3
21. Pleasant Grove 2-1
22. Casa Roble 1-1
23. Sheldon 2-1
24. El Dorado 3-0
25. Union Mine 3-0
Bubble teams (alphabetical order): Bradshaw Christian (3-0), Center (2-1), Cosumnes Oaks (1-2), East Nicolaus (0-1), Grant (0-3), Johnson (3-0), Laguna Creek (1-2), Marysville (3-1), Nevada Union (2-1), Pioneer (3-0), Ponderosa (2-0), Rosemont (4-0), Roseville (2-1), Sutter (2-0), Woodland (4-0). - Joe Davidson