Prep football notes: Florin halts 27-game skid, 4 star-QBs done, area coach wins 225th
The Florin Panthers experienced something Saturday night that they have only watched others do of late. They celebrated. They hugged, they cried, they cheered some more.
Victory makes people of all ages exhibit all sorts of reactions, particularly if you’re a high school football team that has endured dreadful losing streaks. In beating Valley 41-12, the Panthers halted a 27-game losing streak. The team is 1-5. They vow more postgame fun.
It wasn’t just the Highway 99 trophy that was hoisted after this one, the prize created when Florin opened in the Elk Grove Unified School District in 1989 to jump start a rivalry game with Valley. Hope and self esteem are also soaring.
“I am so excited for the kids,” Florin coach Dan Davis said. “They have been working hard, week in and week out.”
The coach stressed simplicity and victory in stages. Block, tackle, execute. Don’t rush. Do your job.
“I told them last week, ‘let’s focus on the current play and everyone do their job on that play and don’t worry about the last play or the next play — just the current one,” Davis said. “The kids are proud. They were texting all morning (Sunday) to see when our next opponent’s film will be ready so they can start learning and preparing.”
That will be Johnson in a road game Saturday. Emmanuel Maxwell rushed for 217 yards and two touchdowns and caught a 40-yard touchdown for Florin against Valley. Malachi Cheadle, Suavae Sims and Landon Vang each had interceptions, and Jason Young had an interception for the Panthers.
It’s been a fall to halt long skids. Bella Vista ended a Northern California record 48-game losing streak with a win over Highlands, and Mira Loma halted a 28-game skid in topping Western Sierra Academy of Rocklin.
Ouch season
Quarterback play can be equal parts rewarding and brutally painful. Five of the area’s top quarterbacks are sidelined, two of them for the season, a third switched to receiver and two others expecting to be back before the playoffs. All of them are seniors and good students.
The first to get hurt was Terrence Ballard of Del Campo, a 6-foot-5, 205-pounder whose bum shoulder prompted a move to receiver to at least salvage the season.
Jesuit’s Preston Vukovich has missed several games with a concussion, and it’s always wise to be safe than sorry when it comes to head injuries.
On Sept. 24, Rocklin’s 6-foot-5 star passer Kenny Lueth suffered a knee injury while diving in from the 1-yard line against Del Oro. He wears a bulky knee brace and hopes to return for playoffs, where the Thunder will need all hands to make a Sac-Joaquin Section championship run.
On Friday, two other team leaders went down for the season. Del Oro’s crafty and quick Ryan Lewis suffered a left collar bone break early against Folsom.
“It’s tough, but I’ll get through it,” said Lewis, a 4.2 student. “This one stings a lot.”
At Pleasant Grove, Eagles dual-threat star Devin Hall was hurt during the third drive against Cosumnes Oaks. He detailed it this way, “I broke my left hand middle finger two different ways and sprained three knuckles. Will most likely need surgery. He added, “Nothing is guaranteed in this game.”
Each of these vow to impact their rosters the rest of the season, one way or another, and to play somewhere in college.
Tony to 225
Tony Martello graduated from Colfax High in 1982 as a two-way all-league linemen, then took over as Falcons football coach in 1996, started 0-5, looked around then exhaled. It’s been a tremendous coaching career ever since.
In beating Center 35-0 on Friday behind stars such as Luke Green in a Pioneer Valley League opener that moved the Falcons to 3-2, Martello earned his 225th victory Despite declining enrollment, Colfax has remained a small-school power, thanks in large part to the most consistent guy in the mix in Martello, who always credits players and assistant coaches such as Mondo Alonzo. Everyone else credits Martello.
Martello is an exceptional offensive mind, and he has used everything from the wing-T, to pro-set, to no huddle, to the pistol to score points. He has fielded 14 league championship teams, won 10 or more games in a season 15 times, reached 10 section championship games and won four. And real life issues: football this fall helped ease the stress of the River Fire that scorched the Colfax region in August.
Quick hits
▪ Union Mine is 5-0 and visits 6-0 Rosemont for first place in the Sierra Valley Conference on Friday. UM received four touchdowns from Scott Smith against Galt on Friday, and Calvin Owens had two touchdown passes, and Joe Repass had two interceptions for the program’s best start since starting 7-0 in 2010.
▪ Who’s the fastest guy on the Rocklin roster? Nathan Kent, who breaks 85-yard scoring plays, or Elias Mullican, who jumps routes and beats all comers to the ball. He had two interceptions on Friday in a winning effort against Granite Bay. A sprint off, please.
▪ Gio Bellecci is the latest brother to impact Elk Grove football, a tall receiver who had two touchdown catches to help the Thundering Herd edge Sheldon 42-35, and he’s a hitter on defense.
▪ You can win games with guys like De’Onte Carter at Cosumnes Oaks. He makes interceptions and scores on special teams.
▪ Frank Arcuri was in his veer offense groove for Monterey Trail in its first win of the season. The senior quarterback ran for three touchdowns and passed for one to beat McClatchy 38-7.
▪ McClatchy will be a threat as long as Hector Espinosa does his thing. He went for 146 yards rushing and a score against Monterey Trail, the class of the Metro League.
▪ McClatchy coach Zach Cuda on Monterey Trail coach T.J. Ewing, “He’s absolutely one of the best coaches and people I’ve ever had the pleasure of coaching against. He is just a gem. Great coach and an even better man.”
▪ Top-ranked Folsom has playmakers all over, including special teams. Against Del Oro, Caden Bienvenue blocked a punt that Lucas Wolfe scooped up and scored as the Bulldogs moved to 6-0 heading into Friday’s showdown against storied De La Salle.
This story was originally published October 6, 2021 at 8:48 AM.