Prep football: Grant Pacers start ‘rebirth’ with second straight win to open season
A football game at Grant Union is a site to behold. The drum line, the dancers, the music, the public address announcer, the energy — it all makes for an environment deserving of a winning team.
Those ingredients on Friday night felt turned up a notch. Maybe two or three.
That’s because the Pacers, historically one of the most successful programs in the Sacramento area, beat crosstown rival Inderkum 26-20 to begin the season 2-0.
That might not seem notable on the surface. But Grant is coming off an 0-9 season in 2021 and a 1-9 campaign in 2019. That’s one victory in the school’s last 10 games before opening this season with wins over McQueen (Reno) and now the crosstown Tigers.
It’s the first time the Pacers have opened the year with two wins since 2016. Which is why the program is pushing the idea that this season is a “rebirth,” a phrase used to hype up the fans throughout the game.
“We hit rock bottom,” head coach Carl Reed told The Bee. “There’s no where you can go (but up). The ‘rebirth’ is a re-culture. It’s a re-culturing of Grant, keeping our great traditions, but it’s showing we’re back and better in a different way. We still have a lot of growing (ahead).”
Reed is in his second season as coach and has the unenviable task of taking over for a legend. Mike Alberghini, whom Grant’s home stadium is named after, was with Grant for some 50 years and is the winningest coach in section history. He helped the Pacers to 282 victories with seven section titles and a state championship in 2008.
That’s who Reed replaced last season — and then went winless during his first year at the helm. But the win over Inderkum on Friday shows the team, and program, may be maturing.
But it didn’t come easy.
Grant jumped ahead 26-0 in the third quarter, then allowed the Tigers to score 20 straight points by way of a kickoff return touchdown, a fumble deep in their own territory leading to a rushing score, an interception thrown near the end zone and another fumble on a sack.
The Tigers had a fourth-and-8 play from the 15-yard line with two minutes left but failed to convert on a throw to the end zone. Perhaps during the Pacers’ last three years, that’s not a win they would have held on to.
“It’s shown we’ve grown up a lot,” Reed said. “And that’s a testament to this whole coaching staff and these players. We’re growing up. And back in the day we might have possibly folded. We stayed in, locked in, and help up to secure the victory. It shows we’re growing up and we’re changing as a program.”
Grant’s senior quarterback Joseph McCray threw four touchdown passes to three different receivers. All came on long throws, including two that went for some 50 yards. The first went to Kyrell Goss-Pruitt and the second to Joshua Hamilton. Kingston Lopa was the target on touchdowns Nos. 3 and 4.
Hitting those plays, particularly during the first half when the Pacers built a three-touchdown lead, would help the offense counter punch whenever Inderkum’s defense appeared to finds its footing.
“It really helps a lot,” McCray said about the big plays. “Building my confidence, especially from last year, going 0-9, it’s a big thing. I gotta be able to lead the team. I gotta be able to keep my head up, keep the team going and lead us to the win like today.”
Inderkum fell to 0-2 on the season after a Week 1 defeat to Del Oro. But they might be able to take away some momentum they built in the second half against Grant.
They forced four takeaways after halftime and were a fourth-down completion away from possibly taking the lead. Their sideline was disjointed in the first half, but the entire mood of the visiting grand stands and East sideline changed when the team was storming back.
The Tigers and head coach Reggie Harris, who is in his second season, will look to bounce back next week against Sacramento High in a third-straight nonleague affair. Their league play in the Capital Valley Conference doesn’t begin until Sept. 16 when they host Yuba City.
Grant, meanwhile, will look to improve to 3-0 for the first time in six years when they play Reno High School on the road Sept. 2.
This story was originally published August 27, 2022 at 8:10 AM.
