Grant Pacers fall hard to De La Salle in first taste of tough schedule as California power
The Grant Pacers called it a “Rebirth” when they captured their last state championship in 2022. The traditional California power had been among the best in the region much of the previous quarter-century. But they went 1-18 combined during their full seasons in 2019 and 2021, while the pandemic washed out 2020.
The state championship signaled the program was back. And the Pacers proved it again with a Northern California Division 2-AA title last season before falling to La Serna in Southern California for the state crown.
Now in 2024, being back among the best programs in the state means scheduling the best, according to head coach Carl Reed, who hatched an idea in his hotel room following last season’s state championship loss in December.
“We had to step up,” Reed said.
The idea was to play De La Salle on Friday, the most successful program in Northern California, having won every North Coast Division Section championship since 1992. The De La Salle Spartans once went 30 years without losing to another team in the northern half of the state. That streak ended in 2021.
The result Friday night: a 42-14 Pacers loss road loss in Concord.
Reed, who graduated from Grant in 1997 and has seen his school play numerous elite programs throughout the state, made it clear scheduling the best will only help his program amid their return to statewide contention. Friday was the first of a slew of daunting non-league games on the schedule.
“It’s like, ‘Hey, grow up,’” Reed said. “It’s what we did. It’s how we operated in the past. We just played up. It’s what we have to do. It’s how teams get better for the long run.”
The long run appeared hard for the Pacers to look at given the way Friday’s game went. De La Salle’s potent rushing attack, featuring two Division I college-bound players in quarterback Toa Faavae (Idaho) and running back Derrick Blanche (Portland State) — along with sophomore Duece Jones-Drew, the son of UCLA and NFL star Maurice — was simply too powerful and versatile for the Pacers.
Faavae, a left-handed thrower who threatens with his legs, had two rushing scores. Blanche added one late while his speed was a handful throughout. Jones-Drew scored a 65-yard touchdown on his first possession as a varsity player that set the tone for the night.
The game was encapsulated by a play at the end of the first half, when defensive back Ant Deen ripped the ball out of the hands of a Pacer ballcarrier and took it the other way for a touchdown with a minute remaining in the first half. That made it 28-0 and zapped the energy away from the Grant sideline.
“When you play a high-profile, stellar program, you gotta learn from it,” Reed said. “You gotta bounce back, you gotta get in the film. You gotta understand it’s one game, but obviously it was a big game (with) the first time playing a team of historic greatness. It’s a learning experience.”
The Pacers have eyes on another postseason run without a number of star players who graduated last year, including running back Wayshawn Parker, who could make his college debut as soon as Saturday with Washington State; and Kingston Lopa, a defensive back with the Oregon Ducks who played both ways at Grant.
Next on the schedule for Grant is Inderkum, which is coming off a semifinal appearance in the Division I playoffs last November when they fell to top-ranked Folsom, who went on to win Northern California and the state championship. Then it’s Clovis East, and two weeks after that, they’ll host Lincoln, which made it to the San Diego Open Division Championship last season.
“You come here, you get a loss — now you have to learn your flaws and the things you got to improve on,” Reed said.
This story was originally published August 30, 2024 at 11:05 PM.
