Grant Pacers withstand heat to top Inderkum Tigers in rare day game. Will series continue?
It was billed by the home team as the third annual Capital Classic, a high school football showdown between regional football powers Grant and Inderkum.
But it won’t be a classic for long if this keeps up. Not the actual game, which was intense and entertaining on Saturday as the Bee No. 3-ranked Pacers defeated the No. 4 Tigers 35-21 in Del Paso Heights.
The nonleague contest between the rivals was originally scheduled for a nighttime kickoff but was moved to the afternoon, just in time for the temperature to soar past 100 degrees. The decision was rooted in the Inderkum administration’s concerns over parking lot safety, an issue for previous Grant-Inderkum games, including at Inderkum. Those incidents did not include student-athletes from either school, but perceptions die hard.
This series will die hard, too, if there are more day games. Football thrives locally under the lights. So instead of a full house, it was a half-full sweaty showing at Rutherford Stadium, the vibe highlighted by Grant’s nationally recognized drum line under the direction of James Van Buren.
“This place is made for Friday night games,” Grant coach Carl Reed said. “We’d rather play at night.”
Grant responds to De La Salle loss
Grant needed a good showing after the frustration of a 42-14 loss at national power De La Salle in Concord. The young Pacers had moments against DLS, the top-ranked team in Northern California, but the Spartans had a lot more of them. Reed said the Pacers will continue to learn from the setback, particularly not getting burned on big plays and the resolve needed to bounce back.
On Saturday at Mike Alberghini Field, Grant bounced back. The Pacers (2-1) were led offensively by seniors Luke Alexander and Brandon Lambert and sophomores Koby Shabazz and Zo Edwards. They had a memorable day against Inderkum, coached by Reggie Harris, who served as Grant’s defensive coordinator in a previous championship era.
Harris revels in the chance to elevate his program to what Grant has accomplished since 1992, which is winning a string of league, section, Northern California and CIF state championships. Inderkum has fielded standout teams almost since the time it opened 20 years ago, but the Tigers are still seeking their first section, NorCal and state crowns. Inderkum pushed top-ranked Folsom to the brink in last season’s Sac-Joaquin Section Division I semifinals, losing by a touchdown.
Alexander had two touchdown passes to Edwards, a fast-rising tight end recruit who glides down field at 6-foot-6. Lambert rushed for 223 yards behind some strong work by a young, big and talented offensive line, including a breakaway 80-yard touchdown sprint to tie it 7-7 in the first quarter.
Shabazz returned a kickoff 87 yards for a 21-14 Grant lead with 3:33 left in the first half. His special teams return followed Lono Chouteau’s 104-yard interception return for a touchdown, a school record. It’s the fourth longest such return in regional history, according to Cal-Hi Sports and Bee research, following the 108-yarder by Dylan Overstreet of Casa Roble in 2019, the 106-yarder in 1973 by Earl Hanibal of Notre Del Rio of Sacramento, which closed in 1982, and the 105-yarder by Paul Robertson of Capital Christian in 2007.
Lambert rumbles on
Lambert is new to the Inderkum rivalry as a transfer from Cosumnes Oaks of Elk Grove, but he picked up on it in a hurry. This was a game both teams looked forward to, and it took years to get it to happen.
“I think it can be a great rivalry,” Lambert said. “I hope it keeps going. But it was hot today. It’s not the same as a night game. Everyone likes night games.”
Lambert has settled in nicely with Grant. He has shown moments of dominance like past Grant greats who were issued jersey No. 1, including Pacers’ all-time career rushing leader Onterrio Smith from 1996-98, receiver Paris Warren in 1999-2000 and dynamic runner Wayshawn Parker last season. Smith and Paris reached the NFL, and Parker has impressed already at Washington State.
“They’ve been telling me about those players,” Lambert said of his coaches and that legacy. “I love wearing the number.”
Said Reed, Grant’s coach: “Lambert is coming along and so is our line, and when they all get going, we’re hard to stop. We have a lot of potential, but it’s nothing if we don’t live up to it.”
Ricky Cole passed for 140 yards and two touchdowns to Zayden Maxwell for Inderkum, which was coming off an inspired 26-0 win over North Coast Section stalwart Marin Catholic of the Bay Area.
Grant on Sept. 13 will play at state-ranked Clovis East of Fresno, the same night Inderkum hosts Cosumnes Oaks.
This story was originally published September 8, 2024 at 5:00 AM.