California JCs OK plan to salvage sports. Sacramento State QB Kevin Thomson to transfer
Bouncing around the regional sporting regions in a forward lean, including the potential of junior college football in the spring, Sacramento State losing its star quarterback, prep football hires and non-hires, the one local drafted by Major League Baseball and the summer collegiate baseball season on track in Placer County ...
JCs on track
The California Community College Athletic Association and its board of directors unanimously approved a three-layered plan to ensure sports are held on campuses across the state this coming academic year. In an effort to quell social distancing and the spread of coronavirus, the plans call for fewer games, no state championships, basketball moved into the spring during high-flu seasons concerns – and the possibility of football in the spring, if needed. A lot of this is dependent on if the state is in Phase 4 of Gov. Gavin Newsom’s reopening plan. The vote for one of the plans will be July 17.
The full three-part plan can be found at cccaasports.org.
Thomson on the move
Sacramento State star quarterback Kevin Thomson is leaving the program with a season of eligibility remaining by entering the transfer portal. His aim is to land on an Football Bowl Subdivision program and get drafted into the NFL, though the latter could have happened had he remained with the Hornets.
Thomson earned Big Sky Conference Offensive Player of the Year honors in 2019 for a Hornets team that won its first such conference championship. He was a finalist for Football Championship Subdivision national honors after passing for 3,216 yards and 27 touchdowns and rushing for 619 yards and 12 scores. Thomson leaves behind a stacked roster. Sac State will surely be preseason ranked high with a host of returning starters.
Said Sac State coach Troy Taylor of Thomson: “I love the kid. He’s a delight and he’s a hard worker. We’re disappointed, but we’ll be fine. We’ll move on.”
Sac State has depth at quarterback, including Jake Dunniway of Stockton, who engineered a spirited late rally to beat Northern Arizona last season while Thomson sat out with an injury, walk-in Jayden Machado of Elk Grove High and Sacramento City College, and others.
Coming and going
Adam Reinking has been hired as Roseville High’s football coach, just the eighth for the school since it opened in 1912.
Reinking, who led El Camino to three playoff berths, replaces Joe Cattolico, who led the Tigers to the playoffs in his lone season as Roseville’s head coach last year and will remain on staff. Cattolico replaced Larry Cunha, who is now the head coach at Del Campo, another boom hire.
Terry Stark has decided to remain at Inderkum, where he will not coach this fall to help his oldest son recover from a bad fall. Stark had been named Foothill’s coach. Casey Taylor is Inderkum’s new coach.
Tanner time
With only five rounds of the Major League Baseball draft due to canceled high school and college seasons amid COVID-19, the only area baseball player picked was UC Davis shortstop Tanner Murray. He went in the fourth round to the Tampa Bay Rays organization.
Outfielder Chase Davis of Franklin High, pitcher TJ Nichols of Oakmont and catcher Daniel Susac of Jesuit were on the draft radar and will remain so, as they head to the University of Arizona.
Potters on deck
The California College League, a fun collection of baseball talent from across the state, announced that it will cancel its 2020 summer season due to coronavirus concerns, but the Lincoln Potters of Placer County will play an independent schedule.
The season will start July 1 after approval from county health officials. This means no fans, at least early in the season, at the sparkling McBean Stadium. The roster includes a host of local players.
This story was originally published June 12, 2020 at 2:57 PM.