High school notes: Jesuit unveils new $5.4 million stadium

Greg Harcos trudged through the mud and muck on old Loyola Field a generation ago.

As a Jesuit High School senior in 1988, Harcos quarterbacked the school’s first playoff team. Now, the first-year Marauders athletic director beams at the new $5.4 million Hanson McClain Advisors Stadium that includes field turf wide enough for the nationally ranked soccer program, an all-weather track that measures in meters and not yards, renovated restrooms, a new press box and a new scoreboard with an 8-foot-by-26-foot video screen.

The project was launched as part of Jesuit’s 50th anniversary last academic year and propelled by more than 450 donors.

“It’s incredible and exciting,” said Harcos, the longtime Marauders basketball coach and chemistry teacher now doing full-time AD duty. “It’s going to be a better experience for the students. People have been so generous with their time and money.”

Jesuit football will break in the stadium Friday with a varsity-only 5 p.m. kickoff against Yuba City. The long-term goal is to install stadium lights.

“We’ll play until the sun runs out,” Harcos said with a laugh.

De La Salle defeated – Preseason MaxPreps and USA Today national No. 1 De La Salle of Concord lost its opener, 26-21 to Trinity of Texas in the Lone Star State. De La Salle just missed on a late double pass to the end zone. The Spartans were uncharacteristically sloppy, missing tackles and committing penalties. Unbeaten against Northern California opponents since 1991, De La Salle faces No. 3 Del Oro and No. 10 Granite Bay this season.

Unique connection – Cordova’s Unique Perez passed for 320 yards and five touchdowns in a 48-14 victory over Pioneer, giving first-year coach Darren Nill his inaugural victory. Devin Baldwin caught four passes for 174 yards and three touchdowns, Seth Trujillo rushed for 118 yards and a score, and Isaac Black had two interceptions for the Lancers.

New era – Colfax graduated all-time rushing leader Tim Rawlins, and senior quarterback transfer Justus Spillner from Nevada Union was denied eligibility by the Sac-Joaquin Section this summer. But the Falcons are off to an encouraging start.

Lukas Rineer rushed for 183 yards and two touchdowns, and Austin Weir, making his first varsity start, passed for 184 yards and three touchdowns, all to Matthew Harshman, in a 35-18 victory over Argonaut. The game was delayed 30 minutes in the third quarter when the lights went out.

Road warriors – Bear River drove 171 miles to Los Banos for its opener, enjoying an air-conditioned chartered bus, and delivered a 40-20 victory over Pacheco. Riley Mispley ran for two scores, Dave Mastrella rushed for a touchdown and made six tackles, and Jason Voter passed for 122 yards in the first half, hitting Ben O’Lena for a touchdown.

Ford rises – Two-time Sacramento Bee Basketball Player of the Year Jordan Ford of Folsom scored 28 points, making 5 of 6 three-point attempts, for the North in the Prep2Prep All-Star Classic, won by the South 137-134 Sunday at Las Positas College in Livermore. The game featured the state’s top seniors.

Young commits – Bee All-Metro basketball forward Solomon Young of Sacramento High has verbally committed to Iowa State. The senior took a recruiting trip to the school over the weekend.

This story was originally published August 31, 2015 at 6:09 PM with the headline "High school notes: Jesuit unveils new $5.4 million stadium."