DW 34 Oct. 8, 2015

DW 35 October 8, 2015

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Elk Grove - Football - Senior The Thundering Herd’s all-everything star turned in one of the section’s most productive performances in scoring all six of his team’s touchdowns in a 42-7 rout of previously-unbeaten Delta League rival Grant. Robards scored five of his six TDs in the first half, and found the end zone four different ways for Elk Grove (5-0, 2-0 Delta League). The senior opened the scoring with a 70-yard interception return before adding a pedestrian 4-yard scoring run. Then, he scooped up a fumble and raced 10 yards for a TD, returned a punt 75 yards for a score and capped the half with a 62-yard rushing TD. He would add a 1-yard TD plunge in the second half.

Robards rushed 25 times for 187 yards and had 324 all-purpose yards. This season, he has eclipsed 200 yards rushing twice while carrying 91 times for 943 yards and 13 TDs. On special teams, he is the team’s punter (50.6 yard average), field goal kicker (3-for-4 with a long of 51 yards), kickoff specialist and punt returner.

He has scored 19 TDs in five different ways. The multi-sport star is also an outfielder for the defending Sac-Joaquin Section Division I baseball champions.

IN HIS OPPONENT’S WORDS: “This is a wake-up call,” Grant linebacker Elijah Orr told the Sacramento Bee after the game. “No way did we expect to lose like this. Robards is a player. He’s got our respect.”

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James K. Leash

Clayton Valley’s Luis Ramos

ugly the new

Clayton Valley isn’t winning with just a power offense anymore — and that can’t be comforting for the rest of NorCal

I

t was a textbook drive for the Clayton Valley Charter High football team.

The Ugly Eagles used 14 plays to go 80 yards and used more than six minutes of the fourth quarter of their Oct. 2 showdown against visiting Monte Vista-Danville. They converted on two fourth downs, including the touchdown play — a 1-yard dive by Luis Ramos on 4th-and-goal.

That score completed the Eagles comeback from a 17-7 first-half deficit.

But it didn’t win the game.

The game-winning plays happened in succession on Monte Vista’s ensuing drive. Mustangs quarterback Jake Haener had led his team to the Clayton Valley 37-yard line with a little more than three minutes to play. That’s when the barrage came. The Eagles posted three consecutive sacks by three different players. The plays resulted in minus-30 yards and effectively crushed Monte Vista’s spirit in the process.

“We haven’t had that since I’ve been here,” Fourth-year Clayton Valley coach Tim Murphy said the Monday after the 21-17 victory. “We had a good defensive line last year, but they didn’t get the kind of consistent pressure (on the quarterback) that we’ve been able to get this year. ... These kids being experienced and talented, we’re able to do a lot more with these guys. They want to get to the ball.

They have that motor.”

The three sacks came from defensive linemen Jeffery Williams, Bryce Brand and Heikoti Vaisima —

By Chace Bryson | Photos by Phillip Walton

all of whom are juniors.

“We knew they were going to have to pass and we figured we’d have a better chance at getting to the quarterback,” Vaisima said of Monte Vista’s final possession. “We told our linebackers and defensive backs that if they just covered the routes, we’s be able to get to them.”

This wasn’t the first time that the Eagles defense has shined in 2015. After a 27-26 loss at state-ranked Folsom in both teams’ season-opener, Clayton Valley has allowed just 30 points over four games. That includes back-to-back shutouts of Tracy and Cardinal Newman-Santa Rosa, the latter of which has scored 35 points or more in each of its other four contests.

That the defense has performed this well despite losing nationally-recruited lineman Jalen McKenzie to a knee injury in the first quarter of the Folsom game is even more impressive.

“When he went down it was sort of a heartbreaker to everybody,” Murphy said. “But I think it kind of rallied our team up and made the kids realize what they have in front of them. Not only did it get everyone fired up, but it showed how much character our team has and how much it cared.”

The defense has answered the bell, obviously, but so has an offense that graduated or lost nearly every starter from the 2014 team that fell just yards shy of winning the California Interscholastic Federation Division II State Bowl Championship. Star running back Miles Harrison (2,709 yards and 34 TDs) graduated along with the entire offensive line. Quarterback Nate Keisel (a school-record 21 touchdown passes in 2014) was slated to return before his family moved to Utah.

Ramos, who was expected to play running back and linebacker for the Eagles, moved behind center and has done an exceptional job of running the run-dominated attack.

After missing his junior season following a transfer from College Park-Pleasant Hill, Ray Jackson III has taken over as the team’s new bell cow at running back. He rushed for 199 yards in the win over Monte Vista and pushed his season total to 986 yards on 106 carries.

Maybe the most important play of the go-ahead scoring drive against the Mustangs was the team’s lone pass play.

Facing a 4th-and-3 near midfield, Ramos hit senior Robert Carson for an 8-yard gain.

“You just know that you’ve got to make that play, otherwise they’re not going to call it again,” Carson said. “We work on it all the time in practice though. Even though we don’t run it all the time in the games, we know that we’re ready and capable of doing it when we need to.”

And that was probably the biggest thing gained by Clayton Valley that early October evening. For the second time this season — and quite possibly the last time before the postseason begins in mid-November — the Ugly Eagles faced adversity in all phases of the game. Each unit made plays and proved it was capable of executing when it mattered.

All of which should make the rest of Division II very nervous. ✪

Clayton Valley’s Robert Carson

Despite new starters and new offensive tendencies, Folsom is out front again in section & state titles races

T

ake a look at the standings and rankings and it appears that nothing has changed for Folsom High football.

The Bulldogs are the unbeaten leaders of the Sierra Foothill League and the front-runner for a fourth consecutive Sac-Joaquin Section championship. Co-coaches Kris Richardson and Troy Taylor have a solid offensive line protecting a star quarterback, who is guiding the offense to victory after victory.

But, upon closer inspection, plenty has changed in the program that has become the benchmark for section football excellence. Folsom returned just one starter from the 2014 CIF State Bowl championship roster, and the star quarterback is a new one.

Despite the changes, this year’s “new” team has produced the same results — beginning with a 6-0 start that extended the program’s regular-season winning streak to 37 games. The Bulldogs’ latest victory — a 31-0 shutout of perennial SFL and section power Del Oro-Loomis — highlighted what sets this year’s team apart from past versions.

“It’s different than it was with (Jake Browning), but you just have to adjust to your talent,” Taylor said after the convincing rout.

Browning set national records for career touchdowns (226) and touchdowns in a single season (91) and finished his high school career as the greatest in a long line of outstanding quarterbacks to play for Folsom. While Jeffrey, who played receiver for the Bulldogs in 2014, is not going to approach the numbers his predecessor put up, he offers his own unique set of challenges for opposing defenses.

“We have a dual-threat guy that puts pressure on the back side of defenses,” Taylor said of his latest protégé. “We have two guys who can run the ball well, and (Jeffrey) is like another running back in the backfield. And he can throw the ball well.”

The adjustment from a full-throttle passing attack that set up a consistent running game has shifted to a run-first offense that creates opportunities through the air is nearly complete. After a season-opening win in which Jeffrey struggled at times (175 yards passing, 1 TD, 2 INT), the senior has shown his multiple talents, twice throwing for more than 300 yards and tossing 17 touchdown passes without an interception while approaching 100 yards rushing in the last

Story by Jim McCue | Photos by James K. Leash

Folsom’s Jake Jeffrey

Roger Neal two games. He scored twice on the ground in a key SFL win over Granite Bay in late September.

“You go with what works,” Jeffrey said.” If the running game is working, we’ll run it right down their throats. Then, if they focus on stopping the run, we can go to the pass.

“That’s how our offense works.”

Folsom’s offense reached peak efficiency in the second half of the Del Oro game as Jeffrey guided the Bulldogs to three touchdown drives after the intermission and kept the Golden Eagles off of the field for the majority of the time. Jeffrey ran the clock down as far as possible before snapping the ball to dominate the time of possession and the game. Del Oro managed just 114 total yards of offense and entered Folsom territory just twice in the game.

“We have gone that tempo when we feel it benefits us,” Taylor said. “Sometimes, we go real fast, but sometimes, if we have a lead and think that we can shorten the game, then we will go with that.”

The backfield duo of Tre Green (358 yards rushing, 8 TD) and Roger Neal (202 yards rushing, 3 TD; 255 yards receiving, 2 TD) has worn down defenses and provided blocking for Jeffrey as both a runner and passer. Green blasted his way to a pair of rushing scores against Del Oro, but Neal provided the highlight of the

Tre Green night with a 91-yard catch-and-run for a touchdown. With two minutes left in the first half and Folsom holding a slim 3-0 lead, Neal ran a flawless wheel route and juked out the only defender with a chance to stop him on a momentum-building play.

Often overlooked through the years, Folsom’s defense has been essential to the team’s success in 2015. And, it might have hit its stride in the shutout victory over Del Oro. The Bulldogs pressured Golden Eagles’ quarterback Stone Smartt all night and limited star receiver Trey Udoffia to just 21 yards on five receptions.

Junior linebacker Brad Jenner led the way with 12 tackles, but senior defensive back Matt Torres had an interception and fumble recovery to thwart Del Oro’s limited threats. Junior defensive back Drake Stallworth also picked off a Smartt pass and leads the Bulldogs with three interceptions. Neal, who plays linebacker with the same ferocity that he runs and catches the ball out of the backfield, leads the team with 85 tackles and junior defensive end Ariel Ngata has recorded a teamhigh four sacks.

“Our defense tonight was stellar,” Jeffrey said of the shutout. “That was by far the best performance of the year. They are the reason we won that game.”

The wins for the Bulldogs take on a different look now, but the dominant nature of them remains the same. ✪

Our publisher, Mike Calamusa, with colleague John Pamer, discussed why Mt. Diablo Unified School District didn’t have a functioning interscholastic sports program. To help promote future SportStars and with the assistance of the Diablo Valley Federal Credit Union and a district steering committee, we helped re-ignite middle school athletics. Nine schools and more than 1,600 student athletes expected to compete in four sports: soccer, basketball, flag football and kick ball.

Soccer is already underway, including the Sept. 28 match between Foothill-Walnut Creek and Diablo View-Clayton.

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Between The Tackles Football notes and rankings after Week 6

San Ramon Valley could get boost from new/old QB

Records are through Oct. 3 1. (1)

— De La Salle-Concord

4-1

2. (2)

— Folsom

6-0

3. (4)

▲ Clayton Valley Chrtr-Concord 4-1

4. (5)

▲ Bellarmine-San Jose

4-0

5. (6)

▲ Valley Christian-San Jose

4-0

6. (7)

▲ Elk Grove

5-0

7. (3)

▼ Grant-Sacramento

4-1

8. (8)

— Foothill-Pleasanton

6-0

9. (9)

— Serra-San Mateo

2-2

10. (11) ▲ Pittsburg

4-1

11. (13) ▲ Central Catholic-Modesto

5-0

12. (12) — St. Francis-Mountain View

4-0

13. (14) ▲ Monte Vista-Danville

4-1

14. (15) ▲ Antioch

5-0

15. (10) ▼ Del Oro-Loomis

2-3

16. (NR) ▲ Archbishop Riordan-S.F.

4-0

17. (18) ▲ Napa

5-0

18. (17) ▼ Granite Bay

3-2

19. (20) ▲ Miramonte-Orinda

6-0

20. (NR) ▲ Oak Ridge-El Dorado Hills 5-1 DROPPED OUT: No. 16 Archbishop Mitty-San Jose and No. 19 Rocklin 5 TEAMS KNOCKING (alphabetically): AnalySebastopol (4-0), Amador Valley-Pleasanton (4-1), California-San Ramon (3-1), CampolindoMoraga (4-0) and Palma-Salinas (4-1).

With it’s 24-0 East Bay Athletic League loss to Foothill-Pleasanton on Oct. 2, San Ramon ValleyDanville dropped to 1-4 and is in danger of missing the North Coast Section playoffs for the first time since 1999.

The Wolves will get a legitimate lifeline this week when UC Davis-bound quarterback Kevin Davidson regains his eligibility.

Davidson was the starting quarterback for the Wolves’ junior varsity program in 2013 before transferring to McClymonds-Oakland for his junior season. He started the first four games for the Warriors before it was discovered that his primary address was still in Danville. The Oakland Section ruled him ineligible for the remainder of the season and an appeal to the California Interscholastic Federation came up empty.

Late this summer, Davidson chose to return to his original school but had to face a five-game penalty before he could suit up once again. That blackout period has ended and Davidson will be eligible to return on Oct. 9 when San Ramon Valley visits state-No. 1 De La Salle-Concord. The game will mark Davidson’s first game action since he completed 21 of 27 passes for 438 yards and six touchdowns in a 55-14 McClymonds win over Analy-Sebastopol on Sept. 26, 2014.

Following the nonleague contest with De La Salle, San Ramon Valley will need to go at least 3-1 in its last four EBAL contests to ensure a .500 league record and ensure playoff eligibility.

Davidson should certainly add a new dimension to a Wolves offense that has rushed the ball well behind Daniel Medley (60 carries, 464 yards) and Colin Clancy (64 carries, 573 yards). None of the nine players who have caught passes for SRV this season have reached 100 cumulative yards receiving for the year.

HAPPY RETURN Defending Sac-Joaquin Section Division V champion Bear River-Grass Valley does not boast a huge roster, so every healthy body on the field counts for the Bruins. Senior Ben O’Lena made his presence known and count as Bear River remained undefeated with a narrow 21-14 victory over Sutter.

O’Lena suffered an ankle injury and missed the Bruins’ impressive 28-14 win over Escalon the week before, but came back to make a huge impact

Jonathan Hawthorne

San Ramon’s Kevin Davidson

in the latest win against a NorCal small-school heavyweight.

The senior wide receiver scored all three of Bear River’s touchdowns as he was in the right place at the right time all night long in the team’s Homecoming game. O’Lena opened the Bruins’ scoring with a 57-yard scoring strike from senior QB Jason Voter and broke a 14-14 tie with four minutes remaining in the game with a 64-yard connection with Voter.

But it was his second touchdown that proved most vital in the victory. Voter hit receiver Connor Hollister late in the second quarter for 17 yards, but Hollister fumbled at the 2-yard line.

Fortunately, O’Lena was able to pounce on the ball in the end zone to turn a potential disaster into six points.

Voter was 9-for-12 on the night for 203 yards to give him 580 passing yards and five TDs for the season.

O’Lena more than doubled his season output with his 164 receiving yards as he now has 15 catches for 318 yards and three receiving TDs Bear River will open Pioneer Valley play this week at Foothill before hosting foothill rivals Colfax and Placer at home on Oct. 16 and 23. ✪ — SportStars Staff

Top 5 halloween costume suggestions It’s autumn, sports fans. According to the calendar, at least. Going by the weather, it’s still the middle of July. But then, there was that big horking Harvest Moon eclipsey thingy the other night, so we guess we’ll just go with it. And when the leaves change and the frost is on the pumpkin and all that, you know our favorite holiday is just around the corner. Ghouls, goblins, witches, skeletons — and that’s just in the end zone seating at the Oakland Coliseum. Halloween is upon us, folks.

Here are our Top 5 ideas for costumes, SportStars style. Get your trick-or-treat on, decked out as: 1. A real NFL Quarterback — We’re looking at you, Colin Kaepernick.

2. A head coach who knows how to celebrate a magical championship season — Steve Kerr: There should be cigars and tee-times and champagne toasts. Not two back surgeries. Ask Phil and Pop. You’re doing it wrong.

3. A fanbase that knows there’s a 5-year moratorium on whining about your team after a title; knows how to savor three titles in six years instead of kvetching about bad luck and injuries and folding down the stretch — This works out well, since your team colors already fit a Halloween theme.

4. Luchadores — We think Jonathan Papelbon and Bryce Harper would make a great tag-team pairing. Plus, with the masks, we wouldn’t have to look at their faces.

5. An Oakland A’s starting pitcher — Sonny Gray, we think this getup is perfect for you. Here’s hoping you can trot it out again next year, and the year after, and…

—Bill ‘that goes bump in the night’ Kolb

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Rapid Fire kaitlynn zdroik Liberty-Brentwood Volleyball

Beau Bisharat Jesuit-Carmichael Football

what's your plan for a halloween costume Vince Lombardi (family Packers fans)

Undetermined superhero

have you ever pranked a freshman No Not freshmen, but guys in my own class

favorite animated film Finding Nemo

#

hashtag

A look at our favorite social media posts of the past several weeks. Got any good posts you’d like to nominate? email editor@sportstarsonline.com

Roseville FB @RHSTigersFB Sept. 26 (following 4 OT loss to Del Campo-Fair Oaks) “Heartbreaking resultbut how we respond & come back over next 6 weeks will tell a great deal about our character. Many players stepped up2nite.”

Social Media Athlete @HSSocialMedia Sept. 29 “Social #Training: Don’t carry the fight to Social - it lives long after you’re not angry any longer.”

Andrew McCutchen @TheCUTCH22 Sept. 29 (Regarding St. Louis Cardinal, Stephen Piscotty, an Amador ValleyPleasanton grad injured in a nasty outfield collision) “Good to know Stephen Piscotty is okay after last night.

Praying for health and healing.”

where they now?

With Davis High cross country phenom Fiona O’Keeffe on our cover, we thought we’d check in to see what a former cross-country cover girl is up to.

Campolindo-Moraga 2012 grad Carrie Verdon was a two-time state champion and one of the Bay Area’s most decorated distance runners of the past several years. At Colorado, she was 2nd Team All-Pac 12 as a sophomore before having to take a medical redshirt last season. She returns this season to a Buffaloes team looking to improve on its seventh place finish at NCAA Nationals in 2014.

Trending What’s hot in the world of stuff that’s hot Justin Bieber says he wants to live like Jesus. Well, get yourself in that cave and we’ll roll the boulder in front and see what happens.

It’s so bad for the San Francisco 49ers that even Browns fans are reaching out. You never want to see that.

We might be nearing another government shutdown because people who can’t (or won’t) do their jobs seem to be highly re-electable.

They found water on Mars!

That’s nice. Matt Damon looks thirsty.

A show runner says the end is near for ‘The Simpsons’. I dunno, is 2000 really ‘near’?

The Incredibles

best part of homecoming week Gettin' jiggy with it

The game

Eddie Lacy, Packers RB

20th Century Fox

favorite athlete outside your own sport LeBron James

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21

flexor tendons: scott tanaka

DIGITDANGER With football and other fall sports in full swing, its a good time to focus on flexor tendon injuries, specifically jersey finger. Jersey finger is an injury that can happen in tackle sports when one player grabs another’s jersey and a finger gets caught. As a result, the tendon is pulled off the bone. The type of tendon affected by jersey finger is known as a flexor tendon. These tendons are on the palm side of the hand and control finger movement. When one of the flexor tendons is partially or completely torn, the resulting injury is jersey finger.

SYMPTOMS ›› An open injury, such as a cut, on the palm side of the hand, often where the skin folds as the finger bends ›› An inability to bend one or more joints of your finger ›› Pain when your finger is bent ›› Tenderness along your finger on the palm side of your hand ›› Numbness in your fingertip

DIAGNOSING In addition to applying a bandage for any cuts, as well as elevation and icing, it’s important to see a doctor as soon as possible if you suspect jersey finger. The hands are very delicate, full of nerves, bones, muscles and tendons, and untreated injuries may lead to long-term damage and loss of function.

Your doctor will perform a physical examination, testing for finger strength, ability to flex the finger, and nerve damage. You may also have an X-ray to see if there is damage to the bone.

TREATMENT Your doctor may place your hand in a splint for protection. If the the tendon is completely torn, it often must be repaired surgically. Partial tears may be treated in a splint or cast. An orthopedic surgeon who is specially trained in hand and upper extremity care typically performs the surgery within 7 to 10 days after the injury. If your injury is restricting blood flow to your hand or finger, your doctor will schedule an immediate surgery. Recovery from surgery usually takes several months. Specialized therapy is required early on to prevent stiffness and to regain finger strength and full range of motion. ✪ Scott Tanaka, M.D., is an orthopedic surgeon with Summit Orthopedic Specialists in Carmichael, who is fellowship-trained in upper extremity care. Dr. Tanaka provides specialty treatment for orthopedic conditions of the hand, wrist, elbow and shoulder.

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The Pittsburg High Marching Show Band hams it up in the stands during the team’s season-opening win over California-San Ramon in late August.

Photo by Jonathan Hawthorne.