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Steven Hutchison (4) ran for tough yardage in the Jags 31-14 loss at Casa Grande on Friday. - Photo by Greg Clementi
Gridders fall to Casa Grande, 31-14
Windsor drops to 3-1 in SCL; entertains Petaluma Friday
by Greg Clementi
Sports Editor
Published: Wednesday, November 4, 2009
The varsity football Jags fell from the ranks of unbeaten Sonoma County League teams on Friday, falling to six-time defending champion Casa Grande, 31-14.
The Jaguars (3-1, 6-2) entered the game with a perfect 3-0 league record and visions of SCL supremacy, but left knowing theyve got more work to do if they want to join the elite teams.
Yeah, theyre pretty good, noted Jags head coach Jason Fayter. We knew what they could do on offense so we werent surprised by anything they did, it was more a matter of some blown coverages that cost us.
The Jags drew first blood on their first possession, mounting an impressive, 72-yard march highlighted by some strong inside running by Steven Hutchison and capped by a 16-yard touchdown burst by Jimmy Reed. Kicker Joel Castaneda added the PAT boot for an early 7-0 lead.
The Gauchos didnt take long to respond, as quarterback Nick Sherry hit receiver Connor Wagoner on a long pass, setting up a 24-yard scoring run by bruising back Kahlil Keys on the next play to knot the game at 7-7.
Windsor drove into Casa territory on the ensuing series, but the Jags would come up a yard short on a critical fourth down play to give the Gauchos the ball at their own 31. Two plays later, Sherry hit Wagoner on another 69-yard bomb inside the Windsor five. The play set up a four-yard scoring burst by Keys on the first play of the second quarter. The PAT kick failed and Casa Grande led, 13-7.
The game turned dramatically for the Gauchos on the next possession, using a trick play to gain separation. After an apparent defensive stop by the Windsor defense, Gaucho punter Makana Garrigan took the snap and threw to a wide-open Allan Vargas over the middle. The regular Casa middle linebacker then scampered 40 yards for a devastating touchdown. The Gauchos made good on a pass for the two-point conversion and led, 21-7 at the half.
With injured star running back Kahlil Keys watching on crutches, Casa effectively ended any Windsor upset hopes on their first series of the third quarter. Sherry connected with Waggoner on a 62-yard lightening bolt three plays into the period, giving the Gauchos a commanding, 28-7 bulge. Casa later added a 23-yard field goal for a 31-7 advantage. Windsor capped the games offensive highlights late in the period when Hutchison finished off a nice drive with a five-yard scoring run for the eventual, 31-14 Casa Grande victory.
Casa Grande's Conner Waggoner strips the ball away
Casa Grande's Conner Waggoner strips the ball away from Windsor's Steven Hutchison. Waggoner recovered for Casa to stop a Windsor drive.Sumner Fowler
Trick play helps treat Gauchos to a big win
By JOHN JACKSON
ARGUS-COURIER SPORTS EDITOR
Published: Friday, October 30, 2009
One big trick led to an even bigger treat for the Casa Grande football team on the eve of Halloween.
Casa’s Gauchos shocked Windsor with a 40-yard touchdown pass off a fake punt, and used the play as a catalyst for a 31-14 win on their home turf Friday night.
The win was huge for the Gauchos, who are now 7-1 for the season, and at 3-1 in league still hopeful of gaining a share of the Sonoma County League championship they have owned or shared for the last six straight seasons.
Windsor suffered its first league loss, and is now 6-2 overall and 3-1 in league, leaving both it and Casa a game behind unbeaten Petaluma going into another showdown for the Jaguars next Friday night at home against Petaluma. Casa Grande will try to do its part when it plays at Healdsburg.
The fake punt came with Casa Grande already leading, 14-7, late in the first half. On a fourth-and-nine play, punter Makana Garrigan took a direct snap and pitched to a wide open Allan Vargas who zipped to the end zone unmolested. Windsor never recovered.
The play was introduced to the Gauchos just this week by offensive coordinator Larry Gondola. Herzog called the trigger on the trickery and Garrigan and Vargas worked it perfectly.
The fake punt was only one of several big plays by the Gauchos. “That is the best we’ve played all season in all aspects,” Herzog said. “We were led by Conner Waggoner. That is the best game he has ever played.
Waggoner had two sacks and a bundle of tackles on defense, and came up with a single-handed stop of a late Windsor first-half drive by stripping the ball from running back Steven Hutchison and recovering the fumble. Offensively, he caught five passes for 179 yards and a touchdown.
The game featured quite a passing battle between Casa’s Nick Sherry and Windsor’s J.D. King. Sherry complete just six of 16 passes, but they were good for 197 yards, while King, throwing constantly in the face of a Casa Grande blitz that sacked him five times, still completed 10 of 19 passes, but for only 131 yards.
The only hurt for Casa Grande was to the leg of all-league running back Kahlil Keys, who limped out of the game just before halftime with what appears to be a lower-leg bruise. He was taken to the hospital for a precautionary examination after the game.
The contest started like anything but Casa domination, as Windsor quickly established ball control, pushing 72 yards in its initial possession for the game’s first score, a 15-yard run by Jimmy Reed on a reverse. The Jaguars used 10 plays and nearly five minutes of clock for the drive.
No sooner had Windsor scored, than Casa answered, going 67 yards in just three plays. Fifty-four of those yards were run off by Waggoner on a pass from Sherry. Keys did the scoring from 24 yards out.
After the tying Gaucho touchdown, Windsor ran off nine more plays before a drive ended inches short of a first down at the Casa Grande 33-yard line. In the first quarter, Windsor ran 19 plays to five for the Gauchos.
Although Windsor had several impressive drives on the chilly evening, it was the Gauchos who did the scoring with quick lightning-like thrusts, usually involving Sherry to Waggoner in some meaningful manner.
A 64-yard Sherry to Waggoner pass connection set up a four-yard scoring run by Keys to up the Gaucho advantage to 13-7.
The fake-punt TD made it 21-7, and Waggoner’s strip and recovery to end a Windsor drive at the Casa Grande 12-yard line made sure it stayed that way at halftime.
The second half was just three plays old when Sherry again slapped a pass to Waggoner, who made King miss his tackle attempt and raced 57 yards for the fourth Gaucho score.
Sophomore Lucas Weston booted a 23-yard field goal for a 31-7 Gaucho lead.
The complexion of the game changed in the final quarter. With Keys sidelined, Casa Grande called on junior Javonnie Oden to help run minutes off the clock, and he led the Gauchos on a pair of good drives that resulted in no points, but chewed up important minutes.
Windsor, faced with the large deficit, mostly gave up the running game and tried throwing with some big play success from King to Michael Campbell and Reed.
Windsor did culminate a 71-yard drive with a four-yard touchdown run by Hutchison.
However, other drives were short-circuited by a fumble recovery by Brayan Araiza and interceptions by Vargas and Garrigan.
Casa Grande's Kahlil Keys evades the Windsor defense for a touchdown
Casa Grande's Kahlil Keys evades the Windsor defense for a touchdown in Petaluma on Friday night, October 30, 2009. Keys left the game in the second quarter with an injury.CHRISTOPHER CHUNG / The Press Democrat
Garrigan's fake punt keys Gauchos' win
Touchdown pass on fourth down keeps momentum in Casa's victory over Jaguars
By ERIC BRANCH
THE PRESS DEMOCRAT
Published: Friday, October 30, 2009
Casa Grande senior Makana Garrigan, who plays wide receiver, defensive back and is the Gauchos' punter, is known for his versatility.
But even the most rabid Casa Grande fan may not have known Garrigan was capable of doing what he did Friday night in the Gauchos' 31-14 Sonoma County League win over visiting Windsor.
With the Gauchos leading 13-7 in the second quarter, Garrigan went back to punt on 4th-and-10 from the Windsor 40-yard line. Then, after catching the snap, he did something he hadn't done in a game in three years: Throw a pass.
If the former freshman quarterback was rusty, he masked it well as he lobbed a perfectly placed floater to senior middle linebacker Allan Vargas, who sprinted 40 yards into the end zone to give Casa Grande a two-touchdown lead and momentum it would never relinquish.
I knew we were going to get it, Garrigan said. When (Vargas) shed the linebacker I saw he was wide open and I just floated it over.
Said Vargas, who hadn't caught a pass since his junior varsity days two years ago, I just caught the ball and it was like I was in slow motion. I was so excited when I caught it ... I was expecting to get hit right when I got it. The defender was right there, but luckily I burned him and got into the end zone.
The special teams play might have been the signature moment of the victory, but the Gauchos (7-1, 3-1) did just about everything well in a performance coach Trent Herzog termed their best of the season.
On offense, the Gauchos erased an early 7-0 deficit by scoring touchdowns on the first two drives, a pair of three-play marches that netted 137 yards.
On its second offensive play, quarterback Nick Sherry tossed a 42-yard pass to Connor Waggoner (5 catches, 180 yards) and running back Kahlil Keys scored on a 24-yard run on the next play.
On its next series, Sherry (6 of 15, 197 yards, one TD) connected with Waggoner on a 65-yard gain, setting up Keys' 3-yard scoring run two plays later.
Waggoner had a 57-yard touchdown catch from Sherry on the first series of the third quarter to give Casa Grande a 28-7 lead.
That proved to be plenty of points for a defense that stiffened after Windsor (6-2, 3-1) opened the game with a 72-yard drive capped by wide receiver Jimmy Reed's 17-yard run on a reverse.
Windsor managed just 212 yards and seven points in the game's 43 minutes and star quarterback D.J. King was limited to 27 yards on 16 carries, 77 yards below his season average.
The holes weren't quite as big as they normally are, said Windsor coach Jason Fayter. They're just really good. They're very tough up front and they bring the house.
A laundry list of players made big defensive plays. Waggoner had a sack and a fumble recovery. Vargas and Garrigan had second-half interceptions. Defensive end Brayan Araiza recovered a fumble. And linebacker Fernando Ramirez had a sack while defensive tackle Kevin Brown and defensive back Matt Samet combined on another takedown of King.
D.J. is a great athlete, Waggoner said. We knew he was going to make or break Windsor. The game plan was to stop D.J. and make someone else beat us.
The only down note for the Gauchos was an injury to Keys, their all-Empire running back who left late in the second quarter with a leg injury and spent the rest of the evening on crutches on the sideline.
Herzog said Keys likely had a high ankle sprain, but he expected Keys to have precautionary X-rays.
BOX SCORE
AT CASA GRANDE
Windsor 7 0 7 0 14
Casa Grande 7 14 10 0 31
W Jimmy Reed 17 run (Joel Castenado kick)
CG Kahlil Keys 24 run (Lucas Weston kick)
CG Keys 3 run (kick failed)
CG Allan Vargas 40 pass from Makana Garrigan (Waggoner pass from Sherry)
CG Waggoner 57 pass from Sherry (Weston kick)
CG Weston 23 FG
W Steven Hutchison 5 run (Castenado kick)
Rushing, W: Hutchison 19-86, Reed 5-37, King 16-27, C.J. Landwehr 1-10, Michael Campbell 3-(-3). CG: Javonnie Oden 13-43, Keys 6-37, Michael Ielmorini 4-9, Ken'ius King 1-1, Garrigan 1-0.
Passing, King 10-18-2-127. CG: Sherry 6-15-0-197, Garrigan 1-1-0-40.
Receiving, W: Campbell 7-83, Landwehr 1-36, Reed 1-8, Hutchison 1-0. CG: Waggoner 5-180, Vargas 1-40, Tyler White 1-17.
Records: W 6-2, 3-1; CG 7-1, 3-1.
High school football games to watch
October 30, 2009
By ERIC BRANCH
THE PRESS DEMOCRAT
Published: Thursday, October 29, 2009
Windsor (6-1, 3-0 in SCL) at Casa Grande (6-1, 2-1)
Time: 7:30 p.m.
Last week: Windsor beat El Molino, 52-13. Casa Grande beat Sonoma, 41-6.
Notable: Casa Grande beat Windsor 31-7 last year, has won eight straight meetings and leads the all-time series 9-1. Windsor's only win over the Gauchos was a 15-12 victory on Oct.7, 2000 ... Windsor scored its most points last week since a 62-0 win over Elsie Allen in 2006.
It was the most points the Jaguars had ever scored in a SCL game ... Windsor has won six straight since a season-opening 29-0 loss to Inderkum, a Sacramento power that is 7-0 ... CB Michael Campbell has leads Windsor with six interceptions, LBs Jordan Winkler and Teddy Vanbebber share the team lead in tackles (11.7 a game) and LB Joseph Winkler has a team-high seven sacks ...
Gauchos QB Nick Sherry has completed 28 of 43 passes for 415 yards with four TDs and no INTs the past two weeks ... Casa Grande RB Kahlil Keys (back, flu) is epected to be fully healthy for the first time in several weeks. Keys has scored a TD in 13 straight games, scoring 22 TDs during the streak ... DT Kevin Brown leads Casa with 7.0 tackles a game.
Number to note: 21.9 Average margin of victory during Casa Grande's eight-game winning streak vs. Windsor.
The pick: Casa Grande 27, Windsor 19
Rancho Cotate (4-3, 2-2 in NBL) at Cardinal Newman (3-4, 3-1)
Time: 7 p.m.
Last week: Rancho Cotate beat Ukiah, 42-7. Cardinal Newman lost to Montgomery, 9-0.
Notable: Cardinal Newman had its 19-game NBL winning streak snapped last week ... the Cardinals haven't lost back-to-back NBL games since 2002 ... Cardinals RB Steven Stout leads the team in rushing yards (405) and TDs (6) ...
senior LB Blake Ratto leads Newman with 7.9 tackles a game ... Newman beat Rancho Cotate, 42-7, last year. The Cardinals have won the last seven meetings, including two playoff games ... Cougars junior RB Brian Dworkin has 954 yards on 114 carries with 12 TDs.
Dworkin has three 200-yard games this season ... Rancho QB Poueu Peleti-Gore has 435 yards on 46 carries with five TDs ... the Cougars had four touchdowns of 77 or more yards in last week's win vs. Ukiah.
Number to note: 5 Regular-season losses Cardinal Newman had from 2005-08.
The pick: Rancho Cotate 14, Cardinal Newman 12
Maria Carrillo (3-4, 3-1 in NBL) at Ukiah (2-5)
Time: 7:30 p.m.
Last week: Maria Carrillo beat Elsie Allen, 74-14. Ukiah lost to Rancho Cotate, 42-7.
Notable: Ukiah won last year's meeting, 28-14 ... Maria Carrillo RB Sam Atoe has scored 10 TDs in his past three games ...
the Pumas have won three straight NBL games for the first time since 2006. Carrillo hasn't won four consecutive league games in the same season since 1999 ... the Pumas scored a school-record 74 points last week ...
Ukiah WR Aaron Dhuyvetter leads the team in catches (31), yards (654) and TDs (5) ... LB Scott Cokeley leads the Wildcats with 7.6 tackles a game.
Number to note: 12 Combined points Ukiah has scored the past two weeks.
The pick: Maria Carrillo 30, Ukiah 20
Fort Bragg (6-1) at Cloverdale (6-1)
Time: 7:30 p.m.
Last week: Fort Bragg lost to Middletown, 49-41. Cloverdale beat St. Helena, 42-7.
Notable: Fort Bragg RB Jake Cimolino (shoulder) is expected to be a game-time decision. Cimolino was expected to be out for the season after dislocating his shoulder last week, but he's been given medical clearance to play, according to Fort Bragg coach Jack Moyer.
Cimolino has 1,102 yards and 22 total TDs this season ... Timberwolves QB Brent Moyer has thrown 18 TDs and 2 INTs this season ... Cloverdale RB David Whitaker leads the Eagles with 589 yards and seven TDs.
Number to note: 55 Fort Bragg's average points per game.
The pick: Fort Bragg 34, Cloverdale 27
Windsor puts streak on line against Casa
Gauchos' game plan will center around stopping King, the Jaguars' do-it-all quarterback/safety
By ERIC BRANCH
THE PRESS DEMOCRAT
Published: Thursday, October 29, 2009
As one of the Empire's best two-way players, Windsor's D.J. King enjoys plenty of tackles and touchdowns on Friday nights.
But the downside to King's dual role comes following the fourth quarter. That's when the Jaguars senior begins to feel like a senior citizen. It's a slowly-climb-out-of-bed feeling that typically lasts about 48 hours.
“I'm exhausted,” King said. “I mean, I'm exhausted. I don't go out and celebrate. A bunch of us just go to my house, sit on the couch and play video games. I don't even want to move after these games.”
No doubt his season has been taxing, but King's next assignment might leave him particularly lifeless late tonight.
The Jaguars, on a six-game winning streak, will visit perennial Sonoma County League power Casa Grande (6-1, 2-1) tonight, hoping to keep pace with unbeaten Petaluma in the battle for the league title.
Windsor (6-1, 3-0) was written off by many after all-Empire running back Cameron Erion suffered a season-ending leg injury in Week2. But the Jaguars have gone 5-0 without Erion, thanks in large part to King's do-it-all performance.
The 5-foot-10, 185-pound quarterback/safety has rushed for 623 yards and 11 touchdowns and thrown for 544 yards and five scores despite missing a game on offense due to a groin injury. With his passing and rushing totals, King has had a hand in 69 percent of the Jaguars' offensive yards and 67 percent of their touchdowns.
On defense, he's collected 37 tackles, four interceptions and one sack. Special teams? OK. King had a partially blocked punt in Windsor's 20-13 overtime win against Healdsburg two weeks ago.
Perhaps not surprisingly, Gauchos coach Trent Herozg said his defensive game plan is designed around stopping King.
“He's as good a two-way player as there is in our area,” Herzog said. “... He's such a smart football player. He has great instincts on defense and knows where the ball is going to be. On offense, he knows where the gaps are on defense and knows where to run with the ball.”
Given all his duties, it's natural to wonder what the Jaguars would do without King. A glimpse was given when he played only defense due to his groin injury earlier this season. The Jaguars went to the Toss offense and managed to eke out a 14-7 win against Sonoma (3-5).
“There would be a big difference without D.J.,” Windsor coach Jason Fayter said. “Not only because he's a good player, but also because he's a huge part of the reason we play as a team. He has absolutely no ‘me' in his attitude.”
The notion of a team being a family isn't uncommon, but it does appear that Windsor has a special chemistry this season.
Some of that existed before the season. Players such as King, Michael Campbell, Jordan Winkler, Teddy Vanbebber, Kyle Smith and Steven and Michael Hutchison have played together dating back to Pop Warner.
But Erion's injury left the Jaguars devastated. And bonded. In playing for their injured teammate, they've found common ground.
“At the beginning of the year, I think the juniors and seniors were kind of separated,” senior wide receiver/defensive back C.J. Lanwehr said. “But after Cameron got hurt everyone became a lot closer.”
Windsor's success is undeniable. But the Jaguars will get their first chance to prove they are league-champion material tonight against Casa Grande, winners of six straight SCL titles.
Windsor has beaten just one team with a winning record — 5-2 Healdsburg — while the rest of their wins have come against teams with a combined record of 11-26.
But the Jaguars have been here before. Written off. Dismissed. That, of course, began five consecutive wins ago.
“We knew coming into the season that we weren't going to scare other teams when we got off the bus,” Fayter said. “We knew we were going to have to be scrappy and play with heart. That's what we've done.”
For more Empire high school sports coverage, please visit Eric Branch's prep sports blog at prepsports.blogs.pressdemocrat.com. You can reach Staff Writer Eric Branch at 521-5268 or eric.branch@pressdemocrat.com.
Jags christen new field in 52-13 Homecoming win over Lions
Night of festivities, lopsided win features something for everyone
by Greg Clementi
Sports Editor
The stars were aligned for the biggest night in Windsor High School sports history on Friday, as the Jaguars unveiled their new all-weather field and track.
An estimated spillover crowd of 3000 rabid fans gathered early to christen what is now known as Ian Kirkpatrick Stadium, witnessing an emotional ribbon-cutting ceremony just before kickoff. Dozens of school administrators, boosters, politicians, and supporters took part in the celebration, the reward for years of planning and effort.
All this, and there was still a Homecoming football game to be played.
The Jaguars did their part in putting an exclamation point on a glorious night, easily defeating the visiting El Molino Lions, 52-13.
“The new field was beautiful and the crowd was great, so we felt a little more pressure to go out and play well,” said senior linebacker Teddy Van Bebber, who turned in a stellar outing with nine solo tackles and six assists. “We’re all brothers on this team and when one brother goes down, we all pull together,” he added, referring to the season-ending injury to star running back Cameron Erion.
The Jags took all suspense out of the game early, scoring touchdowns on all six first-half possessions to grab an insurmountable, 42-13 lead at the break.
Senior quarterback DJ King got the party started on the Jag’s first possession, marching his team 66 yards for a touchdown. The drive was highlighted by a 41-yard run by receiver Michael Campbell and capped with a 10-yard scoring burst from wide-out Jimmy Reed. Joel Castenada added the PAT boot and Windsor led 7-0.
The swarming Jaguar defensive unit, which would record a total of seven sacks and four interceptions, forced an El Mo punt. Windsor used a good run-back from Lorenzo Camarena and a short field to mount a 41-yard march culminating in a 16-yard touchdown run by Steven Hutchison. The Jags led 14-0 at the end of one.
The flood-gates opened in the second period, as King connected with wide-out Miles Williams on a 31-yard scoring strike for a three-touchdown advantage.
Campbell picked off the first of his three interceptions on the night on El Mo’s next series, setting up a 30-yard scoring run by King and a 28-0 lead.
The Lions got on the board on their next possession, as quarterback Michael Pierson found H-back Joe Douglass on a 30-yard touchdown strike, cutting the deficit to 28-7.
The Jags effectively put the game on ice on their next two possessions, finding pay-dirt on a 37-yard touchdown run by King, followed by a 24-yard scoring burst by Hutchison. The Lions would get an 11-yard touchdown strike from Pierson to sophomore receiver Chet Lambert to make it a 42-13 ballgame at the break.
Windsor used the big lead to make wholesale substitutions after intermission, emptying their entire bench.
Campbell brought the crowd to its feet early in the third quarter with his third interception of the night, this a 64-yard pick-six that gave Windsor a 49-13 bulge.
With back-up quarterback Lorenzo Camarena replacing King, the Jags employed regular defenders Van Bebber and Cody Paz at half-back, and both responded by running the ball effectively. Windsor capped the evening’s offensive fireworks with a 25-yard field goal from Casteneda en route to a 52-13 win.
King continued to make a statement for league MVP, gaining 121 of 360 total rushing yards and three touchdowns.
Offensive leaders
Passing - King (2-3, 33 yards, TD)
Rushing - King (10-121 yards, 3 TDs), Hutchison (8-95, 2 TDs), Camarena (8-66), Campbell (1-31), Reed (1-10, TD), Van Bebber (3-21), Kevin Brown (4-8), and Paz (3-8).
Receiving - CJ Landwehr (1-36 yards), Williams (1-31, TD).
Defensive stats
Van Bebber (9 tackles, 6 assists), Jordan Winkler (3 tackles, 4 assists, 3 sacks), Campbell (3 tackles, 3 assists, 3 INTs), Jacob Welch (3 tackles, 2 assists, 3 sacks, blocked PAT), Joseph Winkler (2 tackles, 3 assists, sack), Paz (4 tackles), Landwehr (4 tackles, assist), Craig Lyman (3 tackles, 2 assists), Zack Arvig (3 tackles, 2 assists), Stephen Camilleri (2 tackles, 3 assists, INT), Brad Betschart (2 tackles, 2 assists), Zack Schlief (2 tackles, 2 assists), Brown (2 tackles, 2 assists), Austin Gradek (tackle, 3 assists), King (tackle, 2 assists), Justin Oxford (tackle, assist), Casteneda (tackle), Williams (tackle), Dylan Fiori (tackle), Blake Thompson (2 assists), and Camarena (assist).
Welcome to the Jungle, a.k.a. Ian Kirkpatrick Stadium
Windsor's D.J. King is pursued down the sidelines by El Molino's Chet Lambert as he runs in for a touchdown in the first half on Friday night, October 23, 2009.CHRISTOPHER CHUNG / The Press Democrat
Jaguars rout Lions on new field
By PHIL BARBER
THE PRESS DEMOCRAT
Published: Friday, October 23, 2009
WINDSOR D. J. King ran for three long touchdowns and threw for another. Michael Campbell had three interceptions on defense, and returned one of them for a score. But neither was the star of Windsor's 52-13 victory over El Molino on Friday night.
The field stole the show.
Welcome to the Jungle, a.k.a. Ian Kirkpatrick Stadium, Windsor High's brand-new, clean-as-a-whistle, $2 million gem. More than 2,000 fans, most of them wearing blackout homecoming T-shirts, showed up to see the Jaguars' inaugural game at their new facility, with its Mondoturf all-weather field and California synthetic track.
Before the game, Windsor High principal Marc Elin thanked donors, volunteers and everyone who voted for the crucial Measure B bond, and student body president Kirsten Craig cut a 100-yard red ribbon to dedicate the field. The football team took care of the rest, scoring on its first six possessions to build an insurmountable 42-7 first-half lead.
I just think it's amazing, Campbell said of the field. To be the first Windsor team to play here and to get a W, it's something I'll never forget.
El Molino (2-6, 0-4 Sonoma County League), which had several players out with injuries, found itself overmatched by the fired-up Jaguars. Windsor's Jimmy Reed opened the scoring with a 10-yard run 6 minutes into the game, and Steven Hutchison added an 11-yard run just before the end of the first quarter.
That's when King took over. He threw a 30-yard touchdown pass to flanker Miles Williams, then ripped off scoring runs of 30, 37 and 24 yards; for King, they came on three consecutive carries.
He worked his butt off all offseason to be able to do that, Windsor coach Jason Fayter said. He's a guy you want to have the ball in his hands.
King finished with 166 yards on 13 rushing attempts, and completed 2 of 3 passes for 66 yards all in the first half. Backup Lorenzo Camarena took over in the second half for Windsor (6-1, 3-0).
Mike Pierson, El Molino's poised junior quarterback, finished 19 of 36 for 207 yards with two touchdowns, but also threw four interceptions against a defense that keyed on his passing.
They're just a really good team, all the way around, Fayter said of the Gauchos. They always play good defense. We've always had a tough time with 'em. We've got to tighten up everything.
Friday night, the Jaguars were tighter than a Hooter's waitress' uniform. Content to run the ball with a big lead, they finished with 381 rushing yards on 39 carries, not feeling the need to throw a pass in the second half. They didn't punt until the 4:26 mark of the third quarter. And remember, Windsor is without star halfback Cameron Erion, who is out for the season with a fractured leg.
Contrast that with the Lions, who struggled to match the Jaguars' size and strength up front and finished with just 36 yards on 20 carries.
With little balance to the offense, Pierson just couldn't carry El Molino past Windsor. But the 6-foot-4 quarterback is gaining notice for his strong arm and quick release. We knew that quarterback can dime the ball to his receivers. All we had to do was read it, said Campbell, who scored on a pick late in the third quarter. It was Cover 2. Just read the quarterback's eyes.
Because the new stadium came together so quickly in recent weeks, with construction crews overlapping, even most Windsor residents hadn't gotten a good look at it. It would have been hard not to like what they saw Friday. Windsor now has the only all-weather football field in the SCL.
This stadium can become an attraction point for outside events, said Elin, the principal. We've already hosted music events, and we've hosted the Vineman triathlon. It's an opportunity for students to get connected with wider events.
The only glitch of the evening came when the sound system cut in and out during the national anthem. No worries. The Windsor student section rose to the occasion and belted out the lyrics. It was the type of community spirit that got this stadium built in the first place.
Next up for Windsor: a big showdown at Casa Grande.
BOX SCORE
SCL
AT WINDSOR
El Molino 0 13 0 0 13
Windsor 14 28 7 3 52
WJimmy Reed 10 run (Joel Castaneda kick)
WSteven Hutchison 11 run (Castaneda kick)
WMiles Williams 30 pass from D.J. King (Castaneda kick)
WKing 30 run (Castaneda kick)
EMJoe Douglass 30 pass from Mike Pierson (Josh Hoener kick)
WKing 37 run (Castaneda kick)
WKing 24 run (Castaneda kick)
EMChet Lambert 11 pass from Pierson (kick blocked)
WMichael Campbell 61 interception return (Castaneda kick)
WCastaneda 23 FG
Rushing: EMDouglass 11x23, Pierson 6x5. WKing 13x166, Lorenzo Camarena 9x66, Hutchison 5x46, Teddy Vanbebber 4x32.
Passing: EMPierson 19/36, 207 yds, 4 int. WKing 2/3, 66 yds.
Receiving: Lambert 6x81, Douglass 3x43, Garrit Afman 5x39, Dakota Lerner-Ross 3x31.
Records: EM 2-6, 0-4; W 6-1, 3-0
Note: Inaugural game on Windsor's new all-weather field.
You can reach Staff Writer Phil Barber at 521-5263 or phil.barber@pressdemocrat.com.
Sonoma County Rankings
Quick Rankings
#1 Petaluma (6-0)
#2 Casa Grande (5-1)
#3 Montgomery (4-2)
#4 Windsor (5-1)
#5 Cardinal Newman (3-3)
#6 Healdsburg (5-2)
#7 Analy (5-2)
#8 Maria Carrillo (2-4)
#9 Rancho Cotate (3-3)
#10 Sonoma Valley (3-4)
#11 Ukiah (2-4)
#12 Santa Rosa (1-5)
#13 El Molino (2-5)
#14 Piner (0-6)
#15 Elsie Allen (0-6)
Week #6 Rankings
Team 1: Petaluma Trojans
Record: 6-0 (2-0)
League: Sonoma County
Notes: BYE before Analy.
Team 2: Casa Grande Gauchos
Record: 5-1 (1-1)
League: Sonoma County
Notes: Complete domination over Analy.
Team 3: Montgomery Vikings
Record: 4-2 (3-0)
League: North Bay
Notes: Another week and another win for Montgomery.
Team 4: Cardinal Newman Cardinals
Record: 3-3 (3-0)
League: North Bay
Notes: Not much offense from Newman in a 28 point showing, but it
was enough to top Santa Rosa to go 3-0 in league.
Team 5: Windsor Jaguars
Record: 5-1 (2-0)
League: Sonoma County
Notes: Wow says it with Windsors overtime win against Healdsburg.
Team 6: Healdsburg Greyhounds
Record: 5-2 (2-1)
League: Sonoma County
Notes: So close for Healdsburg but a loss against a 5-1 Div. II team
won't hurt a lot when it comes to playoff seeding time.
Team 7: Analy Tigers
Record: 5-2 (1-2)
League: Sonoma County
Notes: Analy needs to learn how to play with the big boys if they want
to boast their non-league record. Petaluma up next...
Team 8: Ukiah Wildcats
Record: 2-4 (1-2)
League: North Bay
Notes: Offense didn't work so well against Montgomery.
Team 9: Santa Rosa Panthers
Record: 1-5 (1-2)
League: North Bay
Notes: 28-14 against Newman isn't bad, but Santa Rosa would always
like to see victory.
Team 10: Maria Carrillo Pumas
Record: 2-4 (2-1)
League: North Bay
Notes: Atoe all over the place agaisnt Piner; Carrillo could make a
playoff run.
Team 11: Rancho Cotate Cougars
Record: 3-3 (1-2)
League: North Bay
Notes: Big offense against Elsie means another win.
Team 12: Sonoma Valley Dragons
Record: 3-4 (1-2)
League: Sonoma County
Notes: Another win closer back to .500 for Sonoma as they inch back in
the SCL.
Team 13: El Molino Lions
Record: 2-5 (0-3)
League: Sonoma County
Notes: The Lions were so close against Sonoma and proved to be a win
driven program.
Team 14: Piner Prospectors
Record: 0-6 (0-3)
League: North Bay
Notes: Piner still working hard to compete in the NBL.
Team 15: Elsie Allen Lobos
Record: 0-6 (0-3)
League: North Bay
Notes: More tough luck for Elsie, but their hard work will help the
program in the long run.
Player Of The Week
#14 DJ King
Windsor High School
STATS: 4 of 5 passing for 84 yards and 1
touchdown, 21 carried for 167 yards and 2 TD's
SPONSORED BY LITTLE CAESARS - SANTA ROSA
2550 Guerneville Road, Santa Rosa CA, 95901
Call for Pick-up: 707-591-9200
Pay-Dirt!
Michael Campbell (1) raced for the end zone with the winning touchdown to seal an electrifying, 20-13 win over Healdsburg in the 11th annual Grape Bowl. - Photo by Paul Calvert
Jaguars spoil Hounds Homecoming in 20-13 grid victory
Windsor defense comes up big in heart-stopping overtime win
by Greg Clementi
Sports Editor
Published: Wednesday, October 21, 2009 4:11 PM PDT
Very few big football games ever live up to the advanced billing and hype, but this one actually exceeded it.
Friday’s gridiron clash of North Bay rivals Windsor and Healdsburg will no doubt go down as the game of the year, as the Jaguars outlasted the host Greyhounds in overtime, 20-13 to capture the 11th annual Grape Bowl.
Witnessed by a huge spillover crowd at a balmy Recreation Park, the game featured a little bit of everything- hard-hitting defense, big plays, and an unlikely finish that needed overtime before the outcome was finally decided.
When the dust cleared, the Jags had emerged with an emotional victory that pushed their season record to 5-1, and a perfect 2-0 in the Sonoma County League, while the Hounds fell to 5-2 on the year and 2-1 in the SCL.
The win took on special significance, representing just the second for Windsor in the 11-year history of the series, and the first ever at Recreation Park.
“Beating Healdsburg was huge for the seniors on this team,” said senior all-league lineman Jacob Welch. “It was the last time we’ll ever play them and keeps us on track for our main goal- to win SCL.”
This Friday, Windsor will be the focal point of the North Bay as it unveils its new all-weather field and track while hosting visiting El Molino in the Homecoming Game. Kickoff times for the JV and varsity are 5 and 7:30 p.m.
The Jaguars had the fans on their feet early, as senior quarterback DJ King broke loose up the right sideline on Windsor’s first play from scrimmage for a stunning, 80-yard touchdown run. Joel Castaneda added the PAT boot for a 7-0 lead.
The Hounds didn’t take long to respond, as veteran coach Tom Kirkpatrick went to page 22 of his playbook and called a patented double pass. On the play, quarterback Killian Collins fired a backward pass to receiver Ian Gallagher, who then fired a bomb to a streaking Tanner Walker for a 62-yard touchdown strike. Thomas Kozel converted the PAT kick to knot the contest at 7-7.
Both defenses dug in for a hard-hitting second quarter. Windsor defender Jordan Winkler came up with an acrobatic interception that had the Jags in business at midfield, but the Hounds would force a punt. Another promising drive late in the quarter would come up short in the Healdsburg red zone on a fourth and seven, with the Hounds taking over on downs at their own 10 yard line. The half ended knotted at 7-7.
Windsor was smelling blood late in the third quarter when King found wide-out CJ Landwehr on a 35-yard pass play to the Hounds’ seven yard line. King cashed in a couple of plays later on a seven-yard scoring burst, but a botched PAT attempt would have Windsor clinging to a tenuous, 13-7 advantage at the end of three.
The Jaguars went to work on the clock in the final period, using up almost five minutes before Healdsburg would get the ball back for one final drive.
With no timeouts left, the Hounds got the ball back at their own 12 yard-line with just 1:31 remaining. Collins quickly stunned the Jags when he hit Walker on a 49-yard pass play to the Windsor 39. On a third and 10 with 25 ticks left, Collins found Gallagher on a 24-yard pass to the Jaguar four yard line.
Healdsburg dipped into its bag of tricks again when Collins tossed to running back Dillon Cattalini, who fired a four-yard scoring strike to a wide-open tight end George Brush in the end zone with two seconds remaining. The Healdsburg celebration was short-lived, as another mishandled PAT attempt left the game tied at 13-all at the end of regulation.
With overtime rules in effect, each team would get the ball at the 10-yard line and play would continue until one team was stopped. Windsor wasted no time in its first overtime possession, as King hit receiver Michael Campbell on a 10-yard dagger. Castaneda nailed the PAT kick and Windsor led, 20-13. The Jag’s defensive unit took matters into its own hands on the ensuing Healdsburg series, breaking up a pair of passes. The game ended when junior linebacker Joseph Winker sacked Collins on a fourth and seven, giving the Jaguars a dramatic, 20-13 win.
Windsor offensive stats
Passing- King 4-5, 84 yards.
Rushing- King (21-167 yards, TD), Steven Hutchison (11-41), Jimmy Reed (2-29), Michael Campbell (3-20), and CJ Landwehr (2-12).
Receiving- Landwehr (2-52 yards), Campbell (2-32).
Defensive stats
Jordan Winkler (7 tackles, 5 assists, 4 sacks, INT), Teddy Van Bebber (5 tackles, 10 assists), Cody Paz (5 tackles, 4 assists), Landwehr (4 tackles, 2 assists), Joe Winkler (3 tackles, 7 assists, sack), Stephen Camilleri (3 tackles), Welch (2 tackles, 7 assists, sack), Jimmy Martin (2 tackles, 5 assists), Craig Lyman (3 tackles, assist), King (2 tackles), Zack Arvig (tackle, assist), Justin Oxford (tackle), Kevin Brown (tackle), and Campbell (assist).
Jaguars win a classic in OT
By ERIC BRANCH
PRESS DEMOCRAT
Published: Friday, October 16, 2009
HEALDSBURG - In a game in which the unexpected became almost commonplace, it was funny that Windsor wide receiver Michael Campbell knew exactly what was going to happen on the first play of overtime.
After Jaguars quarterback D.J. King called “Smash” in the huddle, Campbell, recalling how he was left uncovered on the same play earlier in the game, leaned over to King with a message, “I told him as soon as he called ‘Smash,’ D.J. you’ve got me on the arrow.’ ”
Sure enough, King did, finding Campbell in the left flat and watching his teammate sprint in with a 10-yard touchdown pass for what proved to be the winning score in Windsor’s rollicking 20-13 overtime win against Sonoma County League rival Healdsburg on Friday night before an overflow crowd at Rec Park.
Moments after Campbell’s touchdown, on Healdsburg’s first possession of overtime, Windsor junior linebacker Joseph Winkler sacked Greyhounds quarterback Kilian Collins on 4th-and-goal from the 7 and the Jaguars (5-1, 2-0) had beaten Healdsburg for just the second time in 11 meetings.
“That was the funnest game I’ve ever been a part of,” said King, who rushed for 148 yards and two scores before adding the game-winning touchdown pass.
Indeed, Winkler’s sack placed a period on a classic the Greyhounds (5-2, 2-1) nearly won thanks to two trick-play touchdowns and one near-miracle, last-gasp touchdown drive at the end of regulation.
Trailing 13-7 with 1:31 left, Healdsburg took over at their own 12-yard line with no timeouts left.
Under normal circumstances, such a task is daunting. But given Healdsburg’s offensive struggles, it appeared impossible. Go 88 yards in 91 seconds? The Greyhounds had managed 153 yards in 46 minutes.
But quarterback Kilian Collins, who began the drive having completed 4 of 8 passes for 46 yards and had a pass intercepted by Windsor linebacker Jordan Winkler, discovered a rhythm. On the first play, Collins found senior wide receiver Tanner Walker (4 catches, 151 yards) for a 49-yard gain. Five plays later, he drilled Ian Gallagher on a 25-yard crossing route to give the Greyhounds a 1st-and-goal at the 4 with 24 seconds left.
Three plays later, before a 4th-and-goal from the 3 with six seconds left, Windsor called a timeout. And on the Healdsburg sideline, Greyhounds coach Tom Kirkpatrick dug deep into the playbook for another trick play. Healdsburg had scored its first touchdown in the first quarter on a double-pass in which Collins threw a lateral to Gallagher, who tossed a 62-yard score to Walker.
This time, Collins pitched to running back Dillon Cattalini, who swept right and shot-putted a 3-yard touchdown pass over a pack of pursuing Windsor defenders to tight end George Brush to improbably tie the game at 13 with two seconds left.
With the home crowd going berserk, the Greyhounds lined up for the game-winning extra-point attempt. But a wild snap couldn’t be corralled and the game went into overtime.
“An extra point to win, I’m ready to walk off and celebrate,” Kirkpatrick said. “But it just doesn’t happen that way.”
Said Windsor coach Jason Fayter of watching the extra point, “I was just hoping.”
On Thursday, Fayter had played coy when asked if King, who has battled a groin injury this season, would play quarterback. But on Windsor’s first play from scrimmage midway through the first quarter, King lined up behind center. And he immediately displayed that he was healthy by sprinting 80 yards for a touchdown.
After Healdsburg tied the game at 7 on Gallagher’s throw to Walker, King put the Jaguars back on top with a 7-yard run on the final play of the third quarter. The Jaguars missed the extra point, though, foreshadowing a bit of the wildness to come.
“That was a lot of fun,” Fayter said. “You don’t play these kind of games too often.”
Jaguars set to visit Hounds in “Grape Bowl”
11th meeting between teams shapes up as a classic
by Greg Clementi
Sports Editor
Published: Wednesday, October 14, 2009 1:21 PM PDT
Local football bragging rights will be on the line this Friday, Oct. 16 when North Bay rival Healdsburg hosts the Jaguars in the 11th annual “Grape Bowl.”
Last year, the Greyhounds pulled out a 25-14 win, making it nine wins in 10 overall meetings in the series. Windsor’s lone win came in 2006, when it posted a 27-7 victory.
This year’s clash moves to Recreation Park, and also serves as Healdsburg’s Homecoming Game. Kickoff times for the JV and varsity are set for 5 and 7:30 p.m.
The Jaguars enter this year’s game fresh off a bye week, with an overall record of 4-1, and 1-0 in the Sonoma County League.
A packed house is expected at Recreation Park, so fans are strongly encouraged to arrive early.
After losing star running back Cameron Erion to a season-ending injury, the Jags have rattled off three straight wins. Leading the charge has been senior quarterback/defensive back DJ King, who has passed for 424 yards and three touchdowns, while piling up a team-leading 335 yards on the ground and seven scores.
Top Stats
Other top offensive players have been senior wide-out CJ Landwehr (179 yards rushing, TD, 6-114 yards receiving, TD), senior Michael Campbell (7-102 yards receiving), Lorenzo Camarena (29-126 yards rushing), Jimmy Reed (4-72 yards receiving, TD), Miles Williams (5-45 yards receiving), Steven Hutchison (16-116 yards rushing), and Shane Hardisty (1-23 yards receiving, TD).
Top Windsor defenders are senior linebackers Jordan Winkler (59 tackles), Teddy Van Bebber (48 tackles, 2 sacks), senior end Jacob Welch (36 tackles, 3 sacks), senior backer Zack Arvig (34 tackles), junior linebacker Joseph Winkler (32 tackles, 2 sacks), King (32 tackles, 4 INTs), senior linebacker Cody Paz (29 tackles, sack), senior lineman Craig Lyman (20 tackles, 2 sacks), and senior cornerback Campbell (16 tackles, 3 INTs).
The Greyhounds come in with a 5-1 mark on the season and 2-0 in the SCL, having posted a 31-8 win over Sonoma last week. Players to watch for Healdsburg are senior running back Dillon Cattalini (459 yards rushing, 8 TDs), senior quarterback Killian Collins (813 yards passing, 7 TDs, 4 INTs), senior receiver/safely Ian Gallagher (4 INTs), senior linebacker Justin Furia senior lineman AJ Ruiz, and senior defensive back Tanner Walker (5 INTs).
Big-Play Man
Senior all-purpose receiver CJ Landwehr will be a key player for the Jags this week, as they travel to Healdsburg on Friday for the 11th annual “Grape Bowl.” - Photo by Paul Calvert
Don't mistake these 'Hounds as underdogs
Healdsburg, which graduated 23 players last year, is smallish, inexperienced and tough to beat
Eric Branch
PRESS DEMOCRAT STAFF WRITER
Published: Thursday, October 15, 2009
Like many coaches, Healdsburg coach Tom Kirkpatrick isn't shy about painting his team as a gutty little underdog.
But rarely has a coach had so much ammunition.
Consider the Greyhounds graduated 23 of 32 letterwinners from last year, returned one full-time starter and have a 32-man roster in which 16 players are listed under 166 pounds and just six weigh over 200.
Wait. There's more. Healdsburg, which has an enrollment of 863 according to the North Coast Section, is also the smallest school in the Sonoma County League — less than half the size of Casa Grande (1,908) and Windsor (1,739). In fact, the 2009 season schedule that hangs in the Greyhounds' weight room includes the enrollment of Healdsburg's opponents. Kirkpatrick acknowledges the numbers are meant to send a message.
“We are overmatched,” Kirkpatrick said. “Kids respond to that stuff.”
Guess so.
Entering its annual SCL showdown with Windsor (4-1, 1-0 in SCL) in the Grape Bowl, Team Lilliputian has a 5-1 record, including a 2-0 league mark, and is riding a four-game winning streak during which its defense hasn't allowed a point in the first half.
“It's always an advantage to be the underdog with everyone hating on you,” Healdsburg wide receiver/cornerback Tanner Walker said. “I'm sure there are people thinking ‘Oh, Healdsburg isn't going to do anything.' We've just been trying to prove them wrong each week. So far we've been doing it.”
Walker, a 5-foot-9, 155-pound senior who received scant playing time last year, is just the type of inexperienced and undersized player who has fueled Healdsburg's strong start.
Walker has a team-high five interceptions and returned a pick 88 yards for a touchdown in last week's 31-8 win over Sonoma. He also ranks second on the Greyhounds in receptions (15) and receiving yards (202).
Not bad for a former 140-pounder who used a steady diet of protein shakes to help gain 15 pounds in the offseason. Walker, who loves the sport and wants to play in college, says he's still waiting for his growth spurt.
“I just try to go out and play to the best of my ability, despite my size,” Walker said. “If I do that, I believe good things will happen.”
While Walker isn't blessed with size, he has plenty of talent. And that ability is what Windsor coach Jason Fayter says he's noticed in watching film of the Greyhounds.
Running back Dillon Cattalini is a two-way star who leads Healdsburg in rushing yards (459), touchdowns (8) and tackles (8.2 a game). Six-foot-2 quarterback Killian Collins has thrown five touchdowns and one interception in the past four games and senior Ian Gallagher, another two-way standout, has 18 catches for 224 yards with three touchdowns and has added four interceptions on defense.
The schedule will get tougher — Healdsburg has beaten just one team with a winning record — but Fayter says the Greyhounds' record is no mirage.
“They may not be getting a lot of press, but that's a good team,” Fayter said. “They play well together and they all fly around on defense.”
This type of success is nothing new to Kirkpatrick. In two stints at Healdsburg, he has 16 straight winning seasons and a .769 winning percentage. But he admits he didn't know what to expect from his latest edition.
Before Healdsburg's season opener, Kirkpatrick said he might have the nicest group of players he's ever coached, but he worried the Greyhounds might be too nice.
Six weeks later, the season is hardly over. But it's clear that these nice guys — these really, really nice guys — won't be finishing last.
“We're not real exciting,” Kirkpatrick said. “In fact, the other day at practice I told them ‘Sorry to say, I don't want to hurt your feelings, but there are no stars on this team.' But the nice thing is that there are also no egos and they play well together.”
For more Empire high school sports coverage, please visit Eric Branch's prep sports blog at prepsports.blogs.pressdemocrat.com. You can reach Staff Writer Eric Branch at 521-5268 or eric.branch@pressdemocrat.com
Pay-Dirt
DJ King (14) scored his seventh rushing touchdown of the season last week in a 14-7 win over Sonoma. - Photo by Paul Calvert
Short-handed Jags edge Sonoma, 14-7 in SCL grid opener
By GREG CLEMENTI
Sports Editor
Published: Wednesday, October 7, 2009 2:50 PM PDT
The varsity football Jaguars emerged victorious from their Sonoma County League opener on Saturday, slipping by visiting Sonoma, 14-7 on a breezy night at Santa Rosa High School.
The win pushed Windsor’s record to 4-1 on the year and 1-0 in league, as the team enters its bye week. The Jaguars will resume league action on Friday, Oct. 16 when they visit Recreation Park in Healdsburg.
It was yet another victory for the vaunted Windsor defensive unit, which stepped up under tough circumstances. The Jaguars held Sonoma to just 146 yards in total offense, harassing quarterback Nate Swanson all night and intercepting three passes. The Jags got picks from Michael Campbell, CJ Landwehr, and Stephen Camilleri to end Sonoma scoring threats.
Windsor came into the Sonoma game suffering a key injury to senior quarterback DJ King, who strained a groin muscle in practice during the week. The injury would drastically change Windsor’s offensive scheme against the Dragons.
With King limited to playing defense, the Jags went to a toss offense, with regular receiver Miles Williams taking most of the snaps, and all-purpose receiver CJ Landwehr getting the bulk of the carries. The result was a grind-it-out hard-nosed defensive struggle that Windsor was well-prepared to win. The Jaguars churned up 270 yards of rushing offense, including 141 yards from Landwehr to gain the victory.
Sonoma drew first blood in the second quarter when nifty running back Yahya Muslim raced 39 yards into Jag’s territory. The run set up a two-yard burst from running back Mario Gomez. The Dragons added the PAT kick and led 7-0. Windsor’s defense came up big late in the period when they stuffed a fake field goal attempt by Sonoma to take over on downs. The Dragons led, 7-0 at the break.
The Jaguars mounted their first scoring drive of the night in the third quarter, as Landwehr sealed the march with a 41-yard touchdown jaunt, followed by a Joel Castenedo PAT boot to knot the game at 7-7.
Landwehr came up big again at the end of the third quarter, picking off a Swanson pass and returning it 33 yards to the Sonoma 42. King, in at quarterback, finished off a seven-play 42-yard drive with a six-yard touchdown scamper. The Jaguar defense made the lead stick for the final eight minutes to escape with a hard-fought, 14-7 win.
Landwehr finished off his best night as a varsity player with 23 rushes for 141 yards and a score. King ran six times for 39 yards, while Lorenzo Camarena (10-39 yards rushing), and Kevin Brown (9-37 yards rushing) also contributed to the victory.
Leading defenders included Teddy Van Bebber (5 tackles, 4 assists), Cody Paz (4 tackles, 3 assists), Craig Lyman (5 tackles), Jordan Winkler (4 tackles, 2 assists), King (4 tackles, assist), Jacob Welch (2 tackles, 3 assists), Joe Winkler (2 tackles, 2 assists), Landwehr (INT0), Camilleri (tackle, INT), Campbell (3 tackles, 2 assists, INT), Lorenzo Camarena (tackle, 2 assists), Fiori (2 assists), and a tackle each from Austin Gradek, Zack Arvig, and Kyle Smith.
Football rankings...........
October 6th, 2009 12:17pm
by PrepSports
Posted by Staff Writer Eric Branch:
LARGE SCHOOLS
1. CASA GRANDE (4-0)
Survived shootout with Napa to set up Battle of the Unbeatens in a compelling Egg Bowl matchup.
2. PETALUMA (5-0)
Evidently the Trojans weren’t looking ahead to Casa last week. Final score: Petaluma 48, El Molino 7.
3. MONTGOMERY (2-2)
Pretty stout defense. Now, about that offense ...
4. WINDSOR (4-1)
Through injuries and illness, the Jaguars keep finding a way.
5. CARDINAL NEWMAN (1-3)
They got a win. And they’re in.
SMALL SCHOOLS
1. FORT BRAGG (4-0)
Timberwolves are averaging 1.2 points a minute. That’s 63.3 points a game. That’s a lot.
2. MIDDLETOWN (3-1)
Huge game vs. Fort Bragg looms on Oct. 23.
3. CLOVERDALE (3-1)
Hung tough with Middletown last week in 27-17 loss.
4. CLEAR LAKE (3-1)
Cardinals, whose only loss is to Fort Bragg, averaging 262 rushing yards a game.
5. ST. VINCENT (2-2)
The worst is surely over. Just went 0-2 — and allowed 126 points — in losses to Middletown and Fort Bragg.
What you may have missed this weekend
October 5th, 2009 06:32pm
by PrepSports
Posted by Staff Writer Eric Branch:
Santa Rosa coach Tony Keefer knows something about successful rebuilding projects.
And he’s thankful his latest undertaking won’t include an 0-10 record in his first year.
Keefer, who came to Santa Rosa this season after helping turn around Tamalpais’ long-suffering program, got his first win as the Panthers’ coach in a 23-20 victory over Maria Carrillo on Friday.
Against a team that beat them 26-14 last year, the Panthers (1-3) scored more points than they had managed in their first three games combined. Santa Rosa had been outscored 76-22 entering Friday’s game.
“Our guys really stepped up to the challenge,” Keefer said. “They played a full four quarters and really made a statement to me and themselves. They learned a lot from our first three games and put a full game together.”
There is plenty of work ahead. Since 1990, the Panthers have had two winning years, four 0-10 seasons and eight coaching changes. But the win over Carrillo, which fell to 0-4, offered some solid reasons for optimism.
Sophomore Kalen Rosselli, who was 14 when the season began, completed 11 of 23 passes for a career-high 232 yards and junior running back Travis Baker rushed for 107 yards on 26 carries with three touchdowns. Junior wide receiver Nick Keeton, who is also the Panthers’ punter and placekicker, provided the finishing touch. Keeton, who is deaf, drilled a 38-yard field with 90 seconds left to break a 20-20 tie.
Rosselli found several capable targets in Derek Kopp (4 catches, 90 yards), Jaden Rosselli (2-59) and Baker (2-57).
Keefer went 0-10 in his first season at Tamalpais in 2007. But he led the Hawks to a 5-6 record and their first playoff appearance in 14 years last season and was an honorable-mention San Francisco Chronicle Coach of the Year. Tam had three wins its past 30 games when Keefer arrived on campus.
Despite Santa Rosa’s 0-3 start, he said he’d never considered the possibility of another 0-10 season.
“Tam was a little different,” Keefer said. “This program is more established. But I just go week to week. I don’t let my mind wander to things like that.”
WILDCATS IN WIN COLUMN
The 1-3 Ukiah Wildcats can exhale. And after a 40-28 victory over Piner on Friday they can also walk around town proudly.
“We’ve got homecoming this week,” Ukiah coach Jeff Schueller said. “We really didn’t want to go into that with an 0-4 record. This is a small community and you can’t exactly hide out anywhere.”
The victory was the first for Schueller as a head coach after he served the previous 19 seasons as an assistant at several Empire schools. But Schueller was more excited about the development of his team, which utilized a powerful ground game that it had strayed from earlier this season.
The Wildcats rushed for 321 yards with juniors Ben Brooks (11 carries, 123 yards) and Vinni Hiler (11-103) leading the way. Senior quarterback Chad Pittman ran for two scores and completed 5 of 10 passes for 122 yards with a pair of touchdowns to junior Aaron Dhuyvetter (3 catches, 95 yards).
“It was a lot different feeling when we came back Saturday,” Schueller said. “It was a whole different atmosphere. All the sudden, we got that off our back and are thinking about winning more games.”
A TRIUMPH FOR THE TOSS
Some people load up on batteries and bottled water in case disaster strikes.
In the event of a football calamity, Windsor coach Jason Fayter has an emergency preparedness offense: The Toss.
With his quarterback and top two running backs unavailable Saturday night against Sonoma, Fayter scrapped the Jaguars’ spread offense and went with the Toss, a double-wing, one-back attack in which two tight ends are bunched in close facing the quarterback, who routinely serves as a lead blocker.
Score one for improvisation. The Jaguars, who attempted just two passes, improved to 4-1 with a 14-7 win over Sonoma and collected 270 rushing yards.
Fayter was intrigued by offense when he played against teams who ran it when he coached at Frazier Mountain in Southern California from 2000-03. He used it three years ago when some of Windsor’s top skill-position player were out.
“After going against it, I started looking at it and started examining the advantages of it,” Fayter said. “Sometimes when you get in a sitaution like we were in it can kind of look like a good strategy.”
Fayter needed it last week with quarterback D.J. King battling a groin injury, running back Cameron Erion out for the season with a compound leg fracture and Steven Hutchison, Erion’s backup, out with an illness. The hobbled King primarily played defense to lessen his workload.
In response, Fayter stuck wide receiver Miles Williams at quarterback and wide receiver C.J. Landwehr at running back. Landwehr responded with 141 yards on 21 carries and became the fourth Windsor player to rush for 100 yards in a game this season.
“We were down to our fourth, fifth and sixth running backs,” Fayter said. “And they weren’t even running backs. They were wide receivers.”
FRANCI UNPLUGGED
Montgomery’s 9-6 overtime win over Rancho Cotate on Friday in its North Bay League opener improved the Vikings to 2-2. But it also did little to suggest Montgomery’s offense is finally clicking.
The Vikings’ attack has managed three touchdowns in the past two weeks. Montgomery, which had 195 yards against the Cougars, opened the season with a 42-0 loss to Grant.
“Our defense has played well all year long,” Vikings coach Jason Franci said. “We just have to help them out a little bit. I’m in charge of the offense. Fire the coach, I guess.”
On a separate note, Franci said he thoroughly enjoyed the latter stages of Montgomery’s tense win over Rancho. And he also noted that he is on medication for an irregular heartbeat, a condition that is not considered serious, “Games like this keep me young,” he said. “If they don’t kill me.”
Windsor to play on new turf field soon
by PrepSports
Posted by Staff Writer Eric Branch:
October 6th, 2009 12:53pm
The Windsor High football team is finally coming home.
After playing their first two home games at Santa Rosa High, the Jaguars will play the first game on their new synthetic turf field on Oct. 23 when they host El Molino for homecoming. Windsor will be the only Sonoma County League school with a turf field.
Windsor’s stadium, which will also be used for soccer, will also feature an all-weather track. The project cost more than $2 million and was paid for by bond funds.
The game against El Molino will start at 7:30 p.m. A ribbon-cutting ceremony will be held about 15 minutes before kickoff.
Windsor's CJ Landwehr runs wide around Sonoma defenters during the first half of their game at Santa Rosa High School, in Santa Rosa, on Saturday night October 3, 2009.SCOTT MANCHESTER / For The Press Democrat
Windsor wins with the Toss
Because of another key injury, Jaguars switch to unique offensive set
By PHIL BARBER
THE PRESS DEMOCRAT
Published: Saturday, October 3, 2009
The chilly breeze made it feel as though the calendar had moved forward about a month. The offense run by Windsor High made it look like the calendar had been turned back. About 80 years.
Meet the Toss offense, a double-wing, one-back set that begins each play with two ends in tight and facing the quarterback, as if he is about to take a knee. It looks like Ernie Nevers — whose name graces the Santa Rosa High field on which this game was played — might have been comfortable running it.
“We practice it in case we need a goal-line play, or have bad weather or something like that,” Windsor coach Jason Fayter said after the Jaguars' improbable 14-7 victory over Sonoma Valley on Saturday night.
Or in case of multiple injuries to star players.
Windsor has already been rocked by the loss of record-setting halfback Cameron Erion, who is out for the season with a compound leg fracture. When D.J. King, the Jaguars' relief stud and starting quarterback, suffered a groin injury during practice this week, the situation called for a drastic maneuver.
It called for the Toss.
“It keeps the clock rolling,” Fayter said. “They're a good team. If we could play some defense, we thought we had a chance.”
King played the entire game on defense, but Fayter didn't want to test the groin too harshly, so his usual QB wound up touching the ball only six times on offense, including five second-half carries.
Sonoma coach Mick O'Meara said he wouldn't have known about King's injury at all if one of his players hadn't seen mention on a blog the night before the game. The Dragons saw the Toss just two weeks ago in a 28-14 win over Vallejo, but didn't get to practice against it at all this week.
That may help to explain Windsor's proficiency with the unconventional alignment. The Jaguars ran for 270 yards as a team — 135 in each half — paced by C.J. Landwehr's 141 yards on 21 carries.
Windsor won its Sonoma County League opener without completing a pass. In fact, with Sonoma also focusing on its ground game until fighting the clock late in the game, no one completed a pass until 45 seconds remained in the third quarter.
Miles Williams, normally a flanker, played quarterback for the Jaguars, but threw just one pass. His role in the Toss was to pitch or hand off to one of three teammates, then get out to run interference.
“It's the ultimate team offense,” Fayter said. “Every single guy is involved. The quarterback is lead blocking.”
Everyone agreed afterward that the Jaguars' defense stole the show. They intercepted Sonoma quarterback Nate Swanson three times (credit Michael Campbell, Landwehr and Stephen Camilleri) and held the Dragons to a total of 146 yards from scrimmage.
Forced to play catch-up in the fourth quarter, Swanson finished 5 of 17 for 23 yards, and was hit several times.
Super-quick Sonoma halfback Yahya Muslim escaped for runs of 20 and 39 yards in the first half, but was contained in the second half by an active Windsor defense led by ends Jacob Welch and Joseph Winkler.
“We just played hard,” Welch said. “In the second half, we tried to hit harder.”
Muslim's longest run — with a horse-collar penalty tacked on at the end — set up the first score of the game. The Dragons' Mario Gomez took it in from 2 yards out to make the score 7-0 in the second quarter, after two pass-interference penalties in the end zone allowed Sonoma to reset its downs. The Jaguars were flagged for 10 penalties in all, including four interference calls.
The Dragons threatened again early in the second quarter, but were denied on a fake field-goal attempt on fourth-and-goal from the Windsor 7-yard line.
The Jaguars tied it in the third quarter on a determined 41-yard run by C.J. Landwehr, then went ahead at the 8:49 mark of the fourth quarter on King's 6-yard run.
Muslim finished with 96 yards on 17 attempts for Sonoma, but had only 8 yards in the second half.
“It took us a little while to get the little guy figured out,” Fayter said. “We've seen him on tape, and in the games we've seen, he's had three or four big runs.”
Windsor improved to 4-1, while Sonoma Valley fell to 2-3.
The SCL has an 14-0 record against the NBL
Posted by Staff Writer Eric Branch:
So far, it hasn’t been a stellar season for the North Bay League. Consider:
* The eight NBL schools have a 3-21 non-league record.
* The NBL went 0-8 last week. Five of those losses came against Sonoma County League schools. (The SCL, by the way, went 6-1 last week and has a 21-5 non-league record).
* The NBL has an 0-14 record against the SCL. Last year, the NBL went 6-6-1 against SCL schools.
* Six NBL schools are 0-3.
At this point, it appears the NBL title will be determined by three games: Rancho Cotate at Montgomery on Friday; Montgomery at Cardinal Newman on Oct. 23 and Rancho Cotate at Cardinal Newman on Oct. 30.
Player of the Week
#14 DJ King
Windsor High School
STATS: 209 yards rushing, 5 touchdowns, 248
yards passing, 3 touchdowns, 12 tackles, 2 ints.
*Each NCSNBL.com Player of the Week receives
a free HOT-N-READY pizza from Little Caesars
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Dragons entertain Jags at Santa Rosa
By BENJAMIN HERRINGTON
NCSNBL.com
This Sonoma County League series has produced some very good games over the past few seasons. Though Sonoma Valley leads the recent series 5-3 dating back to 2001, Windsor has won three of the last four including a three game run from 2005-2007.
Last season Sonoma and Windsor were both hunting for a win, but Sonoma took the victory 35-21, which turned out to be the Dragons first win of the season.
Sonoma will face the Jaguars with a 2-2 record as they come off a home loss to previously winless Dublin, 22-20.
Just 6 points separate the Dragons from being undefeated on the season, which makes Sonoma a good dark horse for the NCS Div. III playoffs. Sophomore running back Yahya Muslim has been leading the Dragons offense through the season.
Overall a balanced offense is keeping Sonoma above their opponents on paper, but in two of the last three games, Sonoma’s defense has given up points that ended up losing the game. The Dragons have the fire power to come out on top, just ask Vallejo.
The Jaguars are reaching their stride as they completely dominated the first half against Maria Carrillo in what is becoming a traditional non-league contest between the two programs. A 28-0 halftime score secured the game for Windsor as they never relinquished the lead to the Pumas. Though Maria Carrillo did come back to tighten the game at 28-21 in the 3rd Qtr, Windsor’s offensive scoring machine went to work again and made the final score 42-28 in favor of the Jaguars.
DJ King has six touchdowns, three running, and three passing, which was enough to make him the NCSNBL Player of the Week.
With Windsor’s home field under construction with a new artificial turf, this game will be held on Saturday night at Santa Rosa High School. Not only does Santa Rosa have plenty of stands, but they also feature one of the best snack bars around. No need to arrive early for this one, there’s sure to be room, but getting in line early might be a good idea if you want some stadium food.
Game Series
Sonoma Valley leads Series 5-3
2009
2008
Sonoma Valley won 35-21
2007
Windsor won 25-13
2006
Windsor won 38-12
2005
Windsor won 26-6
2004
Sonoma Valley won 24-0
2003
Sonoma Valley won 20-8
2002
Sonoma Valley won 34-6
2001
Sonoma Valley won 39-14
Dragons dumped by Dublin; SCL play begins tomorrow against Windsor
Ray Sullivan Jr. | Sonoma Valley Sun
The Sonoma Dragons concluded pre-season play with a disappointing 22-20 loss to the visiting Dublin Gaels Saturday night at Arnold Field.
The loss drops the Dragons record to 2-2, with Sonoma County League play set to begin tomorrow night in Santa Rosa against Windsor (3-1).
Dublin (1-3) entered the game winless on the season and victorious in only seven of their previous 33 games. However, the Gaels executed their Wing-T offense with enough aplomb to dominate the time of possession and were able to wear down the Dragon defensive front.
Sophomore tailback Yahya Muslim scored twice, including a 46-yard scamper on the fourth play of the game to put Sonoma up 7-0. Muslim would score again in the second quarter en route to his third 100-yard rushing game of the season.
Dublin, mixing counter plays with power running, scored two rushing touchdowns in the first half, the second coming moments before halftime for a 15-13 lead. The Gaels would add another score on a quarterback keeper in the fourth quarter to go up 22-13.
Moments after senior quarterback Nate Swanson and senior receiver Tyler Rose connected on a key third-and-10 conversion, Swanson found Rose in the left corner of the East end zone to cut the Gael lead to 22-20.
An onside kick attempts was recovered by Dublin, but the Gales fumbled the ball on third down giving the dragons a final shot at the comeback.
One play after being sacked, Swanson’s pass was intercepted near midfield and returned deep into Dragon territory to seal the win for Dublin.
Swanson finished with 120 yards passing on the night, at one point connecting on seven passes in a row and Rose hauled in nine passes for 92 yards.
Defensively the Dragons were led by the junior duo of Kevin Deely and Sean Daly who finished with 15 and 14 tackles respectively. Returning All-League safety Steven Murden topped all tacklers with 16 and Stephen Brooks continued his solid play at defensive end with 13 tackles.
With league action slated to begin for the Dragons tomorrow night, defensive coordinator Mike Mulas was cautious about his team’s chances.
“Every other team in the SCL won this weekend,” said Mulas. “This season our league is about as competitive as it’s ever been. Now is when we begin the tough part of our schedule.”
With the Dragons slated to take on Windsor in the SCL opener tomorrow night here is The Sun’s 2009 SCL football preview:
Windsor (Oct. 3): The Jaguars lost leading rusher Cameron Erion for the season with a broken leg. Quarterback D.J. King has taken a more active role in the Windsor attack and last week passed for 153 and ran for 120 in the Jaguars 42-28 pasting of Maria Carrillo. Windsor is 3-1 in the pre-season, but one of the victories was an unimpressive 14-6 win over lowly Santa Rosa.
Healdsburg (Oct. 9): The Greyhounds (3-1) have yet to be tested after a pre-season schedule that featured wins over McKinleyville, Piner and Acaclanes. The lone loss came at the hands of Alhambra. Coach Tom Kirkpatrick always plays the Dragons tough and look for RB / LB Dillon Cattalani to be a difference maker.
El Molino (Oct. 16): Originally thought to be one of the easiest games on the Dragon schedule, the Lions are off to a surprising 2-2 start. El Molino’s distinction of “contender or pretender” will likely be decided tonight as they take on a talented and fast Petaluma team. Tom Krausmann exploded for three rushing touchdowns in last week’s victory over winless Piner.
Casa Grande (Oct. 23): The Dragons will again look for the “Homecoming magic” that was employed to upset the Gauchos in 2007 at Arnold Field. The Gauchos (3-0) are the clear-cut favorite to capture the SCL. Casa Grande has been the dominant team in the SCL over the past decade and despite losing a strong group of seniors to graduation the Gauchos have reloaded. Quarterback Nick Sherry is one of the best in the Empire and the running back duo of Khalil Keys and Javonnie Oden could be likened to “Thunder and Lightning.” Entering this week’s play the Gauchos are the number one ranked team in the Empire.
Petaluma (Oct. 30): The Trojans used a blocked PAT to defeat Rancho Cotate last week 14-12 to improve to 4-0. Speedy tailback Sean Sullivan has become a YouTube sensation, but has bottled up the past two weeks by opposing defenses. The Trojans under long-time coach Steve Ellison like to keep it on the ground, passing only eight times a game so far in 2009. Bruising back Ricky Sims and quarterback Mike Russell complement Sullivan well.
Analy (Nov. 6): The Tigers, like 2008, are undefeated after the pre-season. However, last season reality set in as the Tigers struggled against SCL competition. Sophomore quarterback Nick Zanutto has a trio a big-play receivers that allows the Tigers to score from anywhere on the field. Seniors Ross Bostock and Ryan Beretta and junior Julian Titus-Patino combined for 263 receiving yards in last week’s 35-16 win over Santa Rosa.
Dog-Pile
Windsors CJ Landwehr (23) was wrapped up by Puma defenders after a run in the Jags 42-28 win. - Photo by Greg Clementi
Jags stun Pumas, 42-28 in grid finale
By Greg Clementi
Sports Editor
Published: Wednesday, September 30, 2009
The varsity football Jaguars turned in their best game of the fall campaign on Friday, soundly defeating the host Maria Carrillo Pumas in the pre-season finale, 42-28.
Windsor (2-2) will now turn its attention to this Saturday night, when they entertain visiting Sonoma in the league opener at Santa Rosa High School. Kickoff times at Ernie Nevers Field are set for 5 and 7 p.m.
The Jaguars could have been excused for having a chip on their collective shoulders after a perceived lack of respect following the season-ending injury to star back Cameron Erion on Sept. 12. Local pundits didn’t give the team much of a chance against the Pumas on Friday, and Windsor used the slight as added incentive.
The result was stunning, as the Jag's defensive unit recorded eight sacks and the offense rolled up 360 yards on the ground.
Senior cornerback Michael Campbell got the party started early in the opening period when he picked off a Puma pass and returned it to mid-field. Quarterback DJ King quickly marched his team into the red-zone, where he cashed in on a 12-yard scoring burst. Kicker Joel Castaneda added the PAT boot for a 7-0 lead.
The swarming Windsor defense continued to throttle Maria Carrillo on its next possession, forcing a punt. Windsor proceeded to mount a 68-yard drive, kept alive by a huge off-sides penalty on the Pumas on a fourth and five to keep the chains moving. The march resulted in a 28-yard scoring strike from King to wide-out CJ Landwehr for a 14-0 advantage.
Windsor went up by three scores following another Puma punt that put the Jags in business near mid-field. Three plays later, King hooked up with receiver Jimmy Reed on a 56-yard bomb up the left sideline for a 21-0 ballgame.
Windsor’s defense capped a tremendous first half when it stopped the Pumas on a fourth and five, taking over on downs at the Jaguar 36. Big runs by Landwehr and running back Steven Hutchison moved the ball deep in Carrillo territory, and King capped the drive with a 23-yard touchdown dagger to receiver Shane Hardisty for a commanding, 28-0 bulge at the break.
As it turned out, the game was far from over.
The Pumas stunned the Jags on the third-quarter kickoff, as return-man Matt Hewson raced 76-yards to the house. The PAT kick failed and the Jaguars led, 28-6.
The Pumas continued a startling comeback when they mounted another scoring drive on the next possession, finishing up with a seven-play, 49-yard scoring drive that ended in a one-yard plunge. A successful two-point conversion cut the lead to 28-14. Disaster struck on Windsor’s next possession, when a fumble gave Carrillo the ball at the Jaguar 38. The Pumas cashed in six plays later on a 16-yard touchdown pass from Hunter Odom to Hewson, cutting the lead to 28-21.
With momentum now squarely on the Puma sideline, the Jags engineered their most important drive of the night. Starting at the Windsor 26, King would find Reed on a critical, 15-yard third-down pass, and key runs by Landwehr and Hutchison would continue a 74-yard march culminating in a one-yard quarterback keeper from King. The Jags led 35-21 at the end of three.
Windsor would effectively ice the game midway through the final quarter after a short drive led to a five-yard scoring burst by King. Carrillo scored a late touchdown to make it respectable, but the Jags held on for a 42-28 win.
Top scores
King was Superman in black and gold in leading the offensive unit (8-13, 153-yards passing, 3 TDs, 20-112 yards rushing, 3 TDs). Other standout efforts were had by Steven Hutchison (16-116 yards rushing), Landwehr (3-35 yards rushing, 3-53 yards receiving, TD), Reed (2-68 yards receiving, TD), Hardisty (1-23 yards receiving, TD), Lorenzo Camarena (2-39 yards rushing), Campbell (1-10 yards rushing, 1-5 yards receiving), and Miles Williams (1-4 yards receiving).
Leading tacklers included Teddy Van Bebber (8 tackles, 6 assists, sack), Jake Welch (tackle, 3 assists, 3 sacks), Jordan Winkler (6 tackles, 3 assists), King (6 tackles, 2 assists, sack), Cody Paz (4 tackles, 4 assists, sack), Kevin Brown (5 tackles, 3 assists), Campbell (2 tackles, INT), Landwehr (4 tackles, assist), Joe Winkler (2 tackles, 6 assists, sack), Zack Arvig (2 tackles, 2 assists), Craig Lyman (tackle, 3 assists, sack), Daniel Schenone (2 tackles, assist), Stephen Camilleri (tackle, 3 assists), Zach Schlief (tackle, assist), Williams (tackle, assist), Austin Gradek (tackle, assist), Justin Oxford (3 assists), Trevor Doherty (tackle), and an assist from Kyler Smith, and Hardisty.
Windsor quarterback D.J. King..
CRISTA JEREMIASON / PD
Jags' King becomes instant team leader
By ERIC BRANCH
PRESS DEMOCRAT
Published: Monday, September 28, 2009
After star running back Cameron Erion was lost for the season with a broken leg earlier this month, Windsor coach Jason Fayter pulled quarterback D.J. King aside and gave the senior a simple message: It’s your job to lead the team.
Two weeks later, it’s evident that King has taken those words to heart.
In wins against Santa Rosa (14-6) and Maria Carrillo (42-28), King, who also plays safety, had a hand in each of the Jaguars’ eight touchdowns (5 TD runs, 3 TD passes), rushed for 209 yards, passed for 248 yards, had 12 tackles, two interceptions and one sack.
Part of King’s stunning production is due to his increased role in the offense. With Erion gone, King is running more out of Windsor’s spread formations.
But the 5-foot-10, 185-pound King says there’s something more at work. He’s played football with Erion since they were 11. The two spent much of nine months leading up to their season opener training together.
He says he’s playing with even more passion while his friend is sidelined.
“I’ve always loved football and everything, but I think I started loving it even more when Cameron went down,” King said. “I know how much Cameron loves football and how much it means to him. Now we’re all playing for him. We’re really trying to go out there and do this for him.”
King has done plenty of heavy lifting, but he hasn’t done it alone for the Jaguars (3-1), who led Maria Carrillo 28-0 at halftime Friday night.
Senior running back Steven Hutchison, Erion’s back-up last year, made his 2009 debut after missing the first three games with a back injury and had 116 yards on 16 carries. The defense had eight sacks — three by senior defensive end Jacob Welch — and Windsor had 320 rushing yards and averaged 7.3 yards a carry.
The victory was a marked improvement from the Jaguars’ uneven performance against Santa Rosa a week earlier.
“We still knew we had a good team even if we didn’t have Cameron,” Fayter said. “Maybe we played too emotional last week and that’s why we didn’t play very well, who knows? Whatever it was, we didn’t do a lot differently this week. But we played well and we executed great.”
QB, WHAT’S THE BIG DEAL?
By the way, King is no pretty-boy quarterback. In fact, the sport’s glamour position isn’t even his favorite spot on the field.
“I like playing safety better,” he said. “I like to hit people.”
MIRROR IMAGES
What happened to all the touchdowns in Petaluma’s 14-12 win against Rancho Cotate?
Petaluma coach Steve Ellison has an explanation for why the expected shootout was a slugfest. The Trojans scored 20 points below their season average and Rancho Cotate was 39 points off its two-game average.
Both Rancho Cotate and Petaluma run the triple-option offense. And both programs have run the offense for a generation. Cougars coach Ed Conroy has used it for 20 years and Ellison has run it since he arrived on campus 31 years ago.
That’s more than 50 years of triple-option experience. Do you think Ellison or Conroy was confused by what the team was doing Friday night?
“When we play Rancho it’s really the one week of the year when we can put a scout team out there and the kids can replicate the other team’s offense with some credibility,” Ellison said. “In talking to a lot of coaches they say the same thing. It’s a hard offense to prepare for because their kids can’t mirror the offense in practice.”
History indicates Ellison has a point. In the previous five meetings before Friday, the schools had combined to score more than 32 points just once and had scored less than 24 points on three occasions.
SULLIVAN OK
Petaluma running back Sean Sullivan came up hobbling in the fourth quarter against Rancho Cotate, but Ellison said he was not seriously injured. Sullivan will play when the Trojans visit El Molino on Friday.
YEAR’S HIGHLIGHT?
Sometimes you need a JumboTron at high school football games.
The play Casa Grande junior quarterback Nick Sherry made in the Gauchos’ 21-20 win against Montgomery really had to be seen again to be believed.
After taking a 12-7 lead on Kahlil Keys’ 1-yard run, the Gauchos went for a two-point attempt. Sherry took the snap, rolled right and was chased down and grabbed by three (four? five?) Montgomery defenders who were in the process of tossing him to the turf.
As Sherry was falling, he switched the football to his left hand and, in one fluid motion, flung a perfectly placed no-look pass to Matt Samet, who was wide open in the end zone.
Two points. And several hundred disbelieving looks.
“On the sidelines everyone was kind of like ‘Wow,’” Casa Grande coach Trent Herzog said. “The coaches were just kind of looking at each other and the coaches in the booth were saying ‘Did you just see that?’”
Sherry also made a few conventional passes that were nearly as stunning.
In the second half, he rifled a 40-yard completion to Samet down the left sideline. Samet was blanketed on the play, but the pass was dropped into about the only spot a defender couldn’t touch it.
Sherry showed a similar blend of touch and arm strength on a 38-yard pass to Connor Waggoner down the right sideline and a 32-yard dart to Javonnie Oden over the middle. Both passes set up short TD runs by Keys.
Sherry’s stats weren’t eye-popping — 7 of 15 for 139 yards with no touchdowns and no interceptions — but his potential was obvious.
“I’ve been in high school football for 15 years and I’ve never been with a quarterback that can make those kind of throws,” Herzog said. “When the ball is in the air I’m like ‘What are you doing?’ And then he completes it and you say ‘Well, that’s Nick Sherry.’ Because of his arm strength he’s making college throws.”
KUDOS TO THE VIKINGS
Herzog on Montgomery, “I told my guys, that might be the last loss they have all year. I know they have to play Rancho Cotate and Cardinal Newman, but that is one hell of a football team.”
Jaguars hope to continue their winning ways
September 25, 2009
By BENJAMIN HERRINGTON
NCSNBL.com
Hunter Odom and the Maria Carrillo Pumas had Sonoma County League favorite Casa Grande scratching their head in last weeks contest, as the scoreboard showed Maria Carrillo ahead 10-0.
Unfortunately for the Pumas, Casa Grande sports a top notch offense that got on track towards the end of the first half, and eventually took over in route to a 28-10 Gauchos win.
Head Coach Jay Higgins has some things working in his eastern Santa Rosa program as his squad has lead against the Sonoma County Leagues top two teams. Figuring out Windsor could be a whole new challenge though Maria Carrillo has gotten better over the past few season, but so have other North Bay League programs.
Bumping up the competition in the non-league has also been a challenge as the Pumas enter this weeks contest winless at 0-2.
As perhaps the most dangerous 0-2 team in Sonoma County, Maria Carrillo has focused intensely on beating Windsor for a second straight season. With Sam Atoe and Hunter Odom a perfect offensive match up, Maria Carrillo will need to utilize both players talents to win six of their last eight contests.
A six win season with a nice strength of schedule means a trip to the NCS Div. II playoffs, something Carrillo has been unable to accomplish since 2006.
Windsor has playoff aspirations of their own. After opening the season with a loss to a superior Sacramento opponent, Windsor has gone 2-0, despite losing their star running back to injury.
In last weeks contest against an improving Santa Rosa program, DJ King took control and lead his Jaguars to a 14-6 victory. Few coaches in Sonoma County could change their playbook in the middle of the season like Head Coach Jason Fayter can. In order to get a win, Fayter sure likes to throw off the opposing team by running plays he has designed specifically for that weeks contest. With Cameron Erion out for the season, and some strong Junior talent, theres no telling what to expect in this one.
As both teams compete in the NCS Div. II playoffs, a loss here for both teams could do some serious damage.
Should Maria Carrillo fall against Windsor, they will need to finish no lower than second in the North Bay League. A loss for the Jaguars would put Windsor at .500 before entering their own league play. Windsor would need to win at least four of their last six to make a serious claim for a playoff seed. The stakes are high in this non-league contest. Enjoy this one at Maria Carrillo under the lights with a Tri-Tip sandwich from the Pumas famous snack bar Chea Puma.
Game Series
Windsor leads Series 4-2
2008
Maria Carrillo won 30-24
2007
Windsor won 33-17
2006
Windsor won 8-0 OT
2006
Windsor won 30-0
2005
Windsor won 33-26
2001
Maria Carrillo won 57-0
Take-Down
Windsor defenders Teddy Van Bebber (12) and Zack Schlief (90) brought down a Santa Rosa ball carrier in the Jags 14-6 win over the Panthers on Friday. Paul Calvert
Windsor High varsity gridders outlast Santa Rosa to win 14-6
By Greg Clementi
Sports Editor
Published: Thursday, September 24, 2009
It wasnt a thing of beauty, but it was a win.
The varsity football Jaguars picked up their second pre-season victory on Friday at Ernie Nevers Field, slipping by the surprising Santa Rosa Panthers, 14-6.
The win pushed Windsors overall record to 2-1, with the pre-season finale at Maria Carrillo looming this Friday, Sept. 25. JV and varsity kickoff times are 5 and 7:30 p.m.
Fridays game against Santa Rosa was much tighter than expected, reminding the enthusiastic crowd on hand of why they play the game.
We didnt play that well offensively, but Santa Rosa was much better than we thought coming in, said Jags head coach Jason Fayter. They were bigger than they looked on film and over-loaded us up front.
The game began with a tribute to injured running back Cameron Erion, as quarterback DJ King lined up with just 10 players on the Jags first play from scrimmage.
The Jaguars proceeded to mount the best drive of the night on their first possession, as King led an 80-yard, seven minute march that culminated in a two-yard score on a quarterback keeper. Joel Castaneda added a PAT boot for a 7-0 lead at the end of one.
The Panthers clawed back behind the strong debut of freshman quarterback Kalen Rosselli, who directed a 52-yard drive that ended in a two-yard touchdown burst by running back Travis Baker. The PAT kick failed and the Jags led, 7-6.
Windsor threatened to gain breathing room late in the second period when a long pass from King to wide-out CJ Landwehr had the Jags smelling blood. Windsor drove to the Panther two-yard line before time finally ran out, leaving the Jags clinging to a one-point advantage at the break.
The Windsor defensive unit continued to throttle the Panthers after intermission, forcing a punt midway through the third period that put the Jaguars in business at the Panther 25. The Jags cashed in a few plays later, as King converted a fourth and goal situation with a five-yard touchdown scamper and a 14-6 lead.
Both teams dug in defensively in a gritty, grind-it-out final period, as the Jags hung on for a 14-6 win.
Defensively, we played pretty well except for a couple of gap mistakes, said Fayter, citing a blocked punt by lineman Craig Lyman as a key play in the second half. Overall, we have to play much better if we expect to win games.
King turned in another outstanding night under center, completing nine of 19 passes for 95 yards. He did the bulk of his damage on the ground, rushing 20 times for 97 yards and two touchdowns. Other ground-gainers included Lorenzo Camarena (13-27 yards), and Michael Campbell (2-5 yards). Top receivers were: Campbell (3-30 yards), Landwehr (2-36 yards), Miles Williams (2-20 yards) and Kyle Smith (2-9 yards).
Leading defenders included: Jordan Winkler (8 tackles, 3 assists), Cody Paz (5 tackles, 3 assists), Jacob Welch (5 tackles, 3 assists), Teddy Van Bebber (4 tackles, 4 assists), Campbell (5 tackles, assist, INT), King (4 tackles, 2 INTs), Stephen Camilleri (3 tackles, 4 assists), Jimmy Martin (3 tackles, assist), Zack Arvig (2 tackles, 3 assists), Joe Winkler (2 tackles), Daniel Schenone (2 tackles), Zack Schlief (tackle, 2 assists), Lyman (tackle, assists, blocked punt), Landwehr (tackle, assist), and a tackle apiece from Dylan Fiori and Austin Gradek.
Junior Varsity Jaguars roll Panthers, 50-0
by Randy Lyman
Special to The Times
Published: Thursday, September 24, 2009
The Windsor JV Jags had little trouble this week at Santa Rosa. Windsor scored its first touchdown 34 seconds into the game and never looked back. Windsor dominated the game in all three phases.
The Jags offense seemed to move the ball at will especially on the ground. The Jags gained 406 total yards on offense. The offensive line continued to open holes allowing the running game to flourish. The offensive line is led by starters Brady Stibi, Austin Boettger, Josh Duke, Andrew Nyguen and Anthony Ketzer. Leading rusher Jared Leon made the most of few touches picking up 105 yards and 3 touchdowns on just 7 carries. With the return of Christian Mclavain the Jags now have two QBs with starting experience. Brad Grainger led the Jags passing attack completing 3/5 for 51 yards while Mclavain was 1/1 for 30 yards and 1 TD.
Windsors defense was stout throughout the game allowing a total of 10 yards for the Panthers offense, five yards rushing and five yards receiving. The Jags held Santa Rosa to one first down. The defense was led by leading tackler LB Vince Valdez, DT Austin Boettger and DEs Taylor Biaggi and Josh Duke. Matt Smith had his 3rd interception in as many games anchoring a very stingy secondary.
This was a big day for the Jags special teams who were able to contribute with a blocked punt and a blocked field goal by Smith and a 65 yard punt return for a touchdown by PR Dariann Roman. Special teams coach Chris Landwehr was especially happy after the victory stating We continue to work hard practicing special teams just for days like today.
Windsor starts the season 3-0 and has one more game before they start their SCL schedule and defense of their SCL title. The coaches are expecting a battle next week at Maria Carrillo. Coach Dustin Davis says From what we can see of Carrillo this is going to be a tough game for us. We will work hard this week and try to get better. We will need to bring our best against Carrillo
Windsor gets big lift from Erion's presence
KENT PORTER / The Press Democrat
A week ago Windsor running back Cameron Erion broke his leg during a game against Redwood. On Friday, September 18, 2009 he walked to midfield with teammates, from left, DJ King, Jordan Winkler and CJ Landwehr for the coin toss against Santa Rosa at Santa Rosa High School.
By BOB PADECKY
PRESS DEMOCRAT SPORTS COLUMNIST
Published: Friday, September 18, 2009
On their very first offensive play of the game Friday night against Santa Rosa, the Windsor Jaguars lined up with 10 players on the field. It wasn't a mistake. They weren't one player short because someone forgot to go on Ernie Nevers Field. They were one player short because a certain someone couldn't go on the field.
It was the high school football equivalent of The Missing Man Formation — an aerial salute that is part of a flyover of aircraft to honor the memory of a fallen pilot.
In Windsor's case, what died were the dreams and hopes of Cameron Erion of having a stellar senior season when he was thrown to the ground last Saturday by a Redwood player, both the tibia and fibula in his left leg broken. Out for the season is one thing. Out of their thoughts, however, is another thing.
Before the game Windsor quarterback D.J. King asked his coach, Jayson Fayter, if the Jaguars could run the first play one man short, to honor Erion. The request certainly was unusual. Football is tough enough with 11 players on the field and football, by its nature, is not a game saturated with sentimentality.
“It was an easy decision,” Fayter said. “They are playing this season for him.”
It also was an easy decision for the Jaguars to have Erion hobble out to midfield as an honorary team captain for the pre-game coin toss.
His teammates also had no problem deciding to shout “Cam Dogg” every time Friday night they broke the offensive huddle as they headed toward the line of scrimmage.
They will shout those two words before every offensive play this season. It's a long season but, then again, his teammates have long memories. They remember Erion's 450-yard rushing game against Petaluma last season, those 1,671 yards during the season, the 17 touchdowns, the 10.2-yard per carry average.
But if Erion was just a running back, he wouldn't have received that 3-foot-by-4-foot signed banner this week from students at Healdsburg High School. If he was just a jock, parents and kids he never met, never knew, wouldn't have sent him the e-mail and text messages that they did, praying for his recovery, kids and relatives from Healdsburg, Petaluma, Casa Grande and Rancho Cotate high schools who once were strangers.
King wouldn't have stayed at the Erion house a couple nights this week, to comfort his bud, if Erion was just an athletic talent. Nor would half the Windsor team have rushed to Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital immediately after the Redwood game, still in their uniforms (without pads). Nor would Jake Manning, who has a future in baseball, have quit Healdsburg's football team once he heard of Erion's horrific injury.
“This made me realize how many people really cared,” Erion said. “I almost broke down.”
People cared because Erion only carried the football, not a chip on his shoulder. People cared because, in the small community that is Sonoma County, word gets around. No one can hide. And the word, north-to-south, was the same on Cameron Erion: a good, hard-working kid who played the game respectfully and if he had a mouth on him, it was to chew food, not boast.
All of which, of course, hardly mellows out Erion.
“I worked the last nine months to play two hours of football this season,” Erion said.
A cast is on his left leg from his toes to his upper thigh. He lives these days on a couch for most of his awakening moments because he weakens easily. So he has plenty of time to replay The Tackle.
“I keep thinking what I could have done differently,” said Erion who mentioned he hasn't heard from the Redwood player who tackled him. “Maybe I could have pushed off him. Maybe I could have run faster. Thing is, I never saw him coming.”
Or maybe Erion was just unlucky. It's a lousy option, to be sure.
“Everything happens for a reason,” said his mom, Tisha.
“And I am still looking for that reason,” Erion said. “Can't find it.”
Athletes look forward. To their next game. While Erion was happy to hear the Memorial docs tell him his leg will heal completely, be stronger than ever with that steel rod in it, all he can do now is sit. It'll be a minimum of eight weeks before the cast comes off. So Erion doesn't see a future but rather a memory.
“The first 10 seconds (after The Tackle) I was in shock,” Erion said. “Then I felt a squeezing. I was flat on the ground. Maybe it was just a bruise. I looked up, saw the two bones look like a bump on my skin. I said, ‘Oh no'. Felt like my leg got smashed.”
His father Mike rushed from the chain link fence bordering Nevers Field, knelt down, looked into his son's pleading eyes, to hear, “Am I going to play again?”
Mike said, “Let's not think about that right now, son. Let's take some deep breaths.”
“I don't think there can be a worst feeling for a father than seeing your kid on the ground with that injury. I don't wish that upon anybody.”
A manager of a fishing and tackle shop in Rohnert Park, Erion never missed his son's game. So Cameron wasn't completely surprised what his dad said later Saturday night.
“He said he would gladly cut off his left leg to give it to me so I could play,” Cameron said. “He wasn't kidding.”
Cameron won't take up his dad on his generous offer. Not that he doesn't appreciate the gesture. He does, just like the visitors, posters, text messages, e-mails and phone calls. But Cameron Erion, to those whoever saw him run, was meant to be on the move, preferably forward. That he isn't, well, you could make a case that being stationery hurts him more than that broken leg.
For more on North Bay sports go to Bob Padecky's blog at padecky.blogs.pressdemocrat.com. You can reach Staff Columnist Bob Padecky at 521-5223 or bob.padecky@pressdemocrat.com.
Panthers host Jags before league begins
By BENJAMIN HERRINGTON
NCSNBL.com
After a week off, Santa Rosa has had a chance to analyze what worked and what didn’t in their contest against
Petaluma. The overall result was a 27-0 loss, but in retrospect, how many teams this season will be able to hold Petaluma to just 27 points in a whole ball game? Maria Carrillo couldn’t…
Santa Rosa features a new player at their key quarterback position. Just two weeks ago, the Panthers had to go with their senior QB, Kellan Alexander, because their starting QB had not yet turned 15 years old. With the Panthers squad given a bye week to practice with their team at full capability, Windsor’s luck has only gotten worse.
In last week’s game against Redwood, which resulted in a 28-14 victory, star Jaguar running back Cameron Erion suffered a likely season ending broken leg. With Erion on the sidelines, more pressure will be put on senior quarterback DJ King. Though the Jags may have an obstacle to overcome, they have one of the better defenses in the Empire to help
them do it.
Jacob Welch and Jordan Winkler help lead a strong defense that will keep the Jags in the hunt for their programs first Sonoma County League title. With a 1-1 season so far, Windsor is looking for a win to launch themselves into SCL play; only next weeks contest against improving Maria Carrillo stands between them and the Sonoma Valley
Dragons.
Santa Rosa opens their home stadium for the first time in 2009 with this contest which is sure to pack the stands. A wonderful stadium and field with plenty of room on both sides will also be playing host to the Jaguars home games of the first half of the season (while their own synthetic field in being completed). Windsor has won at Santa Rosa before, but this will be the first time coach Fayter will be facing coach Keefer head on. With the chance for a gun battle until the end, this game should be packed.
Game Series
Windsor lead Series 4-1
2009
2008
Windsor won 49-7
2007
Santa Rosa won 47-22
2006
Windsor won 28-0
2005
Windsor won 14-0
2004
Windsor won 42-14
NCSNBL.com
<> Sonoma County <>Redwood Empire <>
"Pride of Sonoma County Football Fans"
Cameron Erion doing as well as could be expected
September 19, 2009
by padecky
I sat down with Windsor’s running back, Cameron Erion, this afternoon, and found him to be in decent spirits considering he’s out for the season with a broken leg.
“I played two hours this year,” is how Erion put it.
Injured last week in the fourth quarter against Redwood, Erion is still coming to grips with the sudden end of the season. But a constant stream of visitors, including pal D.J. King, the team’s quarterback who has spent a couple of nights at the Erion house, has given him a boost.
“I’ll do anything to play football again,” said Erion, who was told by surgeons at Memorial Hospital that he should expect a complete recovery.
I told Cameron that he will get a chance to play in college, either at D2 or D3. He said he doesn’t have to be a running back in college which will increase his chances, especially if he’s willing to play defensive back, like a corner. He put on 18 pounds since the end of the 2008 season and now weighs 173, which is too light for a collegiate running back.
Windsor’s Erion suffers compound fracture
by PrepSports
Posted by Staff Writer Eric Branch:
Windsor senior running back Cameron Erion suffered a compound fracture of his left leg in the fourth quarter of the Jaguars’ 28-14 win against Redwood on Saturday night.
Erion had rushed for 197 yards and three touchdowns and had added a key interception before he was dragged down by a horse-collar tackle. Erion rushed for 1,641 yards last year and set an Empire record with 450 yards against Petaluma. He was viewed as a college prospect entering his senior season.
Obviously, a terrible story.
Comments from PDPREPS BLOG..
September 13th, 2009 3:01 pm
Stay strong Cameron, your a great player and even better person. My thoughts are with you.
by CG Coach
September 13th, 2009 3:52 pm
i have know cameron for awhile its really sad to see him go down like this.I know the whole windsor team is now playing for cameron. I put all my wish to him and i hope he can still play in college.
by Daniel
September 13th, 2009 5:21 pm
cameron, I love you man. We are gonna get through this together. Praying for you each and every night. I know you still will be going places with the hard work ethic you have.
by Miles
September 13th, 2009 8:40 pm
Cam, I know its hard to see your season end in one play, but you will get better and I know you will go far in life. I Love You man and if you need anything holla at me….stay strong pimp! You will soon be back on your feet and ready to go….I Believe in you 100%…and I never have doubted you and I never will….. I Love You!
by Lee
September 13th, 2009 10:04 pm
Cam, your my brother man, we trained together, practiced, played together all our lives. We talked about dominating this season and man im gonna do it for you man. your my hero and i love you buddy. Be strong you know everyone in this community, plus other teams, players, and coaches are all behind you. and will do anything for you buddy. We love you you will pull through man!!!
by DJ King
September 14th, 2009 8:55 am
Cam, I know you will overcome this adversity. Stay strong.
by Coach B
September 14th, 2009 9:53 am
Cam. It has been my pleasure to know you and your Family, as well as to watch you play for Windsor. Every person in that stadium that night, prayed for you , and we all know that you are strong , steady and will be back as soon as you are able. Until then, know that you inspire us, thrill us, and are the “soul” of our team. Every one of your team members will “step -up” , and try to fill the void left by you, they will work hard, play hard . You are in their heart and souls on every down. Take care and get well soon.
by Jeff Paz
September 14th, 2009 9:54 am
Canerion you’re a great athlete. I’m from Petaluma but have followed you. This story hurts real bad to read. My son and the Casa team were looking forward to playing against a high caliber athlete like yourself. Hang in there, I and my church are praying for complete and fast recovery. Stay strong in this dark hour of testing, the sun will rise on you.
by Steve Sherry
September 14th, 2009 10:38 am
So sad to hear this news. Know the Sullivan Family are pulling for you to make a full and speedy recovery. Our prayers are with you.
by gsullivan
September 14th, 2009 10:53 am
Hey Cam, it was great to see you play Saturday night – you were fantastic. This can be really frustrating, but you’re going to be just fine. This is just a speed bump, not a road block. Life’s going to throw plenty of these your way, you just have to find a way to work around them. For now, keep those pain meds handy, and let us know if we can get you anything.
by Sal / Lisa / Sophia
September 14th, 2009 5:09 pm
Cameron was released from the hospital today. He had surgery yesterday on his tibia and fibia; placed a rod to stabilize the bone. He will make a full recovery within 8 to 12 weeks we are told. (He had a clean break with no tissue or nerve damage.) Our entire family and especially Cameron have been so touched by the out pour of support and love from our wonderful friends, teammates, community, as well as the coaches and peers from other teams from the area. We want to wish the entire SCl and NBl leagues the best of luck for a season full of success, fun and pray all the players are safe.
by The Erion Family
September 14th, 2009 6:38 pm
Best wishes for a speedy recovery Cameron. We are glad to hear you are home from the hospital. I know our son and his teammates at Petaluma High were looking forward to the challenge of playing against you this year. Our prayers and positive thoughts are with you and your family during your recovery. Take care, The Johnson family
by Johnson Family
September 14th, 2009 6:49 pm
Dear Cameron, We were so sorry to hear about your fracture and send our best wishes for a speedy recovery. We are just two of your many many fans.
Farhad and Nancy
by Farhad and Nancy Partovi
September 14th, 2009 6:57 pm
Along with my 7 year old son, I was in attendance and witnessed the unfortunate injury. There aren’t many things worse than seeing someone lying on the field injured. But I was truly touched by the hush that fell over the entire crowd as they attended to Cameron. I think it spoke volumes to how well respected he is by the entire community. Best wishes to Cameron.
by Gordon
Jaguars run past Redwood
Win tarnished as Erion suffers season-ending injury
By Greg Clementi, Sports Editor
Published: Thursday, September 17, 2009
Author Charles Dickens once wrote, “It was the best of times and the worst of times.”
That sentiment was never more poignant than on Saturday, as the varsity football Jaguars turned back visiting Redwood, 28-14 in pre-season action at Santa Rosa High School.
The victory came at the highest cost imaginable, as Windsor senior running back Cameron Erion went down with a compound fracture in his leg after a horse-collar tackle late in the fourth quarter. The all-league back, who rushed for a league best 1641 yards and 17 touchdowns last season, will be sidelined the remainder of the season.
“I feel terrible for him after he worked so hard in the off-season,” said a devastated Windsor coach Jason Fayter. “He wanted to be great and did everything he could to prepare. It just makes all of our guys realize that their season could end at any time.”
Erion played a key role in the outcome against Redwood, rushing 18 times for 189 yards and three scores in what amounted to a tremendous effort in the Jags’ home opener.
Windsor got off to a slow start in the first half, hampered by mistakes and penalties that had the team trailing, 14-13 at the break.
The Jags began to wear down a tiring Redwood team in the second half, as the offensive line started creating big holes for Windsor ball-carriers.
Following a scoreless third period, Erion began ripping off huge chunks of real estate. Quarterback DJ King directed the best drive of the night early in the final quarter, as Erion capped the march with a 17-yard scoring burst. The senior back made good on the ensuing two-point conversion run for a 21-14 Windsor lead.
The Jags were headed for another score late in the contest when disaster struck and Erion was injured
“That was the weirdest feeling, being out on the field and the crowd completely silent,” said Fayter. “It was like we were the only ones in the stadium.”
To their credit, the Jaguars used the added emotion to finish off a dominant half for an eventual, 28-14 victory.
In addition to Erion’s heroics, King finished a strong outing with 15 rushes for 99 yards and a touchdown, adding 81 yards through the air. Other offensive leaders included: Lorenzo Camarena (3-13 yards rushing), and Michael Campbell (2-56 yards receiving).
Top defenders were: Jordan Winkler (10 tackles, 8 assists), Teddy Van Bebber (9 tackles, 3 assists, sack), Zack Arvig (6 tackles, 4 assists), Joseph Winkler (4 tackles, 2 assists, sack), King (4 tackles, 5 assists, INT), Craig Lyman (3 tackles, 2 assists), CJ Landwehr (3 tackles, assist), Jacob Welch (4 tackles, 3 assists, FR), Miles Williams (2 tackles, 2 assists), Cody Paz (2 tackles, 2 assists), Erion (tackle, 2 assists, INT), Justin Oxford (tackle, 2 assists), and a tackle apiece from Michael Campbell and Zack Schlief.
Windsor's Erion suffers broken leg
By ERIC BRANCH
PRESS DEMOCRAT
Published: Sunday, September 13, 2009
Windsor senior running back Cameron Erion, one of the area’s best players and the owner of the Empire’s single-game record for rushing yards, suffered a compound fracture of his left leg in the Jaguars’ 28-14 win against Redwood on Saturday night at Santa Rosa High.
Erion, considered a college prospect entering his senior season, suffered the season-ending injury when he was dragged down by a horse-collar tackle early in the fourth quarter. Windsor coach Jason Fayter said Erion had surgery Sunday at Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital.
“Everyone was just devastated,” Fayter said. “He was tight with everyone on this team and he did everything he could possibly do in the offseason to become a great player. Everyone knew how hard he had worked.”
Prior to his injury, the 5-foot-11, 175-pound Erion was having a typically stellar performance. He had rushed for 197 yards and three touchdowns and had added a key interception. He was injured a few minutes into the fourth quarter with Windsor leading, 21-14.
As Erion was attended to on the field, he was surrounded by his wordless teammates and coaches as a prolonged hush fell over the crowd.
“It was like we were all by ourselves out there,” Fayter said. “It was so quiet.”
Erion rushed for 1,641 in nine games last year, his first on the varsity, while averaging 10.2 yards a carry and scoring 17 touchdowns. He rushed for over 200 yards in three games, including a 26-carry, 450-yard performance against Petaluma in which he broke the 10-year-old, single-game Empire record of 389 yards held by Kelseyville’s Jared Holley.
Casa Grande coach Trent Herzog, the co-owner of SPD Factory in Petaluma, an athletic training center, worked with Erion extensively in the offseason to help him prepare for his senior year.
“He’s such a great kid,” Herzog said. “He’s very respectful, very hard-working and very honest. When I heard (Saturday) night about what happened, I felt sick to my stomach.”
You can reach Staff Writer Eric Branch at 521-5268 or eric.branch@pressdemocrat.com
Windsor's Erion, out for season..
Windsor senior running back Cameron Erion, one of the area's best players and the owner of the Empire's single-game record for rushing yards, suffered a compound fracture of his left leg in the Jaguars' 28-14 win against Redwood on Saturday night at Santa Rosa High.
All-Redwood Empire Preseason FB Team
September 11, 2009
Only one junior was even mentioned on last year's team, and he makes a return appearance.
Schools with the most players include five each from Cardinal
Newman of Santa Rosa and Novato, and four from Casa Grande of Petaluma. Plus
there are juniors and even a sophomore.
Offense
WR – Evan Meehan (Novato) 5-11, 175, Sr.
Last year it was teammate Jake Davis in this spot. Now, with Davis gone, it's the
fastest man in the Redwood Empire that takes one of the starting wide receiver
positions on this preseason team. Meehan, who won the Redwood Empire Meet's 10-
meter dash in 11-flat, played both wide receiver and running back on last year's
Hornets' squad.
WR – Miles Williams (Windsor) 5-11, 185, Sr.
He didn't have the most yardage last season, but gets the nod here after catching 20
balls for 223 yards on a 2008 team loaded with senior receivers. He's also one of the
Redwood Empire's top runners.
TE/LB – John Rickard (Piner, Santa Rosa) 6-0, 220, Sr.
Most coaches we talked to agreed Rickard is the top returning tight end after pulling
in 20 passes for 219 yards with three touchdowns. He also will start at linebacker
where he made 22 tackles with one sack last season.
OL – Tucker Maggio-Hueck (Cardinal Newman, Santa Rosa) 6-3, 260, Sr.
Newman has eight starters and 21 returnees in total but only one returns to his
position from last season and that's the big tackle that had a part in blowing open
holes and pass protecting for the 2008 team that advanced to the CIF Division III bowl
game. This year, coach Paul Cronin will look for him to anchor the O-line.
OL/DL – Jay Luchetti (Montgomery, Santa Rosa) 6-4, 295, Sr.
There always seems to be a lot of beef at Montgomery and this year is no exception.
Although veteran coach Jason Franci calls this year's bunch "puppy beef” due to the
large number of sophomores on the line, there's nothing puppy-like about Luchetti,
who looked impressive in a scrimmage attended by CalHiSports.com
G/DE – Silas Sarvinski (Ferndale) 6-0, 235, Sr.
An All Humboldt-Del Norte League-Little 5 selection last season, Sarvinski drew
raves from opposing coaches, including Justin-Siena's Rich Cotruvo, whose Braves
defeated Ferndale in the 2008 NCS Division IV semifinals. Last year's center moves
to guard this year. As a defensive end last season, Sarvinski reportedly had 33
tackles, 10 sacks and two fumble recoveries.
OL/DL – Andre Nave (Novato) 6-2, 250, Sr.
A second team all MCAL selection and a three-year starter, including in the CIF Bowl
game against Oceanside two years ago, Nave will anchor a line that manhandled
teams in the Redwood Empire during late summer and early fall scrimmages
attended by CalHiSports.com.
QB/DB – Jack James (Cardinal Newman, Santa Rosa) 6-1, 207, Sr.
James is most remembered for his acrobatic catch of a touchdown pass in the back
of the end zone to pull out a last second victory over Palma of Salinas early last
season. Now, he's the latest in a string of quarterbacks developed by head coach
Paul Cronin, who like each of the last several predecessors, has been waiting to take
the reins after playing multiple positions. James has a strong arm, deceptive
quickness and could be even more difficult to bring down than last year's starter,
Randy Wright, or even the QB two years ago, Max Pond. In limited action last season,
James passed for 186 yards and two TDs with a 116 QB rating. Besides the one
receiving score last year he also had another one rushing. On defense, he had 16
tackles with six coming in a victory against Central Catholic of Modesto. James also
had an interception in the 17-7 NCS Division II title game victory over Clayton Valley
of Concord.
RB – Kahlil Keys (Casa Grande, Petaluma) 5-11, 200, Sr.
A big, strong, powerful and deceptively quick (4.5 in the 40) runner, Keys possesses
all the tools, both on and off the field, to blossom into the complete package. The
leading rusher for the six-time defending Sonoma County League champions had
1,282 yards and 11 TDs last season on 221 carries. He only had 48 yards receiving
but that could change considerably with a new young gunner at QB (Nick Sherry) and
a West Coast-style offense put in by new offensive coordinator Larry Gondola. He
also is a 4.0 GPA student and an accomplished public speaker.
RB – Cameron Erion (Windsor) 5-10, 180, Sr.
Regardless of what Erion does this season, he has already performed well enough to
earn a spot in the newest edition of the ESPN RISE CalHiSports.com record book.
The Redwood Empire's leading rusher in 2008 (161 carries, 1,641 yards, 17 TDs)
came right out of the box last season. With CalHiSports.com in attendance, he ran for
234 yards, including a 92-yard run, but no TDs, in a season-opening loss at Redwood
in Larkspur. Later in the season, he snagged the No. 22 spot all time in the state and
the top performance ever in the Redwood Empire for a single game, after running for
450 yards and five touchdowns (including an 81-yarder) on 26 carries in a 48-27
victory over Petaluma.
Defense
DL – Tony Popovich (Marin Catholic, Kentfield) 6-3, 280, Jr.
He was first team All Marin County Athletic League as a sophomore and has already
drawn looks from quite a few schools with a couple from the Pac-10, including Cal. In
workouts attended by CalHiSports.com he looked in shape and ready to rumble.
DE – Bryain Araiza (Casa Grande, Petaluma) 6-1, 230, Sr.
He had five sacks as the starting defensive end for the Gauchos last season. He will
also play tackle on offense.
DL – Jeff Dunbar (Justin-Siena, Napa) 6-3, 245, Sr.
The top returning lineman for the defending NCS Division IV champion Braves is
getting looks from several Ivy League schools. The reason is besides his gridiron
prowess he carries a GPA above 3.5 at the academically challenging Wine Country
Catholic school.
LB – Blake Olson (Petaluma) 5-11, 210, Sr.
Out of his 55 total tackles last season, 48 were solo. The top returning tackler at the
linebacker position in the Redwood Empire also had a fumble recovery, a forced
fumble and an interception he returned 37 yards for a touchdown.
LB – Blake Ratto (Cardinal Newman, Santa Rosa) 5-11, 200, Sr.
Besides QBs and RBs, the Cardinals always seem to have solid linebackers and this
bulldog who also runs a 4.62 in the 40 is the top returnee at the position. Last season,
he recorded 46 tackles with two sacks and a fumble recovery. His high was seven
tackles in the NCS D2 title game victory over Clayton Valley where he also had one
of his sacks.
LB – Jay Craft (Novato) 5-10, 190, Sr.
Although he's a bit undersized he has "no fear” according to 2006 State Small School
Coach of the Year and Novato Coach Travis Brackett – and Craft showed it in
scrimmages attended by CalHiSports where he outmuscled boys 60 or more pounds
heavier. The Hornets' middle linebacker and the captain of this year's noted defense
will also play guard on offense and is the emergency quarterback.
DB – Sam Atoe (Maria Carrillo, Santa Rosa) 6-0, 195, Jr.
He may split time at the linebacker position this season but for this team he gets a
defensive back position after drawing raves from coaches in both the Sonoma
County and North Bay leagues. The halfback on offense must have the respect of
teammates after being named a co-captain last year as a sophomore. He didn't play
like a soph, recording 75 tackles with a sack and a fumble recovery. We very well
could have made Atoe multi-purpose as he ran for 504 yards with five TDs and
caught 12 passes for another 170 yards.
DB – Austin Shull (Montgomery, Santa Rosa) 6-1, 205, Sr.
Another player that splits time between safety and linebacker, Schull is the overall
leading returning tackler in the Redwood Empire after recording 91 with an
interception to boot. He will also return kick-offs this season.
Multi-Purpose
RB/LB – Chris Adams (Marin Catholic, Kentfield) 5-10, 212
Nico Dumont is gone but Adams, the top returning starter for veteran coach Ken
Peralta, ran for 812 yards and seven TDs last season, and is now the marquee back.
He looked very solid in a late August practice attended by CalHiSports.com. Adams
will also start at linebacker where he will captain the defense.
QB/DB – Eddie Aguayo (Justin-Siena, Napa) 5-8, 160, Sr.
He's small in stature but the big man in the Braves' offense is also lightning quick, and
showed more than a decent arm in leading his team to the NCS Division IV title last
season as a junior. According to Coach Rich Cotruvo, Aguayo also has little fear as a
defensive back. "Look out for Eddie this season,” the 2004 State Small School
Coach of the Year told CalHiSports.com
QB/P/K – Jake Anderson (Redwood, Larkspur) 6-2, 190, Sr.
One of the top all-around athletes in the MCAL, he made second team all-league as a
wide receiver (39 catches, 521 yards, five TDs) and kicker, and honorable mention
as a punter. This season, he takes over as the signal caller and remains a punter and
placekicker. He may also see time at defensive back.
RB/LB – Dillion Cattalini (Healdsburg) 5-9, 165, Sr.
He ran for 457 yards and two touchdowns and recorded 53 tackles last season for
the Hounds and is one of two top returning starters.
WR/LB – Joe Douglas (El Molino, Forestville) 5-11, 175, Jr.
As far as numbers from last year go, this two-way star from apple country is amongst
the best. He caught 19 passes for 262 yards with one touchdown, and recorded 51
tackles with a fumble recovery and an interception, all as a sophomore.
RB/DB - Brian Dworkin (Rancho Cotate, Rohnert Park) 5-8, 160, Jr.
As a sophomore, the diminutive Dworkin was the Cougars' lleading runner, totaling
1,151 yards and 13 TDs on a team that amassed 3,057 yards and 44 touchdowns
on the ground. He also caught eight passes for 191 yards and had one of the
Cougars' four TDs through the air. He also returned some punts and kickoffs which
he'll do again this year and he'll also get more time at cornerback.
OL/DL – Dan Farris (Maria Carrillo, Santa Rosa) 6-5, 280, Sr.
We didn't have any stats on Farris but his name appeared on every list we got from
NBL coaches and even some of the SCL coaches as well. He certainly seems to
have the size to anchor both lines and if the Pumas are to improve on the 5-5 record
of last season in a tough league they will need a strong line.
WR/DB – Makana Garrigan (Casa Grande, Petaluma) 5-10, 185, Sr.
First-year Coach Trent Herzog is very high on this two-way starter who looked in
excellent shape and very fundamentally sound in recent drills and scrimmages
attended by CalHiSports.com.
QB/DB – D.J. King (Windsor) 5-9, 185, Sr.
More than one coach called King the best athlete on the Jaguars' squad but he's
untested at quarterback after playing mostly wide receiver and taking a few reps at
running back on offense. He did catch 35 balls for 555 yards and eight TDs and ran
for 103 yards and one trip to paydirt. Defensively, he returns as a starting DB after
last year recording 46 tackles and intercepting six passes, including one he returned
43 yards for a touchdown.
RB/LB/P/PK – Ricardo "KiKi” Mendez (Novato) 5-10, 190, Sr.
The ultimate multi-purpose player, KiKi may be the best of the three Mendez brothers
(Chavo and Jose preceded him) to lace it up for the Hornets. As the backup running
back last year, he ran for 1,138 yards and nine touchdowns. As a punter he averaged
almost 40 yards a punt before getting hurt in week nine. He also kicked field goals
and extra points and ran back kickoffs. This year he also starts at outside linebacker.
OL/LB/DE – Conor Odisio (Marin Catholic, Kentfield), 6-3, 250, Sr.
Because of his quickness and mobility laterally for a good size player, the Wildcats
will use Odisio either at linebacker or defensive end depending on the situation. On
offense, he returns as a starter on the line after being named league honorable
mention there last season.
FB/NG – J.T. Peleki (Novato) 6-0, 215, So.
The only sophomore to make the Redwood Empire preseason team, the solidly built
Peleki moves to nose guard after starting last year at defensive end. Although his
best 40 is around 4.6 he can run over tacklers with his powerful legs.
WR/DB – Chris Reuter (Cardinal Newman, Santa Rosa) 6-1, 175, Sr.
With all the starting wide receivers and defensive backs gone, Reuter will be a key
starter at both positions this season after playing very sparingly last season. He only
caught six balls last year for 138 yards and two TDs, but he had a high on the team of
23 yards per catch. Reuter has also looked very good this summer and early fall.
OL/DL - Anthony Ruiz (Healdsburg) 6-0, 215, Sr.
The second of two top returnees for Coach Tom Kirkpatrick anchors the offensive line
this year and returns on defense where last season he recorded 31 tackles including
three sacks with a blocked field goal and a safety.
RB/DE – Ricky Sims (Petaluma) 5-11, 210, Sr.
The perfect compliment to Sean Sullivan in the Trojan backfield, Sims looked
chiseled and very solid in the practice CalHiSports.com attended this week. More
than one opposing coach we talked to called him a stud and one of the Redwood
Empire's top two-way players. As the power back, he rushed for 570 yards and four
TDs last season while recording 27 tackles, a fumble recovery and forced fumble on
defense.
RB/LB – Steve Stout (Cardinal Newman, Santa Rosa) 5-10, 190, Sr.
He didn't get a lot of time behind the deep starting lineup of last year's squad but he
did rush for 249 yards and saw some time at linebacker where he recorded 18
tackles. In two scrimmages CalHiSports.com saw, he could not be blocked on
defense and ran through tacklers on offense. Coach Cronin likens him to last year's
star running back, Jeff Badger.
RB/DB – Sean Sullivan (Petaluma) 5-8, 165, Sr.
This scat back was the Sonoma County League back of the year after rushing for
1,145 yards with 14 touchdowns on only 124 carries – a 9.23 yards per carry
average. He also returned some kickoffs and played well on defense. In a recent
practice, he looked a little bigger and stronger, and faster hitting the holes this year.
This could be a very big year for Sullivan. "The kid can really run,” longtime Trojans
Coach Steve Ellison told CalHiSports.com between plays.
RB/LB – Soma Vainuku (Eureka) 6-1, 260, Sr.
His older brother Sam was a star running back on the 2003 NCS title team that
featured Rey Maualuga. Last season, he led the Loggers in rushing with 869 yards
and 14 touchdowns. On defense for the HDNL-Big 4 champions, Vainuku had 34
tackles, an interception, a forced fumble and a blocked field goal.
WR/LB – Connor Waggoner (Casa Grande, Petaluma) 5-11, 200, Sr.
He had the most receiving yardage of any returning starter in the SCL and NBL
leagues combined (20 catches, 276 yards, two TDs) but because of his 53 tackles,
two interceptions, one sack and one fumble recovery as a linebacker, he makes the
team going both ways. In a recent scrimmage against Cardinal Newman, he looked
sharp, catching two nice TD passes from budding star QB Nick Sherry.
Other players to watch:
TE/DE – Stephen Brooks (Sonoma Valley) 6-3, 215, Sr.
RB/DB – Bobby Butler (Tamalpais, Mill Valley) 5-9, 170, Sr.
RB/LB – Diego Camarillo (San Rafael), 5-10, 195, Jr.
TE/LB – Ryan Hamilton (Casa Grande, Petaluma) 6-0, 185, Sr.
RB/LB – Travis Hansen (Drake, San Anselmo) 6-0, 205
OL – Eric Jamison (Justin-Siena, Napa) 6-0, 210, Sr.
WR/DB – Dalton Johnson (Petaluma) 6-1, 170, Sr.
QB/DB – Nate Kristoff (Marin Catholic, Kentfield) 5-11, 170, Sr.
OL/DL – Bobby Lynam (Novato) 6-1, 225, Sr.
WR/DB – Christian Manoli (Terra Linda) 6-4, 175, Sr.
WR/DB – Stephen Murden (Sonoma Valley) 5-9, 155, Sr.
RB/DB – Andrew O'Dorisio (Redwood, Larkspur) 5-11, 185, Sr.
QB – Mike Pierson (El Molino, Forestville) 6-3, 205, Jr.
QB – Alex Ritchie (Tamalpais, Mill Valley) 6-3, 200, Sr.
TE/LB – Braeden Ross (Petaluma) 6-3, 190, Sr.
QB/DB – Parker Shaw (San Rafael) 5-11, 180, Jr.
QB – Nick Sherry (Casa Grande, Petaluma) 6-5, 210, Jr.
WR/DB – Kyle Stanfel (San Marin) 5-6, 150
OL/DL – Dustin Walters (Ferndale) 6-4, 270, Sr.
RB/LB – Kenny Watts (Drake, San Anselmo) 5-9, 175, Sr.
September 9th, 2009 06:32pm
The PD’s Game of the Week
by prepsports
Posted by Staff Writer Eric Branch:
The Ukiah-Casa Grande game will be the Press Democrat’s Game of the Week on Friday (In case you were wondering, we select the Game of the Week based on a formula that involves a series of algorithms and the average passer rating of Healdsburg’s quarterbacks since 1989. Trust me, very complex).
Anyway, there are a couple of cool storylines in the game. For starters, both Casa Grande coach Trent Herzog and Ukiah coach Jeff Schueller will be making their head-coaching debuts after serving as longtime assistants.
In addition, the game will include three juniors who could become future stars. Here’s a look:
Casa Grande QB Nick Sherry: Sherry, a 6-foot-4, 210-pounder with a rocket arm, is an interesting case. Coaches typically don’t get too excited about players who haven’t taken a varsity snap — Sherry threw 28 TDs and zero interceptions on the JVs last year — but Herzog is making an exception for this kid. Herzog has said Sherry might have the strongest arm of any quarterback he’s seen in the Empire. And even Schueller was wowed by Sherry’s performance in Casa Grande’s scrimmage against Cardinal Newman last week.
Casa Grande RB Javonnie Oden: Unlike Sherry, the 5-10, 165-pound Oden got a taste of varsity experience as a sophomore. In the regular-season finale against El Molino, he had five carries for 124 yards and scored on a 70-yard run. The next week, in a playoff win against Concord, he had 19 yards on four carries. Herzog expects Oden to create a formidable 1-2 tandem with all-Empire running back Kahlil Keys. Oden and Keys are the fastest players on the team.
Ukiah RB Aric Cordell: The 5-7, 170-pound Cordell opened Schueller’s eyes in a scrimmage against Rancho Cotate, Maria Carrillo and Hogan last week. Schueller said Cordell had over 100 yards on about nine carries. But beyond his stats, Cordell impressed with his blend of speed and strength.
“We knew he was pretty quick,” Schueller said. “But he’s also a pretty powerful kid.”
Look at key weekend matchups
September 11, 2009
By ERIC BRANCH
PRESS DEMOCRAT
Published: Thursday, September 10, 2009
Weekend's key matchups:
Petaluma (1-0) at Maria Carrillo (0-0), 7:30 p.m. Friday
Last week: Petaluma beat Santa Rosa, 27-0.
Notable: This is the first regular-season meeting between the schools. Maria Carrillo beat Petaluma, 14-9, in an NCS semifinal game in 2005 ... the Trojans are 4-5-1 in regular-season meetings against North Bay League schools since 2004 ... the Pumas are 4-10 in regular-season meetings against Sonoma County League schools since 2004 ... Petaluma QB Mike Russell completed 6 of 12 passes for 62 yards in his starting debut last week.
Number to note: 0, the number of yards Petaluma's defense allowed in last week's win against Santa Rosa.
The pick: Petaluma 21, Maria Carrillo 17
Lincoln-San Francisco (0-1) at Montgomery (0-1), 7:30 p.m. Friday
Last week: Montgomery lost to Grant, 42-0. Lincoln lost to Gunn, 41-6.
Notable: The teams are meeting for the third straight year. Lincoln won, 13-7, last year. Montgomery won, 27-9, in 2007 .. Lincoln went 10-2 in ‘08 and won its second straight San Francisco Section title ... the Vikings had four first downs in last week's season opener ... Montgomery all-league S/LB Austin Shull had a team-high 13 tackles against Grant.
Number to note: 4, the combined regular-season losses in 2008 for Montgomery's first four 2009 opponents.
The pick: Montgomery 21, Lincoln 16
St. Vincent (0-0) at Tomales (0-1), 7:30 tonight
Last week:Tomales lost to St. Bernard's, 45-22
Notable:Tomales senior RB Brandon Schumacher had 188 yards on 15 carries last week ... St. Vincent won last year's meeting, 34-0 ... the schools have won a combined eight section titles since 1984 ... St. Vincent senior RB Kris Farinha has rushed for 1,929 yards and 15 TDs the past two years.
Number to note: 362, the number of rushing yards for Tomales last week.
The pick:Tomales 27, St. Vincent 21
Analy (1-0) at Piner (0-0), 1:30 p.m. Saturday
Last week:Analy beat Terra Linda, 42-20.
Notable:Analy WRs Julian Titus-Patino and Chris Bostock combined for 4 TDs last week ... Analy won last year's meeting, 27-7 ... Piner DE Manuel Morataya had 11½ sacks last year ... Prospectors coach Matt Tomlin is in his first year as a football coach.
Number to note: 5, how many first-half TD passes Analy sophomore QB Jake Zanutto had last week.
Jaguars blanked by Inderkum, 29-0 in grid opener
Windsor entertains Redwood on Saturday at Santa Rosa
by Greg Clementi
Sports Editor
Published: Thursday, September 10, 2009
The varsity football Jaguars took their lumps in the opening game of the fall campaign, falling to a very strong Inderkum squad in Sacramento, 29-0.
The Jags were held to a paltry 133 yards from scrimmage on offense, including just 38 yards on the ground.
Although it was not the fast start the team was looking for in a season that opens with high expectations and excitement, a lot had to do with the competition.
“They were pretty good,” noted Jags coach Jason Fayter, referring to Inderkum, the sixth ranked team in its division in Northern California. “But it wasn’t quite as bad as the final score looked. I wish we could play them again.”
The Jags got behind the eight-ball just three minutes into the game when fullback Antonio Bumpers broke loose on a 51-yard touchdown scamper to give his team a 6-0 lead. The Tigers went up by two scores early in the second period when running back Dominique Williams dove over from a yard out. The two-point conversion was good, putting Inderkum up 14-0.
Windsor was still very much in the ballgame when Inderkum scored arguably the most important touchdown of the contest, finding pay-dirt on a 62-yard scoring strike from quarterback Demetrius Williams to Deonte Hartley. The dagger gave the Tigers a decisive, 22-0 bulge at the break.
“We felt like we were in the game, but that touchdown just before the half really hurt,” noted Fayter. “It forced us to throw the ball more often than we wanted to in the second half.”
The Jaguars, behind senior quarterback DJ King and senior tailback Cameron Erion, moved the ball inside the Inderkum 30 yard line on three separate occasions during the game, but each time came away empty-handed.
The Tigers closed out the scoring late in the third quarter on a nine-yard keeper from Williams en route to a 29-0 win.
The Jags hope to get off the schneid this Saturday, Sept. 12 when they host visiting Redwood at Santa Rosa High School. Kickoff times beginning with the JV are 5 and 7:30 p.m.
JV post win
The Windsor JV squad notched its first win of the fall campaign with a 28-6 win over Inderkum (no statistics were reported).
Varsity stat leaders
Individual offensive stats for the varsity squad included: King (6-19, 95 yards passing, 6-11 yards rushing), Erion (17-32 yards rushing), Lorenzo Camarena (2-59 yards receiving), Jake Williams (2-21 yards receiving), Michael Campbell (1-11 yards receiving), and Jimmy Reed (2-4 yards receiving).
Top Windsor defenders were: Jordan Winkler (7 tackles, 8 assists), Zack Arvig (7 tackles, 7 assists), Joseph Winkler (7 tackles, 2 assists), Ray Manzano (7 tackles), Jacob Welch (6 tackles, 6 assists), Justin Oxford (7 tackles), Erion (6 tackles, 2 assists), Daniel Schenone (4 tackles, 4 assists), King (4 tackles, 2 assists, sack), Craig Lyman (tackle, 3 assists, sack), Teddy Van Bebber (tackle, 4 assists), Camarena (2 tackles, 3 assists), two tackles apiece from Campbell, Cody Paz, and Shane Hardisty, CJ Landwehr (tackle, assist), and Williams (tackle, 2 assists).
..........................................................................
Windsor and Montgomery: Shutout in Sacramento
by prepsports
Posted by Staff Writer Eric Branch:
Both Windsor and Montgomery traveled over 100 miles for season openers against Sacramento powers Friday.
And both teams traveled back with this: Zero points.
Both the Jaguars and Vikings took their lumps to open 2009, playing against teams that went a combined 25-2 last year. Windsor lost to Inderkum, 29-0. Montgomery lost to Grant, which went 14-0 and won the 2008 Division I state title, 42-0.
Montgomery managed four first downs and ventured into Grant territory just twice. Vikings quarterback Max Heller completed 3 of 14 passes for 51 yards.
Windsor managed 133 yards and senior running back Cameron Erion, who averaged 10.2 yards a carry last year, was limited to 32 yards on 17 carries.
The good news? Well, that part of the schedule is finished. Montgomery hosts Lincoln (10-2 in ‘08) on Friday and Windsor hosts Redwood (7-4) on Saturday at Santa Rosa High.
Lincoln lost its opener, 41-6, to Gunn. Redwood dropped its first game, 21-2, to Clackamas (Ore.).
Inderkum puts on show in football opener..
By Bill Paterson
bpaterson@sacbee.com
Published: Saturday, Sep. 5, 2009
Inderkum High School is used to playing in the shadow of top-ranked Grant, located just up the road from the No. 8 Tigers' digs.
So while the defending California Interscholastic Federation State Bowl Open Division champion had an overflow crowd for its season opener Friday night in Del Paso Heights, Inderkum played host to Windsor in a nearly half-empty stadium.
Yet while the gap in community support between the two remains large, the talent and entertainment value is growing more comparable.
The Tigers put on show of explosiveness on offense and aggressiveness on defense in beating the Jaguars 29-0.
Quarterback Demetrius Williams, battling the flu, passed for 115 yards and a touchdown and rushed for 82 yards and a score, and Grant transfer Antonio Bumpers rushed for 143 yards in 15 carries, scored twice and had two sacks.
While the North Natomas school's search for community continues it has only been open six years the Tigers' football reputation is growing.
Inderkum, which lost a 27-21 heartbreaker to Casa Roble in last season's Sac-Joaquin Section Division III final, entered the season ranked No. 6 in Northern California by NorCalPreps.com. The only area team ranked higher was Grant at No. 3, behind De La Salle of Concord and St. Mary's of Stockton.
"It's neat to be recognized," Inderkum coach Terry Stark said. "Those are some pretty good teams to be listed among."
So good that some teams may be getting skittish about scheduling the Tigers.
Stark thought he had a two-year home-and-away deal with No. 14 Elk Grove, the D-I power that beat the host Tigers 36-17 last season. But the Thundering Herd decided to play No. 16 Sheldon in Week 3.
"With the playoffs now factoring in wins and the power rankings, there aren't a lot of higher-division teams that want to play a D-III team," Stark said. "Everyone is looking for a win."
Inderkum couldn't fill the late September date, then Windsor dropped into the Tigers' laps after the section granted a waiver allowing them to play during this weekend's so-called Zero Week.
The Jaguars probably wished they hadn't left their Sonoma County homes. Windsor rushed for just 35 yards in 30 attempts, and quarterback D.J. King was harassed all night in completing 7 of 18 passes for 85 yards.
Williams, who is 18-3 since taking over as the starter halfway through his sophomore season, threw a 62-yard touchdown pass to Deonte Goss in the second quarter, but his best play was on a nine-yard run in the third quarter in which he ran from one sideline to the other before scoring.
The top performances from Week 1 by prepsports
September 5, 2009
RB Dylan Cattalini, Healdsburg: 15 carries, 114 yards, 2 TDs
WR Joe Douglass, El Molino: 8 catches, 105 yards, TD
RB Yahya Muslim, Sonoma: 19 carries, 99 yards
RB Ricky Sims, Petaluma: 12 carries, 108 yards, 3 TDs
RB Sean Sullivan, Petaluma: 16 carries, 201 yards, 79-yard TD run
WR Julian Titus-Patino, Analy: 5 catches, 115 yards, 2 TDs
QB Jake Zanutto, Analy: 13 of 22, 227 yards, 5 TDs
Is someone missing? Let me know.
Posted by Staff Writer Eric Branch:
Windsor's Erion carrying buzz into season..
By ERIC BRANCH
THE PRESS DEMOCRAT
Published: Thursday, September 3, 2009
Running back with 450-yard, five-TD performance last year viewed as future college cornerback.
Before he had an Empire record or more than 1,600 yards, Windsor's Cameron Erion had a nagging question: Was he ready to play varsity football.
Last year, at a summer camp at the University of Oregon before his junior season, Erion and his Windsor teammates lined up against Shasta.
Erion still has vivid memories of what happened next.
“It was our first play at Oregon camp, basically my first varsity play, and we just got destroyed,” Erion said. “Everyone on our team was thinking ‘This is ridiculous.' I remember thinking ‘I don't know if I want to play in this league.'”
As it turns out, however, Erion was more than ready for prime time.
In a memorable junior season, Erion rushed for 1,641 yards, averaged 10.2 yards a carry and set an Empire record with a jaw-dropping 450-yard, five-touchdown performance in a 48-27 win against Petaluma.
Now the 5-foot-11, 175-pound Erion enters his senior season with both recruiting buzz and four returning offensive linemen, including a first-team, all-league selection in senior Jacob Welch, surrounding him.
Erion is being viewed as a cornerback in college, possibly at the Division I-AA or Division II level.
But Jagaurs coach Jason Fayter says his vision and ability to read blocks are some of the attributes that make him such a dynamic high school running back.
“One of his best qualities is that he runs with a real good forward lean,” Fayter said. “He's not a big guy who's going to smash over you, but he's very slick and elusive. You don't get a lot of solid shots on him.”
Erion's big season made him something of a mini-celebrity — he's still often asked about his record-breaking game — and also helped change the way he viewed his future.
At some point last year, Erion realized he could play football in college. With that in mind, he made an effort to make sure his academics were up to college standards.
“When I realized I could play at the college level, that kind of woke me up and got my grades up,” Erion said. “I realized I had something to work for.”
This season, Erion is working for a deep postseason run on a team that returns 12 starters from last year's 4-6 edition.
The Jaguars figure to battle for the Sonoma County League title and Erion's running is a major reason they are viewed as contenders. Looking ahead, though, Erion says he doesn't care if he's moved out of the backfield next season.
“I just want to play football,” Erion said. “I don't care where it is. I don't care what position. I just want to keep playing.”
You can reach Staff Writer Eric Branch at 521-5268 or eric.branch@pressdemocrat.com.
BY THE NUMBERS
0: Wins from 2001-02.
4: Wins in 2003, Fayter's first year as head coach.
249.3: Erion's average rushing yards in final four games of 2008.
WINDSOR JAGUARS
Coach: Jason Fayter (7th season, 33-29)
2008 record: 4-6, 3-3 SCL (5th)
2008 JV record: 9-0-1
Returning starters: Offense (7) — RB Cameron Erion, Sr.; OL Ruben Huerta, Sr.; QB D.J. King, Sr.; WR C.J. Landwehr, Sr.; OL Craig Lyman, Sr.; OL Jacob Welch, Sr.; OL Jordan Winkler, Sr. Defense (5) — S Cameron Erion, Sr.; S D.J. King, Sr.; CB C.J. Landwehr, Sr.; DE Jacob Welch, Sr.; LB Jordan Winkler, Sr.
Players to watch: QB D.J. King — Excellent athlete was first-team all-SCL DB and a second-team WR as a junior. OL Jacob Welch — First-team all-leaguer helped Jaguars average 8.6 yards a carry.
Top newcomers: RB/WR Lorenzo Camarena, Jr. — Led JVs to 9-0-1 record as a QB last year. Expected to play several positions.
SCHEDULE
Date—Opponent—Time
Sept. 4—at Inderkum—7:30 p.m.
Sept. 12—vs. Redwood—7:30 p.m.
Sept. 18—at Santa Rosa—7:30 p.m.
Sept. 25—at Maria Carrillo—7:30 p.m.
Oct. 3—at Sonoma—7:30 p.m.
Oct. 16—vs. Healdsburg—7:30 p.m.
Oct. 23—vs. El Molino—7:30 p.m.
Oct. 30—at Casa Grande—7:30 p.m.
Nov. 6—vs. Petaluma—7:30 p.m.
Nov. 13—at Analy—7:30 p.m.
High school football: Spreading the wealth
By PHIL BARBER
PRESS DEMOCRAT
Published: Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Even at 63, Jason Franci was able to evolve. The Montgomery football coach has been winning at this game for a long time, and it’s safe to say he’s a traditionalist at heart. He isn’t the type of guy to obsessively scout trends and tinker with his offense just to be clever.
But two years ago, Franci was ready for a transformation.
“We used to run the ball out of the I (formation), and all the defenses were putting eight or nine in the box,” he said. “We just couldn’t be effective anymore.”
So Franci did what so many coaches, college and high school, are doing all over the country, including Sonoma County. He did what Santa Rosa JC coach Keith Simons has been advocating for years. He went to a spread formation and dared his opponents to keep those eight defenders in the box.
And he’s not alone. Cardinal Newman’s Paul Cronin, Analy’s Dan Bourdon and Windsor’s Jason Fayter all use the spread as their base offense. Coaches such as Healdsburg’s Tom Kirkpatrick sprinkle it into the game plan with other sets. Trent Herzog, Casa Grande’s new coach, is expected to toy with it.
The spread may be more than 75 years old, if you believe it started with Rusty Russell, who led the Masonic Home of Fort Worth, Texas — a group of orphans dubbed the Mighty Mites — to a scoreless tie vs. Corsicana in the 1932 Texas high school championship. Certainly coaches were writing about it in the 1950s. One man who read the tracts was Darrel “Mouse” Davis, who called his version the Run and Shoot. Davis helped Jim Kelly and the USFL Houston Gamblers score 618 points in 1984, between noted stints at Portland State and the NFL.
In the past decade, the spread has undergone both a renaissance and a diversification. An ESPN survey showed that 48 Div. I schools run the offense at least 75 percent of the time.
Urban Meyer used it at Utah, then took it to Florida, where his Gators have won two of the past three BCS championships. Rich Rodriguez used an option-run-oriented version at West Virginia, and now has it installed at Michigan. Texas Tech’s Mike Leach has a pass-happy scheme known as the Air Raid that has produced dizzying numbers and NFL-ready athletes such as Michael Crabtree. Nevada’s Chris Ault calls his the Pistol.
There are differences in alignment and personnel, in the snap and the quarterback’s drop. Some rely more heavily than others on post-snap reads. But all of them share an underlying goal: To spread the field horizontally, breaking up the cluster of defenders in the middle of the field and creating one-on-one mismatches between skill-position players and opponents.
“We want to stretch the defense out sideline to sideline, make them play in space, and space our receivers out,” said SRJC’s Simons, a huge influence on local high school coaches with his version of the spread, which bears resemblance to the Air Raid.
“I can give you the whole gist of that offense in one sentence: Versus zone coverage, you have your receivers find grass; versus man, you have the receivers burst away and find separation.”
Sounds easy, eh?
The spread can look easy, too, when a team runs it efficiently. The multiple motion. The quick timing passes. The one-step-too-late defenders. It can be almost poetic, but only after months of tediousrepetition.
“It’s very difficult to teach, very difficult to learn,” Simons said. “Most of our quarterbacks and most of our receivers have grayshirted their first year here to learn the system. The light bulb doesn’t come on for skill guys for a year. This is not smashmouth football where you can get away with some mistakes. . . . When people see us throwing the ball 500, 600 yards a game, there’s a lot of work behind it.”
Fayter, who says his system is similar to Utah’s spread option, first picked it up at a clinic run by that school’s offensive coordinator about five years ago. He returned home and adapted it to his players.
“It’s something you have to practice,” Fayter said. “You have to be dedicated to the ball-handling part and the coordination of backs. But the kids I had at that time, they were a pretty smart group.”
The spread requires more thinking and coordination from almost everyone concerned. The offensive linemen generally employ zone-blocking schemes, much trickier than the straight-ahead push. Running backs read blocks and choose among holes, and receivers must run precise routes.
Most of all, the spread tends to demand capable quarterbacks. Some of them are option runners, some pure passers. All of them have to make split-second decisions based on what the defense is showing. And some, like Cronin’s quarterbacks at Newman, call their own plays at the line.
It’s a lot to ask of a 17-year-old.
“If your quarterback is not making good decisions, you’re in trouble,” said Bourdon, who learned the spread as a quarterback at SRJC, then gravitated toward a run-oriented version at West Virginia Tech. “But that’s probably true of any offense.”
As the spread has grown in popularity, defenses have evolved along with it. Many coaches send their athletes to 7-on-7 passing camps these days, which gets defenders used to nickel coverage. Teams that run the spread have begun to see a lot more three-man fronts (as opposed to four-man), with quick linebackers who can cover ground laterally and rush from the edges.
“We rep a lot of blitz pickup in practice,” Bourdon said. “If you spread it out, they’re gonna blitz you.”
It’s a cat-and-mouse game, and the feline will win as often as the rodent. Still, some coaches feel more comfortable with the multiple options in the spread, as opposed to putting all their stock in a few basic power plays.
“I wouldn’t want to be in a tank in World War II,” Cronin said. “That’s the way I look at some of these offenses — double-tight (ends), grind it up the middle. One bomb destroys it.”
Anyway, even if the spread doesn’t always win, it’s almost always entertaining.
“I think it would be more fun to watch a Newman game than some teams,” Cronin said. “In today’s society, it’s the quick fix and video games. Running a less-open offense, more conservative, I don’t think you’d have the same excitement.”
That may be easy for Cronin to say. His spread offense has taken the Cardinals to the state championship game two of the past three years (Div. III in 2006, Div. II in 2008), and that’s a result that never goes out of style.
You can reach Staff Writer Phil Barber at 521-5263 or phil.barber@pressdemocrat.com.
Prep football anticipation
By ERIC BRANCH
PRESS DEMOCRAT
Published: Tuesday, September 1, 2009
OK, so we don’t have a crystal ball. But the following games should probably be circled on your calendar:
Sept. 4: Montgomery at Grant
On the heels of their first losing season since 1994, the Vikings, who return 15 starters, are expected to be much improved.
So why not aim high? For its season opener, Montgomery will travel to Sacramento to meet the only Northern California team to win a state championship last year. Grant, which went 14-0 in 2008, returns senior running back Devontae Butler, who rushed for 1,964 yards and 37 TDs last year. Opening holes for Butler will be 6-3, 330-pound lineman Villiami Moala, a member of EA Sports’ 2008 Sophomore All-American team.
Sept. 12: Cardinal Newman
vs. Central Catholic
These teams have represented Northern California in the Division III state-title game since the game’s inception three years ago. Newman went in 2006 and ’08. Central Catholic went in ’07.
The Raiders, a Central Valley power with a 60-5-1 record the past five years, went 11-2 last year with their lone regular-season blemish a 38-20 loss to Newman in which the Cardinals trailed 14-3 at halftime.
The game will be part of the four-game Battle at the Capital at Folsom High and will be televised live by Comcast Hometown Network.
Oct. 9: El Molino at Analy
El Molino snapped an 11-game losing streak to their Golden Apple rivals last year, beating Analy, 21-19, breaking a 23-game Sonoma County League losing streak.
A big deal in Forestville? El Molino coach Mike Roan, who has played in a Super Bowl, ranked it among his athletic highlights. A big deal in Sebastopol? Analy, which was 5-1 after the loss, never recovered. The Tigers finished the season 5-6.
Oct. 10: Casa Grande
at Petaluma
The Trojans snapped their five-year Egg Bowl losing streak last year with an improbable 21-14 win against the Gauchos, who recovered to win their sixth straight SCL title.
Petaluma trailed 14-0 and allowed 314 rushing yards, but still roared back for victory. Casa Grande has a 33-3 SCL record dating back to 2003. Care to guess which loss was the most painful?
Oct. 30: Rancho Cotate
at Cardinal Newman
With both teams boasting 7-0 records entering their Halloween night showdown last year, it was the most heavily anticipated game of the season.
But it didn’t quite live up to the advance billing: Cardinal Newman 42, Rancho Cotate 7.
Nov. 6: Petaluma at Windsor
Welcome to the Battle of the Backs: Petaluma’s Sean Sullivan vs. Windsor’s Cameron Erion.
OK, so it’s a team game. But this SCL showdown figures to be highlighted by two of the most dynamic running backs in the Empire. Sullivan and Erion rushed for a combined 2,786 yards and 31 TDs last year.
— Eric Branch,
The Press Democrat
Senior running back Cameron Erion
Running Roughshod - Senior running back Cameron Erion (5) is hoping to pick up where he left off last season, as the football campaign gets underway this month. - Photo by Greg Clementi
Ready to rumble; Jags looking for strong grid campaign
2009 season will feature new field, improved squad
By GREG CLEMENTI
Sports Editor
Published: Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Conditions are ripe for a much-improved varsity pigskin campaign, as the Jaguars prepare for the upcoming 2009 season.
Although Windsor will play most of their scheduled home games at Santa Rosa High School this season while a new all-weather track and field is installed, indications are that they will return home in time for their final two home dates, beginning on Oct. 23 against El Molino.
The Jags figure to rebound from their 4-6 overall record (3-3 in league) in 2008, a season that featured outstanding individual play but was plagued by an undercurrent of inconsistency as a team.
Head coach Jason Fayter returns for his seventh season at the helm, cautiously optimistic that his charges will rise to the occasion this fall.
We expect to be a big factor in the SCL, but were also aware that were one injury away from a tough year, he said. We were young last year and weve got most of our guys back, so we expect to be right there with Casa Grande and Petaluma.
The Jags return a solid group of at least 20 players to this years squad, led by senior first-team all-league running back Cameron Erion. The 5 11 175-pound dynamo was superman in black and gold last year, amassing a league-leading 1641 yards and 17 rushing touchdowns. Erion eclipsed an all-time record in a 48-27 win over Petaluma, churning up a remarkable, 450 yards on the ground.
Although its hard to imagine a better individual campaign in 09, look for the elusive senior to carry much of the load on offense.
Hell be joined in the offensive backfield by talented senior quarterback DJ King, a 5 10 185-pound playmaker that can make things happen running the spread option offense. Junior Lorenzo Camarena is the back-up.
Bolstering the offensive unit will be bruising senior running back Steven Hutchison. Injured senior back Michael Hutchison is recovering from off-season surgery and is expected back soon.
Wide receivers that should see extensive action include seniors; CJ Landwehr, Jimmy Reed, Michael Campbell, juniors; Miles Williams, Joe Winkler, Shane Hardisty, and Camarena.
The O-line should be much-improved with another year of seasoning, led by seniors; left tackle Jordan Winkler, right guard Craig Lyman, left guard Jacob Welch, center Ruben Huerta, and junior right tackle Justin Oxford.
Joel Castaneda will handle most of the kicking chores.
Defensively, the Jags will boast one of the stingiest lines in the North Bay, led by returning all-league end Jake Welch, ends Steven Hutchison, and Hardisty, and interior linemen; Lyman, Oxford and Jimmy Martin.
Manning the line-backing corps are the Winkler brothers, and seniors Zack Arvig, Teddy Van Bebber, and Cody Paz. The defensive backfield will consist of corners Landwehr, Camarena, Smith, Reed, and Campbell. The safeties are Erion and King.
The Jags will kick off the season this Saturday, Aug. 29 with a scrimmage against visiting Drake at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. Windsor will open the season on Sept. 4 at Inderkum of Sacramento, and come home to face Redwood on Saturday, Sept. 12 at Santa Rosa High.
2009 High school football season openers
by prepsports
Posted by Staff Writer Eric Branch:
The high school football season in Alaska begins today. In Sonoma County, we have to wait four more weeks. Need a preview of coming attractions? Here’s a look at the season openers for the 15 schools from the North Bay League and the Sonoma County League:
Sept. 4
Berean Christian at El Molino, 7 p.m.
Sonoma at San Rafael, 7 p.m.
Terra Linda at Analy, 7:30 p.m.
Healdsburg at McKinleyville, 7:30 p.m.
Montgomery at Grant (Sacramento), 7:30 p.m.
Santa Rosa at Petaluma, 7:30 p.m.
Windsor at Inderkum (Sacramento), 7:30 p.m.
Sept. 11
Ukiah at Casa Grande, 7:30 p.m.
Elsie Allen at Hogan (Vallejo), 7:30 p.m.
Petaluma at Maria Carrillo, 7:30 p.m.
Vintage at Rancho Cotate, 7:30 p.m.
Sept 12
Analy at Piner, 1 p.m.
Cardinal Newman vs. Central Catholic at Folsom High, 5 p.m.
Windsor Weather
Upcoming Games/Practices
| Friday, Nov 13 | | Windsor @ Analy (Sebastopol, CA) | 7:30pm | Analy | | Maria Carrillo @ Cardinal Newman | 7:30pm | Cardinal Newman | | Casa Grande (Petaluma, CA) @ El Molino (Forestville, CA) | 7:30pm | El Molino | | Healdsburg @ Petaluma | 7:30pm | Oakland | | Rancho Cotate (Rohnert Park, CA) @ Santa Rosa | 7:30pm | Santa Rosa | | Ukiah @ Elsie Allen | 7:30pm | TBA | |
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For a complete schedule listing, click here!
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