Football Archive 2003

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10th Anniversary Football Squad 1951-1960

2003
Four Knights All-Conference
FIVE NAMED HONORABLE MENTION
(11/20/03-Shasta College) The All Mid-Empire Conference selections were chosen at four Knights were named to the first team: defensive end John Ohm, linebacker Jonathan Ross, offensive lineman Wayne Deniz and punter David Dittman. Knight kicker, David Dittman was also named to the regional All-American team for his outstanding season. Ohm and Deniz are two-time all-conference selections, while Ross is the lone freshman. Five other Knights got honorable mention: wide receiver KC Clapsaddle, tight end Joshua Williamson, free safety Zach Catanese, linebacker Tyler McKim and offensive lineman Wesley Dilling. Only Catanese is a freshman.
Ending On A Good Note
DEFENSE HOLDS COS TO 114 TOTAL YARDS, ONLY 23 YARDS IN THE SECOND HALF!!!
(11/15/03-Shasta College) The Shasta College football team snapped its six-game losing streak with a 31-14 victory over rival Siskiyous in the season finale Saturday at Memorial Stadium. After the long skid left a promising season in tatters, Shasta (1-4 Mid-Empire Conference, 4-6) finished the year off in impressive fashion, giving the sophomores on the team a chance to go out on a winning note. "I knew that I was putting on the pads for perhaps the final time," said Knights safety Joe Fenske, whose interception helped seal the victory. "I wanted to go out on top and I'm sure many of my teammates felt the same way." The Eagles (1-4 MEC, 2-8) entered the game ranked ninth in the state in total defense, allowing 248 yards per game, including just 75 yards rushing. Siskiyous also was playing against an offense, which had a first-time starter at quarterback in freshman Eric Sobolewski. But on a muddy field amid drizzling rain, the Knights rolled up 397 yards of total offense, including 233 yards on the ground. "We were never afraid of their defense," said sophomore fullback Beau McCoy, who had 119 yards on 21 carries and a touchdown. "It's Siskiyous' defense came out like they were the big hitters and talking trash in the first half. But after we got up on them, they weren't talking as much. "The season didn't go like we had hoped, but it feels great to have a strong final game." T.J. Smith, another sophomore running back, gained 112 yards on 17 carries and had two catches, both screen passes, for 101 yards. "Shasta just came out and ran the ball on us," Eagles head coach Dennis Roberts said. "And that was our strength, our ability to stop the run. They were just the better team today, no ifs, ands or buts." Smith's 50-yard run early in the second quarter set up Shasta's first score, a 1-yard dive by Sobolewski with 13:26 left in the half. Smith turned a screen pass into a 60-yard gain that set up McCoy's 3-yard scoring run later in the period. "Our game plan was not to make mistakes," Sobolewski said. "I had an interception, but my receiver fell and that was it. Our offensive line played great and they opened up holes for the running backs and gave me time to pass." While Siskiyous came in with the impressive defense, it was the Shasta unit that looked more formidable. The Knights held standout Siskiyous running back Keith Cage, who entered the game with 1,054 yards rushing, to 68 yards and two touchdowns on 18 carries. Much of Cage's yardage came on a 37-yard scoring run with 9:20 left in the second quarter that tied the game 7-7. Cage also had a 2-yard TD run with 21 seconds left in the second quarter, tying the game at 14-14. But the Siskiyous offense had little else besides Cage and was held to just 114 yards of total offense. Yet Shasta still was up only 21-14 in the fourth quarter until Fenske picked off a Nolan Perkl pass and returned it 36 yards to the Siskiyous 28-yard line. That led to Sobolewski's second 1-yard touchdown with 3:52 left. When Tyler McKim intercepted another pass on the Eagles next drive, the Knights could finally taste victory for the first time since a 41-39 home win over Sacramento City way back on Sept. 20.
Sobolewski the Right Option
FIRST COLLEGIATE START
(11/15/03-Shasta College-Jeffery Jen-Record Searchlight) For his first collegiate start, Eric Sobolewski certainly looked comfortable during Shasta's 31-14 win over Siskiyous on Saturday. The freshman from Versailles, Ky., had modest numbers, completing 9-of-22 passes for 164 yards and was intercepted once. He also ran for two 1-yard touchdowns. But the biggest number for Sobolewski was the 31 that Shasta put on the Memorial Stadium scoreboard. "I've played all over this season, but being the quarterback is in my heart," Sobolewski said. "I was just happy to get a chance to show what I could do." Coming to Shasta as an option quarterback, Sobolewski languished at the bottom of a four-way battle in August. Then he got moved over to safety and actually scored a touchdown with a 15-yard interception return in the second game of the season. However, the Knights' offense struggled and first Jeff Ray, then Scott Wingert quit the team. Sobolewski, called "Kentucky" by teammates, then became the starter for the last game of the season. "With Eric being a freshman, we all knew we had to step up, be leaders for this game to help him out," said sophomore guard Wayne Deniz. "He's been a great team player for us and he made the plays when he had to today." Sobolewski didn't do anything great, but he wasn't mistake-prone, either. He even showed some passing ability. His best pass was to KC Clapsaddle for an apparent 24-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter, but the play was nullified due to a false-start penalty. His performance was enough to make his head coach second-guess himself. "It makes you wonder what if we put him in earlier," Knights coach Craig Thompson said. "How much of a spark would he have given us. He's been real positive throughout the season and that kind of spread around the team today."
New QB For COS Game
ERIC SOBOLEWSKI STARTS
(11/15/03-Shasta College) The Shasta College football team is closing its season with a new quarterback at the helm in today's 1 p.m. home game against Siskiyous. Eric Sobolewski, a freshman from Versailles, KY., is making his first start for the Knights (3-6). He is the third player to start at quarterback this season for the Knights. Jeff Ray, a Shasta High School graduate, quit the team after starting the first six games and Scott Wingert, quit the team on Saturday according to Knights head coach Craig Thompson. Joe Fenske, a sophomore from Corning who plays safety, is slated as back-up quarterback for Shasta.
Rare Bright Spot
WIDE RECEIVER #2 - KC CLAPSADDLE
(11/13/03-Shasta College-Redding Record Searchlight Article by Jeffrey Jen) At 5-foot-10 and 175 pounds, KC Clapsaddle doesn't exactly have ideal size for a wide receiver. However turbulent the last few weeks have been for the Shasta College football team, the 2002 graduate of Enterprise High School has been a bright spot. Clapsaddle had to step up his production when he moved into the No. 1 receiver hole after the dismissal of Joe Irelan last month. And he delivered. Even in Saturday's 22-14 home loss to American River, Clapsaddle stood out. With the Knights down 10-7 and two minutes left in the first half, Shasta had the ball on the American River 20-yard line facing a second-and-14. Quarterback Scott Wingert lofted a pass in the end zone toward Clapsaddle. The sophomore outraced one defender all the way to the back of the end zone, then stopped right before going out of bounds and caught the ball in the crook of his left arm — right before the Beavers safety came over and clocked him. "Best catch I've ever seen in all my years here," said Knights defensive coordinator Matt Diskin after the game. "And I've been here for 12 years." The catch came a game after his best performance in a Shasta uniform. In a 28-23 loss to Yuba on Nov. 1, Clapsaddle was honored as one of the California Community College players of the week after catching nine passes for 179 yards and two touchdowns. For the season, he leads the Knights with 28 catches for 402 yards and three scores. That's similar to his 29 catches for 396 yards and four TDs in 2002. With his sub-4.5 speed in the 40 combined with his size, Clapsaddle draws similar comparisons to former Knights standout Mike Cox, the school's all-time receptions leader at 118. Cox is now at Arkansas State, where the senior leads the 5-5 Indians with 27 receptions for 398 yards. "I've met Mike," Clapsaddle said. "He's real cool. I learned a few things from him." As Knights head coach Craig Thompson noted, Clapsaddle hasn't had the chance to shine as often as Cox had. However, Clapsaddle hopes he can continue his football career at a four-year school and major in kinesiology. But on Saturday, he gets one final chance to make a mark as one of the sophomores playing their final game at Shasta when the Knights host Siskiyous at 1 p.m.
Slide Continues
NOT ENOUGH OFFENSE
(11/8/03-Shasta College-Jeffery Jen-Record Searchlight) On a wet, soggy day at Memorial Stadium, it seemed ironic that the Shasta College football team was a washout with the ball. Despite improved efforts in other phases of the game, the Knights couldn't do much offensively and fell to visiting American River 22-14 on Saturday. To make the loss — the Knights' sixth in a row — all the more frustrating was that Shasta had 14-10 half-time lead, but could do nothing with it amidst a second-half downpour. The Knights continue to run an anemic offense, which had only 142 yards of total offense and turned the ball over five times. Aside from an amazing 20-yard touchdown catch by KC Clapsaddle from Scott Wingert, there were no highlights on that side of the ball. "Bad things just kept happening to us," Clapsaddle said. "Whenever it looked like we might get something going, we shot ourselves with fumbles and turnovers." That wiped away an improved defensive effort from the Knights and a strong showing from the special teams. Shasta (0-3 Mid-Empire Conference, 3-6) entered the game allowing 441.1 yards a contest and American River made the Knights look porous on its first two possessions to take a quick 10-0 lead. However, the defense proved more resilient as the game went on and held the Beavers to 278 yards for the game. "We wanted to reestablish what we had early in the season when we were giving up only 14 points a game," Knights middle linebacker Zach Casas said. "It took a while to get settled down, but this is the best we've played in a while." The Knights climbed back in the game against American River (3-1 MEC, 4-5) when Travis Breeding blocked a punt by the Beavers' Matthew Schirmer. Breeding then scooped up the loose ball and returned it 19 yards for a touchdown with 54 seconds in the first quarter. Later, defensive tackle Ryan Boyd sacked Beavers quarterback Phil Bensing and jarred the ball loose. Defensive end Ben Baker recovered the ball on the Beavers' 16-yard line. Two plays later, Wingert lofted a pass to Clapsaddle, who drew double coverage. Clapsaddle stopped at the back of the end zone and made a catch with his left arm and hung onto the ball after a hit by an American River defender, giving Shasta a 14-10 lead with 1:51 left in the second quarter. "Things were happening so fast, I couldn't say exactly what was going through my head," Clapsaddle said. "Scott threw up a good ball in my area and I just tried to make a play on it." However, quarterback issues continued to plague the Knights. Wingert was 8-of-16 for 72 yards and a touchdown, but threw three second-half interceptions. Backup Eric Sobolewski came in during the fourth quarter but was didn't complete a pass in five attempts. Wingert also had several fumbles with the snap, the last of which was recovered by the Beavers on the Shasta 29 midway through the third quarter. The turnover led to a 1-yard sneak for a score by Bensing with 6:43 left in the third quarter. Jon Ross blocked the extra point to keep the score 16-14. But the Knights defense finally broke down and allowed a 30-yard touchdown pass from Bensing to Bernie Lewis on a fourth-and-11 play with 11:59 left in the game. Though a missed extra point kept it a one-possession lead, Shasta's offense never seriously threatened in the second half. Shasta closes the season with a 1 p.m. home game next Saturday against rival College of the Siskiyous.
Knights Lose Lead Late
SHASTA SUFFERS DAMAGING LOSS
(11/1/03-Marysville-Redding Record Searchlight Staff) Chance at postseason bowl fading fast after Yuba extends Knights' skid to five. Last year, the Shasta College football team was able to halt a four-game losing streak with a win over Yuba. The Knights couldn't repeat that feat and were unable reverse their fortunes, falling to the 49ers 28-23 on Saturday in Marysville. Shasta (0-3 Mid-Empire Conference, 3-5) had the lead for much of the game, but couldn't pull out a victory. Instead, the Knights are now saddled with a five-game skid streak following three season-opening wins. Yuba quarterback Brian Botts had a huge day, completing 26-of-32 passes for 393 yards and three touchdowns. Botts also ran 4 yards for another score. The loss to Yuba (1-2 MEC, 3-5) likely eliminated any chance the Knights had for a postseason bowl berth. Despite the loss, wide receiver KC Clapsaddle had a career day. The sophomore from Enterprise High School finished with nine catches for 179 yards and two touchdowns. He provided the game's first score with a 7-yard touchdown reception from Scott Wingert in the first quarter. Wingert later hit Clapsaddle on a 40-yard scoring strike with 2:35 left in the second quarter. That put the Knights up 17-7. But momentum shifted Yuba's way as the 49ers went on an eight-play, 91-yard drive right before half-time. Botts completed the possession with a 17-yard touchdown pass to Damarcus Washington with 36 seconds left in the half as the 49ers closed to 17-14. Botts and Washington later hooked up on a 19-yard touchdown pass midway through the third quarter to give the 49ers their first lead of the game at 21-20. Shasta kicker David Dittman hit his third field goal of the game from 36 yards out with 4:41 remaining in the third quarter to put the Knights back in front, 23-21. Dittman also hit from 43 and 33 yards out, but missed a 50-yard attempt. But with 9:48 left in the game, Botts hooked up with James Fulton for a 16-yard touchdown pass. Shasta couldn't answer after that. Wingert, in his second start of the season, completed 15-of-30 passes for 238 yards, but also was intercepted three times. Yuba sacked Wingert sacked four times. The 49ers shut down the Knights' running game for much of the game, though Morris Milton led Shasta with 75 yards on 11 carries. Shasta ends its season with two home games. The Knights host American River College next Saturday at 1 p.m. Their season finale is also at 1 p.m. on Nov. 15 against College of the Siskiyous.
Back on Track?
ROSTER CHANGES COULD HELP
(10/30/03-Redding Record Searchlight article by Jeffrey Jen) A four-game losing streak is always bad. At least the Shasta College football team can take solace that the opponents involved in that extended beating are a combined 27-1. Now, the Knights' three remaining foes have a more manageable combined record of 6-15. Shasta starts its final three-game stretch with hopes of a sweep to get to 6-4 and become bowl-eligible. If that sounds familiar, it's because the Knights were in the same predicament last season. They won two, but were tripped up by Siskiyous, then still went to a bowl by some quirk. The Knights attempt another turnaround starting with a road game at Yuba (2-5) at 1 p.m. Saturday. Shasta won last year's meeting 17-13 at home, but Yuba has a stronger defense this time around and has a decent ground game. That doesn't bode well for Shasta, which is struggling on offense and has received inconsistent play on defense as of late. Offensive troubles are further compounded now that wide receiver Joe Irelan has been kicked off the team for conduct detrimental to the team. Jeff Ray, who started the first six games at quarterback, also has quit the team for personal reasons. On the bright side, Beau McCoy should be back after missing a few games with a concussion. McCoy should be back at fullback on a full-time basis. The Knights also had to move defensive tackle Jason McMullen to the starting right tackle spot against Santa Rosa and McMullen should be on offense again. The Knights appear more focused in practice after all the recent turmoil. Hopefully that translates out to a good Saturday on the field.
Strong Delta Force
FLAT KNIGHTS
(10/25/03-Stockton) Playing the Delta College football team wasn't any fun for the Shasta Knights. The Mustangs run an up-tempo offense which wears their opponents down, and backs it up with an aggressive, hard-hitting defense. As the Shasta Knights discovered on Saturday, it makes for a long day. Delta pulled away with a 27-point third quarter and pounded Shasta 62-14 at DeRicco Field. ''We know what they do, and they do it very well,'' Shasta coach Craig Thompson said. The Mustangs, ranked No. 2, piled up 629 yards in offense. As usual, they called plays quickly -- occasionally using the no-huddle offense -- forcing Shasta (3-4, 0-2) to move at a pace it wasn't used to. Delta is similar to a basketball team which likes to push the ball up the court. ''I guess you can say that we like to run the court,'' said quarterback Jeff Combie who made the most of the 12 passes he threw. He completed seven passes for 186 yards and three touchdowns. Shasta has played teams which use the no huddle, but not anyone who calls plays as quickly as Delta does. ''We haven't really faced a team which is as up-tempo as Delta,'' Shasta defensive lineman John Ohm said. ''They keep you on the field and test your conditioning.'' Delta coach Gary Barlow said conditioning is the key. ''We practice at this tempo all the time,'' Barlow said. ''We're used to it. It's been very good for us.'' Combie threw a 65-yard touchdown pass to Deon Whiteside in the first quarter to give Delta an early lead. Delta led 28-14 at half-time, and the Knights seemed to have a chance. Then the third quarter began. ''You just can't give a good team that much momentum,'' Thompson said. ''You can't let them get going like that.'' While the offense was running up and down the field, Delta's defense didn't let the Knights get anything going. Shasta managed just 186 yards and scored its only offensive touchdown, a 1-yard run by T.J. Smith, in the second quarter. The play of the game for the Knights came in the second quarter. Linebacker Ben Baker intercepted a Delta pass and with two athletic moves eluded some Delta tacklers to score a touchdown. His return
covered 48 yards.
Wounded Knights vs. Delta Force
DELTA #5 IN STATE
(10/23/-03-Jeffrey Jen Redding Record Searchlight newspaper) From the "when it rains, it pours department: Seems there's quite a storm brewing over at the Shasta College football field. Here's the scenario facing Shasta: The Knights are 3-3 with a three-game losing streak, as the season follows last year's same pattern. Now the Knights go on the road to take on San Joaquin Delta (6-0), ranked No. 5 in the California Community College coaches poll. Shasta has regressed on offense in the past few games. In order to provide a boost, Scott Wingert should get his first start of the season at quarterback against Delta. The Vacaville native has thrown a touchdown pass in each of the last two games in relief duty. Knights coach Craig Thompson said that Eric Sobolewski is the backup this week with Jeff Ray, the starter up to this point, out of the picture for the moment. Injuries have dinged up the Knights defense. Shasta has lost starting strong safety Brett Bergstrom to a dislocated left shoulder. Bergstrom is out for the next four weeks, which is essentially the season, and there is only a small possibility he might be back in time for a potential bowl trip. Fullback/linebacker Beau McCoy has three bulging discs in his neck and his return this season is up in the air. Wide receiver Joe Irelan now has the extra responsibility of being a cornerback to help out the secondary. And the offensive line is one banged-up unit with Wes Dilling out with a knee sprain. Two defensive linemen were moved across to help on the offensive line. If all that isn't enough, the Mustangs enter the game having the third-best offense in the state, averaging 497.5 yards per game. Even more impressive is Delta's balance, averaging 238.3 yards rushing and 259.2 yards passing. "They run everything from the double-wing to a spread-out formation," Knights head coach Craig Thompson said. "They go do it all. They just execute very well in whatever they are doing. For us, this is the most challenging offense we've had to face this season.
Passed Up
RED ZONE FAILURES
(10/18/03-Shasta College) Ineffectiveness in the red zone on offense and being overmatched defensively is a very poor combination. Yet that was the performance for the Shasta College football team in a 47-10 drubbing at the hands of unbeaten Santa Rosa on Saturday at Memorial Stadium. Bear Cubs' quarterback Jordan Borowicz threw for 356 yards and five touchdown passes — three to 6-foot-5 wide receiver Jesse Martinez — as Santa Rosa (6-0) showed why it is ranked No. 3 in the state by the California Community College coaches poll. "They have such a tough offense and they didn't make many mistakes," Knights freshman safety Zachary Catanese said afterwards. "We lost our focus a couple of times and it cost us." Shasta (3-3) had far too many obstacles to overcome in its Mid-Empire Conference opener — not the least was Santa Rosa, which entered the game ranked third in the state by the California Community College coaches poll and played like it. With the Bear Cubs' in a four-receiver set all game long, the Knights were taken out of their usual defensive schemes and employed six defensive backs for much of the game. Shasta even resorted to using star receiver Joe Irelan at cornerback. But Martinez still scored the game's first touchdown, a 22-yard toss from Borowicz, with Irelan on him just 57 seconds into the game. Martinez then added a 19-yard touchdown catch six minutes later and Santa Rosa had a 14-0 lead just like that. The Bear Cubs' defense came into the game ranked fourth in the state in allowing just 195.2 yards per game. Shasta actually moved the ball a bit against Santa Rosa, but poor outings in the red zone doomed the Knights. "Their defense wasn't that good," said Shasta running back Morris Milton, who rushed for 69 yards on 16 carries. "Sac City and definitely Butte were better. But whenever we got into those last 20 yards, we seemed to turn the ball over." Jeff Ray was taken out after two ineffective series and Scott Wingert came in and went 10-of-17 for 93 yards and an interception, but his 8-yard touchdown pass to tight end Josh Williamson cut the lead to 14-10 with 12:23 left in the second quarter. The touchdown was set up thanks to a 32-yard interception return to the Santa Rosa 33-yard line by sophomore safety Brett Bergstrom. But Bergstrom suffered a dislocated left shoulder at the end of the play and could be out for the season now. Down 21-10 late in the second quarter, Catanese had another Shasta interception. The Knights marched down the field and got to the Santa Rosa 13. But kicker David Dittman, who made a 44-yard field goal earlier, missed from 43 yards out with two seconds left in the half. Shasta started with the ball in the third quarter and drove downfield again. Wingert hit K.C. Clapsaddle for a 27-yard pass down to the Bear Cubs' 8, but was shaken up on the play. So Ray came back in and promptly fumbled on an option play, giving the ball back to Santa Rosa. "Good teams are able to find ways to win," Knights coach Craig Thompson said. "We're not a good team right now. We're a finesse team so when we get into the red zone with a shortened field, we have some problems." The Bear Cubs' responded by driving the ball 84 yards, culminating in a 16-yard touchdown pass from Borowicz to Brandon Simpson. The Knights would never recover after that.
Flat Knights
HELD TO SEVEN YARDS RUSHING
(10/4/03-Oroville - Jeffery Jen Record Searchlight) A mauling. That was pretty much how it was for members of the Shasta College football team during Butte's 44-10 clobbering of the Knights on Saturday at Cowan Stadium. The Roadrunners didn't live up to their moniker, in that Shasta was not outraced but were pounded, battered and plowed over instead. Butte (4-1) simply proved to be too physical for Shasta to handle, especially at the line. The Knights' normally potent rushing attack was overwhelmed by another typically strong Roadrunners defense. Shasta (3-2), who came in averaging 280 yards rushing, was held to just seven yards on 29 carries. "We thought that we would be able to run the ball a bit against them," Knights tight end Joshua Williamson said. "But that wasn't the case. We really couldn't do much of anything against them." Instead, it was Butte which bulled its way downfield led by 6-foot-1, 226-pound tailback Jason Peters. Peters rushed 23 times for 123 yards and scored the first touchdown of the game — a 4-yard run with 6:45 left in the first quarter. "Butte is a big physical football team," Knights coach Craig Thompson said. "Their offensive line outweighs our defense by around 80 pounds per player. Their fullback is bigger than three-fourths of our defensive line and their tailback is bigger than half of our line." In addition to Peters, Butte also had small but speedy T.J. Watts (5-7, 162) who rushed nine times for 53 yards and a touchdown. "They had a good combination going back there," Knights safety Joe Fenske said. "They had that big running back who was real powerful and then they came back to their small back for a nice change of pace." Shasta continued to have breakdowns on special teams play as Butte's Chris Vedder returned a Shasta punt 74 yards for another touchdown late in the first quarter. In the fourth quarter, Shasta had a punt blocked for the third straight game after Butte's Jesse Hejny blocked David Dittman's kick in the end zone for a safety. The Knights also were stricken with injuries after three players were knocked out of the game with a concussion. Starting quarterback Jeff Ray and fullback-turned-linebacker Beau McCoy were forced out in the second quarter and defensive end John Ohm was taken out midway through the second half. Ray was just 2-of-9 for 69 yards but had a couple of dropped passes. Scott Wingert replaced Ray but was generally ineffective, going 4-of-15 for 100 yards and an interception. Wingert did hit tight end Adam Miller for a 61-yard touchdown pass three minutes into the third quarter.
Knights Fall to #21
THREE RANKED TEAMS IN A ROW
(10/2/03-Shasta College) Shasta fell seven spots to No. 21 in the California Community College football poll following the 31-26 loss at Feather River on Saturday. The Knights dropped five spots to 11th in the Northern California poll. Shasta's opponent this Saturday is Butte (3-1) which is No. 12 in state and No. 7 in NorCal after a 31-10 win over Siskiyous. An interesting battle should go on between the Knights offense and the Roadrunners defense. Shasta is 12th in the state in total offense at 425 yards per game. Butte is sixth in the state in defense, allowing just 212 yards per game.
Knights Must Clean Up Mess
TOUGH 3 GAME STRETCH
(9/29/30-Redding Record Searchlight article by Jeffrey Jen) Before the Shasta College football team looks ahead to this Saturday's game at Butte, the Knights have to do "a little in-house cleaning" according to their head coach. Shasta faces the same scenario as last season following a 31-26 loss at Feather River on Saturday. The Knights faced the Golden Eagles with a perfect 3-0 record and then promptly suffered their first loss of the season. Last year, the Feather River loss started a four-game losing skid for the Knights. Shasta again could be facing that possibility with the meat of its schedule coming up: at Butte (3-1) on Saturday, followed by a bye week and Mid-Empire Conference games against Santa Rosa (4-0) at home on Oct. 18 and at San Joaquin Delta (4-0) Oct. 25. "We've got our work cut out for us," Knights head coach Craig Thompson said. "We have to look to ourselves first and get our problems taken care of." Judging from the Feather River game, problems are creeping up everywhere. The Shasta defense had been strong early this season, but gave up a 53-yard touchdown pass and a 51-yard touchdown run to the Golden Eagles. Throw in the second half against Sacramento City, and the Knights have given up big scoring plays left and right in their last six quarters. Offensively, Shasta remains potent on the ground. Beau McCoy gained 92 yards and a touchdown on 17 carries as the Knights racked up 225 yards rushing. But the passing game needs to make drastic improvement. Jeff Ray was only 8-of-21 passing for 119 yards with a 35-yard scoring toss to Joe Irelan in the third quarter. But Ray threw two fourth-quarter interceptions deep in Golden Eagles territory, the second in the end zone with 1:48 left in the game on the Knights' final possession. Even the special teams units are having some problems. For the second straight game, Shasta had a punt blocked. Shasta also had some untimely penalties that shifted the game in Feather River's favor. "What it really boiled down too was that they executed when they had to and we didn't," Thompson said. "We had our moments, but we never could establish a good rhythm. We need to tackle and wrap up better on defense and we need to throw the ball better. If we keep playing like we did on Saturday, any team can beat us."
Comeback Falls Short
NO MIRACLE THIS TIME
(9/27/03-Quincy-Article by the Record Searchlight staff) The Shasta College football team endured its first loss of the season, a 31-26 defeat Saturday night to Feather River. The Knights trailed 24-14 at half-time, but tied the game at 24-24 in the third quarter. But the Golden Eagles scored with a little over five minutes left to take a 31-24 lead. With 3:48 remaining, the Shasta defense recorded a safety to close the game to 31-26 and give the ball back to the Knights' offense. Shasta drove down to the 12-yard line, but quarterback Jeff Ray's pass in the end zone was intercepted, ending the Knights' final scoring threat. Beau McCoy led Shasta (3-1) with 92 yards rushing, while T.J. Smith added 48 yards. The Knights entered the game averaging nearly 300 yards on the ground and went over 200 yards again against Feather River. Shasta led 14-13 after one quarter, before the Golden Eagles took the lead for the rest of the game. Shasta's next game is at Butte College at 1 p.m. next Saturday. Butte (3-1) defeated College of the Siskiyous 31-10 Saturday.
Talk About Being Clutch
THINKING POSITIVE
(9/25/03-Jeffrey Jen redding Record Searchlight article) David Dittman was standing on the sidelines late in Saturday's football game between Shasta College and Sac City. Next thing everyone knew, Knights kicker/safety Brett Bergstrom was laying injured on the field, and the Panthers were about to punt with Shasta down 39-38. Dittman, the team's punter, realized that he might be called in for a field goal attempt. Sure enough, a few minutes later he was trotting out for a 47-yard field goal from the left hash mark. Dittman had been a kicker at Shasta High School. He kicked a 45-yard field goal in the prep ranks but had mostly been a punter for the Knights. He had booted a 24-yarder and three extra-point conversions in the season-opening win against Foothill, but that had been it. So there he was, coming in cold with team's season potentially on the line. "I was trying to think positive," Dittman said on what going through his head. "I didn't want to be negative, otherwise only negative things could happen. I just kicked the ball as hard as I could, kept my head down and hoped that it would go through. Luckily, it barely did." Now, Knights head coach Craig Thompson says that Dittman is going to be kicker on field goals and extra points for the rest of the season. In his dual role of strong safety/kicker, Bergstrom was getting worn down, so Thompson figures that it is better to allow Bergstrom to concentrate on defense and give Dittman a shot. That's fine for Dittman who was a standout soccer player in high school as well. But he figured that he had a better chance in football and came to Shasta to be the team's punter and kicker. After averaging 39 yards per punt as a freshman, Dittman has improved to 43.3 yards this season, ranking second in the state in punting. If he keeps his performance up, Thompson said there is no reason that Dittman can't get a scholarship at a four-year school next season.
"The Kick"
AGAINST LONG ODDS
(9/24/03-Shasta College) The San Francisco 49ers and Dwight Clark have "The Catch," the California Golden Bears have "The Play" and now the Shasta College Knights have "The Kick." The play now being talked about as "The Kick" is the type of play that comes along once in a lifetime. What made "The Kick" special was the long odds that were stacked against it ever succeeding. The Knights had totally lost control of game in which they had, at one time, total control. They had blown a 32-6 lead and trailed, 39-32, with 3:58 left in a game against always tough Sacramento City College. To give David Dittman the opportunity to get his name in the history books the Knights had to overcome several large obstacles. First the Knights needed a 60 yard bomb from quarterback Jeff Ray to All American wide receiver Joe Irelan. No problem, all Joe had to do was beat double coverage, catch the ball and get into the end zone, which is exactly what he did. With the score still in favor of Sac City 39-38, the Knights made it tougher on themselves by getting a delay of game penalty on the extra point try. Those five yards proved to be critical as place kicker Brett Bergstrom's try was just wide left leaving the Knights one point down. Now all the Knights had to do was get the ball back. A muffed kickoff and great special teams coverage pinned the Panthers on their 3 yard line. Three incomplete passes later and Sac City was kicking out of their end zone. A short punt landed on the Sac City 35 yard line and was bouncing towards midfield. The Knight coaching staff was yelling to return man K.C. Clapsaddle to let the ball roll rather than risk a muff or a fumble. After taking a another bounce and to the coaches surprise, K.C. grabbed the ball in mid air at the Sac City 42 yard line. A nifty 15 yard return put the Knights into field goal position at the Panther 27 yard line. A three yard Irelan sweep and an incomplete pass put the Knights into a third down and 6 situation. The Panthers were able to sack Jeff Ray on third down and put the Knights into a 4th and 12 from the Sac City 29 yard line. Decision time for the Shasta coaching staff. On the previous defensive series place kicker Brett Bergstrom sustained a mild concussion and was unavailable to kick. Punter/place kicker David Dittman was available for the try but for the past couple of weeks he had been specializing on his punting not his place kicking. Weighing all the information in the one minute time-out, Head Coach Craig Thompson decided to go for the long field goal attempt from Dittman. The situation was set, Knights on the Sac City 29 yard line, fourth and 12 to go, back-up place kicker ready, late in a big game, a long distance of 47 yards, game on the line and a huge Hall of Fame crowd on their feet. The line held out the Sac City rush, the snap from center Gino D'Aprile was perfect, the placement of the ball by holder Joe Fenske was also perfect and the kick by David was even better! The large roar of the crowd four seconds after the snap let the Sac City sideline know that the ball had indeed sailed through the uprights. The Knights were back in the lead for good. With the Sac City offense running 13 plays in the last 1:32 of the game and marching to the Shasta 10 yard line the Knights still needed a Ben Baker field goal block with 15 seconds left to secure the win and cement "The Kick" into the record books.
Final score in favor of the Knights, 41-39.
ESPN Instant Classic?
DITTMAN'S 47 YD FG & BAKER'S BLOCK WIN IT!!
(9/20/03-Shasta College) The Sac City Panthers and Shasta College Knights hooked up in a football game that could go down as an "ESPN Instant Classic." The Knights (3-0), who at one time enjoyed a 26 point lead, 32-6, fought back with the last nine points of the game to beat Sacramento City College (1-2) 41-39. There were many keys to the game. The last three were huge: a 60 yard TD bomb to All American Joe Irelan, a pressure 47 yard field goal by reserve place kicker David Dittman and blocked field goal attempt by Ben Baker. What made these three plays necessary was the fact that once the Sac City offense got untracked momentum totally shifted to the Panthers and the Knights could not stop it. To start the game the Knights got two field goals, 40 and 22 yards from kicker Brett Bergstrom to take a 6-0 first quarter lead. An Jeff Ray to Joe Irelan bomb from 54 yards out made it 12-0 Shasta. Then the Knight's T.J. Smith took over and literally "ran over" the Panthers. A spectacular 62 yard run set up a Beau McCoy 1 yard plunge and the Knights were up 18-0. On the next Knight possession T.J. did it again, this time scoring from 44 yards out and the Knights were up 25-0. The Knights had things under control, or did they? Sac City then got on the scoreboard in quick fashion with a 3 play 56 yard drive to make the score 25-6. Beau McCoy then closed out the first half scoring with a 30 yard TD sprint to the goal line and the Knights were up 32-6 at the half. The Knights lost control of the game when the Panthers scored on three straight possessions in the fourth quarter. It was also the way they scored that let the Knights huge home crowd know that momentum was definitely not wearing the green and white. Four of the five second half Panther touchdowns were 35 yards or longer. Touchdown passes of 35 yards, 80 yards, 69 yards and 88 yards had given the Panthers momentum and the lead at 39-32. Quarterback Jeff Ray and wide receiver Joe Irelan then went to work and got the Knights back in the game. Ray hooked up with Irelan on a 60 yard TD pass with 3:20 to go, only 38 seconds after Sac City had taken their seven point lead. Joe managed to get open between two defenders, make a leaping catch over one defender and then avoided the second defender and literally walked into the end zone to the delight of the Knight fans. A costly delay of game penalty on the extra point pushed the Knights back five yards and the kicked extra point to tie the game was wide left. On the next possession the Knight fans helped the defense force a three and out from the Panthers who had to punt from their own end zone. K.C. Clapsaddle had a nice 15 yard punt return to set the Knights up on the Sac City 27 yard line. A Joe Irelan sweep for three yards and an incomplete pass gave the Knights a third and 7 from the Panther 24 yard line. On third down the Panthers were able to sack QB Jeff Ray and the Knights were looking at a fourth down and 12 at the Sac City 29 yard line. The Knight coaching staff made the coaching decision of the game when they elected to go for a 47 yard field goal try. Knight kicker Brett Bergstrom certainly has a strong enough leg but Brett was unavailable. He had sustained a mild concussion on the previous defensive series so back up place kicker and punter, David Dittman, was called upon to make the 47 yard attempt. The crowd erupted into a loud cheer when the kick sailed true and through the uprights with a yard to spare, "The Kick" had saved the Knights. "The Kick" put the Knights back into the lead at 41-39. Unfortunately there was 1:39 left on the clock for the Panthers to work with. Sac City was able to get off 13 plays and march to the Knight 10 yard line where they faced a fourth and goal. Lining up for a 29 yard field goal attempt again brought the Knight crowd into the game. The crowd got even louder when defensive lineman Ben Baker broke through the line and blocked the attempt ending the Panthers final chance at a victory. The scoreboard then read, 41-39 ending a game that had everything, a huge hall of fame game crowd, a big Knight lead, a Sac City comeback, a Knight comeback, long plays from both teams, "The Kick" an improbable 47 yard game winning field goal from a back up kicker and a game saving FG block from Ben Baker. Shasta ended the game with 530 total yards, 331 on the ground and 199 through the air. T.J. Smith lead the rushing attack with 208 yards on only 23 carries. Jeff Ray was 11-20 for 199 yards passing. Irelan lead the receivers with 7 catches for 186 yards and two touchdowns. The Knights travel for their first ever game in Quincy next Saturday to play Feather River College with kickoff scheduled for 5:00 PM.
One that Almost Got Away
SHASTA RECOVERS FOR NARROW WIN
(9/22/03-Jeffery Jen-Redding Record Searchlight) Coming off an emotional 41-39 victory late Saturday night over Sacramento City, the Shasta College football team probably had mixed feelings afterward. One was the euphoria of pulling out such an improbable win. The other must have been frustration for blowing a 32-6 half-time lead by surrendering 33 unanswered points. "It was like two different games out there," Knights coach Craig Thompson said. "I believed we came together as a team. We had an explosive first half, then let a very good team get momentum in the second half and threw some adversity on ourselves. But when the time came, the kids stepped up made the big plays when it was needed." The biggest heroes of the game turned out to sophomore punter David Dittman and freshman defensive end Ben Baker. After Brett Bergstrom left the game with three minutes remaining due to a stinger and mild concussion, the place-kicking duties fell on Dittman. He delivered with a clutch 47-yard field goal with 1:39 left in the game. Shasta still had to stop the Panthers one more time. Sac City drove down to the 11-yard line, but Baker burst through the line and blocked a 29-yard field goal attempt with 15 seconds left to preserve Shasta's undefeated season. With such an up-and-down game, there were big performances, both good and bad. Shasta ran up 330 yards on the ground. Knights running back Morris Milton suffered a severe left ankle sprain in the first quarter and didn't return. But T.J. Smith rushed 23 times for 184 yards and a touchdown while Beau McCoy gained 87 yards and two scores on 16 carries. Joe Irelan had six catches for 168 yards and two touchdowns. Sac City had touchdown passes of 35, 80, 69 and 88 yards in the second half. Panthers quarterback Jesse Kozak was 22-of-53 passing for 477 yards, five touchdowns and two interceptions. Sac City also committed six turnovers and couldn't convert on four extra-point attempts. Shasta had a punt blocked and missed two extra-points as well. Reporter Jeffrey Jen can be reached at 225-8228 or at jjen@redding.com.
Versatile Player-Brett Bergstrom
STRONG LEG & FAST TOO!
(9/20/03-Jeffrey Jen Redding Record Searchlight article) When the Shasta College football team convened before the 2002 season, a lot of eyes were on a tall, rangy player from the state of Washington. It was said that Brett Bergstrom could boot 50-yard field goals as a kicker, a luxury not often found at the junior college level. These days, the 6-foot-3, 210-pound sophomore also is the Knights' starting strong safety and has been a main catalysts in Shasta's much-improved defense this season. "I just want to be out there on the field as much as I can," Bergstrom said of his unusual dual role of defensive back/kicker for Shasta. "It doesn't matter what the position is." Bergstrom's versatility should be featured tonight when the Knights (2-0) host Sacramento City at 7 p.m. at Memorial Stadium for Shasta's Hall of Fame game. This is the Knight's final evening start of the season, and they won't play again at home until Oct. 18, when Santa Rosa comes to town. At halftime of the game, five former Shasta athletes will be inducted: Kevin Gosney for swimming and water polo, Stephanie Kuhn-Smith (volleyball), Joshua Schwerdt (men's basketball), Mark Endraske (men's tennis) and Chris Thomas (football). Sacramento City (1-1) almost always has a passing offense that features at least four wide receivers on each pass play. Knights defensive coordinator Matt Diskin plans to counter that with a nickel package with five or six defensive backs in the lineup. Due to their size and speed, Bergstrom and fellow safety Kyle Obermiller could see time at outside linebacker. With 4.59 speed in the 40, Bergstrom, 20, has developed into a standout defensive player. Not bad for a guy who came in from Mount Si High School in Snoqualmie, Wash., as a wide receiver prospect. But the Knights needed help in the secondary last year, so Bergstrom was shifted over and eventually started the whole season at strong safety. With a year under his belt, Bergstrom is more of a playmaker this season. In Shasta's 38-14 win over Foothill to open the season Sept. 6, Bergstrom intercepted two passes—returning one 40 yards for a touchdown. "It was just more maturity and knowing what was going on," Bergstrom said. "I'm more knowledgeable about the game on defense. I feel a lot more comfortable making my reads." Bergstrom got some interest coming out of high school as a kicker—thanks to a 56-yard field goal as a senior—from Washington State. But now he's hoping to move on as a defensive back at a Division I school. One of his coaches thinks he should be able to make the transition. "He's very smart and versatile," Diskin said. "He's got good knowledge of the game. I feel he's Division I-caliber. He's got game speed and he's big and fast enough at safety for the next level.
"Hall of Fame inductees"
Among those in the Hall of Fame class of 2003 is former Knights football player Chris Thomas who played in 1998-99 under Thompson. Thomas caught 106 passes in his career and held the school's single-season record of 1,087 receiving yards before it was broken by Joe Irelan last year. Joshua Schwerdt played men's basketball from 1997-99 under Kele Fitzhugh. He was named first team all-conference both seasons before moving on to Sonoma State. Stephanie Kuhn-Smith was the outstanding volleyball player for Shasta under Kelly Brazil in 1995 and 1996. Stephanie was an all league setter for the Knights. She went on to UC-Davis and then earned a master's degree in physical therapy from University of California, San Francisco. Mark Endraske played tennis in 1996-97 and won the 1996 Bay Valley doubles championship with partner Todd Benson. He was named all-conference and qualified for the Northern California tournament in both of his seasons. Kevin Gosney swam under Don Prince in 1975 and was part of a record-setting 800-meter men's freestyle relay team. He also earned all-conference honors in 1975 and 1976 in men's water polo.
Not an Ordinary Joe
IRELAN WITH 219 TOTAL YARDS
(9/13/03-Shasta College) Fluke start? No way. The Shasta College football team followed up its impressive season-opening win with a 46-14 thumping of College of the Redwoods at Memorial Stadium Saturday. The Knights, who upset Foothill 38-14 last week, were once again imposing defensively. Shasta (2-0) held the Corsairs to 47 yards rushing the entire game. The Knights also recorded six sacks and three turnovers and matched Redwoods' offense by scoring two touchdowns of their own. Offensively, Shasta rolled up 440 yards of total offense, 284 on the ground and 156 in the air. After a quiet first game, standout wide receiver Joe Irelan scored twice, including a 90-yard touchdown on a flanker sweep. The sophomore also caught a short out pass from freshman quarterback Jeff Ray and turned it into a 20-yard touchdown. The Knights proved last week that they could win without Joe Irelan having a big game, something they could not do last season. Joe was held to one reception for 20 yards against Foothill in game one. Against College of the Redwoods Joe was unstoppable, rushing for 134 yards and adding 85 more yards with 5 receptions. For the second straight week the Knights rushed for more than 280 yards in a game. To round out the scoring T.J. Smith added two touchdowns and Beau McCoy added another. After a scoreless first quarter, the Knights started to light up the scoreboard. The Knights' defense opened the scoring when Eric Sobelewski intercepted a Redwoods pass and returned it 15-yards for a touchdown on the first play of the second quarter. When the Knights offense got the ball back on their own 10-yard line two minutes later, they ran a quick hand-off sweep to Irelan, who raced around the left side and darted through the Redwoods' defense for the 90-yard touchdown run. Smith, a sophomore running back, scored two more touchdowns for the Knights later in the quarter on a 23-yard run right sweep and a 16-yard score with 2:11 left in the half. Shasta kicker Brett Bergstrom missed the PAT, following Smith's 23-yard run and the Knights failed on a two-point conversion after Smith's 16-yard run. The big win in the Knight's home opener, which was also homecoming, impressed a special group of fans. On hand were 20 of the 24 living Knight players who played on the 1953 Championship team, Shasta College's first ever football championship team. The players were introduced at half-time to the large partisan Knight crowd. Lloyd Snelson, who scored the game tying touchdown and kicked the extra point for the 19-18 win over unbeaten Yuba College in 1953, called the get together of former Knights players, "One more Huddle."
Impressive Opening
VASTLY IMPROVED DEFENSE
(9/11/03-Jeffrey Jen-Redding Searchlight) What was learned from a strong debut by the Shasta College football team? Following a 38-14 victory over Foothill College, Shasta looks to have answered a lot of questions early. For one, the Knights certainly made a statement. "We've had some pretty good wins before against Mendocino to open up the season," Knights coach Craig Thompson said. "But beating a team the caliber of Foothill right off the bat is different." The revamped Shasta defense was supposed to be much better this year. It is. The Knights forced five turnovers and shut out Foothill until the fourth quarter. Standouts from the game include sophomore strong safety Brett Bergstrom, who returned an interception for a touchdown, and defensive linemen Jason McMullen, Ryan Boyd and John Ohm. Middle linebacker Zach Casas also had a strong game. Blessed with more speed all around this season, the defense is shaping into a solid unit for 2003. On the other side of the ball, the Shasta offensive line performed much better than expected. "We were real skeptical about how the line would do coming in," Knights offensive coordinator Sonny Stupek admitted. "But they did much better than we thought. We were able to run the ball quite a bit." More than that. Shasta gained 284 yards on ground off 48 carries. That allowed the Knights to hold the ball for more than 42 minutes in a 60-minute game. The passing game is a work in progress, though it has more time to develop with a good ground game established. Shasta hosts College of the Redwoods at 7 p.m. Saturday for the home opener and homecoming game. Highlights include the 50-year reunion of the 1953 Shasta College football team. Redwoods is coming off a 19-15 home loss to Siskiyous, but allowed only one touchdown to the Eagles offense. The Knights are looking for a bit of revenge: The last time the Corsairs came to Redding, they left with a 28-27 victory during the 2001 season after Shasta missed an extra-point attempt in overtime.
Knights in Oregon
NAIA POWER SOU
(9/10/03-Ashland, OR) Another former Shasta College Knight football standout is on the Southern Oregon University roster for 2003. Eric Siewert, a native of Phoenix, Oregon, joins Eric Chappell, Jacob Shultz and David Zauher as the newest Raiders in Ashland. This makes four former Knights ready for big NAIA football with Southern Oregon. The "Knights of the Round Table" are all listed on the defensive side of the ball. Chappell (5-8, 185, Junior, Vacaville) and Shultz (6-1, 190, Junior, Sandy, OR) will be defensive backs. Zauher (5-11, 200, Junior, Anderson) is listed as a linebacker. And Siewert (6-0, 230, Junior) is a defensive lineman. SOU head coach Jeff Olson and defensive coordinator Shay McClure are very happy with the former Knights in training camp and are looking for great things to happen in the upcoming season. The Raiders, with the former Knights, are looking at another run for an NAIA National Championship and hope to improve on their 8-3 record and their second consecutive playoff appearance. They open at on September 20th against Linfield College. Their other two home games, October 11th against Montana State-Northern and October 25th against Humboldt State, will be taped by Action Video Entertainment Sports and are tentatively set to be televised on Redding Community Access Cable Channel 11 in Redding at dates to be determined. All three games will be made available on the internet at www.soctoday.com or at www.sou.edu/athletics with Pete Belcastro and Joe Brett on the call on both the radio and television broadcasts.
Knights Blast Foothill!
TJ SMITH LEADS RUSHING ATTACK
(9/6/03-Shasta stuns No. 9 Foothill in 38-14 behind defensive effort.- Record Searchlight staff) The Shasta College football team (1-0) opened its season by stunning number nine ranked in the state, Foothill, 38-14 on Saturday in Los Altos Hills. Fueled by a defense that forced five turnovers, the Knights led 38-0 halfway into the fourth quarter against the Owls, who were ranked ninth in the state in the pre-season California Community College Coaches poll. "We played some cover two and some cover four," said Matt Diskin, Shasta's defensive coordinator. "We had some success blitzing. We were able to adjust to the different formations they gave us and we got to the quarterback early. Early in the game we hit him hard and he just got rattled." The defensive pressure up front forced a pair of interceptions, one by safety Brett Bergstrom who returned his 40 yards for a third-quarter touchdown. Offensively, Shasta stuck to a committee of ball carriers totaling 284 yards on the ground on 48 attempts. KC Clapsaddle carried eight times for 66 yards including a 31-yard touchdown scamper in the fourth that capped all scoring. T.J. Smith led the Knights with 99 yards on 11 carries and Morris Milton totaled 36 yards on eight carries. Jeff Ray was 9-of-20 through the air for 115 yards, but also had 13-yard touchdown run and a 17-yard touchdown pass to Adam Miller. Ray's favorite target in the game was Josh Williamson who caught four passes for 78 yards.
Shasta Looks to Answer the Bell
KNIGHTS HAVE OFFENSIVE QUESTIONS
(8/31/03-Jeffery Jen Redding Record Searchlight) Coming off an up-and-down 5-6 campaign last year, the Knights believe they could be potentially on the verge of a big season—provided that some offensive question marks get answered quickly. While eight starters returning on offense and three more on defense, questions at quarterback and the offensive line still must be solved less than a week before the season opener Saturday at Foothill College. However, the Knights have a few things going for them compared to last season. The defense should be much improved. Considered small in 2002, this year's crew is bigger and more athletic. "We have a lot more speed this year," said Knights sophomore defensive end John Ohm, a Red Bluff High School graduate. "A lot of our D-line is coming back and that always helps. We've got the makings to be a really good defense." The offense has the potential to be explosive thanks to a wealth of talent returning at the skill positions. "We have all these offensive weapons back," explained sophomore running back T.J. Smith, an import from Tacoma, Wash. "And we're going to use all of them. We have the ability to put a lot of points on the board." A big key is at quarterback, where a four-way battle ensued throughout August before Knights coach Craig Thompson named freshman Jeff Ray, out of Shasta High School, the No. 1 quarterback and another freshman, Eric Sobolewski from Versailles, Kent., the backup. The top receiving targets return, headed by sophomore Joe Irelan. The Ohio native smashed school marks in receptions (67) and yards (a state-best 1,469) and tied Jason Sehorn's record of 14 touchdowns in 2002. Also back is the other starting receiver, Enterprise grad KC Clapsaddle (29 receptions, 396 yards, 4 TDs) and the starting tight end, Joshua Williamson (17 catches, 272 yards, 3 TDs). Led by fullback Beau McCoy (104 carries, 697 yards, 5 TDs), the top three running backs return as well. Tailbacks Morris Milton (96 carries, 419 yards, 3 TDs) and Smith (98 carries, 526 yards, 7 TDs) should share the tailback duties again. The offensive line still has some strides to make. Michael Kenyon, a sophomore from Central Valley, is the center. A pair of freshmen have possibly moved into potential starting spots, with Jesse Daniel of Boise, Idaho, at right guard and Scott Church of Shasta High at left tackle. The other positions are still undecided. "I believe we have the pieces to the puzzle," Thompson said. "We just need to make it all fit. We're starting to get there, but we are a bit behind at the moment," because of the uncertainty at quarterback and the offensive line. On defense, Ohm and defensive tackle Jason McMullen return as starters. They should be joined by freshmen Ryan Boyd (Fair Oaks) at tackle and Ben Baker (Lassen) at end. The linebacker corps should be led in the middle by freshman Zach Casas, a 1999 Foothill grad who served four years in the military. Sophomore Tyler McKim of Red Bluff and freshman John Ross (Santa Rosa) will flank Casas. Sophomore Joe Dawson can play either linebacker or end. In the secondary, Brett Bergstrom returns as the starting strong safety—and the team's kicker. Free safety is still being decided between sophomore Joe Fenske and freshman Zachary Catanese out of Trinity. Willie Johnson, a sophomore, mans one cornerback spot with the other going to either sophomore Dwayne Haggins, Catanese or freshman Marshall Richey (Spokane, Wash.). Shasta High product David Dittman returns as the punter, but may have to fend off Bergstrom and Scott Wingert. The schedule is tough early with the Owls, ranked ninth in the California Community College Football Coaches Association poll, hosting the opener. Shasta follows with two home games: Homecoming is against Redwoods on Sept. 13, and the Hall of Fame game against Sacramento City on Sept. 20. But then there are tough road games at Feather River and Butte. Thompson believes that the Knights can compete for the Mid-Empire Conference title this year, but Santa Rosa and San Joaquin Delta again figure|
to be formidable.
Knights on the Radio
NEWSTALK 1400 KQMS
(9/2/03-Shasta College) Once again this season, Shasta College football fans can follow their favorite team as the action develops. Newstalk 1400 KQMS will provide live, play-by-play coverage of the Knights on the gridiron all season, every game....home and road. George Tharalson returns for his sixth season as the Knights play-by-play announcer. You can catch a live broadcast of each football game on Saturday this fall, starting one half hour prior to kickoff....
on Newstalk 1400 KQMS.
Stupek's Gridiron Return
HEAD COACH FROM 1988-91
(8/28/03 Redding Record Searchlight Newspaper article By Jeffrey Jen) The last time Sonny Stupek coached football, he had a guy named Jason Sehorn running around snaring catches for him. That was back in 1991. A dozen years later, Stupek is back on the sidelines with the Knights football team, though in a greater capacity than he originally imagined. Stupek, the Knights head football coach from 1989-91 and their offensive coordinator in 1986-87, was originally coming back to the program to coach defensive backs. Then Knights offensive coordinator Byron Hamilton was named head coach at Foothill High School. So Stupek moved back into the offensive coordinator role. "I was hoping to ease back into it," Stupek said later. "But when Hamilton got the job at Foothill, Coach (Craig) Thompson asked that I move over to the offensive role." While Stupek had to make some adjustments, things haven't been too bad for him. Not when he has eight offensive starters returning on that side of the ball. Back for the Knights are the three top running backs from last year—Beau McCoy, Morris Milton and T.J. Smith, as well as the top three receivers—Joe Irelan, KC Clapsaddle and tight end Josh Williamson. Three starters also return on the line. Stupek himself is probably the one learning the most during fall camp. "The most difficult thing is having a reference point for me to compare the players to," Stupek said. "It's been so long, I'm not sure how they would fare against other teams at the moment. But they have been real good to me. They know what they are doing, and they are the ones breaking me in since I'm the new guy around here."
Knights NorCal Ranked
OPEN WITH #5 FOOTHILL
(8/28/03-Redding) The first poll for the California Community College Football Coaches Association is out. Shasta College was chosen as the No. 14-ranked football team in Northern California, the same spot it ended 2002. College of the Siskiyous is not ranked in the NorCal pre-season poll. The Knights have the tough task of opening on the road Sept. 6 at Foothill, ranked fifth in NorCal and No. 9 in the state. After home games with unranked College of the Redwoods and Sacramento City (No. 13 NorCal), Shasta goes on the road to Feather River (No. 16 NorCal) and to rival Butte (No. 3 NorCal, No. 5 in state). Siskiyous travels to Redwoods on Sept. 6 before hosting Sierra (No. 10 NorCal, No. 17 in state) and Feather River, and then must travel to Butte and Solano (No. 19 NorCal).
Depth & Speed for 2003
QB THE BIG QUESTION
(8/21/03-Shasta College) With 85 players out for the Knight football team the biggest question the Knights face might be is, "Who will be their quarterback? Depth doesn't seem to be a problem for the Knights this year, which finished last season with a little under 60 players. Up to 85 players have showed up for the first few days of practice this month. Knight's coach Craig Thompson said that the team's Green and White intrasquad scrimmage is set for 7:30 p.m. Aug. 29 at Memorial stadium. By that time, most of the starting spots should be determined. Perhaps the biggest battle right now is at quarterback. Four freshmen are contending for the top spot: Scott Wingert of Vacaville; Chris Cavender, a transfer from Santa Rosa, Jeff Ray of Shasta High School and Eric Sobelweski from Kentucky. Coach Thompson feels that this year's version of the Knights might be the fastest group he has ever seen since he started coaching for Shasta College. The offensive side of the ball might be the fastest with the running backs and wide receivers heading the list. Knight opponents will get a strong dose of running backs Beau McCoy, T.J. Smith, Morris Milton, wide receivers KC Clapsaddle and the All League returning, Joe Irelan. "The defense is a close second though," said coach Thompson. "Willie Johnson and Zac Catanese can run with anyone. We are also blessed with some of the hardest working athletes that I have ever been around, Joe Irelan, Beau McCoy and KC Clapsaddle, among others, only know one speed, all out!," said Head Coach Craig Thompson. "Their work ethic is pushing the entire team to practice and play at a higher level."
The Knight's also had a huge hole to fill on their coaching staff. Offensive coordinator for the past six seasons, Bryon Hamilton, was recently named head football coach for Foothill High School in Palo Cedro. To fill that departure the Knights were able to recruit former Knight head coach Sonny Stupek. Coach Stupek was head football coach for the Knights for 3 seasons in 1988-90. "Coach "Stu" has a great knowledge of the game and he is very well liked by his players," said coach Thompson. "Coach Stupek will really mix things up on offense, he will keep the defenses guessing. Coach Hamilton will be hard to replace but we are confidant that Coach Stupek will do a great job." Coach Stupek is also the Head softball coach for the Lady Knights.
Knights Return to the Tube
SIX FOOTBALL @ TWO VOLLEYBALL GAMES
(8/11/03-Shasta College) The Shasta College Knights return to local television on KGEC-TV (FamilyTV) Channel 26 in Redding (Charter Cable Channel 15), working in cooperation with Action Video Entertainment of Mt. Shasta (2nd year) and Redding Community Access Channel 11 (1st year), starting on September 20th. The tentative schedule released by KGEC includes as follows:

Tape Date Air Date Game/Match of the Week
Sept. 13 Sept. 20 FB: Redwoods @ Shasta
Sept. 20 Sept. 27 FB: Sacramento City @ Shasta
Sept. 27 Oct. 4 FB: Shasta @ Feather River
Oct. 18 Oct. 25 FB: Santa Rosa @ Shasta
Oct. 15 Nov. 1 VB: Shasta @ Siskiyous
Nov. 5 Nov. 8 VB: Siskiyous @ Shasta
Nov. 8 Nov. 15 FB: American River @ Shasta
Nov. 15 Nov. 22 FB: Siskiyous @ Shasta

All air dates are Saturday mornings at 10:00 am as part of Northstate Sports Replay on Channel 26 (Cable 15 & UHF 26).
Televised Knights
THREE KNIGHTS @ SOU
(8/11/03-Shasta College) Three former Shasta College Knight football standouts will be seen locally on television as new members of the four-year NAIA independent program at Southern Oregon University out of Ashland, Oregon. Former Knights Eric Chappell (Vacaville), Jacob Shultz (Boring, Oregon) and David Zauher (Anderson Union) - all who played for head coach Craig Thompson - join two former College of the Redwoods Corsairs, Andrew Amosa and Josh Clark, on the Raider squad that went 8-3 last season and made a second consecutive NAIA quarterfinals appearance.
The Raiders are slated to have two games televised on Redding Community Access Television Cable Channel 11 with air dates and times to be determined. The first game will be taped on Saturday, October 11th, when they face the Montana State University-Northern Lights (1:00pm) and the second game is scheduled to be filmed on Saturday, October 25th, in their homecoming game against the Humboldt State Lumberjacks (6:00pm). Both games will be played at Raider Stadium in Ashland and will be covered by Action Video Entertainment of Mt. Shasta. In the October 11th game, Shasta head coach Craig Thompson will join the AVE Sports announce team. In the October 25th game, Rogue Valley Community Television's Pete Belcastro and Joe Brett will be on the call of the action.
Chappell, Shultz and Zauher had tremendous seasons for Shasta College underCoach Thompson's leadership and look to have breakout campaigns at SOU.

(Printable copy of the football schedule) Other Junior College football links;
Commission on Athletics (for statewide statistics, rankings & news)
jcfootball.com (covering junior college football)
jcfootballnetwork.com (covering junior college football)