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2005
Cavender Gets the Start
USF STARTING QB
(USF website-828/06) The University of Sioux Falls football team's quarterback competition is over. Coach Kalen DeBoer informed junior Chad Cavender and sophomore Bret Beachner late Monday night that Cavender will be the Cougars starting signal-caller. DeBoer told the rest of the team at Tuesday morning's practice. The coach said that Cavender, a transfer from Shasta College in Redding, Calif., came on strong as the time to make a decision neared."We wanted to see if there were some things Chad could respond to, and he did a real nice job," DeBoer said. "I've really seen him grow in the last six practices. Now that he's the starter, we can really focus on making sure he understands exactly what we're looking for. We're excited to know which we're going with." Beachner made the decision tough and will still have a year of eligibility after Cavender is gone."He's obviously disappointed," DeBoer said of the sophomore from Lee's Summitt, Mo. "But I think he'll keep working hard and keep pushing Chad. Hopefully nothing happens to Chad, but if it does, we can have a lot of confidence in Bret." Nick Haub, a former Washington High standout, is third on the Cougar depth-chart. USF opens their season Sep. 2 vs. Concordia (Neb.).
Twenty-One Yards Short
NOT QUITE FOR THE KNIGHTS
(Shasta College-Jeffrey Jen-Searchlight-11/13/05) Almost, but not quite for Shasta. Relief and celebration for Siskiyous. Eagles safety Scott Yerges grabbed his second interception of the fourth quarter with less than a minute left to preserve Siskiyous' 30-26 victory over rival Shasta at Memorial Stadium on Saturday. The Knights rallied from a 30-13 deficit and had the ball on the Eagles 21-yard line with 1:02 remaining in the game. But, Shasta tried a trick play with quarterback Chad Cavender lateraling to wide receiver Josh Aldridge, who dodged a would-be tackler before heaving a pass into the end zone intended for the Knights' Jordan Webb. However, Yerges came over and stepped in front of Webb for his 10th pick of the season, ending Shasta's rally. "I thought I had it," said Webb, who finished with 11 catches for 127 yards. "Josh threw the ball and I was in the end zone and twisted around and waited for the ball. I never saw the free safety coming over and he stepped in front and got the ball." Siskiyous (2-4 Mid-Empire Conference, 3-7) rode mighty mite running back Alex Gaston and its secondary to a second straight win over Shasta, this time on the Knights' home turf. Gaston, a 5-foot-6 sophomore, was ejected early in last year's game between the two teams for illegal spikes. However, he more than made up for it with two games' worth of stat lines: 44 carries, 250 yards, two touchdowns. "I was more motivated because this is the first time I've been close to 100 percent this season," Gaston said. "It was a very important win since it will help give a boost to our freshmen for next season." Meanwhile, the pickoff-happy Eagles defensive backs intercepted the Knights five times, includeIng three times in the end zone. "That makes it like 25 interceptions for us this year," Siskiyous head coach Eric Young said. "It was a heck of a football game. Shasta played tough, but our players came up with some big plays at the end." Fittingly for Shasta (1-5 MEC, 2-8), the way its season went, the Knights were picked off on trick plays on their first offensive play of the night as well as well as its last. Things went well early for Shasta after holding Siskiyous on the Eagles first possession of the game. Ronald Downing game in and blocked a Corey O'Neill punt and the Knights got the ball on the Eagles 15. But even then, Shasta got unlucky when starting linebacker Jordan Sinclair was injured on the play and only was used sparingly the rest of the game. With great field position to start, Shasta tried a halfback pass right off the bat. Beau Mooney got the ball and heaved a pass to Webb, but it was underthrown and James Carroway picked it off. "We made the decision to go with some trick plays in certain spots," Knights coach Craig Thompson said. "In hindsight, you can't say whether we should have made those calls. If they worked, it would be a great play. But, they didn't." Cavender got the Knights on the board first with a 5-yard run off a quarterback draw with 8:03 left in the first quarter. But, his extra-point bounced off the right upright to keep things at 6-0. Cavender later had an extra-point blocked by the Eagles' Miguel Gonzalez that would have moved Shasta to within a field goal Cavender, in his last game in Knights uniform, completed 20-of-41 passes for 234 yards and ran for three touchdowns, but had two costly interceptions. Jefferson Hunsaker came in and gave Shasta a big spark towards the end of the first half. He completed 5-of-8 passes for 62 yards, including a 20-yard touchdown pass to Jake McCarty with 17 seconds left in the second quarter to get the Knights back into the game down 23-13. Gaston had touchdown runs of 2 and 4 yards in the first half, setting up Siskiyous' use of the fly sweep to wide receiver Chaz Thompson. Utilizing the play, Thompson added a 15-yard scoring run in the second quarter. When O'Neill nailed a 42-yard field goal with 7:03 left in the second quarter, Siskiyous had a 23-6 and was threatening to run away with the game. However, this time the Knights were going down so easily. "It was frustrating to lose, but the guys on the team did show character" Knights offensive tackle Dustin Fortenberry said. "We fought back and had a chance at the end." Hunsaker gave the team a spark, but then went down to a right elbow injury after Eagles linebacker Jared Kuhl nailed him in the early quarter as he was releasing a pass. The ball fluttered in the air before getting picked off by Siskiyous' Eric Lindley. Hunsaker wouldn't return. Thompson, who had 102 yards on 12 carries, added a second rushing touchdown from six yards out with 7:08 left in the third quarter to put the Eagles up 30-13. Cavender returned and helped begin a comeback march by scoring from two yards out with 12:19 left in the fourth quarter after a long 18-play drive which featured two fourth-down conversions. The Knights had a chance to draw closer, but Cavender underthrew Webb in the end zone and Yerges picked the pass off. However, Cavender rallied for a 12-yard scoring run with 3:25 left in the fourth. But, the blocked-extra point kept things at 30-26 and forced the Knights to go for only a touchdown. Siskiyous gained a first down, but the Knights stopped Gaston for a yard loss on third-and-1 on the Siskiyous 45. On the punt attempt, the ball sailed over O'Neill who deflected it with a hand, but went down with a knee injury as he tried to recover the ball. Shasta linebacker Austin Stack recovered the ball, but was downed on the 21-yard line. "I could have scooped up the ball and ran it in," Stack said. "That's what (Knights defensive coordinator) Matt Diskin coaches us. Scoop and score. I had an open field and a lineman next to me. But, I missed grabbing the ball and kicked it." His misery, and that of the Knights and their fans, grew when Yerges ended things a play later. Reporter Jeffrey Jen can be reached at 225-8228 or jjen@redding.com.
Shasta, Siskiyous Square Off
LAST GAME RIVALRY
(Shasta College-Jeffrey Jen-11/12/05) It's the final game of the season facing off against your area rival. No need to get up for this junior college football game: Siskiyous at Shasta at 6 p.m. today at Memorial Stadium. Records are thrown out in rivalry games -- good thing, since both teams come in with 2-7 records. At the moment, the Eagles have the upper hand in this battle, courtesy of a 41-0 dismantling last year in Weed. Siskiyous also is coming off a 28-14 victory over Redwoods, while the Knights are regrouping, yet again, after allowing a 20-point fourth quarter in a 34-17 loss to undefeated American River. However, the defeat from last year is the one that stings. "I don't want that to happen again," said normally reserved Knights quarterback Chad Cavender. "In fact, I know it isn't going to happen again. There's no way the sophomores are going to allow that." Knights coach Craig Thompson isn't going to be shy about bringing up last year's loss, which occurred even though Siskiyous' star running back Alex Gaston was ejected for using illegal shoe spikes. "That's a type of loss you think about all year," Thompson said. So Shasta has all the motivation it needs heading to tonight's game. What shouldn't be understated is Siskiyous has plenty of motivation given its tough season and the prospect of developing a win streak against Shasta. The Eagles have the state's fifth-ranked defense, which allows 265.3 yards per game. Then there is Gaston, who has worked through some injuries but still comes in ranked 14th in the state in averaging 108.4 yards rushing per game. "They're the best 2-7 team that I've seen," Thompson said. "Their four down guys are solid, good linebackers and their secondary is strong." Cavender must be particularly wary of the defense. The Eagles' Scott Yerges is second in the state with eight interceptions and has returned two for touchdowns. Jared Kuhl and James Carraway each have four picks for Siskiyous. On the other hand, Siskiyous has struggled offensively, even with Gaston. The Eagles average 257 yards of total offense, which is still better than the 250.9 Shasta averages. Siskiyous struggles in the passing game at 109 yards per game through the air, making the offense one-dimensional. The Knights have to take advantage of that if they want to end the season on a positive note. "Both teams strength is on the defensive side of the ball," Thompson said. "We need to generate some offense and avoid turnovers at all costs and play the field position game." A win for either side should go a long way to making a painful 2005 season a lot more bearable. Another loss, well, that has happened a lot to both teams this year. Reporter Jeffrey Jen can be reached at 225-8228 or jjen@redding.com.
Knights Lose in Fourth Quarter
NOT ENOUGH OFFENSE
(Sacramento-Redding Searchlight article-11/5/05) Early in the fourth quarter, the Shasta College football team had things going its way, ready to pull off its biggest upset in years. Twenty points later, the Knights came out on the short end of a 34-17 loss at American River College on Saturday. Shasta had a 17-14 lead early in the fourth quarter after a 34-yard field goal from Chad Cavender with 14:46 remaining. However, the Beavers' Coye Francies returned the ensuing kickoff 81 yards for the go-ahead touchdown and American River wore down the Knights at the end. "We had momentum going our way and then that happened," Knights coach Craig Thompson said of the kickoff return. Shasta (1-3 Mid-Empire Conference, 2-7) never could get going offensively against undefeated American River (4-0 MEC, 9-0), being held to 81 yards. The Beavers entered the game fifth in the state in total defense, allowing 226.8 yards per game. "That may have been the best defense we've faced all season," Thompson said. "As a group of 11, they play very well together. They have good linebackers, good safeties and one of the best cornerbacks around." J.C. Hunsaker came in at quarterback for Shasta in the second half. He had a 54-yard run off a quarterback draw to set up his 2-yard scoring run with 4:39 left in the third quarter, tying the game at 14. He finished with 61 yards rushing on eight carries, but was 3-of-11 passing for 23 yards. Cavender, who started at quarterback, was 4-of-21 for 29 yards and was sacked four times. While the Knights defense held American River to 85 yards rushing, Beavers quarterback Mark Weight burned Shasta through the air. Weight completed 18-of-28 for 348 yards and three touchdowns. He was picked off twice, with Kevin Nicholson and Kyle Ravera getting the interceptions for Shasta. The Beavers' standout running back, Andre Hickson, was held to 54 yards on 16 carries, but the American River receivers more than made up for that. Marcus Spain caught six passes for 130 yards and two scores, and Chris Green added five catches for 136 yards and a 67-yard touchdown catch with 14:35 left in the second quarter for the game's first score. Shasta took a 7-6 lead when Austin Watson blocked a Beavers punt and Garrett Schaad recovered the ball in the end zone. But American River came back as Weight hit Spain on a 21-yard touchdown pass with 37 seconds left in the first half for a 14-7 lead. "That was a little bit of a dagger there for us, giving up that score right before halftime," Thompson said. Though the switch to Hunsaker at quarterback gave the Knights a temporary spark, it wasn't enough to hold off the No. 6-ranked team in Northern California. Shasta ends its season with a6 p.m. home game Saturday against area rival Siskiyous.
Knights Play Giveaway
SIX TURNOVERS TOO MANY
(Shasta College-Jeffrey Jen Redding Searchlight-10/29/05) Another grisly offensive performance sabotaged whatever hopes the Knights had toward putting together a winning streak. The Shasta College football team committed six turnovers in an 18-7 loss to visiting Feather River at Memorial Stadium on Saturday night. What was especially troubling for the Knights (1-2 Mid-Empire Conference, 2-6 overall) was when the turnovers occurred. All four first-half turnovers -- and five in all -- took place in Golden Eagles territory as the Knights were driving. Three were in the red zone. One week after getting state player of the week accolades, quarterback Chad Cavender had a miserable second half. He finished 18-of-36 for 200 yards, but tossed three interceptions. What's worse was how well he started, completing 10 of his first 13 passes before connecting on barely a third of his throws the rest of the way. Shasta had 30 yards rushing the whole game and 34 yards total offense in the second half, all on its final drive. "Those four turnovers in their territory, two in the red zone, killed our momentum," Knights wide receiver Jordan Webb said. "We came out in the second half and didn't execute at all. It is definitely frustrating." For its part, the Knights defense had a bend, but don't break philosophy. Feather River's vaunted option offense churned out 333 yards rushing and 442 yards overall. The Golden Eagles drove inside the Shasta 25-yard line on seven different possessions -- and came away with two touchdown runs and a field goal. The Knights' propensity to turn the ball over was evident on their first drive. After getting two first downs and getting to the Feather River 42, Cavender fumbled away the snap. The next possession, the Knights drove to the Golden Eagles 20 and Cavender tried a screen pass to Endure Dinish, but had it picked off. Feather River (2-1 Mid-Empire Conference, 5-3) was stymied the first three times, but eventually scored on a 5-yard touchdown run from Kevin Murray with 13:53 left in the second quarter for a 7-0 lead. That turned out to be the only score of the first half, mostly because the Knights "shot themselves in the foot" as head coach Craig Thompson described it. Right after the Golden Eagles score, Shasta drove the ball down and had a first and goal on the 3. But Austin Watson fumbled the handoff from Cavender and Feather River's Eric Trueblood recovered on the 6. On the Feather River 39, Cavender later threw a pass to the sidelines that was picked off by Charlie Barone. The Shasta defense provided further lift when cornerback Michael Hayden, a receiver filling in due to Knights' suspensions, intercepted Chris Montano and returned it 78 yards to the Golden Eagles 3. It took Shasta three plays, but Cavender eventually snuck the ball over the goal line from a yard out with 11:18 left in the third quarter, tying the game at 7. But, the Knights offense went far south the rest of the way, as Feather River started to churn out yardage on the ground. Ryan Burks bounced back for a 27-yard field with 2:20 left in the third to give Feather River a 10-7 lead. Hayden was burned on a 41-yard pass play from Montano to Charles Jackson in the fourth quarter, but made amends with his second interception of the game when Feather River tried the same streak pass route a few plays later. "Not a bad game to have two picks after playing wide receiver all year," Hayden said. "I played corner as a freshman and during my redshirt year, so it is almost was second nature for me to go back after they needed help with those suspensions." One problem with his second pick was that Jackson tossed him out of bounds at the Shasta 2. Four plays later, a snap sailed over punter Matthew McGarry's head for a safety with 6:28 left in the game. Marcus Okobi, who rushed for 104 yards on 21 carries, added a 10-yard touchdown run with 3:02 remaining, all but sealing the game. Reporter Jeffrey Jen can be reached at 225-8228 or jjen@redding.com.
Knights Go for Two Straight
HOME GAME @ 6 SATURDAY
(Shasta College- Jeffrey Jen Searchlight-10/29/05) Fresh off a road win, the Knights are looking to build momentum for a second-half charge to what has been a less than stellar year.The Shasta College football team hosts Feather River at 6 p.m. today at Memorial Stadium. The Golden Eagles are 4-3 and ranked No. 16 in Northern California in the state coaches poll. However, Feather River is coming off a 34-7 loss to American River, while the Knights' previous outing was a 41-20 victory over Redwoods in Eureka. For Shasta (1-1 Mid-Empire Conference, 2-5), the Redwoods game was its best all-around performance of the season. The Knights outgained the Corsairs 455-253 and scored the last three touchdowns of the game. Quarterback Chad Cavender and wide receiver Jordan Webb are coming off career days and the offensive line had its best game of the season. The offensive outburst will be needed tonight as the Golden Eagles are ranked seventh in the state defensively, allowing 258.4 yards per game. Shasta also lost three players due to ejections in the Redwoods game, including starting cornerback Willie Johnson. As a result, the Knights are moving over Michael Hayden, the team's leading receiver, back to cornerback to fill in for a game. Kao Saelee, who spent time at free safety this year, is the other starting cornerback, but will still see time on offense. Feather River likes to run the ball by using the option to churn out 244.6 yards rushing per game. Running backs Marcus Okobi (547 yards, 7.6 avg., 7 TDs) and Brylee Callender (409 yards, 7.2 avg., 5 TDs) have shared the ground load for the Golden Eagles. That's their bread-and-butter, but the Golden Eagles can go over the top a few times a game behind the arm of quarterback Chris Montano (37-of-86, 763 yards, 5 TDs, 5 Ints.). "We're going to have to be disciplined in order to stop their dive option," Knights head coach Craig Thompson said. "We have to be able to establish our own running game. Otherwise, once they pin you down, that's when they come with their heavy blitzes." Beau Mooney, who rushed for 88 yards in the win over Redwoods, gets the start at tailback. Thompson said reserves Austin Watson and Jermon Jackson also could see time in an effort to see who can handle the bulk of the carries. Feather River doesn't have as big a line as some of the other Knights' opponents, so Thompson is hopeful a ground game can be established. "We want to show that we're committed to running the ball to keep them honest," he said. "Then, we can play-action pass and control the time of possession." A win and the Knights have a chance to wind down the season on several positive notes. Otherwise, it will be more of the same thing for Shasta: looking up at opponents as they have all season. Reporter Jeffrey Jen can be reached at 225-8228 or jjen@redding.com.
Fight Fallout
KNIGHTS ON TOP AGAIN
(Shasta College-Jeffrey Jen Searchlight-10/27/05) The Knights football team worked out a lot of aggression Saturday. However, most of the stress release came after the final buzzer of Shasta College's 41-20 victory over College of the Redwoods instead of during the first quarter when what could be described as a skirmish between the two teams. Shasta was looking for a victory to turn around its season, and the Knights got it thanks to a great day from quarterback Chad Cavender and wide receiver Jordan Webb. A three-game losing streak was snapped and the offense had its highest output of the season: 455 yards. Cavender earned Player of the Week honors after completing 22-of-33 passes for 267 yards and four touchdowns. He added 95 rushing yards and two running scores, giving him 362 yards of total offense and six combined touchdowns. His favorite target was Webb who caught 10 balls for 168 yards and three scores. Cavender also credited the offensive line with giving him time, allowing him to "worry about DBs instead of D-linemen." However, things got a bit worked up in the first quarter when the previously mentioned skirmish began during an interception return by Knights safety Chase Sutfin. There was some jostling going on, face-mask tugging ensued, a few punches were thrown and when things cleared up, referees were ejecting players for coming onto the field. Five Knights and seven Corsairs were tossed, including one in street clothes. A later altercation resulted in the Knights' Tony Jones and another Corsairs player getting the gate. The Knights who were ejected included cornerbacks Willie Johnson, DeAndre Riggins and Brian Duffy, running back Jermon Jackson, and wide receiver Endure Dinish. As near as Knights coach Craig Thompson could describe it, the Corsairs' top receiver Justin Veney dragged down Johnson. Another player jumped on Johnson who lost his helmet. Johnson quickly sought to remove himself from the fray. While part of the Redwoods team stepped out, the Shasta team kept to the sidelines and things simmered down, he said. But Thompson thought some players were unfairly ejected for leaving the sidelines on both sides and sent out a few appeals. Video replays showed Riggins, Jackson and Dinish still on the sidelines during the fracas, and their appeals were accepted, leaving them eligible to play Feather River. There is also a possibility that Johnson could also win his appeal since he quickly tried to distance himself from the scene. Thompson said Duffy did leap into the fracas and will be lost for this game as well as Jones. In one other note on the deal: Veney wasn't ejected from the game and played the rest of the way. But when the videos came out, Thompson said he earned a one-game suspension as a result. So, all in all, things turned out well for Shasta in Eureka. The Knights got a much-needed win and came out better in the aftermath of things. There is some moving around with the lineup since the coaches weren't sure how appeals would turn out. Wide receiver Michael Hayden ended up playing cornerback in the second half of the Redwoods game. Hayden played the position as a freshman two years ago for Shasta and will probably serve as an ironman of sorts against Feather River, seeing time on both sides of the ball, in addition to returning kickoffs and punts. The Knights also announced a change at tailback. Thompson said he has "removed" running back Steven Valliere from the squad for breaking team rules. Valliere, as well as offensive tackle Davlin Hall, missed the team bus Saturday and didn't play against Redwoods. It was Hall's first offense, but not Valliere's, but Hall is still on the team. With that loss, though, former fourth-stringer Beau Mooney stepped up Saturday, rushing for 88 yards on 27 carries. The freshman from Vale, Ore.,
will get the start Saturday.
Jeffrey Jen's college notebook runs Thursdays.
He can be reached at 225-8228 or at jjen@redding.com.
Redwoods Falls Big
CAVENDER WITH HUGE DAY
(Eureka-Searchlight article-10/22/05) Shasta College quarterback Chad Cavender had a career day in the Knights 41-20 victory over Redwoods on Saturday in Eureka, but the win was marred by a fight that broke out in the opening quarter. The incident centered around Willie Johnson, who is the gunner on the Knights' punt coverage team. "He was going down on Redwoods side and got attacked," Shasta defensive coordinator Matt Diskin said. "He literally got tackled. And while he was down, a guy pinned him down and then these guys on the sideline went out and jumped on him. "Our guys said, Hey, our guy's in trouble,' and next thing you know a melee broke out." Making the situation even stranger, Diskin said the people who came from Redwoods' sidelines weren't even suited up to play. "Both benches emptied, and it was a barroom brawl like I've never seen," Diskin said. "It was quite ugly. To Redwoods' credit, they did their best to stop it." When game action resumed, after seven Knights and six Corsairs were ejected, things were back and forth with Shasta taking leads before Redwoods tied the game at 13 in the second quarter and 20 in the third. That's when the Knights got on their horses and reeled off three straight touchdowns to vanquish their opponents. All came from the arm of Cavender. His 8-yard touchdown pass to Michael Hayden put Shasta up 27-20, then he hit Jordan Webb on 23- and 15-yard TD strikes. In the air, Cavender completed 21-of-33 for 267 yards with four touchdowns and one interception. On the ground, he carried the ball 11 times for 85 yards with touchdowns of 1 and 9 yards. "It was his biggest game as a Knight," Diskin said. "He stepped up and played well." Both teams entered the game with 1-5 records, but Diskin dismisses the notion of playing for pride. "We always play hard, man. It's not just for pride," he said. "It felt great. We're going to enjoy it tonight." But he felt maybe the frustrating seasons for both squads may have fueled the brawl. Now, he'll have to try and get some of his players back for next week's game against Feather River through appeals. "When you get ejected, you miss the next game, too," Diskin said. "That's why it's important we appeal this."It's duly noted we had guys who made some stupid mistakes, poor decisions. But, we had guys ejected who shouldn't have been -- Willie Johnson was a victim." Diskin added there's never been this type of problem between Shasta and Redwoods. "We've had a respectful, amiable relationship," he said. "The coaches get along famously. We're all ex-Humboldt State Lumberjacks. "It's just an unfortunate situation started by a few nonfactored guys."
No Spark
OPEN LEAGUE WITH LOSS
(Shasta College-Jeffrey Jen Searchlight-10/16/05) It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to know things are bad when, midway through the second quarter, an opposing assistant football coach is saying, "It’s over. Stick a fork into them. They’re done." Sierra College scored 35 points in a 10-minute second-quarter span to blow away Shasta College 45-6 at Memorial Stadium on Saturday. The 35 was a fitting number for the Wolverines since it’s where their win streak now stands. Sierra (6-0) lived up to its billing of being a well-coached, well-executing football team. Shasta (1-5) failed to provide much drama for its homecoming/Hall of Fame game. By halftime, when 14 new Hall inductees were honored out on the field, the Knights trailed 42-0. The offense never got into sync, and the defense looked like a faucet with multiple leaks. But the special teams had the night’s biggest gaffe in allowing Sierra to recover a kickoff even though the Wolverines weren’t even trying to. "We got outplayed in every aspect of the game," Knights head coach Craig Thompson said. "Right now, we don’t have a whole lot of answers. We’re going to keep trying to find some." The Knights’ Steven Valliere scored on a 2-yard run with 6:14 left in the third quarter. Fitting, the Knights missed the extra-point. Valliere had 34 yards on 12 carries. Chad Cavender was 14-of-28 for 127 yards as Shasta had 256 yards of total offense. Sierra racked up 535 yards offense. Sierra quarterback Dave Johnson had a big night, completing 9-of-10 passes for 165 yards and three touchdowns before taking a seat late in the second quarter. Keith Johnson had 129 yards and three touchdowns on 14 carries. Sierra was up 7-0 after the first quarter. On the first play of the second quarter, Dave Johnson hit a wide open Matt Watson on a 10-yard scoring pass. From there, things went downhill in a hurry for the home team. Johnson tossed an 80-yard touchdown pass to David Lowry on Sierra’s next offensive play. The next Wolverines drive ended with Johnson’s 3-yard scoring pass to Zach Jiru. Right after the Wolverines assistant’s comment in the press box, Shasta returner Michael Hayden failed to get to a kickoff that ended up being recovered by Sierra player on the Shasta 16. "They had the deepest onside kick recovery in America," Thompson said about the play. "It’s rather embarrassing." One play and a 16-yard TD run by Johnson, it was 35-0 Sierra with 7:47 left in the second quarter. On Sierra’s next drive, it took two running plays to cover 63 yards. The second was a 40-yard TD run from Keith Johnson with 5:43 left in the half. Reporter Jeffrey Jen can be reached at 225-8228 or jjen@redding.com.
Gift Giving Knights
BLOW 38-20 LEAD TO LOSE
(SAN PABLO-Record Searchlight Article-10/1/05) Of all the ways to go into a bye week, this was the worst possible scenario for the Shasta College football team. Contra Costa scored 21 unanswered points, including two touchdowns in the final three minutes, to take away the game from the Knights 41-38 on Saturday. "Right now, I'm numb and oblivious to all other things," Knights coach Craig Thompson said. "We had them all ready to pack it in. Instead, it was us packing it in." Steven Valliere ran for 120 yards and two touchdowns on 24 carries. Chad Cavender was 19-of-37 for 240 yards and two touchdowns and two interceptions. Michael Hayden caught seven passes for 90 yards and a 17-yard touchdown catch in the first quarter. The sophomore also had a 38-yard punt return for a touchdown in the third quarter.But a bad finish spoiled so many good things for Shasta. DeAndre Green caught a 7-yard touchdown pass from Alex Smith to pull Contra Costa to within four points at 38-34. The Comets then recovered an onside kick and four plays later, Trae Gates scored on a 7-yard run. Contra Costa (2-3) took advantage of an injury to starting cornerback Jerry Lavender, out with a jammed hip, in the second half. The Comets had 352 yards through the air and 406 total yards. Green had eight catches for 100 yards and Sean Grant caught four passes for 155 yards, including a 57-yard scoring pass from Gregg Parker to start the Comets' rally late in the third quarter. Shasta (1-4) had a balanced attack of 168 yards rushing and 240 passing for 408 total yards, 165 more than its season average. "The offensive line did a good job for us," Thompson said. "We were running the ball well. Steven had some big plays. At times, we were pretty effective with both the pass and the run." But the offense bogged down at the end and the defense and special teams couldn't slam the door shut on the Comets. "We can't maintain any kind of consistency through an entire football game," Thompson said. "That's our biggest problem right now. We can't finish things. We have to learn how to do that." Cavender hit Jake McCarty for a 40-yard touchdown pass to cut Contra Costa's lead to 14-12 in the second quarter. Vallier scored his first touchdown, a 24-yarder, to put the Knights up 19-14. Contra Costa scored to retake the lead, but gave the ball back when a bad snap sailed over the punter's head for a safety, sending Shasta into halftime up 21-20. Valliere then scored on a 14-yard run and Matthew McGarry tacked on a 38-yard field goal before Hayden's return, putting Shasta up 38-20. Shasta gets an off-week coming up before diving into Mid-Empire Conference play on Oct. 15 with a 6 p.m. home game against undefeated 5-0 Sierra College.
Knights to Keep it Simple
BUS RIDE TO BAY AREA TODAY
(Shasta College-By Jeffrey Jen, Record Searchlight-10/1/05) Scrawled on the whiteboard in the Shasta College football office are phrases: "No turnovers," "No sacks" and "350 ypg." Those are the goals Knights head coach Craig Thompson and his staff have set for the Shasta offense, heading into today's 1 p.m. game at Contra Costa in San Pablo. Thompson explained what he had down. Pointing to a "¼" sign high up on the board, he says, "We want to score every quarter. Field goal, touchdown, it doesn't matter. Just put points on the board." The rest is self explanatory. No turnovers, especially after committing six against Fresno City last week. No sacks: give the quarterback enough time to throw to a receiver or at least throw the ball away. The 350 yards of total offense -- the breakdown calls for 150 rushing and 200 passing -- are more than 100 yards above the Knights' average of 243. "We've set goals this week," Thompson said. "Hopefully, this will give our guys something to shoot for." Through four games, the Knights offense has struggled, averaging 12.3 points on their way to a 1-3 start. To Shasta, this looks like a winnable game and a victory heading into the bye week before the start of Mid-Empire Conference play in two weeks. Shasta received more bad news earlier in the week when it was announced starting center Richard Leslie is out for the year with a broken foot, the second such loss at the position this season. In the season opener against Sacramento City, Schuyler Wilson went down with a broken ankle. Left guard Matt Jarvis shifts over to center with freshman Seth Stroing returning to the starting lineup in his place. Running back Steven Valliere is still nursing a sore foot, but he should get the start at tailback. Look for the Knights to find more ways to get the ball in his hands since he has been the one offensive player thus far to haven shown some game-breaking ability. Thompson is also talking about using a four-receiver set with Jake McCarty and Endure Dinish joining Michael Hayden (14 receptions, 205 yards) and Jordan Webb in that formation. "We're trying to put as many guys who can make plays for us out onto the field," Thompson said. "This allows us to spread the field and hopefully provide more room for Steven to operate." After last week's turnover-debacle against Fresno City, look for Shasta to be a little more conservative with the play-calling this time around. "We want to play toward our defense," Thompson said. "Our defense has to dominate. If we're backed up, we have to be more conservative with plays and not commit turnovers. If we're out more toward the middle of the field, we'll open up the playbook." Reporter Jeffrey Jen can be reached at 225-8228 or jjen@redding.com. Turnovers Plague Knights
EVEN OR BETTER STATS
(Shasta College-By Jeffrey Jen, Record Searchlight-9/25/05) A green-clad Shasta College quarterback drops back and delivers a pass that is caught and goes for a long gain. That happened often for the Knights in Saturday’s home football game with Fresno City. Unfortunately, too often the ball-catcher was wearing the visiting white jersey of the Rams. Shasta committed six turnovers — including five interceptions — and Fresno City took advantage, scoring 27 third-quarter points in a 44-9 victory over the Knights at Memorial Stadium. Fresno City constantly had a short field to work with thanks to the turnovers and subsequent runbacks. Three Fresno City drives started inside Shasta’s 10. The Rams turned those drives into 17 points on an afternoon where the Rams’ five offensive touchdown drives lasted 80, 31, 2, 1 and 40 yards. Fresno City (3-1) also returned a blocked punt for a touchdown. This loss rankled the Knights even more than the 62-0 defeat at Santa Rosa two weeks ago since many Shasta players believed they had a chance until turnovers began to plague the offense. "I think they were overrated," Knights linebacker Kyle Ravera said. "We could have played with them, but we had too many turnovers and made too many mistakes." Shasta’s defense allowed 267 yards of total offense, including 72 yards on 32 carries on the ground. Rams quarterback Stanley Nihipali was 15-of-33 for 195 yards and four touchdowns. He was intercepted once by linebacker Austin Stack. Ravera also forced two fumbles recovered by Shasta. Shasta had 247 yards of offense, but only 20 came on the ground. With Steven Valliere nursing a sprained foot, Austin Watson got the start at tailback, but struggled. Valliere played in the second half and briefly gave Shasta spark with 71 total yards, but lost a fumble in the third quarter. The start of the second half was brutal for the Knights whose first seven possessions ended with five turnovers and two three-and-outs. "We come out and we’re not warm yet," Cavender said. "For some reason, we don’t get our energy and enthusiasm back until after halftime." Fresno City ended up with 188 return yards off interceptions and scored all 27 of its second-half points off Shasta turnovers. "Right now, we got one side of the ball coming out and trying to win a game," Knights coach Craig Thompson said. "The other side is trying to figure out what play they’re running." Chad Cavender had some success throwing the ball early, but was 10-of-26 for 108 yards. He was sacked four times and picked off twice before getting replaced by J.C. Hunsaker early in the third quarter. Hunsaker went 7-of-16 for 119 yards and tossed a 13-yard touchdown pass to Michael Hayden in the fourth quarter. But Hunsaker also was picked off three times. Brandon Gerrans was 0-for-3 in a brief fourth-quarter stint. "There were a lot of poor decisions," Thompson said. "Too much uncertainty from our quarterbacks. Sometimes they tried to do too much and went outside what our schemes are supposed to be." Reporter Jeffrey Jen can be reached at 225-8228 or jjen@redding.com. (webmaster note: The Knights held a 9+ minute advantage in time of possesion, had 2 more first downs and ran 17 more plays than FCC.)
Season Can Hinge on Fresno
RARE DAY GAME
(By Jeffrey Jen, Record Searchlight-9/24/05) The Knights are done worrying about whether things are going downhill for them.Instead, the Shasta College football team is looking to keep going up after breaking through with its first victory of the season, a 20-9 win at Solano, last Saturday. Despite the momentum, the Knights have a rugged climb ahead of them today when a motivated Fresno City squad comes to town for a rare afternoon game at Memorial Stadium. The Rams enter today's 1 p.m. game ranked eighth in Northern California in the California Community College Football Coaches Association poll and No. 16 in the state. Fresno City is also looking to bounce back from a 40-0 mauling received last week at the hands of NorCal's top-ranked team San Francisco. The last time Shasta faced a team ranked this high was two weeks ago when Santa Rosa gave the Knights a 62-0 thrashing. Knights head coach Craig Thompson is hopeful today's contest turns out differently. "We want to go out there and show that we can be competitive," Thompson said. "We want to keep it close and give ourselves a chance to for a win at the end. We can't afford to get into another one of those slides where everything goes wrong and we let the game get away from us." The defense is coming off an impressive showing, allowing 160 yards total offense in a shutout. Solano's only points came off a kick return and a safety. Linebacker Jordan Sinclair blocked a field goal and starting cornerbacks Willie Johnson and Jerry Lavender each grabbed interceptions. Offensively, quarterback Chad Cavender threw for three touchdowns against Solano. For the season, Cavender is 26-of-50 for 302 yards with five touchdowns. He hasn't thrown an interception this season, and has moved up to 18th in the state in passer rating. His top targets have been receivers Michael Hayden (10 catches, 157 yards) and Jordan Webb (three touchdown catches). Steven Valliere missed last week's game with a right foot injury, though Austin Watson did a credible job filling in with 69 yards on 15 carries. Valliere should be back on the field for today's game. The line also is improved, aided by the additions of center Richard Leslie and left guard Matt Jarvis. Even with all the progress showed recently, getting a win over the Rams could be a tall order. "They are big and fast," Thompson said. "They are going to be the biggest and most physical team we've faced in awhile. They're even bigger than Santa Rosa. They have three defensive linemen that are over 300 pounds. We don't even have one starting offensive lineman that reaches 300." Fresno (2-1) averages 365.3 yards offensively and sophomore Jeff Schott and freshman Stanley Mihipali have shared quarterback duties so far. The duo hascombined for just over 200 yards through the air. Defensively, Fresno allows 256.3 yards per game, 13th in the state. Reporter Jeffrey Jen can be reached at 225-8228 or jjen@redding.com.
Cavender & Defense
KNIGHTS GET FIRST WIN
(Record Searchlight-9/17/05) Shasta 20, Solano 9: The host Falcons flew out of the gates with an 82-yard kickoff return from John Sorell, but the Knights held Solano to a safety the rest of the way to win their first game of the season. "It was a defensive shutout," Shasta coach Matt Diskin said of his D's effort, which included an interception each from starting cornerbacks Jerry Lavender and Willie Johnson. "They just played good defense is what they did. We had good coverage all day." Knights quarterback Chad Cavender tossed a trio of touchdown passes to account for all of Shasta's trips to the end zone. He hit Michael Hayden from 16 yards out and then Jordan Webb from the 19 to put his team up 13-7 heading into halftime. In the third quarter, Solano pinned the Knights (1-2) at the 1-yard line with a punt. From there, Cavender mishandled a snap. Still, he alertly fell on it for a 2-point safety instead of surrendering a touchdown. Luck would then be on Cavender's side in the fourth quarter on an improbable touchdown to Webb. "Webb actually caught a ball that was deflected first, off a defenders hands then off the defender's foot diving for it," Diskin said. "He picked it up in the air and Webb got it for a 30-yard touchdown catch. Sometimes things go your way." Cavender finished 15-of-25 for 186 yards in the air with 48 yards on six carries on the ground.
Down Hill After 13 Seconds
FALCONS FALL TO 0-3
(Suisun City-9/17/05-by Paul Farmer) Thirteen seconds into its game with Shasta College of Redding, the Solano College football team was on top of the world. It was all downhill the rest of the way. Vince Thompson ran the opening kickoff back 82 yards for a touchdown, but the Falcons managed just two points on a safety the final 59-plus minutes in dropping a 20-9 nonconference decision to the Knights at Doc Hollister Stadium on Saturday. The Falcons dropped to 0-3 for the first time in coach Floyd Burnsed's four seasons and for the first time since 1998. Shasta improved to 1-2. "The defense played well," Burnsed said. "Special teams did a nice job. Offensively, we were horrible."Solano was limited to 78 yards rushing and 79 passing for the game, which is sadly impressive considering they managed minus-5 yards in the first half. The yardage mattered little since the Falcons were 0-for-11 on third down and threw two interceptions, including one in the Shasta end zone on their last offensive play of the game. "We're just not very good offensively right now," Burnsed said. "A typical play was the last play we ran. The tight end was open. We wait until he's covered before throwing. We're just not crisp in getting the ball to people." The Knights got the ball to Thompson on the opening kickoffs and after the former Fairfield High star ran back the 10th longest kickoff return in school history, he never got the ball again. "I just saw a hole and hit it," Thompson said. "We worked on it all week in practice." Zack Daly booted the extra point, a point that loomed large as the first half unfolded. Shasta drove 65 yards on 13 plays with Chad Cavender hitting Michael Hayden with a scoring strike from 16 yards out, but the Cavender muffed the snap on the ensuing kick attempt and threw an incomplete pass keeping the score 7-6. It stayed that way until the Knights trudged 58 yards on 14 plays with Cavender hitting Jordan Webb for a touchdown on third-and-goal from the Solano 19-yard line. The TD pass, with 5:30 left in the second quarter, came one play after the Falcons accepted a penalty after an incompletion would've made it fourth-and-goal from the 4. That decision loomed large - for awhile - after Cavender recovered his own fumble in the end zone for a safety three minutes into the second half. While more successful moving the ball after intermission, the Falcons couldn't do it well enough. A fumble recovery by Elijah Waldrop at the Shasta 26 led to a punt from the 35. Deep drives into Knights territory ended with a blocked punt, a dropped pass on fourth down and the interception in the end zone. Shasta, meanwhile, clinched the game with a play worthy of a circus. Solano defensive back Erick Johnson deflected a Cavender pass at the goal line, and fell to the ground. But as he rolled over, he picked the ball and it went to Webb for a touchdown to make it 20-9 with 6:48 left in the game. Miracle catches aside, the Solano's defense was superb, especially in the second half when it held the Knights to 64 yards after giving up 189 yards in the first half. "Defensively we played real well," Burnsed said. "We made a few adjustments the last few weeks. They had their backs to the wall. They had a lucky touchdown where it was tipped and kicked, but we did a real nice job. I have no complaints about the defense. Things don't get any easier for the Falcons. They head to Rocklin next week to play Sierra, which beat Yuba of Marysville 35-21 on Saturday for its 32nd straight victory, the second-longest winning streak in the state history and fifth-longest ever in the nation. Reach Paul Farmer at 425-4646 Ext. 264 or pfarmer@dailyrepublic.net
Knights Fall in Opener
LEAD AT HALF 14-13
(Shasta College-By Jeffrey Jen, Record Searchlight) For a half, things were looking good for the Knights. Then came the third quarter. Sacramento City College scored 21 unanswered points to start the second half and pulled away to a 34-20 victory over the Shasta College football team on Saturday at Memorial Stadium. Steven Valliere ran for 84 yards and scored two touchdowns in the second quarter, but the Knights offense sputtered in the second half and the defense ran out of gas while constantly chasing down the varied Panthers passing attack. Shasta (0-1) finished with 204 yards of total offense -- 42 in the second half. Sac City rolled up 464 yards of offense. Chad Cavender was 9-of-21 for 116 yards and two touchdown passes, but Sac City quarterback Garrett Congdon completed 26-of-43 for 334 yards and four touchdowns. The Panthers Marcellus Grigsby added 96 yards on 25 carries despite being held to seven yards on nine rushes in the first half. "They kept passing the ball and wearing us out," Knights linebacker Austin Stack said. "We shut down their running and we could get them to third and long, but they kept making key pass conversions. It was killing our defense." The Shasta defense did force four turnovers, including three in the first half. The first time, linebacker Jordan Sinclair sacked Congdon, and fellow backer Garrett Schaad recovered a fumble. The next possession, Knights cornerback Jerry Lavender made a diving interception. Shasta's other corner, Willie Johnson, added a pick in the second quarter. Sac City still got on the board first when Congdon hit Chido Nwokocha on a 20-yard fade for a touchdown with 11 seconds left in the first quarter. Shasta was quick to respond on its next possession as Valliere scored on a 2-yard plunge off the left side with 12:59 left in the second quarter. The Panthers added field goals of 47 and 18 yards by Riley Flickenger, but Shasta took the lead for the first time when Cavender hit a swing pass to Valliere in the right flat and the freshman turned it into a 21-yard touchdown reception with 31 seconds left. Shasta went into the break up 14-13. The third quarter was when things fell apart. Sac City took the lead on a 5-yard touchdown pass from Congdon to tight end Chuck Pierce with 4:53 left in the third quarter. Four minutes later, Congdon tossed a swing pass to running back Pat Curtis for a 15-yard touchdown and a 27-14 lead. "They came out and set a different tone in the second half," Knights coach Craig Thompson said. "It seemed we operated on flat tires. We had three-and-outs on offense and our defense was on the field too much." Reporter Jeffrey Jen can be reached at 225-8228 or jjen@redding.com.
Speedy Green
LANEY SCRIMMAGE FRIDAY IN OAKLAND
(Shasta College-8/25/05-Jeffrey Jen Record Searchlight) Here are a couple of numbers to ponder. Shasta has 13 sophomores and three returning starters. Those green jerseys are an appropriate color for them in 2005. Shasta has a 7 p.m. scrimmage at Laney College on Friday, eight days before the Sept. 3 home opener against Sacramento City. My early take on the '05 Knights is similar to last year: good defense (at times), much progress needed on offense, especially at the line. The caveat is Shasta has better raw talent (good overall team speed) at the skill positions. Returning starting quarterback Chad Cavender is more experienced and has better receivers. How the line, led by starting guard Ryan Merrick, performs is the biggest question mark as the season approaches. The linebackers, led by returning starter Austin Stack, should be the strength of the defense. That helps since the D-line is smaller, though there is better quality and depth in the secondary.
Long But Fun Game, North Wins
KNIGHT RECRUIT VALLIERE STARS
(Shasta College-8/4/05-Redding Record Searchlight-Jeffrey Jen) Even though I had to cover a swim meet at the Redding Aquatic Center on Saturday, it still wasn't going to prevent me from catching some of the action at the Lions All-Star Game at Shasta College. So, after my story was turned in, it was off to Memorial Stadium to catch what turned out to be the final 20 minutes of the game. Which was lucky for me because, 1) the final minutes were the most exciting part of the 27-24 North victory, and 2) the game was being played under college football rules -- 15-minute quarters and a 60-minute game. What was good for me, though, wasn't so for the players. The length of the game definitely left an impression on the players. Even the coaches were feeling the wear and tear of the game. "Give me back my 12-minute quarters," said North head coach Greg Grandell of West Valley High School afterward. Grandell can safely return to his 48 minutes in high school, but some of his players got the first taste of life at the college football level: 60 minutes long with every teammate and opponent alike a prep standout. "None of us were used to those 15-minute quarters," said West Valley linebacker Dan Hamilton, bound with fellow Eagle Aaron Richards for William Penn University in Oskaloosa, Iowa. "This was really a pre-college game for us." Central Valley linebacker Kyle Ravera wanted to do nothing more than sleep after the game. "I knew it was going to be tough," Ravera said. "It was exhausting -- but a lot of fun. I'm glad I was selected to play. I didn't do well in the first half, but surprised myself with how well I played in the second half." Another person who was happy with Ravera's play was Shasta College football coach Craig Thompson, who couldn't contact the players due to recruiting rules, but viewed the game from the roof of the Memorial Stadium press box. The two North players observers singled out as the most impressive were his recruits, Ravera and Enterprise running back and game MVP Steven Valliere. West Valley quarterback Matt Nichols had a forgettable first half, but came back to flash the combination of arm strength and mobility that has him bound for Division I-AA Eastern Washington. His best sequence was the 32-yard touchdown pass to Shasta's Jordan Webb, then a 2-point conversion pass to Lassen's Eric Thrush off a rollout. (Note: Thompson was smiling around this time, too, as Webb and Thrush are also headed to Shasta College.) The fourth West Valley teammate on the North had the roughest day. Cornerback Emanuel Magana suffered a right shoulder injury in the second quarter and may have suffered a broken collarbone. Magana may be out anywhere from one to eight weeks. Magana originally committed to College of the Siskiyous along with Eagle teammates Davlin Hall (tight end) and Carlin McLane (offensive lineman). But, he rethought things after finding out Siskiyous coach Matt Sayre recently left to return to become offensive coordinator at Southern Oregon University. Defensive line coach Eric Young was promoted in Sayre's place. "I'm probably going to Shasta College," Magana said. "I had committed to Siskiyous because they recruited me harder. But, I've been thinking about it more, Coach Sayre made a commitment to me that he would be here, so I committed to Siskiyous. But he didn't honor that commitment, so mine isn't in effect anymore, either." Even if Magana makes his U-turn, look for Siskiyous to be tough. Young told me most of his players from last year's 5-5 squad are back and are expecting close to 130 players to try out for the team, including Yreka wide receiver Will Sinnot who pulled in the game-winning catch. Another note -- the Quincy quarterback-wide receiver duo for the South of Eric West and Jason Barreno are headed to Butte College. Jeffrey Jen's college notebook runs Thursdays. He can be reached at 225-8228 or at jjen@redding.com.
Bonding All-Stars
LION'S GAME ALL-STARS
(Shasta College-8/5/05-Redding Record Searchlight-John Ryan) The most common phrase uttered Friday night by the North Lions All-Star football team was -- "I love you." No, I'm serious. The night before the game, the West Valley High School coaches who ran the North's camp at Shasta College this year gathered the team for some candlelit Eagles' tradition. They joined at midfield, where each player and coach would light a candle and give the team a personal reflection. They riffed on how much they loved their teammates, how the sport changed their lives. They all shared common themes: brotherhood, family and love. Once the candles had burned out, once the wax had melted into the Memorial Stadium sod, the prep careers of 30 of the best north state senior football players extinguished into tiny curls of smoke. Here's what I'll take from the nine North players I covered this past season. Chris Grzebyk, Enterprise: There aren't many high school kids that are as hard-working, respectful and classy as Grzebyk (pronounced Grey-beck). The only challenge he poses the Shasta College coaching staff is where to put him. Grzebyk's built like a prototypical middle linebacker. But, he can line up at fullback, and he even took snaps at tight end in 2004. He's also given the spell check on my computer fits for a solid year now. Dan Hamilton, West Valley: Hamilton gives William Penn, the NAIA college he'll be attending in Iowa, one of the best defensive players to come out of the Northern Section in years. Emanuel Magana, West Valley: What a steal for Shasta College. Magana originally was set on playing for Siskiyous until its coaching staff bailed on the program. The Knights should award Magana's North teammate, and newest pal Steven Valliere, with some sort of medal for talking this talent into the green and white. In terms of sheer athletic ability, Magana had no equal, in any sport, in the Northern Section this year. Matt Nichols, West Valley: Eastern Washington made out like bandits when it picked this kid up. You can argue all you want but, at this point in his career -- Nichols is a better signal-caller than Aaron Rodgers was. And, at 6-foot-3, the Cottonwood slinger with a rocket arm and the surprising mobility has better tools than Rodgers had going into college. Skyler Page, Shasta: Page's toughness inside was an understated part of the Wolves defensive success last year. The middle linebacker brought an edge and a lot of stability to a unit that was looked at as a liability coming into the season. Kyle Ravera, Central Valley: Ravera's a tremendous athlete who has a realistic shot of continuing his football career past Shasta College if he wants. He also picked up a huge block in the Lions game that helped spring a 75-yard punt return for a North touchdown. Aaron Richards, West Valley: It didn't matter if the sport was football or hoops, Richards always brought an intense, hard-working, positive attitude to the game. The William Penn-bound outside linebacker/defensive end played an understated roll in the Eagles football and basketball section titles. Steven Valliere, Enterprise: He was the most dangerous ball carrier in the section last year, without a doubt. And, although it may be sacrilege at Enterprise to admit it, the Shasta College-bound tailback might be every bit the runner that record-breaking three-year starter and 2004 grad Brody Angley was. Jordan Webb, Shasta: Webb just might be the best receiver to come out of the section since Red Bluff's Mike Cox went on to set numerous records with Shasta College in 2000. John Ryan's prep notebook runs Fridays. He can be reached at 225-8263 or at jryan@redding.com.

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