PREP FOOTBALL ROUNDUP Injuries hurt Lindhurst in loss to LP
Lindhurst High’s Devon Robinson shakes a couple tackles during a game against Las Plumas on Friday at Dean Miller Stadium in Olivehurst.
A slew of injuries and a smaller active roster caused problems for Lindhurst High’s football team on Friday night in a 38-17 nonleague loss to Las Plumas at Dean Miller Stadium in Olivehurst.
“We struggled against their passing game, and got a little behind because of injuries and our small roster,” said Blazers coach Hark Dulai.
Although the Lindhurst suffered its second straight loss, Anthony Bragg still pulled out two touchdowns and rushed for 84 yards on 15 carries. Devon Robinson added another 78 yards on 10 carries and Nathaniel Jurgensen led the defense with six tackles. Alex Barajas also booted in a 28-yard field goal.
Lindhurst (2-2) has a bye next week before traveling to play Natomas on Sept. 21.
In Sacramento – Isidro Del Toro rumbled for 141 yards and scored three touchdowns on only seven carries, and Gavin
Good NFL offenses are efficient. Great NFL offenses are efficient and unpredictable.
After all, it doesn’t matter how well you can run a play if the defense knows exactly what’s coming.
No one knows the value of unpredictably more than Kyle Shanahan – he’s a man on a near-quixotic mission to create it.
Heading into his second year in charge, Shanahan thought he had made gains in that department, but with the 49ers’ first game of 2018 looming, the San Francisco head coach is still looking for ways to manufacture and implement that critical element of success. You can’t scheme for luck. Offensive unpredictability comes from versatility, and Shanahan thought the 2018 Niners’ offensive versatility would emirate from the ideal place: the backfield.
Having versatile backfield players is a core tenet of a Shanahan offense. That’s why he used a fullback more than any other offensive playcaller in the NFL last year – “(it) allows us to do anything we want” – and why running back Jerrick Mckinnon was his first target in free agency this past offseason.
The former Viking was inked to a four-year, $30 million deal not because of his workhorse production in Minnesota, but because of his jack-of-all-trades ability.
A patient and explosive one-cutand-go back will always have value in Shanahan’s zone-blocking run game, but Mckinnon’s ability to catch the ball out of the backfield or line up as a bonafide wide receiver – not just a decoy – put the Niners’ head coach into a state of infatuation. Sutter High quarterback Cory Mcintyre delivers a pass during Friday night’s win over Benicia. Mcintyre rushed for 120 yards and two touchdowns, and passed for 95 yards and another score in the Huskies’ 49-14 win. running hard, and what they lack in speed they make up for with effort.”
The Huskies (2-1) wasted little time getting started, marching 81 yards on 10 plays for a touchdown on the first drive of the game. Brown finished it off with a 7-yard touchdown run, but the Panthers (1-2) showed early that they were ready to play by scoring on their first drive to tie it up at 7-7.
That was as close as Benicia would get.
On the ensuing kickoff, Hancock received the ball at the 15, and after faking a reverse, took it 85 yards for a touchdown. Sutter’s defense then forced a quick three-and-out, and Brown capped off a 63yard drive by dragging three Panther defenders into the end zone for a 16-yard TD run to up the lead to 21-7 at the end of the first quarter.
Hancock bounced off the right side for a 34-yard touchdown scamper on Sutter’s next possession, and hauled in a 25-yard TD pass from Mcintyre minutes later to give the Huskies a 35-7 lead with 6:33 left in the first half, effectively ending the game early.
“I’ve been playing with these guys since I was 7 years old, and we’re just out here having fun,” said Hancock, who had 77 yards rushing and 41 yards receiving to go along with his three touchdowns. “I didn’t expect (the final score) at all and thought it would be a closer game. I think the heat was a big factor and they got tired in the first quarter, and we just kept wearing them down.”
Up comfortably at the half, Mcintyre put on a highlight-reel performance in the third quarter when he scrambled out of the backfield and zig-zagged his way through Benicia’s defense for an 82-yard touchdown run. He then put the finishing touches on the win by picking up a low snap and racing around the Panthers for a 22-yard score to make it 49-7 at the end of the third
quarter.
A running clock was used for the fourth quarter, and Benicia scored a late touchdown for the final margin.
Sutter finished the night with 418 yards on the ground and saw three players eclipse the 100yard plateau. Brown led the way with 137 yards on 15 carries and two touchdowns, Mcintyre ran for 120 yards on only four carries and scored twice, and Colton Dillabo rounded it out by rushing for 108 yards on 14 carries.
Mcintyre was also impressive through the air, completing 6 of 8 passes for 95 yards.
“Our passing game is getting better week-byweek and we’ve got to keep working on that or we’re going to start seeing 10 guys in the box. We could have thrown it more tonight, but I didn’t want to once the score kind of got a little lopsided,” Reynolds said. “It typically takes the offense a little while to get going. We’ve come out fast the last couple years, but this year is more of the norm and we’re getting better each game.”
Sutter’s defense also did its part by holding Benicia to just over 200 yards on the night. Max Gipson and Travis Tedder both recorded sacks, and Kyle Macy intercepted a pass to lead the way.
“It was a total team win. Our special teams were really on fire tonight, and everybody contributed,” Reynolds added. “I love watching our defense play. They are physical and they’re well-coached. You could go position by position, they’re all playing good football.”
Sutter continues its nonleague slate by traveling to play Chico next week before hosting Enterprise on Sept. 21.
The Huskies also picked up a 26-14 win in the junior varsity game behind three rushing touchdowns from Daniel Cummings and another from Alec Bell. Theo Bravos, John Bicknell, Gavin Gardener and Justin Matsui each played well defensively for Sutter (3-0), coach Moe Leblanc said.