Sierra High is celebrating its 30th year and inviting former players and coaches to gather for the football team’s season opener Friday at Daniel Teicheira Memorial Stadium.
One alumnus in particular is looking forward to reuniting with mentors and friends. He’ll also be standing on the opposite sideline seeking revenge.
“There’s obviously a relationship between the coaches, but it’s about the kids,” Teicheira said. “With these being neighboring schools, there are kids who have friends who go to Sierra, and last year’s loss still hurts.
“We know that’s a team to be reckoned with. It’s a good VOL (Valley Oak League) team, a playoff team, so getting a win against a team like that would be a major step forward for us.”
That zero-week result wound up being important for Sierra in the end. The Timberwolves went 4-6 and qualified for the postseason thanks to their strength of schedule. A loss would have eliminated them from contention, as the SJS requires at least four wins to have a shot at a playoff bid.
“If we don’t win that game last year, we’re definitely sitting at home week 11,” Sierra coach Jeff Abrew said. “They have our attention. Coming off their best season ever, they have a lot of momentum and we know they’re going to be excited to play us and they’re going to be well coached. We have to match their intensity and step our game up right out the gate.”
Much of Sierra’s standouts from that game are back, including quarterback Zak Willson and receiver Trevor Sutton. They connected for the go-ahead touchdown with 3:28 left in the 2023 game.
“Their offense is one of the best around,” Teicheira said. “They have some weapons.”
Teicheira is familiar with Sierra’s spread offense, as he was offensive coordinator under Jeff Harbison on the 2015 state championship team. He since left for Oakdale and picked up the Wing-T, which is now run by Lathrop. Andre Muqhar and fullback Pablo Pena return after finishing as two of the Spartans’ top three rushers.
“They mirror Oakdale,” Abrew said. “With that Wing-T, they like to run the ball down your throat, and we have to do our best to match their physicality. Playing a team like Lathrop gets us ready for a team like Oakdale later in the season.”
Teicheira noted that the game will be a homecoming of sorts for many others on the visiting side. Before Lathrop High opened in 2008, most of the students from the city attended Sierra.
“It impacts some of the people in our crowd, because they were once students over there,” Teicheira said. “It was a great idea to have it this week, I’ll give it to them.”
Teicheira will also reunite with his former coach and principal.
Greg Leland has come out of retirement to serve as interim athletic director at Sierra. He is the first football coach at the school, and as principal at Lathrop, Leland hired his former running back to head the Spartans’ program.
“He was a big part of why I came to Lathrop in the first place,” Teicheira said. “As a coach, he is well respected by the players who have played for him. Following in his footsteps, you want to make sure you’re doing things right and in a respectful way.”
Here’s a glance at the rest of the Week 0 games in the area:
Elite at East Union: The Booie Daniels Era kicks off at East Union, where the Lancers welcome second-year Elite Public Schools out of Vallejo.
The Eagles went 4-5 as an associate member of the SJS last season and will now compete in the Division VII Sacramento Metropolitan Athletic League.
Elite’s roster was decimated by graduation losses and outgoing transfers following its inaugural season, but their two best players remain — 6-foot-3 quarterback Emanual Daugherty II and wide receiver Savion McCray.
Daugherty, son of coach Emanual Daughtery, threw for 1,612 yards, 17 touchdowns and three interceptions, completing 64% of his passes. He was also the Eagles’ leading rusher with 411 yards. McCray is his favorite target, as the two connected 38 times for 917 yards.
Manteca at Elk Grove: It’s the first battle between these two historic programs in recent history.
Elk Grove is as battle tested as they come in the SJS. The Thundering Herd stumbled to a 1-3 start last season but played a challenging schedule, finishing second in the competitive Delta League and 6-5 overall. They have several standouts coming back and are joined by a talented group from their 8-1 JV squad.
Third-year quarterback David Hale spearheads the triple-option offense behind a large and physical offensive line. The 6-3 dual threat was Elk Grove’s second-leading rusher (591 yards, 6.8 per carry, 14 TDs) last season. Dynamic playmakers from the wingback and running back spots return, such as 6-1, 185-pound junior Austin Maze, Dylan Archuleta and Jeremiah Williams.
Linemen Lucan Amituanai, who stands 6-5, 230 pounds and Sam Niemeyer anchor the defense along with 6-1, 180-pound cornerback Polo Cooper (five interceptions).
Linden at Ripon: These two clashed to kick off their 2023 campaigns, and Ripon came away with a hard-earned 49-42 victory.
Linden moved on and marched to a solid 9-3 season behind a high-powered offense and stingy defense. The Lions finished as runners-up in the upper-division San Joaquin Athletic Association and advanced to the second round of the SJS Division III playoffs. They are now fighting at their own weight in the Mother Lode League and can be viewed as an early favorite with all of their top offensive weapons returning.
Quarterback Matthew Schallberger (162-317, 2,342 yards, 22 TDs, 10 interceptions) and 6-2 junior DeAndre Smith (68 receptions, 1,039 yards, 10 TDs) star in Linden’s prolific passing game. They’re complemented by utility threat Dax Weber (301 rushing yards, five TDs; 358 receiving, three TDs) and Landen Ly (929 rushing yards, 12 TDs; 161 receiving, two TDs).
Ripon Christian at Summerville: Ripon Christian isn’t easing its way back into the Trans-Valley League.
The Knights get their first test against a MLL kingpin in Tuolumne. Summerville has been one of the top small schools in the SJS the past two seasons, going 20-5 while losing the 2022 Division VI final to Hughson by a point.
After finishing as the runner-up last year, the Bears have their eyes on a championship with Sonora’s reign ended by realignment. In fact, the Wildcats will be joining the TVL along with Ripon Christian.
Running back Colton Cash and defensive end Bryce Rathmel are among Summerville’s top returning seniors. Kicker Bryson Benites, guard/linebacker Daniel Burciaga, linebacker Luke Larson, quarterback Bryce Leveroos and defensive back Orlando Lopez were key contributors as sophomores.
River Islands at Franklin: The seniorless Riptide head to Stockton for their first-ever varsity game.
Their opponent may be coming off a 2-8 season, but Franklin is senior-heavy with many of its top players returning.
Third-year varsity running back D’Angelo Maravilla and tight end Tykel Lawson are supported by an experienced offensive line that includes 265-pound center Julien Perez. The Yellowjackets are missing standout tackle Joshua Novoa Brown, who transferred to McNair. Second-year junior safety Giovanni Hurley leads the defense.
