Vanden High School graduate Deone Bucannon selected in first round of NFL Draft by Cardinals

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Joel Rosenbaum -- The Reporter Washington State's Deone Bucannon talks about being taken in the...

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The celebration came a day early.

Deone Bucannon expected a call from an NFL team today when the second and third rounds were held. Instead, it came Thursday. The former Vanden High School and Washington State University star was selected in the first round of the draft, pick No. 27 overall, to the Arizona Cardinals.

"What an amazing event. This is a dream come true," Bucannon said from his mom Sonji's Vacaville home. "I didn't expect it yet. I'm ready to go. I'm ready to go out, play hard and show the coaches what I can do."

Bucannon was home with his family and friends, unlike many other first round selections who were at Radio City Music Hall in New York, taking the stage and shaking the hand of NFL commissioner Roger Goodell. Agent Cameron Foster knew Bucannon's stock was on the rise, but it's hard to predict how drafts turn out.

"You never know when it's going to happen," Foster said. "Once we saw that one or two of the safeties went off the board, he was going to go soon. Philadelphia, Arizona and Green Bay were all fans of his."

Bucannon becomes the highest drafted Vacaville area football player in history. Former Vacaville High School and University of Washington standout Vince Newsome was taken in the fourth round (97th overall) in the 1983 NFL Draft by the Los Angeles Rams. Defensive end Carter Campbell was the last Vanden product to go, taken in the eighth round of the 1970 draft by the San Francisco 49ers.

"It's time to begin the next phase," Deone's dad Duane Bucannon said. "We knew he was going to go, it was just a matter of when. He's a very disciplined young man, very deserving. He worked really hard to get here and put in the work many of his peers didn't do."

Bucannon was named an All-American by the Associated Press and was also all-Pac-12. He had 109 tackles his senior season (74 solo, 35 assisted) with 4.5 tackles for loss, five interceptions, one pass breakup, two fumble recoveries and three forced fumble.

The 6-foot-1, 211-pound safety was also impressive at the NFL Combine, with top performances in the 40-yard dash (4.49 seconds), bench press (19 reps at 225 pounds), vertical leap (36.5 inches), broad jump (125.0 inches) and 3-cone drill (6.96 seconds).

"I love everthing about the Cardinals," Deone Bucannon said. "They have a great defense with great leaders. I'm ready to learn from them and let it fly on the field. I have to give glory to God."

Vanden head coach LeVon Haynes ran over to the house after he heard the announcement, saying he had over 40 text messages he still needed to answer. Vikings assistant Larry Hogue charged over after track and field. Others also gathered.

But Deone's brother David was the one who had a feeling the call would come in the first round.

"When I woke up this morning, I knew it was going to be Deone's time," David Bucannon said. "We all jumped and screamed when it happen. There were even a few tears shed. We're all proud of him. God blessed him to play Division I football and now he's going to the next level."

 

 

Cardinals trade down, take Vanden High’s Bucannon with 27th pick

By The Associated Press
From page B7 | May 09, 2014 | Leave Comment

 

 

TEMPE, Ariz. — The Arizona Cardinals traded down seven spots in the NFL draft to select Vanden High graduate Deone Bucannon of Washington State with the 27th pick overall.

It’s a position of need for the Cardinals, who also had a goal of adding another pick in the draft.

Vanden coach LeVon Haynes said he was caught off guard by Bucannon’s selection in the first round. His former player told him he was expecting to go no earlier than Friday’s second round.

“Its an exciting time, an exciting time for his family. I know they’re enjoying the moment,” Haynes said. “I just wish him all the best. Gosh, I’m excited, I’m shocked, though not really. The way he performed in the combine, the hard work he put in at Washington State. He’s deserving of this honor, truly deserving. This is exciting for the (Vanden) program. I’m getting text messages from everybody, people I don’t even know. It’s great.”

General manager Steve Keim immediately invoked the name of one of the best safeties the Cardinals have known.

“The guy’s a headhunter. He’s extremely physical,” Keim said. “I don’t want to mention him in the same breath as Adrian Wilson but there are some physical similarities and the same type of mentality that we were looking for.”

Bucannon, in a conference call after his selection Thursday night, called it “an honor and a blessing” to be mentioned with Wilson.

“That’s the level I want to be at,” he said.

The Cardinals dealt their No. 20 pick to New Orleans, getting the Saints’ first-round pick and their third-round choice, No. 91 overall.

The selection of the 6-foot-1, 211-pound Bucannon adds a needed component to a defense that was ranked sixth in the NFL last season but had difficulty defending the league’s big tight ends.

“He’s got the length and the speed so he can match up on slot receivers and also tight ends,” coach Bruce Arians said. “He’s an excellent blitzer, great tackler.”

Bucannon had 15 interceptions as a four-year starter, six as a senior, at Washington State.

“In our division you’d better like to hit,” Arians said. “He brings passion. That’s what I loved about him. … He’s going to be a great fit in our locker room. He’s a humble kid that loves to play the game and wants to learn from the best and we’ve got some good guys here to help him and teach him.”

Bucannon broke down with emotion when he got the call from the Cardinals telling him he was their choice.

“I want to show the fans and I want to show the team and most of all I want to show the coaches that this was a great choice,” he said.

Bucannon said he visited about 20 teams and Arizona was “by far” his preferred destination.

He mentioned cornerback Patrick Peterson and safety Tyrann Mathieu as among the reasons and said his abilities would fit the playmaking role the Cardinals want.

Bucannon could be the final piece in a secondary that, in addition to Peterson and Mathieu, includes recently signed free agent Antonio Cromartie.

“I’m an aggressive person. I love being around the ball,” Bucannon said. “I’m going to do whatever it takes to help the team. I’m going to do whatever the coaches ask of me. I’m a coachable guy. I only need to be told something once and I’m going to get the job done, no matter what.

“I’m not afraid to go in there and stick my nose in anything, in anybody. It doesn’t matter how big you are, I’m coming downhill regardless.”

Arizona had only six picks before the draft-night trade, having sent its seventh-round selection to Oakland as part of the Carson Palmer trade.

Bucannon, a team captain at Washington State from Fairfield, California, ranked fourth in career tackles at Washington State with 384 and second in solo tackles at 268.

“He’s a guy that we felt fell a little bit under the radar,” Keim said.

Keim said the Cardinals thought Bucannon would be there at No. 27 although it was a risk, but it also filled the team’s desire to add a draft pick.

Bucannon was one of 30 players the Cardinals brought in for a visit.

The Cardinals received several calls about trading back in the draft but didn’t want to go too far because they had their eyes on Bucannon.

“There certainly were some surprises for us and there were some players that we really liked that went ahead of us,” Keim said. “But at the same time we valued where Deone sat on our board and we knew that he could come in and potentially be an instant contributor.” 

Trio of Vikings sign letters of intent

From left to right, Tyler Koss, Dion Williams and Jordan Garcia sign letters of intent at Vanden High's Little Theater, Wednesday. (Paul Farmer/Daily Republic)

FAIRFIELD — If there had been a musical background to the letter of intent signing ceremony at Vanden High, Wednesday, “Rocky Mountain High” would’ve been the theme.

Dion Williams, Jordan Garcia and Tyler Koss are all moving on – the first two to play football, the latter to run track – at schools in the Rocky Mountains.

Williams, the Solano County Athletic Conference’s Most Valuable Offensive Player, is headed to Montana Tech in Butte, Montana.

Garcia, the SCAC’s co-Lineman of the Year, is bound for Colorado Mesa, in Grand Junction, Colo.

Koss, a first-team all-SCAC linebacker and the Sac-Joaquin Section Division II/Division III champion in the 400-meter dash last spring, is going to run track at the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colo.

“This is a great day in our football program,” Vanden football coach LeVon Haynes said in a signing ceremony in the school’s Little Theater, “to have three of our athletes move on to the next level, the next phase in their lives.”

Haynes pointed out the three did more than just excel in athletes to earn their scholarships.

“They did the things they needed to do, especially in the classroom,” the coach said. “That’s the key to getting an athletic scholarship. If you’re not a scholar, you don’t get the ‘ship.’ . . . If you don’t have the grades, they pass you by, no matter how good you think you are.”

Williams, who drew late interest from Arizona Christian, made visits to Wayne (Neb.) State and Minnesota-Crookston, as well as to Montana Tech, finding the latter an easy choice.

“I guess when I went out there it felt like it would be a nice home for me,” Williams said.

Williams broke nearly all Vanden and several city receiving records last fall and is looking forward to helping Montana Tech.

The Orediggers went 3-7 in 2013, with three of the losses by a touchdown or less, averaging 261.4 passing yards per game.

“They pass the ball a lot,” Williams said. “They’re going to pass more now that I’m coming. I’m looking forward to that.”

Garcia drew interest from Humboldt State, Puget Sound and Cal Lutheran, but made his only recruiting visit to Colorado Mesa.

“The weather was nice, the facilities were beautiful, they have good student support for the football team,” Garcia said. “I could see myself there the next four or five years.”

The Mavericks were 5-6 last fall, dropping their last four games. They struggled against the pass, giving up 23 touchdowns and an average of 255.5 yards per game through the air.

Garcia might be able to help, having led Vanden with nine sacks in 2013.

While his teammates had decisions to make, going with the Air Force was the only choice for Koss, whose father and grandfather both graduated from the academy.

“I come from an Air Force family,” said Koss, who was second on Vanden with 135 tackles and had seven sacks and three quarterback hurries. “I love the (atmosphere), I love the camaraderie of the Air Force. And I want to serve my country.”

Koss won the SJS D-II/D-III 400 in a sizzling 49.18 seconds, finishing 11th in the SJS Masters trials, barely failing to make the finals.

“It’s a great day for these kids,” Haynes said. “It’s an honor, something you can’t take for granted. When you have kids doing the job in the classroom and excelling on the football field, they use football or track to further their education.”

Reach Paul Farmer at 425-4646, ext. 264, or pfarmer@dailyrepublic.net. Follow him on Twitter at www.twitter.com/pfarmerdr.

vanden football signing 2_12_14

Paul Farmer

Paul Farmer is a 1985 graduate of Brigham Young University. The Suisun City resident has been with the Daily Republic Sports Department since 1989 and has served as sports editor since 2007. He and his wife Jackie have four children.

View all my storiesEmail Me

 

Three Vanden High School student-athletes sign with college programs

CAL-HI SPORTS 2013 SEASON
ALL-STATE FOOTBALL TEAMS

MEDIUM SCHOOLS OFFENSE (FIRST TEAM)

WR Matt Byer (Oak Park) 6-2, 180, Sr.

OL Kammy Delp (Diamond Ranch, Pomona) 6-4, 310, Sr.

OL Brandon Evers (Enterprise, Redding) 6-7, 260, Sr.

OL Giovanni Gentosi (Corona del Mar, Newport Beach) 6-2, 235, Sr.

OL Cole Habib (St. Augustine, San Diego) 6-6, 265, Sr.

OL Billy Sharmoug (Manteca) 6-1, 300, Sr.

QB Drew Anderson (Miramonte, Orinda) 6-3, 190, Sr.

RB Trevor Bearden (Live Oak, Morgan Hill) 6-1, 215, Sr.

RB Royce Freeman (Imperial) 6-1, 220, Sr.

RB Jaquan Gardner (Central Valley, Ceres) 5-7, 175, Sr.

RB Rashaad Penny (Norwalk) 6-0, 190, Sr.

PK Cooper Garcia (Nordhoff, Ojai) 5-10, 180, Jr.

MEDIUM SCHOOLS DEFENSE (FIRST TEAM)

DL Clayton Hanly (Santa Ynez) 6-4, 235, Sr.

DL Uriah Leiatuaua (Dominguez, Compton) 6-3, 235, Sr.

DL Ainuu Taua (Lompoc) 6-0, 280, Sr.

LB D.J. Calhoun (El Cerrito) 6-1, 215, Sr.

LB Oronde Crenshaw (Costa Mesa) 6-0, 205, Sr.

LB Michael Lazarus (Berkeley) 6-2, 205, Sr.

LB Koby Welch (Nordhoff, Ojai) 6-3, 190, Sr.

DB Denzel Fisher (Centennial, Compton) 6-0, 170, Sr.

DB Adarius Pickett (El Cerrito) 6-1, 185, Sr.

DB Jamal Scott (Magnolia, Anaheim) 6-3, 205, Sr.

DB Jordan Thomas (Inderkum, Sacramento) 6-1, 190, Sr.

P Jacob Valladeres (Madera South, Madera) 5-10, 170, Sr.

MEDIUM SCHOOLS MULTI-PURPOSE (FIRST TEAM)

QB/RB JaJuan Lawson (Casa Grande, Petaluma) 6-1, 195, Sr.

QB/RB Luke Napolitano (Corona del Mar, Newport Beach) 6-4, 200, Sr.

QB/RB Frankie Palmer (La Serna, Whittier) 5-11, 175, Sr.

WR/RB/KR Damen Wheeler (Sacramento) 5-10, 165, Sr.

QB/RB Chandler Whitbord (Oak Park) 6-3, 190, Sr.

WR/DB Dion Williams (Vanden, Travis AFB) 6-0, 180, Sr.

Big numbers highlight 2013 Daily Republic All-Region football team

Vanden's Dion Williams is tackled, Friday, during the playoff football game against Vista del Lago at Vanden High School in Fairfield. (Aaron Rosenblatt/Daily Republic)

FAIRFIELD — The Vanden and Will C. Wood HIgh football teams returned to the Sac-Joaquin Section playoffs this fall after brief absences, while Vacaville made it back for the 15th time in the last 16 seasons.

Not surprisingly, the Vikings, Wildcats and Bulldogs make up the bulk of the 2013 Daily Republic All-Region football team.

Here’s a look at this year’s squad:

Offensive Players of the Year

QB — Jadon Brisendine, Vanden: The junior signal caller combined with Dion Williams to become the top passer-receiver duo in Fairfield city history. Brisendine was the epitome of consistency, throwing for three or more touchdowns in 11 of Vanden’s 12 games, for 200 or more yards in seven of the teams final eight games. Along the way he set city records for attempts (355), completions (224), yards (2,961) and TD passes (44).

WR — Dion Williams, Vanden: Like Brisendine, Williams rewrote the school and city record books with similarly dominant consistency. The senior standout had at least five catches in every game, eight or more in sixth and twice caught a school-record 11, finishing up with a city-record 87. The Solano County Athletic Conference’s Most Valuable Offensive Player had at least one TD catch in every game, at least two eight times and three on five occasions, finishing with a city-record 24. Williams had 100 or more receiving yards six times, three times topping 150, and wound up with a school-record 1,261.

Defensive Player of the Year

LB — Elijah Williams, Vanden: A repeat Daily Republic winner, Williams was also named SCAC co-Defensive Player of the Year for the second straight season. He led Vanden with 135 tackles, 55 of them solo, according to maxpreps.com, and had two sacks, three forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, an interception and a quarterback hurry. More importantly, he was heart and soul of an improved Vikings defense, forcing offenses to account for him on every play.

Lineman of the Year

DL — Frederick Douglas, Wood: The Monticello Empire League’s co-Lineman of the Year spent the season in opposing backfields, rolling up 27 tackles for loss including 13 sacks, as well as 15 quarterback hurries, according to maxpreps.com. He finished with 95 tackles, 62 of them solo.

Coach of the Year

Carlos Meraz, Wood: The fourth-year coach led the Wildcats to one of their best seasons in school history. They enjoyed a school-record seven-game winning streak and finished the season 7-4, just their fourth campaign with seven or more wins and made the playoffs for the fourth time.

Offense

QB — Tyler Bailey, Wood: The all-MEL first team quarterback completed 137 of 255 passes (.53.7 percent) for 1,942 yards and 16 touchdowns. Against Armijo he threw for 261 yards and four TDs, both season highs

QB — Chad Hekking, Vacaville: Making the most of approximately 10 pass attempts per game, the junior completed 71 of 123 passes (57.7 percent) for 1,614 yards and 17 touchdowns against just four interceptions.

RB — David Mewborn, Vacaville: The MEL’s Player of the Year had five 100-yard games, including a season-high 267 along with five touchdowns against Napa. He finished the year with 1,113 yards and 17 TDs.

RB — Damon Lewis, Wood: Playing much larger than his 5-foot-6, 165-pound frame, the sophomore had six 100-yard games, including a season-high 204 against Vacaville, finishing with 1,299 yards and 17 touchdowns.

RB — Isaiah Hamilton, Vanden: Odds of a 1,000-yard season were long after he had amassed just 209 yards through four games and missed the fifth. The sophomore ran for 878 yards and 15 touchdowns over the final seven games to end up with 1,087 yards 17 TDs.

RB — Jeffrie Brown, Armijo: The senior set city season and career records with his four scoring runs of 80 or more yards and led the city with 966 rushing yards in the regular season.

RB — Chace Marlowe, Rio Vista: Last year’s DR Offensive Player of the Year had a solid senior season, rushing for 1,171 yards and 13 touchdowns. He also led the Rams with 16 receptions.

RB — Brody Lambert, Vacaville Christian: Just a sophomore, Lambert had 100 yards in seven of the Falcons’ nine games, including a season-high 207 against Highlands, finishing with 1,212 yards and 11 touchdowns. He also caught 27 passes for 334 yard and four TDs.

G — Clayton Caserza, Vacaville

T — Stevie Gomez, Vacaville: The senior standouts blocked the Bulldogs to averages of 36.7 points, 286.4 yards rushing and 141.9 yards passing per game.

G — Mason Cain, Vanden: The junior and his linemates were a big reason the Vikings averaged 40.2 points and 357.4 total yards per game.

C — Gabe Moya, Wood

G — Jalen Soto, Wood: The all-MEL second-team picks helped the Wildcats enjoy amazing balance with an average of 184.6 yards per game rushing, 184.5 per game passing.

T — Christian Marejio, Armijo: The Indians gained 78.2 percent of their 2,086 total yards on the ground and Marejio helped spearhead that rushing attack.

T — Marcus Blanton, Fairfield: The Falcons senior was a second-team all-SCAC pick on both the offensive and defensive lines.

WR — Tanner Donaldson, Vacaville: Clearly the Bulldogs’ top receiving threat, the senior had 44 of the team’s 81 receptions, 921 of its 1,703 receiving yards and seven of its 14 TD catches.

WR — Javin White, Vanden: White made big catches for the Vikings nearly every game, finishing with 47 receptions for 585 yards and eight touchdowns.

WR — Tony Terry, Vanden: Despite missing two games because of a concussion, the junior caught 34 passes for 409 yards and three touchdowns.

WR — Johnny Coughman, Rodriguez: The senior did most of his damage in MEL play, catching six passes in the Mustangs’ season-ending win over Armijo.

UTL — Aaron Short, Rodriguez: The speedy senior had two kickoff returns of 90 or more yards and several scoring runs and receptions of 60 or more yards – not counting the numerous ones wiped out by penalties.

K —Adam Cunning, Wood: The senior made 41 of 43 conversion attempts and hit on four of his six field goal tries.

Defense

DL — Chris Irving, Vacaville: The team leader with 76 tackles and an average of 6.9 per game, the senior was second with 50 solo tackles and three sacks.

DL — Jordan Garcia, Vanden: The SCAC co-Lineman of the Year led the Vikings with nine sacks and added two quarterback hurries, an interception and three passes defended to go with 33 tackles.

DL — Jacob Azevedo, Rodriguez: The 6-foot-3, 220-pound senior was named to the all-MEL second team.

DL — Jeramy Sweany, Vacaville: Last season’s DR Lineman of the Year led the Bulldogs with five sacks and finished with 30 solo tackles.

DL — Derrick Diaz, Wood: The all-MEL second team choice averaged 9.1 tackles per game had 11 1/2 tackles for loss, 1 1/2 sacks, three hurries and two fumble recoveries.

DL — Ryan Nules, Wood: Spending nearly as much time in opposing backfields as Douglas, the senior had 22 tackles for loss, including 6 1/2 sacks, and a team-high 22 hurries and four blocked kicks.

LB — Connor Kanelllis, Vacaville: The senior all-MEL first-team pick had 57 tackles, 37 of them solo, two sacks, a team-high four passes defended, one forced fumble and one recovery.

LB — Jordan Boyd, Wood: Despite missing the first three games of the season, Boyd led the Wildcats with 12.8 tackles per game and was second with 66 solo tackles.

LB — Tyler Koss, Vanden: The senior led the Vikings with 67 solo tackles and tied Elijah Williams for the team lead at 11.3 tackles per game. He also had seven sacks and three quarterback hurries.

LB — Eric Clark, Fairfield: The senior led the Falcons with 56 tackles as well as with 482 rushing yards and 23 receptions.

LB — Tyler Gomes, Rio Vista: As one of the region’s top tacklers, the senior had 73 solo tackles, 104 total on the season.

LB — Aaron Herbert, Wood: The senior topped the Wildcats with 127 total and 69 solo tackles, including 13 1/2 for loss. He also caused three fumbles and had 2 1/2 sacks.

DB — Drew Chitwood, Vacaville: A first-team all-MEL pick, Chitwood led the Bulldogs with 52 solo tackles, four tackles for loss and three forced fumbles, finishing second with an average of 6.2 tackles per game. He also

DB — Johnathan Burke, Vacaville: The all-MEL first team selection had 38 tackles with one forced fumble, one recovery and one pass defended.

DB — Desmond McIver, Wood: The versatile McIver rolled up 99 tackles, 62 of them solo and 6 1/2 for loss, and also contributed three sacks and as many hurries to go with two interceptions, 11 passes defended, two forced fumbles and three blocked kicks.

DB — Tim Beall, Wood: To go with his 10 passes defended, the senior had 75 tackles, 45 of them solo.

DB — Dylan Eggers, Rio Vista: The senior had half the Rams’ eight interceptions on the season and finished with 35 tackles.

DB — Dion Williams, Vanden: In addition to his gaudy offense numbers, Williams led the Vikings with six interceptions, one of which he returned for a touchdown to ice a playoff win over Vista del Lago. He was also second on the team with 47 solo tackles.

DB — Roddrick Douglas, Wood: The junior tied Vanden’s Dion Williams for the area lead with six interceptions and was a solid return man for the Wildcats.

DB — Isaiah Creal-Musgray, Vanden: A threat whether rushing the passer or covering receivers, the senior had eight sacks and also had an interception and two passes defended.

P — Chad Hekking, Vacaville: The all-MEL first punter averaged 34.3 yards per boot with a long of 61, putting 12 inside the 20.

 Paul Farmer 

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Daily Republic 2013 All-City team

Co-Offensive Players of the Year  — Jadon Brisendine, Vanden; Dion Williams, Vanden

Defensive Player of the Year — Elijah Williams, Vanden

Lineman of the Year — Jordan Garcia, Vanden

Coach of  the Year — LeVon Haynes, Vanden

Offense

QB — Jadon Brisendine, Vanden

RB — Isaiah Hamilton, Vanden

RB — Jeffrie Brown, Armijo

RB — Eric Clark, Fairfield

OL — Mason Cain, Vanden

OL — Theo Bohanon, Vanden

OL — Tyler McGregor, Armijo

OL — Christian Marejio, Armijo

OL — Marcus Blanton, Fairfield

OL — Garrett Knight, Vanden

OL — Josh Stewart, Vanden

WR — Dion Williams, Vanden

WR — Aaron Short, Rodriguez

WR — Javin White, Vanden

WR — Johnny Coughman, Rodriguez

WR — Tony Terry, Vanden

TE — Miles Perry, Rodriguez

K — Eddy Nuno, Rodriguez

Defense

DL — Jacob Azevedo, Rodriguez

DL — Marcus Blanton, Fairfield

DL — Jordan Garcia, Vanden

DL — Demile Ingram, Fairfield

DL — Tharon Cornist, Vanden

LB — James Chatman, Rodriguez

LB — Eric Clark, Fairfield

LB — Tyler Koss, Vanden

LB — Elijah Williams, Vanden

LB — Keylen Jones, Armijo

LB — Khalil Nunley, Vanden

DB — Michael Norris, Rodriguez

DB — Elijah Lawson, Rodriguez

DB — Billy Hurst, Vanden

DB — Isaiah Creal-Musgray, Vanden

DB — Alex Darnes, Fairfield

DB — Dion Williams, Vanden

P — Jadon Brisendine, Vanden

Vanden lands several top honors in all-SCAC voting

FAIRFIELD — It’s been a solid season for the Vanden High football team, especially on the offensive end, and the Vikings were rewarded for their prowess when the Solano County Athletic Conference coaches held their all-conference meeting, Tuesday.

Record-setting receiver Dion Williams was named Most Valuable Offensive Player, while Elijah Williams was selected co-Most Valuable Defensive Player for the second straight season and Jordan Garcia was chosen co-Lineman of the Year.

American Canyon’s Jomon Dotson repeated as Back of the Year, while linebacker D.J. Hughes shared the top defensive honor and Vallejo’s Jason Dickson joined Garcia in being honored as top lineman.

“There were some really close ones on some votes, but that’s what happens when you have a competitive league like we do,” Vanden coach LeVon Haynes said. “There’s a lot of talent in our league. I’m just glad things worked out in our favor, guys getting the recognition they deserve. They work hard to get all-league, it’s one of their primary goals. It’s definitely an honor. It was a just good, it was a good night for us.”

Also on the all-SCAC first team from Vanden are quarterback Jadon Brisendine, lineman Mason Cain, running back Isaiah Hamilton, defensive back Billy Hurst and linebacker Tyler Koss.

Making the second were receiver Javin White and defensive back Isaiah Creal-Musgray.

Landing on the first team from Fairfield was linebacker Eric Clark. Falcons’ second-teamers include offensive and defensive lineman Marcus Blanton, Clark at running back, defensive back Alex Darnes, and defensive lineman Demile Ingram.

Receiving honorable mention were Vanden offensive linemen Garrett Knight, Theo Bohanan and Josh Stewart, defensive back Devin Bruner, linebacker Khalil Nunley, defensive linemen Tharon Cornist and Daniel Hamilton, and receiver Tony Terry.

Fairfield’s honorable mention include defensive back Tyler Ross, linebacker Michael Russo and receiver Demetrius Spears.

FAIRFIELD — It was a year of rebuilding for the Armijo, Fairfield and Rodriguez high school football teams, a year of reloading for Vanden.

For the second straight season no team from the Fairfield-Suisun School District made the Sac-Joaquin Section playoffs, and for the third straight year, none had a winning record.

Rebounding from its 4-6 record in 2012, Vanden went 8-4 and returned to the SJS playoffs.

“We’ve come a long way since last year,” Vikings coach LeVon Haynes said. “From 4-6 to go 8-4, and getting into the (SJS) quarterfinals, that’s a huge turnaround.

Here’s a last look at each of the teams for 2013:

Vanden

Quarterback Jadon Brisendine set city records for passing yards (2,961), touchdown passes (44), pass attempts (355), completions (224). He also became the second player in city history to go over 3,000 total yards, throwing for 2,961 and rushing for 59 to give him 3,020.

Brisendine tied the school record for TD passes in a game with five, doing it three times.

On the city career lists, Brisendine ranks second in completions (349), third in passing yards (4,687), third in TD passes (61) and fourth in attempts 596 (fourth).

With Vashun Mickens’ 57 yards added to Brisendine’s total, the Vikings became the first team in city history to go over 3,000 passing yards (3,018). Fairfield came close in 2008 with 2,910.

Receiver Dion Williams broke city records with his 88 receptions and 25 TD catches. His 1,261 receiving yards are a school record and rank second only to the 1,478 of Fairfield’s Alex Hubbard in 2008.

Williams’s 88 catches were enough to tie the Vanden career record set by Christian Basden (2010-12) and he ended up with 117 for his career, tying the city record held by Hubbard. His 1,695 yards set a school record and rank third all-time in the city.

Williams’ 25 TD receptions in 2013 tied the city career record held by Hubbard and he finished with 31.

The 25 touchdowns tie Williams for fifth and his 160 points tie him for third on Vanden’s all-time scoring lists. He’s tied for sixth and fourth, respectively, in the city. Doing so bumps former Fairfield great Larry Thompson out of the top 10. The 136 points he amassed in 1988 were a city record at the time.

Javin White’s 47 receptions rank seventh in city history and are fourth on Vanden’s single season list while his 585 receiving yards are ninth for the Vikings.

Isaiah Hamilton turned in the 17th 1,000-yard season in Vanden history, finishing with 1,087 yards.

Hamilton’s 18 touchdowns tied for 10th and his 110 points tied for 12th on Vanden’s scoring lists.

As a team, Vanden’s 484 points rank third in school history, fourth in city history, likewise their 40.2 points per game. The Vikings scored 21 or more points in every game for the first time since 1995 – the year they won their last SJS title – and the second time in school history.

The Vikings’ 4,275 total yards is sixth-most in school history.

All wasn’t rosy for the green and gold in 2013, however.

The 62 points given up to Inderkum Friday was the most ever by a Vanden team and the first time the Vikings had yielded more than 56 to an opponent. The 400 rushing yards and 516 total yards amassed by the Tigers were the seventh-most surrendered by the Vikings in both categories.

The 1,575 passing yards were the most ever given up by the Vikings in a season, the 290 points were the sixth-most, the 1,930 rushing yards the eighth-most and the 3,515 total yards the fifth-most.

Armijo

The Indians started the season with the dubious distinction of being the first city team ever to be shutout in its first three games.

They broke that string in style with an 85-yard run by Jeffrie Brown, who set a city record for both a season and a career with four runs of 80 yards or more. Brown led the city with 966 rushing yards in the regular season and averaged a solid 7.5 yards per carry. He also led the Indians in receiving with 14 catches, while Corey Stewart had a team-high 173 receiving yards.

D’Mario Johnson led Armijo with 329 passing yards.

As a team, Armijo’s 368 rushing yards against Fairfield tied for the ninth-most in school history.

The 115 points scored was the ninth-fewest since the Indians started playing 10-game season in 1976, the 453 passing yards sixth-fewest and the 2,086 total yards ninth-fewest.

Defensively, the 1,642 passing yards given up by Armijo rank second-most in school history, the 3,991 total yards third-most, the 403 points fourth-most and the 2,349 rushing yards eighth-most.

The Indians finished 0-5 in the MEL for the sixth straight season and have dropped 33 straight league games. They endured their seventh straight losing season, their longest such string of futility ever.

Fairfield

Eric Clark led the Falcons in both rushing (475 yards on 98 carries) and receiving (22 catches for 472 yards). His 21.4 yards per catch led the city.

Michael Arredondo became the 13th Fairfield High quarterback to throw for 1,000 yards and his 1,040 yards rank 11th on the team’s all-time list. He had six 100-yard games on the season and is one of three quarterbacks in school history with back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons (Keith Welch 2006-08, Tra’Mayne Bondurant 2008-2010).

Arredondo’s 2,041 career passing yards, 144 completions and 295 attempts rank fourth in school history, his 19 TD passes tied for fourth.

The Falcons finished the year on a seven-game losing streak, their longest in the same season since they dropped the first seven in 2003.

The 104 points scored by the Falcons were their eighth-fewest ever and the third-fewest for a 10-game season. Their 974 rushing yards and 775 last year are the two lowest in school history. Likewise, their 2,027 total yards this season and 1,779 in 2012 rank at the bottom.

Fairfield struggled on defense as well. The 414 points allowed were the most ever, though the 41.4 points given up per game rank second to the 43.2 of last season in nine games.

The 2,199 rushing yards surrendered were the eighth-most ever, the 3,272 total yards ninth-most.

Rodriguez

Aaron Short led the Mustangs in scoring with eight touchdowns but would’ve had 10 had two TDs not been wiped out by penalties in the season finale with Armijo.

Short topped the Mustangs in receiving with 24 catches for 345 yards and four TDs. His 40 career receptions ranks second in school history, as do his 790 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns.

D’Andre Scott was the team’s leading rusher with 245 yards, 100 of which came against Fairfield.

Quarterback Jacob Hurt’s 829 passing yards was the fourth highest total in Rodriguez history, his 1,229 career yards ranking third and his 11 TD passes tied for fourth.

The 698 rushing yards were the lowest in school history, the 133 points and 1,914 total yards ranking as second-lowest.

The 408 points allowed were second-most, the 2,440 rushing yards fourth-most, the 3,651 total yards second most, the 365.1 per game the most.

The Mustangs missed the playoffs in back-to-back seasons for the first time since 2004 and 2005.

Brisendine, Williams make passing fancy for Vanden

Vanden wide receiver, Dion Williams, left, and quarterback Jadon Brisendine stand on the Vaden High School football field in Fairfield, Wednesday. (Aaron Rosenblatt/Daily Republic)

FAIRFIELD — Jadon Brisendine and Dion Williams have a good thing going.

Good thing for the Vanden High football team.

Brisendine, a junior quarterback, and Williams, a senior receiver, are on pace to have some of the best seasons at their respective positions in school – and city – history.

The Vikings (4-2) hope they continue their success when they host defending Solano County Athletic Conference champion American Canyon (5-1) for homecoming, Friday.

Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m.

Brisendine and Williams have hooked up 39 times for 567 yards and 13 touchdowns so far this season, putting the latter in the top 10 (seventh, 10th and second) in all three categories on Vanden’s all-time single season list – with four regular season games remaining.

“I think it’s because of the time they spent in the offseason, especially summer and spring,” Vanden coach LeVon Haynes said of their connection. “They both ran track and formed a good relationship. In the summer they worked out, worked on their timing. They know where the other guy’s going to be because that trust is huge.”

Vanden’s had a string of record-setting quarterbacks under Haynes, from Blake McAhren (2005), Chad Hurst (2006-2008) and Ben Scott (2009-2011), but none had a chance to work with a receiver in the offseason as much as Brisendine did with Williams.

“That’s an advantage over the other guys,” Haynes said. “They didn’t have the chance to work with guys over the summer. That’s why the connection is so great. When you’re a quarterback, you just trust that guy and throw the ball to him no matter where he’s at.”

Brisendine is especially appreciative of Williams’ “ability to go after the ball,” the quarterback said. “He knows every weakness (in the defense) and attacks it. If he sees something, he’ll let me know and I’ll get him the ball.

“I see something and he knows I see something,” Williams said. “We’re on the same page.”

As with predecessors Hurst and Scott, Brisendine earned the starting quarterback job as a sophomore. Like the other two, he put up decent numbers, completing 125 of 241 passes for 1,726 yards and 18 touchdowns last season.

Brisendine also threw 17 interceptions, including five his in his debut.

What a difference a year makes. In 2013, he’s completed 105 of 171 passes – upping his completion percentage from 51.9 to 61.4 – for 1,300 yards and 22 touchdowns with just five interceptions.

Haynes credits the change to “having that year under his belt, by understanding the offense a little more coming into his junior year and having great athletes around him making the plays they make.”

Brisendine agreed.

“The big difference I think is maturity, more understanding of the game, experience and patience,” he said. “Last year was my sophomore year, it was pretty new. This year we’re more together as a team.”

Brisendine’s on pace to throw for 36 touchdowns and 2,167 yards, which would rank first and fourth, respectively, in school history for a single season.

Williams is also challenging several Vanden records. He needs 12 catches, 468 yards and three TDs to set new single season marks and 21 catches, 578 yards and two TDs to become the school’s all-time leader in those categories.

“I don’t really like to compare him to all the other receivers we’ve had because we’ve had some great ones come through,” Haynes said. “He is up there with them by far.

“Those guys had some ‘so-called’ records. Almost every year someone breaks a receiving record. That’s a good thing. It gives guys something to shoot for. It’s something they talk about breaking.”

But it’s something Williams doesn’t like to talk about.

“I don’t try to compare myself with them,” he said. “I try to use them as something to shoot for. . . . They were great. I’m just trying to be greater.”

Williams’ success is no accident. Just ask his coach.

“He’s just a special individual,” Haynes said. “He catches the ball. He makes yards after the catch. He makes fantastic catches. He makes hard ones look easy. He’s just a special, special football player.”

Who’s part of a special passing connection.

Reach Paul Farmer at 425-4646, ext. 264, or pfarmer@dailyrepublic.net. Follow him on Twitter at www.twitter.com/pfarmerdr.

Vanden ties records in 55-6 drumming of Fairfield

Vanden's Javin White, top, is tackled by Fairfield's Tyler Ross, Friday, during the football game at Fairfield High School. (Aaron Rosenblatt/Daily Republic)

FAIRFIELD — Vanden tied city records and secured its playoff standing with a 55-6 win against crosstown rival Fairfield at Schaefer Stadium, Friday night..

The Vikings moved to 7-3 overall and 4-1 in the Solano County Athletic Conference with the win, while the Falcons finished the season at 2-8 overall and 0-5 in league.

For Vanden, Dion Williams’ four catches tied the city’s single-season record set in 2008 by Fairfield’s Alex Hubbard with 68, the first of which went for an 8-yard touchdown in the first quarter.

The pass came from Jadon Brisendine, who also connected with Billy Hurst on a 51-yard pass in the second quarter for two touchdown passes on the night. That hiked his season total to 37, also tying another former Falcons player, Tre’Mayne Bondurant, who hit the mark in 2009.

“We wanted to (get those records),” said Vanden coach LeVon Haynes. “We played a good game.”

It also was a banner night for Vanden’s Isaiah Hamilton, who turned in three rushing touchdowns – all in the first quarter – in his 72 yards.

Hamilton scored the game’s first TD, a 38-yard dash down his own sideline to that gave the Vikings a 7-0 lead.

After Williams’ touchdown catch, Hamilton struck again, this time hurdling a player in the Fairfield secondary as he blasted 29 yards across the middle of the field to give his team a 21-0 edge.

Hamilton and Vikings would strike one more time in the waning seconds of the first quarter with the sophomore running back scampering 5 yards to pay dirt and a 28-0 lead.

Hurst scored the next Vikings touchdown, grabbing Brisendine’s pass and rolling untouched down the opposing sideline for a 51-yard score, giving Vanden a 34-0 edge after a missed extra point.

The Vikings moved the needle to a 41-0 advantage as Elijah Williams scored the first of his two touchdowns on a 10-yard run up the middle stretching out his hands to cross the goal line.

Vanden’s Ren Littlepage had the first touchdown in the second half, bursting through the line for a 3-yard TD tote with 7 minutes and 47 seconds left in the third quarter.

One play later, however, came Fairfield’s lone score of the night.

Falcons quarterback Michael Arredondo threw the ball down his own sideline and found Demetrus Spears, who made the catch and rolled to a 70-yard touchdown, bringing the scoreboard to 48-6.

The play almost singlehandedly moved Arredondo into the record books. His 115 yards passing pushed him to 1,040 on the season, making him the fourth passer in school history with two 1,000-yard seasons.

“We just changed the offense,” said Fairfield coach David Fishleigh. “Arrendondo threw a good ball and (Spears) made a good catch.”

Elijah Williams had the night’s final TD, exploding 53 yards down his own sideline on the first play of the Vikings’ penultimate drive.

“We wanted to get out healthy and get ready for the playoffs next week,” Haynes said.

Fishleigh said the Falcons showed heart.

“These kids never gave up,” Fishleigh said. “They never gave up no matter what happened.”

Williams rewrites records in Vanden victory

VALLEJO — Former Vanden High standout receiver Chris Broadnax got to see the current Vikings dismantle Vallejo 51-10 at Corbus Field, Saturday night.

In the process, Broadnax, who now plays for Sacramento State, got to see Dion Williams erase his name from the Vanden football team’s record book when the latter hauled in six passes for a career-high 160 yards and three touchdowns against the Apaches.

Williams tied Broadnax’s record for single-season touchdown catches at 15 with a 73-yard bomb from Jadon Brisendine in the second quarter. He passed him with TD grabs of 29 and 35 yards, also in the second period, the former a dazzling diving grab in the end zone after the ball had been deflected by a defender.

That also gave Williams 23 career touchdown receptions, breaking a tie for the school record of 20 set by Cody Holbein from 2009 to 2011. He’s now two shy of the city record held by Fairfield’s Alex Hubbard, who had 25 from 2007 to 2009.

For good measure, Williams’ six catches gave him 56 for the season, snapping a tie with Christian Basden, who set the school record with 50 from 2010 to 2012. He’s also second on the city list to Hubbard’s 68.

“Dion’s a great player, a great individual, just special,” Vanden coach LeVon Haynes said.

Williams is closing in on other Vikings’ marks.

His 775 yards on the season rank third behind Broadnax’s 1,035 in 12 games in 2009 and Cody Holbein’s 860 in 11 games in 2010. His 85 career receptions trail only Basden’s 88. And his 1,209 receiving yards rank third behind Holbein’s 1,578 and Broadnax’s 1,336.

Brisendine had another brilliant night, completing 16 of 27 passes for 299 yards, the second-highest total of his career and 10th all-time in Vanden history, and a record-tying five touchdowns, the second time he’s done that this season.

His other touchdown passes on Saturday were 10 and 7 yards in the first quarter to Javin White, who caught six passes for 70 yards.

Brisendine has 30 TD passes on the season, second only to the record of 34 by Scott in 2011. He’s also second at 230.9 yards per game to Scott’s 254.9 and second with a 61.9 completion percentage to Scott’s 62.0, both also set in 2011.

“Jadon has come along every game,” Haynes said.

Running back Isaiah Hamilton gave the Vikings (5-3, 2-1 SCAC) a running threat as well on Saturday, rushing 17 times for 94 yards and TD runs of 14 and 11 yards in the third quarter.

Meanwhile, Vanden’s defense was stout throughout, forcing a fumble recovered by Khalil Nunley on Vallejo’s first play from scrimmage and limiting the Apaches (1-7, 0-3 SCAC) to 13 yards rushing and 94 total yards for the game.

Elijah Williams also stripped the ball from an opposing rusher, setting up Williams’ second TD catch.

“What pleased me most was the way we played and executed,” Haynes said. “The biggest thing with a long week with practice (because of) playing the Saturday night game is you have to be creative at practice. The kids responded after a tough loss (last week) to American Canyon. That’s what you want to see from kids, that’s what I’m most proud of, the way they played tonight.”

The Vikings look for another solid performance when they host Benicia (7-1, 3-0) in a key SCAC clash on Friday.

Vanden High School football has strong showing in all-SCAC

Vanden, Will C. Wood tie 21-21 at end of regulation

Vanden High School football team scores "Friendly" rout over Dixon

Vanden High School football shuts out Copper Hills in Idaho matchup

Vanden High School’s football group went all a approach to Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, on Friday night and came out with a same outcome as final week’s opener — a shutout victory.

Vanden rolled to a 41-0 win over Copper Hills of West Jordan, Utah, in an widespread showdown during Coeur d’Alene High. The Vikings led 20-0 during halftime and scored 21 some-more points in a third quarter.

Vanden is 2-0. The Vikings non-stop a deteriorate with a 42-0 win over Dixon.

“We took a journey around a lake, loose and afterwards went out and played some football,” Vanden conduct manager LeVon Haynes said. “We wanted a kids to have a full experience. Then they went out and got a ‘W.’”

Quarterback Jadon Brisendine finished 11 of 22 flitting for 173 yards with 3 touchdowns and no interceptions. Backup QB Vashun Mickens done his one pass count in a 9-yard touchdown toss.

Dion Williams was a tip receiver with 5 catches for 102 yards. Three of those catches went for touchdowns. Javin White had dual catches for 31 yards and a TD. Tony Terry and Isaiah Hamilton finished with dual receptions each.

The Vikings were hold to 32 yards on a ground. Hamilton had a touchdown. Hamilton and Billy Hurst tied for a group rushing lead with only 19 yards apiece.

The invulnerability got into a scoring act in a initial entertain when Jordan Garcia forced a fail in a finish section that was recovered by Khalil Nunley. Daniel Hamilton had a sack. Williams and Hurst intercepted passes.

“The guys were a small delayed in a initial half, a small lackadaisical,” Haynes said. “We picked it adult and got going in a second half. The movement went a approach and we took over a game.”

Vanden will be behind in movement subsequent Saturday night during Tom Zunino Stadium for a internal showdown with Will C. Wood.

Prep Kickoff 2013: Vanden High School football takes aim at return to playoffs

Vanden High School running back Ren Littlepage returns after rushing for 1,000 yards last season. (Joel Rosenbaum/JRosenbaum@TheReporter.com)

LeVon Haynes hopes last season was an anomaly. He knows it was a learning experience.

 

Haynes and the Vanden High School football team endured a rarity in 2012 ... a losing season. The longtime coach and former Vikings player figures the only good that can come from the 4-6 campaign is if his players use it as a springboard to success in 2013.

 

"We were really, really young, and we made really, really young mistakes," he said. "Guys had to grow up real fast.

 

"The up side is we didn't get blown out by anybody. We played everybody tough, but we still lost six games. Hopefully that's what makes these guys even more hungry for this season."

 

The season begins tonight, as the Vikings battle former rival Dixon at George A. Gammon Field. Varsity kickoff is set for 7:30.

 

Leading Vanden's hopes is junior quarterback Jadon Brisendine, who may have been the epitome of the Vikings' 2012 season. He threw for a solid 1,732 yards and 20 touchdowns, but also tossed 17 interceptions.

 

"He was thrown into the fire," Haynes admitted. "He should be much better this year. He should be much more calm. He knows what to expect now."

 

Also back is Ren Littlepage, who rushed for 1,000 yards and 10 TDs last year. He should get help in the backfield from fellow senior Billy Hurst and speedy sophomore Isaiah Hamilton-Williams.

 

Brisendine will have some big targets for his passes.

 

Dion Williams (6-foot-1), who led the Vikings in receiving yards (515) and TD catches (six) last year, is back and is the shortest of the main threats. Juniors Tony Terry (6-4), Javin White (6-3) and Christian Pointer (6-2) all are in the mix.

 

The line averages 240 pounds and includes senior center Drew Harris and senior right guard Theo Bohanan. Juniors Garrett Knight (left tackle), Joshua Stewart (right tackle) and Mason Cain (left guard) join the starting group. Senior Jordan Garcia can rotate in at any position.

 

Leading the way on defense is senior linebacker Elijah Williams, who has received looks from several four-year colleges. Williams led the Vikings with 111 tackles last year.

 

He will be flanked by junior Khalil Nunley and Hamilton-Williams, with Tyler Koss and Terry also in the fray.

 

Garcia is the top returner among defensive linemen.

 

Defensive backs Devin Bruner and Hurst both return after earning second-team all-Solano County Athletic Conference honors in 2012. Williams returns at safety.

 

The Vikings will hit the road -- or the airways -- in a big way next week. They will travel to Coeur D'Alene, Idaho, to face Copper Hills of Utah.

 

Vanden will follow its longest trip of the year with one of its shortest, driving up Peabody Road to face Will C. Wood on Tom Zunino Stadium in a Saturday night special on Sept. 21.

 

The Vikings' SCAC opener is Oct. 11 against Bethel at Corbus Field. Homecoming is the following week against American Canyon.

Vanden looking for big things in 2013

Vanden's Elijah Williams was the SCAC Co-Defensive Player of the Year in 2012 despite playing with a broken hand. (Aaron Rosenblatt/Daily Republic)

FAIRFIELD — There’s nothing like a little experience, especially when it comes to high school football.

Too little experience was a problem for Vanden in 2012 as a largely green set of Vikings went 4-6 and missed the playoffs for the first time in six seasons and had their first sub .500 campaign in five seasons.

“The fact we have a lot of returning guys, I feel we’re quicker this year because we’re playing with experienced guys,” said LeVon Haynes, who’s entering his ninth season as Vikings head coach. “I feel like that’s one of our strengths.”

So is leadership as Vanden returns senior linebacker Elijah Williams, the 2012 Solano County Athletic Conference’s Co-Defensive Player of the Year winner, and junior quarterback Jadon Brisendine, who threw for more than 1,700 yards last season.

The solid leadership displayed by Williams, Brisdendine and others, is invaluable, according to Haynes.

“Just being able to have it, that’s the key to success,” the coach said. “You’ve got to have guys that want to lead the team, guys who want to follow. That makes kids accountable. It takes pressure off coaches. You must have it to have a successful football season.”

Also back on defense are defensive backs Billy Hurst, Isaiah Creal-Musgray and D.J. Muchison, Tyler Koss at linebacker and linemen Jordan Garcia, Theo Bohanan and Dan Hamilton.

Expected to contribute on defense are linemen Garrett Knight, Mason Cain, Josh Stewart and Tharon Cornist, and linebackers Isaiah Hamilton-Williams and Kahlil Nunley.

Brisendine’s 1,726 passing yards in 2012 ranks sixth on the school’s all-time single-season list and his 18 TD passes ranks fifth. Only Ben Scott, the city’s all-time passing leader, had more as a sophomore (2,174 and 27 in 2009).

Brisendine had to replace Scott, who had three straight 2,000-yard seasons, hardly an easy task. At times he struggled, but Haynes knows those lessons learned will help this season.

“Having that year makes the difference,” the coach said. “He knows varsity speed, knows the difference. He can see things differently as a junior as opposed to being a sophomore. He’s battle tested. When you come into season and don’t have a quarterback who’s battle tested you’re going to struggle until he figures things out.”

Hurst and fellow running back Ren Littlepage (1,005 yards, 11 TDs in 2012) as well as receivers Dion Williams (28 receptions, 415 yards, 6 TDs) and Tony Terry are the top returning offensive threats. Blocking for them will be Garcia, Bohanan, Hamilton, Knight, Cain, Stewart and Jose Ochoa.

A tough schedule, that includes a trip to Idaho to play Copper Hills of West Jordan, Utah, figures to challenge the Vikings in 2012.

Bethel, Benicia and American Canyon made the Sac-Joaquin Section playoffs in 2012, while Vallejo and Fairfield should be improved.

“Our league will be tough,” said Haynes, who said the Vikings’ goals are to win SCAC and SJS titles.

To do that, the team must “continue to work hard and our seniors need to continue to lead,” he said.

It all starts when Vanden hosts Dixon on Sept. 6.

Reach Paul Farmer at 425-4646, ext. 264, or pfarmer@dailyrepublic.net. Follow him on Twitter at www.twitter.com/pfarmerdr.

Trio of Vikings headed to next level

Vanden's Mike Weaver, left, Matt Walker, center, and Tyler Corsi stand at Vanden High School on Thursday. Weaver signed his letter of intent to play football at Elmhurst College in Illinois and Walker and Corsi will play football for Pacific University of Forest Grove in Oregon. (Aaron Rosenblatt/Daily Republic)

FAIRFIELD — Recent Vanden High graduates Tyler Corsi and Matthew Walker are taking their football talents to Pacific University in Forest Grove, Ore.

Former Vikings teammate Mike Weaver nearly joined them, deciding instead to play for Elmhurst (Ill.) College.

The three signed their letters of intent together in a ceremony at the school late last month and are excited about their futures, as is Vanden coach LeVon Haynes.

“It’s an amazing feeling, actually,” said Walker, a running back/slot receiver with the Vikings. “My dad said to always work hard and practice for this situation. Right now I’m just honored to go somewhere to play football and play a sport I really love.”

“The (Vanden) coaching staff did a good job preparing us for the next level,” said Weaver, an All-Solano County Athletic Conference honorable mention linebacker. “That’s kind of one of their jobs. They trained us, they taught us the fundamentals of the game and really did a good job coaching us up for the next level.”

Corsi, an offensive lineman, wasn’t sure about going to a small school in a small town – Forest Grove, 25 miles west of Portland, has a population of roughly 21,000 – But was quickly won over during his recruiting visit.

“Well, it was really the coaches and the players that I met when I went up (for the) visit,” Corsi said. “I was skeptical at first because it’s a small school and I wanted to go to a big school. You drive in at night and it’s a farm town.

“Once I met the coaches, I felt like I was already part of the family, which I was looking for because I’m going to be away from home the next four years.”

“They have a great tradition up there,” Haynes said. “They’ve done a good job to make him feel wanted. It’s almost like he’s their No. 1 guy.”

That tradition includes rebuilding the program. The Boxers didn’t field teams from 1992 to 2009, going 0-9 in 2010, 1-8 in 2011 and 3-6 in 2012.

“I feel with the work ethic and attitude of players I met on my visit we’re destined to win a championship in my four years there,” Corsi said.

Haynes is confident Corsi will be part of any championship run.

“I think he’s going to do very well up there,” the coach said. “His best football is yet to come for him, He’s got a huge upside. The kid’s about 6-5, weighs about 250. He has that body, his frame they fell in love with. Not only that, he’s a great young man.”

Corsi played right tackle for a Vikings offense that averaged 26.5 points and 323.1 yards per game.

“I’m open to playing either side or any position (for Pacific), to be honest,” he said.

Like Corsi, Walker had a good recruiting experience with the Boxers.

“First, it was the coaches that showed a great interest in me,” Walker said. “I never had that before. In the visit, when I went up  there the food was amazing. The atmosphere was awesome, the players were awesome, the trainers were awesome, the people were awesome. It’s just a beautiful campus.”

Walker was also a member of Vanden’s baseball team, which made the Sac-Joaquin Section Division II playoffs, but there was never any doubt about which sport was in his future.

“I really prefer football over baseball,” Walker said. “Football is football, just the teams and coaches. I  love the physical aspect, I like to hit people, I like to get rough. You can’t really do that with baseball.”

Walker was second on Vanden with 254 yards rushing, averaging 5.3 yards per carry. He also caught 17 passes for 220 yards and three touchdowns.

Walker said he’s been told by the Boxers staff that he’ll be primarily a running back, though he’ll be called on to catch the ball as well.

He prefers running the ball because “I hate getting blindsided. That’s the most annoying thing in the world. . . . At running back I get to choose. If I get blindsided it’s my fault.”

Haynes expects Walker to succeed whatever he’s called on to do.

“I think Matthew will fit in just fine,” the coach said. “The things they have in store for him, the position they want him to play is what we had him do in our offense, play in the slot. He’s fast enough to get by linebackers.”

Walker’s also excited about having another Vikings up there with him.

“It’s going to be fun, Tyler and I always had that connection,” Walker said. “Tyler’s the tackle. Me, I’m the running back and he’s leading me to the end zone. It’ll be great to keep that up. He’s a great friend. It’ll be great to keep that up the next four years.”

Weaver is a friend of Corsi and Walker and nearly joined them on the Boxers.

“It came down to Pacific University and Elmhurst,” Weaver said. “Those were the two top schools. Matt and Tyler chose Pacific, I chose Elmhurst.”

Elmhurst, the town, is a superb of Chicago with a population of just over 40,000.

“I liked how the campus is close to Chicago,” Weaver said, “and I like how the college gives me internship opportunities and the education will help me get internships and get me a job.”

While Pacific is rebuilding, Elmhurst (10-2, 6-1) is already competitive, finishing in a three-way tie for the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin championship.

“For Mike, it’s a great deal,” Haynes said. “I was hoping he would end up at Pacific with those guys. I know they liked him. He enjoyed the visit up there. He’s going to a program that allows him to play like he did at Vanden, wreckless-abandon football. He’ll be involved in the defense. I think he’ll excel and do well out there.”

Weaver had 30 solo, and 31 assisted tackles for the Vikings in 2012, his average of 6.1 tackles per game ranking fifth on the team.

Weaver first got in contact with the Bluejays at the beginning of last season.

“In February I went on an official visit and that’s when they offered,” Weaver said.

And that’s when he got a taste of the weather he’ll be facing.

“He’ll have to get used to that cold out there,” Haynes said.

Reach Paul Farmer at 425-4646, ext. 264, or pfarmer@dailyrepublic.net. Follow him on Twitter at www.twitter.com/parmerdr.

 

Basden ready to be a Lumberjack

Vanden High School senior Christian Basden, 17, is congratulated by his dad, Rick, after signing a letter of intent to play football at Humboldt State University, Wednesday afternoon in the school library. (Brad Zweerink/Daily Republic)

FAIRFIELD — Turns out Christian Basden is a small-town kid at heart.

Wanting to go to a “small college town” was one reason the Vanden High receiving standout went with Humboldt State University as his choice for playing his collegiate football.

Basden made it official by signing his letter of intent at a ceremony in the Vanden library, Wednesday afternoon.

“I liked the atmosphere, it’s more like a small college town,” Basden said. “It’s not like other schools that are in big cities. You can take a slower pace and let things come to you.”

Other schools in the picture were St. Cloud (Minn.) State and Idaho State, with San Diego State, Fresno State and Portland State also showing interest.

“Humboldt seems similar to Vanden,” Basden said. “Everything’s close knit, they help one another. The coach’s door is always open if you need to talk – if you need anything, really.”

What you really need is grades was the message delivered by Basden’s parents, who spoke at the ceremony.

“Where ever you’re at, just push hard, especially you freshmen and sophomores,” said Leanne Basden, Christian’s mom. “Football is great, but academics is what gets you there, so push hard.”

“If your grades aren’t there,” added Richard Basden, Christian’s dad, “you can’t be on the team. . . . . You can have a skill, but if you don’t have grades, you can’t go beyond that.”

Richard Basden also thanked Vanden for helping to prepare his son for college.

“You’ve heard it takes a village to raise a child, it took a school to get Christian where he’s at,” Richard Basden said.

Vanden football coach LeVon Haynes credited Christian Basden for putting the necessary work.

“Getting a scholarship is not easy,” the coach said. “The first part of that is scholar. He did a lot of work in the classroom, he did a lot of work on the field. I’ve coached a lot of receivers at Vanden High School. Christian is one of the best. He always had that talent and mindset to work hard.”

That work on the field made Basden one of Vanden’s – and the city’s – all-time leading receivers.

He set Vanden’s single-season receptions record with 50 as a junior in 2011 and finished with a school-record 88 for his career, which ranks third on the all-time city list.

Basden also finished with 1,172 yards, which ranks third in Vanden history, eighth on the city list.

He goes to a team that likes to move the ball and score. In going 7-4 in 2012, the Lumberjacks averaged 31.0 points per game and 404.9 yards of offense, 209.4 through the air.

“They run the spread (offense), very similar to what we run – pass first, run later,” Basden said.

On top of that, “There’s the opportunity to play right away instead of red-shirting,” he said. “That had a big impact as far as my decision.”

Of seeing another of his players moving on to play in college, Haynes said, “It feels great. it’s a great opportunity. It says a lot for our program. Our kids work very hard, not only on the field but in the classroom. It’s an opportunity to get an education. I’m very proud of Christian.”

Reach Paul Farmer at 425-4646, ext. 264, or pfarmer@dailyrepublic.net. Follow him on Twitter at www.twitter.com/pfarmerdr.

http://calhisports.com/2013/01/26/all-state-football-medium-schools/

 

Senior Aaron Maher was MVP of the Sonoma County League from Analy of Sebastopol and led team to 12-1 record as a dominating receiver and defensive back. Photo by Harold Abend.

CIF D3 state champ Madison gets two on the first team with one on the second. Others with multiple honorees include El Cerrito, Sutter and Corona del Mar.

 

Note: Congratulations to all 60 players who have been selected to one of the two 2012 Cal-Hi Sports all-state football teams for medium schools. We consider those schools to be medium if they were Division III for our traditional five-division state rankings. Some schools also that were Division II for the CIF state football bowl games and Division II for the traditional state rankings also are medium schools for all-state consideration. Those would be schools that have been medium schools for years (examples: Oakdale of CIF Sac-Joaquin Section and Garces of the CIF Central Section). This is the 34th year of Cal-Hi Sports all-state teams in football and all first-team honorees get listed in the state record book.

FIRST TEAM OFFENSE
WR Kyle Dozier (Saratoga) 5-11, 185, Sr.
WR Devante Jenkins (North, Torrance) 6-2, 180, Sr.
TE Kevin Palma (Mission Oak, Tulare) 6-2, 240, Sr.
OL Kammy Delp (Diamond Ranch, Pomona) 6-4, 304, Jr.
OL Darren Echeveria (Antelope) 6-4, 270, Sr.
OL Benji Palu (Burlingame) 6-1, 300, Sr.
OL David Patterson (Woodbridge, Irvine) 6-5, 295, Sr.
OL Keoni Taylor (Garces, Bakersfield) 6-3, 295, Sr.
QB Marcus McMaryon (Dinuba) 6-2, 170, Jr.
RB Pierre Cormier (Madison, San Diego) 5-10, 185, Sr.
RB Royce Freeman (Imperial) 6-1, 218, Jr.
PK Grif Amies (Corona del Mar, Newport Beach) 5-11, 180, Sr.

 

We didn’t have a tight end on the all-state small schools team, but couldn’t resist with Stanford-bound Kevin Palma, who had another outstanding season at Mission Oak of Tulare.

FIRST TEAM DEFENSE
DL Luca Bruno (Oak Park, Agoura Hills) 6-2, 280, Sr.
DL Josh Huff (Garden Grove) 6-3, 225, Sr.
DL Tyrell Robinson (Lincoln, San Diego) 6-4, 215, Sr.
DL Ryan Steele (Kingsburg) 6-1, 285, Sr.
LB Austin Brasher (El Segundo) 6-0, 210, Sr.
LB Derik Calhoun (El Cerrito) 6-0, 200, Jr.
LB Kevin Crane (Nordhoff, Ojai) 5-10, 180, Sr.
LB Ryan Staas (Sutter) 6-3, 225, Sr.
DB Kevin King (Bishop O’Dowd, Oakland) 6-2, 175, Sr.
DB Drake Martinez (Laguna Beach) 6-1, 185, Sr.
DB Marcellus Pippins (El Cerrito) 5-10, 170, Sr.
P Sean McComas (West Valley, Cottonwood) 6-0, 175, Jr.

 

FIRST TEAM MULTI-PURPOSE
QB/RB Kamari Cotton-Moya (Ridgeview, Bakersfield) 6-2, 185, Sr.
RB/LB/P Fabiano Hale (Soquel) 6-1, 215, Sr.
QB/RB Brandon Martinez (El Monte) 5-9, 165, Sr.
WR/DB Aaron Maher (Analy, Sebastopol) 6-3, 190, Sr.
QB/WR/DB Tyree Robinson (Lincoln, San Diego) 6-4, 210, Sr.
WR/DB Lee Walker (Madison, San Diego) 6-0, 160, Sr.

SECOND TEAM OFFENSE
WR Jalen Harvey (El Cerrito) 6-1, 185, Jr.
TE Austin Jones (Oakdale) 6-2, 215, Sr.
OL Julian Bertero (Sequoia, Redwood City) 6-6, 280, Sr.
OL Jonathan Guel (Centennial, Compton) 6-2, 260, Sr.
OL Joey Kuperman (Cathedral Catholic, San Diego) 6-1, 280, Sr.
OL Isaac McClain (Manteca) 6-3, 290, Jr.
OL Isaiah Osorio (La Serna, Whittier) 6-0, 240, Sr.
QB Jonathan Walters (Saratoga) 5-11, 175, Jr.
RB Anthony Cota (Sierra, Manteca) 6-0, 185, Sr.
RB Tayler Livingston (Nordhoff, Ojai) 5-10, 165, Jr.
RB Gerardo Saldivar (Los Amigos, Fountain Valley) 5-6, 160, Sr.
PK Brandt Davis (Bonita, La Verne) 6-0, 180, Sr.

SECOND TEAM DEFENSE
DL Ben Howard (Orland) 6-4, 200, Sr.
DL Tim Reinhardt (Corona del Mar, Newport Beach) 6-3, 235, Sr.
DL Weston Tolbert (Alameda) 6-3, 245, Sr.
LB Sergio Gonzalez (Ganesha, Pomona) 6-1, 200, Sr.
LB Keoni Kanoa (Madison, San Diego) 5-8, 190, Sr.
LB Kevin Kiff (Soquel) 6-3, 200, Sr.
LB Phillip Robledo (Sutter) 6-2, 200, Sr.
LB Elijah Williams (Vanden, Travis AFB) 6-1, 210, Jr.
DB Austin Clark (West Valley, Cottonwood) 5-11, 180, Sr.
DB Natu Hezchias (Piner, Santa Rosa) 6-4, 175, Sr.
DB Adarius Pickett (El Cerrito) 6-0, 175, Jr.
P Aldrick Rosas (Orland) 6-3, 210, Sr.

SECOND TEAM MULTI-PURPOSE
WR/LB Abel Barajas (El Monte) 5-11, 180, Sr.
QB/RB/DB Anthony Carter (Bishop Diego, Santa Barbara) 5-10, 170, Jr.
WR/DB Dominic Gomes (Bishop O’Dowd, Oakland) 5-11, 165, Sr.
QB/RB Jorge Hernandez (North, Torrance) 5-11, 180, Sr.
QB/DB Josiah Johnson (Sacramento) 6-0, 185, Sr.
FB/DL Nikk Ryan (Oakdale) 6-0, 210, Sr.

Local football players see action at underclassmen showcases

Fairfield quarterback Michael Arredondo winds up to make a pass while playing Armijo in September. (Robinson Kuntz/Daily Republic file)

FAIRFIELD — While football season was over for most of their teammates, a pair of local gridders were still playing well into December and even January.

Fairfield High quarterback Michael Arredondo and Vanden defensive back Billy Hurst each spent a weekend showing off their talents at a pair of showcases for underclassmen.

Arredondo was invited to the Cal State Game Underclassmen Showcase in Visalia in December, while Hurst went to the U.S. Army All-American Bowl Combine in San Antonio in the beginning of January.

A junior at Fairfield, Arredondo earned the invitation to the Cal State Game showcase after attending camp at Contra Costa College in the summer.

The only invitee from Solano County, Arredondo said he was one of about 60 players invited to the showcase the weekend before Christmas at Visalia’s Mineral King Bowl.

“There was like 60 guys there, it was really cold, raining a lot,” Arredondo said. “I had a good time. I learned a lot and I did pretty good.”

Aside from football drills, the four-day experience included classroom time dedicated to on-field and off-field things, such as keeping up grades.

Arredondo said he was glad to have the chance to show off his skills, especially after the Falcons struggled through a 1-8 season.

“It was a rough season, you know,” he said, attributing the team’s struggles to a low number of players. “We had very few linemen. In the first game our best lineman got hurt. We had a good team, it was just that the line didn’t have enough stamina to play both ways. It was numbers.”

In Visalia, Arredondo said he learned more of what it takes to move on to the next level.

“Go hard every play, the faster you are the better you are,” he said. “Do good in school and keep your grades up and you can go somewhere. That’s my goal. I want to go to college.”

Hurst participated in the Army All-American Bowl Combine on Jan. 5 at the Alamodome.

“It went pretty well. I performed pretty decent,” he said. “There was a lot of competition. It was a good experience.”

After a 25-hour drive through California, Arizona, New Mexico and into Texas, Hurst said things got busy fast.

“I met a lot of people from different areas. It was pretty fun,” he said.

Hurst said the drills went well, especially the one-on-one defensive back drills on pass coverage.

The combine lasted two days with one day dedicated to seminars and meetings.

“They talked to us a lot,” Hurst said.

The meetings were about the recruiting process and, “how you have to go about it. The kind of colleges that fit your style, meeting coaches, the whole recruiting thing.”

Meeting players from all over the country was a big highlight of the weekend.

“It was a new experience. It gives you an idea what college will be like, being around guys from other places,” Hurst said. “The different styles all came together into one place.”

In addition to the combine, Hurst got to watch the Army All-American Bowl, featuring the top seniors across the nation.

“I watched the game. I had a friend that played in it,” he said. “It was exciting knowing they going to play at next level, they’re the best of the best. Pretty exciting. I hope to be there next year.”

Rio Vista’s Marlowe, Vanden’s Williams lead All-Region football team

FAIRFIELD — With only one team with a winning record and two that made the playoffs, it wasn’t the best of years for central Solano County football.

But there were plenty of outstanding individual efforts and many who turned them in have been selected to the Daily Republic’s 2012 All-Region football team.

Here’s a look at this year’s squad;

Offensive Player of the Year

RB — Chace Marlowe, Rio Vista: Coming up big for one of the smallest schools around, the junior running back put up amazing numbers. According to Maxpreps.com, Marlowe led the area with 1,584 yards and 26 touchdowns, turning in 10 100-yard games and scoring seven touchdowns in a 57-8 win over Vacaville Christian.

Defensive Player of the Year

LB — Elijah Williams, Vanden: Even with having to play with a broken hand, the junior linebacker was a tackle-making machine, recording at least 10 in seven games with a high of 18 against West of Tracy and never fewer than eight, finishing with 111. No wonder he was the Solano County Athletic Conference’s co-Defensive Player of the Year.

Lineman of the Year

TE/DL Jeramy Sweany, Vacaville: The MEL’s pick at Lineman of the Year caught just five passes for 44 yards and a touchdown, but was a driving force as a blocker for the Bulldogs’ vaunted running game. Defensively, he made 32 tackles on defense, intercepted a pass and forced a fumble.

Coach of the Year

Mike Papadopoulos, Vacaville: Even with the Bulldogs playing two regular season games against teams that reached California state bowl games, no other team in the area came close to the Bulldogs’ eight wins. Under Papadopoulos, Vacaville has won four straight outright Monticello Empire League titles and 21 straight MEL games, both records.

Offense

QB — Jadon Brisendine, Vanden: After a rough start with five interceptions in the season opener, Brisendine threw for 1732 yards, the second-highest total in city history for a sophomore, and 19 touchdowns.

QB — Nic Ardave, Vacaville: The senior threw for 100 or more yards five times with a high of 184 and three touchdowns against Armijo.

RB — Curtis Goins, Vacaville: The MEL Player of the Year rushed for 1,210 yards and 12 touchdown with five 100-yard games and at least one TD in the team’s last nine games. He also caught 22 passes for 321 yards and three TDs.

RB — David Mewborn, Vacaville: Though he had as many as 10 carries just once, the junior speedster ran for 876 yards on the season, averaging a nifty 13.3 yards per carry.

RB — Ren Littlepage, Vanden: As the junior went, so went the Vikings as four of his five 100-yard games came the team’s four victories. He finished with 1,005 yards and 10 touchdowns.

G — Danny Delgado, Vacaville

C — Chris Lai, Vacaville

T — Eric Gabbard, Vacaville: Havin good linemen usually translates to good numbers and the Bulldogs averaged 329.9 yards rushing per game and 7.6 yards per carry with Delgado, Lai and Gabbard each helping to carry the load.

G —Danny Charos, Armijo: With Charos helping lead the way, the Indians improved their running game by 162.6 yards per game over 2011 to 226.3.

T — Kenny Brand, Vanden: The SCAC’s Lineman of the Year helped the Vikings average 150.1 yards rushing and 173.2 yards per game.

WR — Tyler Cummins, Vacaville: As Vacaville’s top threat among wide receivers, Cummins caught 21 passes for 331 yards and two TDs, averaging 15.8 yards per catch.

WR — Christian Basden, Vanden: Completing a stellar career with the Vikings, Basden led the team with 35 receptions and was second with 481 yards and five TDs.

WR —  Arron Short, Rodriguez: Despite having fewer than two catches per game (1.6), Short led area receivers with seven TDs and an average of 30.9 yards per catch, and was second with 495 yards.

WR — Dion Williams, Vanden: The junior led area receivers with 515 yards, catching 28 passes with six TDs and an average of 18.4 yards per grab.

K — Alberto Escobedo, Vacaville: With 61 conversion kicks, Escobedo had more PATs than the rest of the area kickers combined (55).

Defense

DL — Kenyon Clay, Vacaville: The senior recorded 52 tackles, 35 of them solo, and notched two sacks.

DL — Deontae Frank, Wood: Despite missing two games, Frank averaged 11.0 tackles each outing, recording 15 or more tackles three times and 10 or more six times. He also had 3 1/2 sacks, recovered two fumbles and caused one.

DL — John Stevenson, Vanden: The senior amassed 40 tackles, 16 solo, with two sacks and a forced fumble.

DL — Marcus Blanton, Fairfield: One of the few bright spots on an undermanned Fairfield squad that had few subs.

LB — Nick Lacey, Vacaville: To go along with 74 tackles, 46 of them solo, the senior had a team high three sacks.

LB — Josh Winters, Wood: The senior was the top tackler for the Bulldogs, leading team with 57 solo, 67 assisted and 124 total tackles. He also had two sacks, an interception return for 65 yards, four forced fumbles and three recoveries.

LB — Enrique Garrido-Ramirez, Armijo: The senior, who came back after suffering a serious neck injury in 2011, led the Indians with 64 solo tackles, finishing with 80 total. He also had two interceptions and two fumble recoveries.

LB — Tyler Gomes, Rio Vista: The junior led area players with 97 solo tackles, finishing with 107 overall.

DB — Jacob Te’o, Vacaville: The senior had 87 total tackles, 69 solo, and 7.3 tackles per game, all team highs. He also had a sack, an interception, three forced fumbles and three recoveries.

DB — Curtis Goins, Vacaville: Not just a force on offense, Goins had two interceptions, a fumble recovery and 26 tackles on defense.

DB — Cedric Taylor, Vanden: Taylor became the first player in city history to return a fumble and an interception in the same game by turning the trick against Wood. He finished the year with five interceptions, two fumble recoveries, 90 tackles, 43 of them solo, and two sacks.

DB — Kyle Canerday, Wood: In addition to being a running threat with 315 yards and six touchdowns, the senior had 64 tackles, 26 of them solo, two interceptions, a fumble recovery and a blocked kick.

DB — Tyler Ross, Fairfield: Like Blanton, the junior was one of few highlights for the Falcons in an otherwise difficult season.

P — Enrique Garrido-Ramirez, Armijo: A standout on special teams as well, the senior led area punters with an average of 42.7 yards per boot.

Vanden is tops in tough grid season

Vanden quarterback Jadon Brisendine gets ready to make a throw during the game against Benicia in October. (Robinson Kuntz/Daily Republic file)

FAIRFIELD — It’s no secret: The 2012 high school football season wasn’t the best for the city.

With no playoff team for just the sixth time since 1980 and no team with a winning record for the first time since 1982, you could say it ranks as one of the worst.

Scores and standings aside, there were some great individual efforts and of such are all-city teams made. Here’s a look at the Daily Republic’s 2012 All-City Football Team.

Offensive Player of the Year

Jadon Brisendine, Vanden, QB — Following in the footsteps of Chad Hurst and Ben Scott as sophomore starters for the Vikings, Brisendine turned in a solid campaign, completing 126 of 242 passes for 1,732 yards, the sixth-best total in school history, and 19 touchdowns.

Defensive Player of the Year

Elijah Williams, Vanden, LB — Despite having to deal with a broken hand, Williams amassed a city-best 111 tackles, 53 of them solo. He also had two sacks and returned a fumble 29 yards for a touchdown. Not surprisingly, he was the co-Solano County Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Year.

Lineman of the Year

Kenny Brand, Vanden, OL/DL — The two-way starter was named the SCAC Lineman of the Year, anchoring the Vikings’ offensive line at left tackle and tying for the team-lead with three sacks on defense.

Coach of the Year

LeVon Haynes, Vanden — Sure, his team finished with a losing record and missed the playoffs, but Haynes’ Vikings had nearly as many wins (four) as the other three schools in town combined (five).

Offense

Ren Littlepage, Vanden, RB — Thanks to 206 yards in the season-finale with Fairfield, the junior standout finished with 1,005 yards, the first Vikings 1,000-yard rusher since Damon Treat in 2009 and 16th in school history.

Damian Simpson, Armijo, RB — Regardless of whose stats you go with – the Daily Republic had Simpson for 982 yards on 182 carries, Maxpreps.com for 1,051 yards on 140 carries despite omitting the 35 yards and a TD he had in the season opener – he had a solid season with five 100-yard games.

Gage Ealy, Rodriguez, RB — Despite attempting just seven passes, the versatile Ealy threw for 207 yards, just 33 fewer than Armijo. He also ran for 453 yards, including 110 in the season finale against the Indians.

Eric Clark, Fairfield, RB — As the Falcons’ lone rushing threat, Clark ran for 441 yards and three touchdowns, going for 110 yards and two TDs against Rodriguez.

Aaron Short, Rodriguez, WR — It’s safe to say the Mustangs didn’t throw the ball often enough in Short’s direction. On just 16 receptions he had 495 yards for a city-best 30.9 yards per grab and seven TDs, also tops in town.

Christian Basden, Vanden, WR — Turning in another solid season, Basden had a city-best 35 catches for 481 yards and five TDs.

Dion Williams, Vanden, WR — Williams led city receivers with 515 yards and his 29 catches, 18.4 yards per catch and six TDs all ranked second among city receivers.

Aron Kirschbaum, Vanden, OL — The senior helped the Vikings average a city best 323.3 total yards per game.

Rito Gomez, Fairfield, OL — The only senior among Fairfield’s five all-SCAC second team picks, Gomez helped junior QB Michael Arredondo stay upright long enough to throw for 1,001 yards and 10 TDs.

Mark Papish, Rodriguez, OL — The 6-foot, 210-pound Papish joined Short and Ealy on the all-MEL second team.

Danny Charos, Armijo, OL — The Indians were looking for better things on offense, especially in the running game, and Charos helped them average 226.3 yards per game, an improvement of 162.6.

Eduardo Nuno, Rodriguez, K — As the city’s only regular place kicker, Nuno booted home 16 conversions and one field goal.

Defense

John Stevenson and Sergio Barajas, Vanden, DL — Stevenson and Barajas had 40 and 43 tackles, respectively, as the Vikings held opponents to 145.2 yards per game rushing.

Marcus Blanton, Fairfield, DL — Blanton was one of the few bright spots in a tough defensive season for the Falcons.

Mark Papish, Rodriguez, DL — The two-way all-MEL second team pick also makes it on both sides of the ball in all-City selections.

John Forsythe and Mike Weaver, Vanden, LB — Forsythe finished second to Elijah Williams on the Vikings with 90 tackles, while Weaver amassed 61 with two sacks.

Eric Clark, Fairfield, LB — The junior joins Papish as the only two-way all-City players.

Enrique Garrido-Ramirez, Armijo, LB — The senior returned from a serious neck injury as a junior to record a city-best 64 solo tackles, winding up with 80 overall.

Zack Williams, Rodriguez, LB — Listed as a defensive back on the Rodriguez roster, Williams made the all-MEL second team at linebacker.

Cedric Taylor, Vanden, DB —Taylor made his mark by becoming the first Viking to return an interception and a fumble for touchdowns in the same game. He led the team with five interceptions and was third with 90 tackles.

Billy Hurst, Devin Bruner, Vanden, DB — Hurst and Bruner finished with remarkably similar stats with the former recording 48 tackles, the latter 43 with each getting an interception. Bruner led the team with 10 passes defensed, Hurst taking second with eight. They helped the Vikings allow a city-low four TD passes.

Tyler Ross, Fairfield, DB — One thing the Falcons did well was defend the pass with Ross helping them hold seven of nine opponents under 100 yards through the air.

Hashim Boyd, Rodriguez, DB — With Boyd in the secondary, the Mustangs surrendered just nine TD passes and more than one just once — two to run-happy Vacaville, of all teams.

Enrique Garrido-Ramirez, P — It’s tough to make it twice on the all-city defensive team in the same year, but a city-best average of 42.7 yards per boot will do that.

Reach Paul Farmer at 425-4646, ext. 264, or pfarmer@dailyrepublic.net. Follow him on Twitter at www.twitter.com/pfarmerdr.

Vanden’s Brand, Williams earn top all-SCAC honors

In a season in which no city high school football team had a winning record for the first time in 30 years, only Vanden from the four landed anyone on a first team in all-league selections done on Tuesday.

Despite finishing fifth in the Solano County Athletic Conference, the Vikings struck it rich with senior left tackle Kenny Brand being named Lineman of the Year and junior linebacker Elijah Williams being named co-Defensive Player of the Year with Chris Seisay of American Canyon. Benicia quarterback Ryan Bohnet was chosen Offensive Player of the Year, while American Canyon’s Jomon Dotson was named Back of the Year.

All told, Vanden finished with six first teamers.

“I think things turned out really, really well,” Vanden coach LeVon Haynes said, “being a fifth-place team and still landing six first-team guys. . . . It shows guys we have impressed coaches throughout the league.”

As for those earning top honors, “One was a surprise (Brand), while I felt the other should be (defensive) player of the year,” Haynes said. “The way our league is, we’ve got a load of teams that run the ball and usually when you have lineman of the year you usually win league.”

Williams, however, was no surprise to Haynes despite being injured throughout the season.

“The kid had over 100 tackles for us this season,” the coach said. “He played with a broken hand, he played with one arm all season and had an outstanding year.”

Also being named to the all-SCAC first team for Vanden were running back Ren Littlepage, receiver Christian Basden, defensive lineman John Stevenson and defensive back Cedric Taylor.

Landing on the second team were defensive backs Billy Hurst and Devin Bruner, while quarterback Jadon Brisendine, left guard Aron Kirschbaum, defensive tackle Sergio Barajas, and linebackers John Forsythe and Mike Weaver earned honorable mention.

Making the second team were offensive lineman Rito Gomez, running back and linebacker Eric Clark, defensive lineman Marcus Blanton and defensive back Tyler Ross.

Male Athlete of the Year: Scott passed up a storm

Vanden quarterback Ben Scott makes a pass during a game against American Canyon in October. (Robinson Kuntz/Daily Republic file)

FAIRFIELD — Ben Scott had no dreams of setting school and city records when he took over as starting quarterback for the Vanden High football team as a sophomore in 2009.

He just wanted to be an adequate replacement for his predecessor, Chad Hurst.

Scott proved more than adequate, breaking nearly all of Hurst’s records for the Vikings on the way to becoming the most prolific passer in city history.

For his efforts, the UC Davis-bound Scott is the 2011 Male Athlete of the Year.

By the numbers, the Vikings senior had the best passing season in city history, setting city records for completions (183), yards (2,809) and yards per game (255.4), according to Maxpreps.com. His 34 touchdown passes second and his completion percentage (.625) is topped only by those who threw far fewer passes.

“It means a lot to me,” said Scott of becoming the city’s most prolific passer. “I don’t really look at the record book and all that stuff. I just want to win, I want to be in the record book for a (Sac-Joaquin) section title. Individual records I don’t care as much about as team stats. The record does mean a lot to me with all the great quarterbacks over all these years. For me to be the No. 1 guy would mean a lot.”

From his first game — a 35-0 shutout of Armijo in which he completed 12 of 16 passes for 189 yards and four TDs in 2009 — to his last — a 56-18 playoff loss to Los Banos in which he completed 24 of 41 for 286 yards and three TDs last month — Scott appeared to be more than a high schooler.

One of his hallmarks was consistency. In his 35 career games, Scott threw for 100 or more yards in 31 of them, 200 or more in 16 and 300 or more in four, all city records. Of the four 2,000-yard passing seasons in city history, he has three of them.

He’s the runaway career city leader in pass attempts (758), completions (436), passing yards (7,154), TD passes (82) and career wins by a starting QB (23).

The city career passing yards record has been broken four times in the last four years, but it’ll take some doing to top the mark set by Scott. A three-year starter would have to average 2,385 yards per season, a two-year starter 3,577.

Good luck.

Reach Paul Farmer at 425-4646 Ext. 264 or pfarmer@dailyrepublic.net.

Vanden High School's Bucannon named to all-state football team

Vanden’s Bucannon named to all-state medium schools team

Vanden defensive back David Bucannon breaks up a pass to Rodriguez's Darnell Dailey. (Robinson Kuntz/Daily Republic)

FAIRFIELD — When David Bucannon joins older brother Deone at Washington State next fall, he’ll take a nifty accolade along with him: all-state football player.

The Vanden High senior was named to the Cal-Hi Sports All-State medium schools first team on Monday.

Vacaville’s Melvin Mason made the overall all-state third team as a running back and teammate Johnny Schupp made the overall fourth team at defensive line.

When told that Bucannon had been selected, Vanden coach LeVon Haynes said, “That’s awesome.”

Bucannon led the city with 127 tackles, an average of 11.5 per game, and intercepted two passes, defending nine others and causing two fumbles.

Haynes, who is in Indianapolis attending a coaches clinic, added, “The fact that he’s being recognized as one of the top kids in the state in our (medium) school division shows the hard work he put in the off season is paying for him with all the accolades receiving for his football performance.”

Deone Bucannon was also high honored after his standout senior season at Vanden in 2009. Haynes is pleased that little brother — who lists at 6-foot-2, 180 pounds — is also receiving the spotlight.

“It’s something he can have for his own legacy,” the coach said. It’s hard coming in living under your brother’s legacy at Vanden. . . . It’s an awesome feeling having a kid like that on your team. It’s good, good for program and our school as well.”

Bucannon joined Vikings quarterback Ben Scott on the Maxpreps.com All-Sac Joaquin Section team, which was released earlier this month.

“For our season and for our school and our program, it’s great to see the kids get the accolades they so deservedly deserved,” Haynes said.

Also on the squad was Rodriguez defensive lineman Nathan Dollar, who was named the team’s Defensive Player of the Year.

In helping to lead Vacaville to the SJS Division II title, Mason rushed for 1,971 yards and a school record 32 touchdowns, while Schupp had 69 tackles, 51 solo, and 8 1/2 sacks, causing two fumbles and recovering two.

The versatile Schupp made the all-SJS team as on offensive lineman, while Mason made the second team. Coach Mike Papadopoulos was named Division II Coach of the Year.

Also making the second were Rio Vista’s Javis Blalock at running back and Charlie Chres at linebacker. Blalock led the state in yards per carry (18.2), rushing for  1,690 yards on 93 attempts, scored a touchdown on all seven of his pass receptions (averaging 42.9 yards per catch), averaged 37.5 yards per punt return and returned both a punt and a kickoff for TDs.

Chres, who rushed for 1,146 yards and a stunning 19 2-point conversions, led Rio Vista with 139 tackles, 117 solo, and had seven sacks.

Reach Paul Farmer at 425-4646 ext. 264 or pfarmer@dailyrepublic.net.

Vanden defensive back David Bucannon breaks up a pass to Rodriguez’s Darnell Dailey. (Robinson Kuntz/Daily Republic)

 

Vanden High School's Stewart earns county scholar-athlete award

All-Region football team: Blalock, Dollar dazzled

Rodriguez's Nathan Dollar runs after Vanden quarterback Ben Scott during a game in October. (Adam Smith/Daily Republic file)

FAIRFIELD — Area high school football teams came to pass in 2011 — and came to run.

A lot.

Vanden quarterback Ben Scott became the city’s all-time leading passer — by a huge margin — and set numerous school and city records in the process.

Led by 1,000-yard backs Melvin Mason and Curtis Goins, Vacaville led the state in rushing, according to Maxpreps.com, en route to a rousing 39-35 victory over Folsom in the Sac-Joaquin Section Division II title game.

Javis Blalock of Rio Vista topped the state in yards per carry and was one of three Rams backs to go over 1,000 yards in helping the red and white return to prominence.

These are just a few of the individuals who make up the 2011 Daily Republic All-Region football team.

Offensive player of the year — Javis Blalock, Rio Vista

Though listed at just 5-foot-7 and 150 pounds, Blalock was an offensive giant for the Rams in 2011. He rushed 1,690 yards on just 93 attempts — for a state-best 18.2 yards per carry — and 22 touchdowns. He scored a touchdown on each of his seven pass receptions, averaging a stunning 42.9 yards per catch. He also averaged an eye-popping 37.5 yards on each of his eight punt returns.

Defensive player of the year — Nathan Dollar, Rodriguez

If the Mustangs were winning or still in the game in 2011, Dollar was a big reason why. A one-man wrecking crew on defense, he amassed 18 sacks, made 92 tackles, including a team-high 69 solo, caused five fumbles and blocked two field goal attempts.

Lineman of the year — Johnny Schupp, Vacaville

A no-brainer choice as the Monticello Empire League Lineman of the Year, Schupp is likewise an easy selection here. A driving force behind the Bulldogs’ devastating ground game as a tackle on offense, he also dominated on the defensive line, he had 69 tackles, 51 of them solo, with 8 1/2 sacks, four fumble recoveries and four deflected passes.

Coach of the year — Mike Papadopoulos, Vacaville

After his squad suffered a humiliating 75-6 loss to Folsom in the 2010 SJS quarterfinals, Papadopoulos didn’t mope. He and his staff went to work. Using lessons learned from the huge defeat, they crafted arguably the best season in school history capped by a win over Folsom in the Section D-II title game.

Offense

QB — Ben Scott, Vanden: The Vikings senior set city passing yards records for a career (7,154) and season (2,804) while completing 62.0 percent of his throws (183 of 295) for 34 touchdowns and just nine interceptions.

QB — Jordan Riggins, Rodriguez: After a horrendous start — 4 for 34 for 71 yards and no touchdowns with five interceptions through four games — Riggins helped lead the Mustangs to the playoffs by throwing for 696 yards and 11 touchdowns to go with 610 yards and nine TDs rushing.

RB — Melvin Mason, Vacaville: The MEL co-back of the year finished his stellar season by rushing for 1,971 yards and a school-record 32 touchdowns. He set a school record with 350 yards in a playoff win over Roseville.

RB — Curtis Goins, Vacaville: A perfect complement to Mason, Goins rushed for 1,456 yards making the duo the most prolific rushing tandem in school history with 3,427 yards between them.

RB — Charlie Chres, Rio Vista: The thunder to Blalock’s lightning, Chres rushed for 1,146 yards and 12 touchdowns, adding 18 2-point conversion runs.

RB — Myles Burton, Rodriguez: The speedy senior came up biggest in the biggest spotlight, rushing for 174 yards against eventual D-II champion Vacaville and 172 against Vanden, finishing just shy of 1,000 yards with 978.

OL — Jesse Steward and Kenny Brand, Vanden: The two all-SCAC selections helped the Vikings average 36.6 points and 377.6 yards per game.

OL — Ralph Vallimont and Chris Lai, Vacaville: Vallimont and Lai, both first team all-MEL picks, are two big reasons the Bulldogs rushed for 5,549 yards and 79 TDs on the season.

OL — Khalal Walker, Fairfield: A bright spot in an often dismal season for the Falcons, Walker earned all-MEL first team honors.

WR — Cody Holbein, Vanden: En route to becoming Vanden’s career leader in receptions (79), receiving yards (1,578) and receiving touchdowns (20), Holbein caught 38 passes for 686 yards and 12 TDs as a senior, the latter two area bests.

WR — Christian Basden, Vanden: Despite being surrounded by a talented corps of receivers, Basden set a school record with 50 catches, including 10 against SCAC champ Bethel, for 625 yards and six TDs.

WR — Quincy Crenshaw, Wood: His 30 catches for 478 yards and four TDs were at least double that of any other Wildcats receiver.

Utility — J.J. Hong, Vanden: At times the Vikings’ biggest offensive threat, Hong led the team with 18 touchdowns, including five in a 54-49 win over Rodriguez, and rushed for 388 yards while catching 37 passes for 639 yards.

K — Reed White, Vacaville: Continuing Vacaville’s tradition of solid kickers, White booted 68 extra points and one field goal.

Defense

DL — Julius Hill, Wood: The 5-10, 240-pound senior made 69 tackles, averaging 8.6 per game, and recorded two sacks.

DL — Andrew Fuimaono, Armijo: The former MEL heavyweight wrestling champion earned all-league first team honors.

DL — Micah Johnson, Fairfield: Defensive stats aren’t available for the Falcons, but that does nothing to take away his importance to the red, white and black.

LB — Justin Garner, Vacaville: The all-MEL first teamer had 54 tackles on the season, 42 of them solo.

LB — Bryan Stansbury, Wood: Rarely leaving the field, Stansbury, also the starting quarterback, led the Wildcats with 95 tackles, 30 of them solo.

LB — Josh Winters, Wood: The 6-2 junior amassed 65 tackles on the season.

LB — Timmy Scott, Vacaville: Scott led the section champion Bulldogs with 72 tackles, tying for the top spot with 54 solo, and was second with five sacks.

LB — Charlie Chres, Rio Vista: An even bigger force on defense, Chres amassed 139 tackles, 117 solo, and landed in double figures in all but four games, finishing with nine in three of those. He also had a team-high seven sacks.

LB — Darnell Dailey, Rodriguez: The Mustangs’ leader with 106 tackles, 41 solo, Dailey had four sacks and an interception that set up the game-winning touchdown against American Canyon.

DB — David Bucannon, Vanden: The runaway leader with a team-high 127 tackles, he also intercepted two passes.

DB — Eric Smith, Vanden: The second team all-SCAC selection recorded 59 tackles, intercepted a pass and caused a fumble.

DB — Curtis Goins, Vacaville: A solid cover corner, Goins defensed five passes on the season.

DB — Jacob Te’o Vacaville: A star in the making on both sides of the ball, Te’o had 55 tackles on defense, 44 of them solo, two interceptions, four passes defensed and a fumble recovery.

DB — Jesse Kassis, Vacaville: Tying for the team lead with 54 solo tackles, Kassis had 68 overall as well as an interception, 1.5 sacks three caused fumbles and as many fumble recoveries.

DB — John Garrot and Giovani Torres, Fairfield: The two defensive backs were a big reason the Falcons allowed just four TD passes while racking up 11 interceptions as a unit.

P — David Gustafson, Fairfield: Few punters in the area were pressed into service more often than Gustafson, who answered the call with an average of more than 38 yards per boot.

Reach Paul Farmer at 425-4646 Ext. 264 or pfarmer@dailyrepublic.net.

Scott, Dollar lead All-City football team

Vanden High School head football coach LeVon Haynes coached the Vikings to a 7-4 record this past season. (Robinson Kuntz/Daily Republic)

FAIRFIELD — If nothing else, the 2011 Daily Republic All-City Football Team is a reflection of changing times.

For the first time since 2005 and for just the second time since 1987, no city team produced a 1,000-yard rusher.

No problem.

Vanden quarterback Ben Scott, who set city records for single season and career passing yards this season, is the All-City Offensive Player of the Year.

Rodriguez defensive lineman Nathan Dollar, who racked up a stunning 18 sacks while thoroughly disrupting opposing passing attacks, repeats as the All-City Defensive Player of the Year.

LeVon Haynes, who turned Vanden from Ground Vike (14 1,000-yard backs between 1995 and 2009) to Air King (three straight 2,000-yard passing seasons for Scott) and has put the green and gold in the playoffs five straight seasons, is the All-City Coach of the Year.

Here’s a look at the 2011 All-City Football Team:

Offense

QB — Ben Scott, Vanden: Simply put, the Vikings senior had the best passing season in city history, setting city records for attempts (293), completions (183), yards (2,809) and yards per game (255.4), according to Maxpreps.com. His 34 touchdown passes rank second and his completion percentage (.625) is topped only by passers who threw many fewer passes.

QB — Jordan Riggins, Rodriguez: After a painfully slow start, the senior helped lead the Mustangs to the playoffs for the sixth straight year by throwing for 741 yards and 11 touchdowns and rushing for 480 yards and eight more TDs.

RB — Myles Burton, Rodriguez: Easily the city’s top rusher with 978 yards, Burton had four 100-yard games, including 174 against SJS Division II finalist Vacaville.

RB — Oshea Bryant, Vanden: The workhorse for the Vikings with 127 carries, Bryant led Vanden with 581 yards and nine TDs rushing.

RB — J.J. Hong, Vanden: While limited to 388 yards on the ground, was a huge threat through the air with 37 receptions for 639 yards and 10 touchdowns.

RB — Jordon Harris, Fairfield: While used sparingly by the Falcons — he had just two games with 10 or more carries — Harris rolled for 575 yards and led the city with 9.3 yards per attempt.

WR — Cody Holbein, Vanden: In finishing up as the Vikings’ all-time leading receiver, Holbein led the city with 686 receiving yards and 12 TD catches among his 38 grabs.

WR — Christian Basden, Vanden: After catching 10 passes against eventual Solano County Athletic Conference champ Bethel, it’s no surprise Basden led city receivers with 50 receptions. As if to emphasize Vanden’s passing threat, he finished third on the team in receiving yards (625) and TD catches (6).

WR — Malachi Lewis, Armijo: As the top offensive threat for the Indians, he led the team in scoring (24 points), receptions (25), receiving yards (312) and receiving TDs (4).

WR — Mickey Thompson, Rodriguez: Coming on in a big way late in the season, Thompson caught 11 passes for 267 yards and four TDs over the final seven games.

OL — Jesse Stewart, Kenny Brand, Andrew Corey, Vanden: The big trio was a big reason the Vikings led the city in total offense (387.1 yards per game) and scoring (38.5 points per game).

OL — Khalal Walker, Fairfield: A first-team All-Monticello Empire League selection — a major accomplishment considering the lines at Vacaville and Napa — Walker helped steady the Falcons during a difficult season on offense.

OL — Justin Allen, Anthony Salazar, Jacob Riddle, Rodriguez: Despite having to learn a new offense — their third in as many years — Allen, Salazar and Riddle helped the Mustangs average 26.7 points and 299.6 yards during the regular season.

K — Kaitlin Christ, Rodriguez: As the first girl to make the all-city grid squad, Christ won two games with fourth-quarter extra points and put the Mustangs ahead late in their eventual 54-49 loss to Vanden. She led city kickers with 28 points.

Defense

DL — Nathan Dollar, Rodriguez: Not just a sack master, Dollar led the Mustangs with 69 solo tackles and five forced fumbles.

DL — Henry Medeiros, Rodriguez: The junior finished third on the team with 6.5 tackles per game, recording two sacks.

DL — Andrew Fuimaono, Armijo: A true force in the middle, the former MEL heavyweight wrestling champ averaged 3.2 tackles per game.

DL — Ren Gibbs, Armijo: A sparkplug on the Indians’ defensive line, he led the team with eight sacks and recovered three fumbles.

DL — Micah Johnson, Isaiah Armstrong, Fairfield: Individual stats aren’t available for Johnson and Armstrong, but they helped the Falcons record two shutouts in a season for the first time since 1989.

LB — Darnell Daily, Rodriguez: A real tackling machine, Dailey led the Mustangs and was second in the city at 10.6 tackles per game. He also contributed four sacks and had a key interception to set up the game-winning touchdown against American Canyon.

LB — Troy Wallace, Rodriguez: The junior ranked fourth on the team with 6.1 tackles per game and also had a sack.

LB — John Forsythe, Vanden: Not to be confused with the voice of “Charlie’s Angels,” the standout junior ranked second on the Vikings at 9.2 tackles per game and also had 3.5 sacks and two forced fumbles.

LB — Dylan Groner, Vanden: The senior co-captain led the Vikings with 6.5 sacks and averaged the same number of tackles per game.

LB — Alan Ruiz, Armijo: A steadying influence on a defense stretched by injuries, Ruiz tied Eduardo Garrido-Ramirez — lost for the season because of neck injury in Week 5 — at 6.3 tackles per game.

DB — David Bucannon, Vanden: A force on both sides of the ball — he caught 26 passes, including seven for 126 yards against Bethel — Bucannon led the city with 114 tackles and also intercepted two passes, defensed nine others and forced two fumbles.

DB — Christian Basden, Vanden: A threat on defense as well, Basden led the Vikings with three interceptions and defensed four passes.

DB — Eric Smith, Vanden: A crucial member of a defense that limited opposing quarterbacks to a 46.8 completion percentage during the regular season, Smith averaged 5.4 tackles per game, intercepted a pass and caused a fumble.

DB — John Garrott, Giovani Torres, Fairfield: With Garrott and Torres in coverage, the Falcons sparkled on pass defense, intercepting 11 passes while giving up just four TDs and limiting opposing teams to a 42.4 completion percentage.

P — David Gustafson, Fairfield: Called into service more often than Falcons punters of the past, Gustafson averaged more than 38 yards per boot.

Reach Paul Farmer at 425-4646 Ext. 264 or pfarmer@dailyrepublic.net.

Scott, Dollar land top all-SCAC football honors

FAIRFIELD — Nathan Dollar of the Rodriguez High football team chased Vanden quarterback Ben Scott all over Coach Ed Hopkins Memorial Stadium on Friday night, catching him once.

That gave Dollar 18 sacks on the season, but Scott had the last laugh, throwing for 320 yards and five touchdowns, the last with 4.5 seconds left to lift the Vikings to a 54-49 win in the regular season finale.

Both standouts were among those receiving top honors when all-Solano County Athletic Conference selections were made on Tuesday.

Scott, who’s thrown for 2,518 yards and 31 touchdowns on the season, shared the co-Offensive Player of the Year Award with Benicia’s Austin Carr.

Dollar, who terrorized opposing quarterbacks all season, had at least one sack in eight games and two or more in five, including six in a 13-12 win over Fairfield, was selected Lineman of the Year.

As for Scott and Carr sharing their award, Vanden coach LeVon Haynes said, “We felt they both deserved it. We all knew what their teams would be without them.”

Conference champ Bethel landed the other individual awards with DeAundray Taylor being chosen Defensive Player of the Year and K’Lan Anderson Back of the Year.

Also on the first team offense from Vanden (7-3, 3-2 SCAC) were linemen Jesse Stewart and Kenny Brand, and receivers Cody Holbein and J.J. Hong.

Making the first team defense was defensive back David Bucannon.

Vikings on the second team include offensive lineman Andrew Corey, and defensive backs Christian Basden and Eric Smith.

“It went good for us,” Haynes said of the selection process. “I felt like you want to get all your kids on the first team. The league was pretty well balanced, it was tough. It’s hard to get all your kids on there.”

Other first team picks for Rodriguez (5-5, 3-2) were receiver Mickey Thompson and linebacker Darnell Dailey.

Landing spots on the second team for the Mustangs were offensive linemen Justin Allen, Anthony Salazar and Jacob Riddle, quarterback Jordan Riggins, running back Myles Burton and defensive lineman Henry Mederios.

Receiving honorable mention from Vanden were running back Oshea Bryant, linebacker John Forsythe and defensive lineman Tarus Williams, while Rodriguez’s selections were kicker Kaitlin Christ, defensive lineman Ryan Perkins, linebacker Troy Wallace and defensive back Hashim Boyd.

Rodriguez opens the Sac-Joaquin Section Division I playoffs on Thursday against Pleasant Grove of Elk Grove at Sheldon High of Sacramento, while Vanden plays Los Baños to open Division II play on Friday

http://footballrecruiting.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1166564

Vanden High School's football season ends in a downpour at Casa Roble

By Danny Bernardini / Special to The Reporter

Posted: 11/20/2010 01:01:10 AM PST

ORANGEVALE -- Someone finally put the clamps on Vanden High's high-powered offense: Mother nature. Vanden's prolific passing game was doused with heavy rain and stumbled through the standing water as the Vikings (7-5) were out-sloshed 21-7 by hosts Casa Roble (9-3) in the quarterfinals of the Sac-Joaquin Section Division III playoffs. Junior quarterback Ben Scott never looked comfortable as he threw three interceptions, had a couple more dropped and struggled out of the shotgun formation as the relentless rain and cold weather took center stage. It was a stark contrast to last week, when Scott threw for more than 301 yards as the No. 16 seed Vikings knocked off top-seeded Manteca. Vanden coach LeVon Haynes wouldn't blame the downpour and small lakes on the natural-grass field for the lack of firepower, saying rather, his team simply didn't execute. "(Casa Roble is a passing team too). They had to play on the same field as us," he said. "They're used to playing this time of year and in this weather." Haynes said he is proud that his team made it as far as they did and looks forward to bringing back a nucleus of underclassmen, led by Scott in what will be his third year as a starter. "At least we were out here tonight," Haynes said. "There's a lot of teams that can't say that." Casa Roble relied on the option and veer as senior running back Kyle Keith and junior quarterback Mitch Samson took turns carrying the ball. Keith eventually found some holes as he used second efforts and old-fashioned leg drive to tally just more than 100 yards rushing. It was Keith's 2-yard plunge with 11:00 minutes left in the game that sealed it. The Rams opened up the scoring on the second drive of the game as Samson hit Tommie Crosby on a sideline route before the receiver flashed some moves and scampered 52 yards for the score. Scott's first interception came the next play as he was picked off by Cameron Buell who raced 32 yards for the touchdown with 5 minutes left in the first quarter. The linebacker's second interception set up the final scoring drive in the fourth. The Vikings' lone touchdown came on the first drive in the second half as Kevin Orme plunged in from five yards out. Pierson Ma'afu, one of the few standouts for Vanden, shined as the 300-pound lineman collected an interception and several tackles for loss

Vanden succumbs to Casa Roble 21-7

By Nick DeCicco | Daily Republic | November 19, 2010 23:37

Vanden running back O'Shea Bryant runs the ball as Case Roble's Cameron Buell chases after him during the playoff game at Casa Roble High School in Orangevale on Friday. Photo by Robinson Kuntz

ORANGEVALE - The Vanden High 2010 football season came to a muddy, wet end Friday night at host Casa Roble High, with the visitors falling 21-7.
The game was played in a cold, perpetual downpour, forcing both squads to largely abandon their passing games in temperatures in the low 40s.
Vanden's crisp white jerseys were stained dirt brown by the game's conclusion, with running back Kevin Orme's '24' on the back of his jersey becoming difficult to read underneath the mud.
'They had to play in the same stuff we did,' said Vikings head coach LeVon Haynes, whose team finished the season with a 7-5 record.
In 20 seconds of the first quarter, Vanden fell behind 13-0 and never recovered.
Casa Roble's first points came on a 52-yard pass from Mitch Samson to Tommy Crosbie, giving the Rams a 7-0 edge.
On Vanden's next play from scrimmage, a Ben Scott pass landed in the hands of Casa Roble's Cameron Buell, who sprinted down his own sideline for a 26-yard touchdown. It was the first of two costly interceptions for the Vikings.

The second came with just more than 4 minutes to go in the fourth quarter. The Rams' drive featured Kyle Keith, who had 82 of his 133 yards in the second half, including a 1-yard TD to cap the drive and give the Rams its final 21-7 edge.
Still, the inclement weather was a factor. Both teams struggled to keep their hands on the ball, both in terms of catching it and holding onto it while rushing.
It gave the Rams the edge in shutting down Vanden's running game, which was held to 40 total yards.
Kevin Orme had the Vikings lone touchdown, a hard-fought 6-yard run straight up the field to close the Rams' lead to 13-7. Orme led Vanden in receiving and rushing, with 30 yards on the ground and 83 in the air.
Orme's score also came after an interception. On the first play of the second half, Pierson Ma'afu snagged a Samson pass and set the Vikings up 30 yards from pay dirt.
Scott finished the game with 142 passing yards, putting him 52 shy of the school record for a career.
Despite the outcome, Haynes felt optimistic about the teams chances next season given the number of promising juniors the squad returns.
'I'd go to battle with these guys any week,' Haynes said. 'We've got a great nucleus coming back next year

Vanden QB Scott looking for playoff encore

Vanden High School's football team in good hands with Holbein

By Tim Roe / The Reporter

Posted: 11/18/2010 01:02:34 AM PST

Cody Holbein saw the size of the shoes he was going to fill. Then they got bigger. Holbein's success as a junior wide receiver is one of the reasons Vanden High School's football team is still playing one week before Thanksgiving. The Vikings, seeded No. 16 in the Sac-Joaquin Section Division III playoffs, travel to Sacramento Friday night to play No. 8 Casa Roble. "I really don't care what the seeds are," Holbein said. "If we are No. 16, maybe that makes us seem weaker to other teams. I think it gives us an advantage." Being underestimated may be an advantage Holbein has had all season. Holbein was called up from the junior varsity team for the playoffs last season, but still was behind leading receiver Chris Broadnax. Broadnax caught 43 passes for 1,035 yards and 15 TDs as a senior last year, and earned a scholarship to Sac State. "I really thought Myles Carelock was going to be No. 1, but he transferred to (Rodriguez)," Holbein said. "I remember thinking, 'I have to be the one.'" In addition to Carelock's transfer, the Vikings also lost pass-catching backs Deone Bucannon and Damon Treat to graduation. All told, the four players accounted for 103 catches and 25 TDs. Of course, Holbein did have a big advantage, even over the departing players. He had been playing catch with quarterback Ben Scott since they were freshmen, and had been playing baseball with him since they were 10 years old. "My JV year, it was tough, because I had a tough time knowing how the quarterback was going to throw it," said Holbein, who had to watch from the stands as Scott played on the varsity team as a sophomore. "This year, knowing (Scott) has helped me out," he added. "I know where the pass is going to be, and Ben knows where I'm going to be." The duo has worked for team-highs of 34 catches for 801 yards and nine scores. "Cody's done everything we expected him to do," Vanden head coach LeVon Haynes said. "Absolutely, when you lose a 1,000-yard receiver like Chris Broadnax, those are some huge shoes to fill. "Cody has stepped up, and he has a great relationship with Ben. And the best thing is, we get both of them back next year. Who knows how much better they can be?" Last week, Holbein gave Haynes plenty of reason to expect even more. He caught a team-high seven passes for 128 yards as Vanden blasted No. 1 seed Manteca 55-22. Holbein didn't get in the end zone, although Vanden coaches thought he stretched the ball over the goal-line for a score on a play that officials ruled ended at the Manteca 1-yard line. "We were taking what they were giving us, and that was short stuff underneath," Haynes said. "The thing that Cody and (Derryl Colvin-Hopson) did was they had a lot of yards after the catch." Holbein doesn't mind being kept out of the end zone ... much. "We need first downs ... first down, first down, first down," Holbein said. "We just need to keep moving the chains." The rest should take care of itself.

Vanden High School's football team stuns top-seed Manteca

Vanden High School football can't slow Rodriguez

Short-handed Vanden High School football team still beats Hogan, 13-7

By Reporter Sports Staff

Posted: 10/30/2010 01:01:23 AM PDT

LeVon Haynes is just glad this one is in the rear-view mirror. Haynes and the Vanden High School football team overcame a host of issues in a 13-7 win over Hogan on Friday night at Corbus Field. The Vikings were without leading running back Kevin Orme, who was out with an injury. O'Shea Bryant, Vanden's second-leading rusher, also was injured an played sparingly. If that weren't enough, the Vikings were facing a Hogan team playing its final home game ... ever. Hogan is the visiting team next week against Vallejo, and the school will shut its doors for good next spring. "Hogan is a very good football team, and they were fired up," said Haynes, Vanden's head coach. "They want to leave a legacy as the last team, and they've been a play or two away from winning some games. They had a lot going for them. "Our defense really played tough. They kept us in it." The Spartans took a 7-0 lead late in the first quarter, but didn't score again. Vanden evened the score in the second quarter on a touchdown by Bryant. The Vikings added another touchdown just before halftime on a run by J.J. Hong, who finished with 123 rushing yards on 16 carries. Defenses controlled the second half. Vanden was led by the play of its defensive line. The Vikings also received solid games from Hong and David Bucannon, who played both on offense and defense. Vanden improved to 6-3 overall and 3-1 in Solano County Athletic Conference games heading into next week's regular-season finale at home against Rodriguez. Vanden's junior varsity team suffered a 35-27 loss against American Canyon. The Vikings fell to 7-2.

Vanden holds off Hogan 13-7

By Paul Farmer | Daily Republic | October 29, 2010 23:36

Vanden grinds out 28-6 win over Vallejo

By Anthony Peters | Daily Republic | October 22, 2010 23:31

FAIRFIELD - Vanden High used the old fashioned ground game as it tore into Vallejo in a 28-6 Solano County Athletic Conference win at George A. Gammon Field Friday night.
'We ran the ball well,' Vanden coach LeVon Haynes said. 'We had some of our running backs step up and come up huge.'
Vanden's quarterback Ben Scott injured his throwing hand in the first quarter when his hand hit an Apache helmet. Scott stayed in the game, completing four passes on 16 attempts.
'It affected him a little bit,' Haynes said. 'He'll recover and bounce back just fine.'
Vanden (5-3, 2-1 SCAC) and Vallejo traded possessions to begin the game with both sides struggling to gain momentum.
With a little more than 2 minutes left in the first quarter, Ricky Basden returned a Vallejo punt to the Vallejo 1-yard line. The return set up a touchdown pass from Scott to Kris Muse.
On the next Apache possession, Vallejo turned the ball over after a pass on fourth down in Vanden territory fell short of its intended receiver.

Vanden then used their running game to march into Vallejo territory, setting up a 32-yard pass from Scott to Cody Holbein for the Vikings second touchdown of the half.
Seizing the momentum, the Vikings defense forced Vallejo's first three-and-out of the game. After the ensuing punt, Vanden ran six straight running plays, culminating in a 28-yard touchdown run by Basden.
After trading punts to begin the second half, Vanden needed just three plays to score its third touchdown. This time J.J. Hong ran untouched down the sideline for 44 yards and the score.
Two possessions later, Vallejo scored its only touchdown as Marico Tillmon ran unabated for 44 yards up the middle to pay dirt. The extra point failed as the Vallejo holder couldn't handle the snap.
Coach Haynes noted Vanden still has some work to do on the practice field.
'We have to be a little smarter,' he said. 'We have to learn to play at our level and play down to our opponents. We'll take this week to get ready for Hogan and take another step towards the playoffs.'
The Vikings continue their push for the playoffs next week as they take on Hogan on Corbus Field at Vallejo High.

Vanden trips up Benicia 49-32

By Paul Farmer | Daily Republic | October 16, 2010 14:46

Vanden lets one slip away at end, loses to Bethel

Vanden whips Vintage 62-20

By Nick DeCicco | Daily Republic | October 01, 2010 23:31

FAIRFIELD - On homecoming night, Ben Scott held court.
The Vanden High senior quarterback shattered records in the Vikings' 62-20 nonleague win Friday night against visiting Vintage.
Scott's five first-half touchdown passes tied a school record and also set the school record for TD throws in a career.
Furthermore, his 173 passing yards gave him 3,064 for his career, moving him past Myles King into seventh place in city history.
It's all the more impressive when one considers Scott didn't even attempt a pass in the second half, watching much of it on the sideline while J.J. Hong sat under center.
Vanden opened with 28 unanswered points, all of which came on Scott's TD tosses. On his first two, his target was Kevin Orme, the senior who had 135 combined yards rushing and receiving, leading all rushers with 109 yards.
To put Vanden up 7-0, Scott rolled to his left on a first-and-goal from the 3. Under pressure, he fired the ball to Orme, who lept above two Vintage defenders to pull it down.

On the next, Scott found Orme isolated in the middle of the end zone, giving the Vikings a 14-0 edge.
With less than a minute to go in the opening quarter, Stephen Burns hauled in an 8-yard pass from Scott, making a sliding grab on a second-and-goal play to put Vanden ahead 21-0.
After a four and out by Vintage, Vanden struck again to go up 28-0. This time, Scott nailed a 25-yard pass to Cody Holbein, who made a sliding catch of his own in triple coverage for the score.
Vintage closed the gap to 28-7 three plays later, when sophomore quarterback Dylan Duprez connected

with Jeff Carruth for a 63-yard touchdown pass down the Vanden sideline.Duprez and Carruth would hook up again in the third quarter, with the QB sailing an 18-yard toss to Carruth for the Crushers' second tally of the night.
But the first half was the Vanden air show.
After Vintage's first Duprez-to-Carruth tally, Vanden pushed its lead to 35-7 at the half when Scott drilled a 5-yard throw to Jaqueal Howard on the left side of the end zone.
In the second half, the Vikings resorted exclusively to the ground game. For the second straight week, Vanden did not attempt a pass in the second half.
That did not prevent them from putting points on the board, however. Orme scored his third and final TD of the night on a 2-yard run on the opening drive of the half. Orme set up the score with a 50-yard sprint to carry Vanden into the red zone.
Next came the second Duprez-to-Carruth touchdown, making the score 42-14 in Vanden's favor.
Vanden answered back on its next drive, with Ricky Basden scooting around the right side and running 21 yards to pay dirt. With his run, the Vikings took a 49-14 advantage.
Nate Gibbins scored twice in the first minute of the fourth quarter, first on a 3-yard run then, on the next play, a 41-yard fumble recovery for a touchdown.
Scott's five TD passes tied Vanden's single-game mark set in 2005 by Blake McAhren against River City. He sits at 40 touchdown throws for his career, with 13 on the year, moving him past Chad Hurst, who had 38 from 2006 through 2008.With the win, Vanden moved its record to 3-2 on the year.

Orme versatile threat for Vanden High School's football team

By Tim Roe/TRoe@TheReporter.com

Posted: 10/01/2010 01:02:12 AM PDT

Vanden's Scott throws four touchdown passes before halftime in 51-0 rout against Armijo

By Catherine Bowen / The Reporter

Published By The Reporter

Posted: 09/25/2010 07:28:04 AM PDT

The early season woes continued for the Armijo High School football team Friday night as it was unable to defend its home turf against visiting Vanden and lost, 51-0. The Indians, now 0-3, appeared helpless against the Vikings, who dominated the game in the air with junior quarterback Ben Scott racking up 214 passing yards and four touchdowns in the first half alone. But Scott had plenty of help as the Vikings dominated every phase and evened their record at 2-2. The Vikings snapped a two-game losing streak. "We played a complete game and we needed to do that," Vanden head coach LeVon Haynes said. "We have the weapons to do that every game." Vanden also received solid play from juniors Cody Holbein with two scores and J.J. Hong with three TDs. Two of Hong's scores came off passes from Scott. The third, a sweep from 31 yards with 1:20 left in the second quarter, gave Vanden a commanding 44-0 lead at halftime. Also coming up big for the Vikings were running backs O'Shea Bryant, who ground out 86 yards and added the team's final touchdown, and Kevin Orme, who added another 39 yards and a score of his own. Strong Viking defense also forced the Indians into a safety with just less than three minutes left in the first quarter. Armijo's punter bobbled the center snap in the end zone under heavy pressure from the Vikings. Flawless game aside, Haynes said it was time for his team to start focusing on the next game. The Vikings play host to Vintage of Napa on homecoming night next week. Armijo will try to reclaim its home field advantage when it hosts Rodriguez.

Rally by Vanden High School's football team fall short at Whitney

By Reporter Sports Staff

Posted: 09/18/2010 01:09:40 AM PDT

The early deficit was too big to overcome. Vanden High School's football team fell into a 14-point hole early and eventually lost a 36-33 shootout at Whitney of Rocklin Friday night. "We just had a couple of drive-killers, like a big play they popped or an offsides penalty on third and short," Vanden head coach LeVon Haynes said. "We went toe-to-toe with them, but we never could get ahead." Kevin Orme rushed for 149 yards and two touchdowns for the Vikings, who fell to 1-2 overall. Junior quarterback Ben Scott completed 19 of 33 passes for 193 yards, including touchdown passes to Cody Holbein and J.J. Hong. O'shea Bryant also scored for the Vikings. "Whitney is definitely going to be a playoff team," Haynes said. "I felt like we played a much better game than we did last week. We kept fighting back, but we couldn't get over the hump." The Vikings trailed 14-0 after one quarter and 27-14 at halftime before outscoring the Wildcats 22-12 in the third and fourth quarters. Vanden won the junior varsity game 40-8. The Vikings intercepted eight Whitney passes, including four picks by Everardo Aguilar. Vanden plays at Armijo next week, then closes out the nonleague season against Vintage of Napa. Both Monticello Empire League foes will be a good measuring stick for the Vikings. "I told our guys, we don't want to be peaking right now," Haynes said. "We want to be playing our best football for league, and we have some time to get

Late scores dooms Vanden 39-36

By Paul Farmer | Daily Republic | September 17, 2010 23:41

ROCKLIN - Late comebacks work better when you don't let the opposition score as well.
The Vanden High football team punched in three fourth-quarter touchdowns only to have Whitney counter with two touchdowns to hold off the Vikings 39-36 in nonleague play Friday night.
Down 27-14 at the half and after a scoreless third quarter, Vanden (1-2) got to within 27-21 on a 6-yard run by O'shea Bryant three plays into the third quarter.
Whitney (2-1) responded by going 65 yards in just five plays with quarterback Jake Rodriguez running it in from 15 yards out to make it 33-21.
Two possessions later, Vanden quarterback Ben Scott, who completed 19 of 33 passes for 193 yards, connected on five straight tosses, the last a 10-yard TD strike to JJ Hong to make it 33-28, with 3 minutes, 56 seconds left in the game.
The Wildcats broke the Vikings' hearts on the very next play, a 75-yard run by Shawn Azam to essentially ice the game.
Vanden marched 65 yards on 13 plays with Scott connecting with Cody Holbein on a 5-yard TD pass with 59.6 seconds remaining. A 2-point conversion run by Kevin Orme, who rushed for 149 yards on 15 carries, closed the gap to 39-36. Whitney then recovered the ensuing onside kick.

Will C. Wood High School's football team earns big win over Vanden

Vanden High School's JV football team holds off Will C. Wood

Vanden High School's football team races past Dixon

Vanden High School receiver David Bucannon catches a pass behind the coverage of Dixon's A.J. Bell during the third quarter of the Vikings' season-opening victory at home on Thursday night. (Joel Rosenbaum / The Reporter)

Kevin Orme didn't want to smile too soon.

The same could be said for the entire Vanden High School football team in Thursday night's season opener against visiting Dixon. The Vikings held the Rams in check almost the entire night, then needed Orme's late touchdown to breathe a little easier in a 20-7 victory at George Gammon Field.

Orme scored from 36 yards out with 2:44 left, twisting and turning and finally crossing the plane of the goal-line just before he went out of bounds. He looked at a pair of referees for several seconds before one of them finally gave a touchdown signal.

"I had to make sure it was a touchdown before I did anything," Orme said. "I just had great blocking from Cory Elerbee, and really everyone. We had great momentum."

The Vikings took the momentum from the opening kickoff, when Dixon fumbled and John Little recovered the ball on the Rams' 26-yard line.

Three plays later, Vanden had the lead for good after a 16-yard touchdown pass from Ben Scott to David Bucannon.

But the Vikings still led just 7-0 three-and-a-half quarters later. Vanden missed a field goal, Dixon's Marcos Pangelinan recovered a fumble in his own end zone, and a combined 17 penalties kept both teams from doing too much offensively.

Dixon's penalties proved more costly, however. The second-to-last one was the killer, when the Rams were whistled for too many men on the field with Vanden ready to punt on Dixon's 46-yard line.

Orme put the game away

on the next play.

Dixon still had plenty of reason for optimism despite falling to 0-2.

The Rams finished with 226 yards of offense, 166 of that total coming on their last two drives.

Ryan Baptiste began the first big push, but took a big, clean hit from Andrew Roberts and left the game. Pangelinan finished the first drive by scrambling in from 22 yards out for Dixon's first offensive score of the year.

Pangelinan added a 71-yard pass play to Luke Cunningham after Orme's TD, but Dixon eventually turned the ball over on downs with 47 seconds left.

The Vikings ran out the clock and breathed a sign of relief.

"We're a very young group, and we still don't understand that you have to play four full quarters of football," Vanden head coach LeVon Haynes said. "We scored early, but then we didn't keep playing. Dixon always plays us tough, and you have to understand that."

Scott added the only other score on a 1-yard quarterback sneak midway through the fourth quarter. He finished with 9-for-20 passing for

88 yards.

O'shea Bryant led Vanden with 83 yards rushing, and Orme added 79.

Paul McCarty was Dixon's top rusher with

42 yards. Andrew Smith led the defense, and Cunningham batted away several passes.

Vanden host Will C. Wood next Friday. Dixon has the week off.

Four Vikings sign with colleges

Daily Republic

FAIRFIELD — They’d already said they were going. Now they’ve made it official by signing on the dotted line.

Vanden High celebrated National Letter of Intent signing day by having four of its athletes back up their verbal commitments by putting pens to paper in a ceremony on Wednesday.

Deone Bucannon is headed to Washington State and Chris Broadnax and Randey Peterson to Sacramento State to play football, while Alyssa Robles is bound for Cal State Stanislaus to play women’s soccer.

“We want to make this a big deal,” Vanden Principal Steve Liles told the assembly of family and friends, coaches and teammates. “They’re athletes, but they’re also scholars who are moving on to higher education. Vanden’s home to scholars as well as athletes.”

Robles, who joins Regina McGee (Washington State) as the only Vikings to earn women’s soccer scholarships, said it was “a relief, a real big relief” to finally make it official.

“I don’t have to worry about stressing over where to go for college,” she said.

Robles said she committed to Cal State Stanislaus after making an unofficial visit to its Turlock campus and is looking to play either outside midfielder or forward for the Warriors.

Like Robles, Bucannon said it was “a relief” to be done with the signing process.

“Even though I committed there for a while, it’s like a burden off my shoulders,” said Bucannon, the two-time Solano County Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Year. “I’m ready to go down there and play for them.”

Bucannon, who led the Vikings with 107 tackles and also had four sacks and two interceptions, said the Cougars plan to use him at strong safety.

“They told me I could come down there and that I might be able to make an impact,” he said. “I’m just going to work as hard as I can.”

Broadnax, who set Vanden receiving records for catches (43), yards (1,035) and touchdowns (15), said he chose Sacramento State because, “no one else showed so much interest. I like the whole school and everything, so that’s where I decided to go.”

After such a good senior season with the Vikings, Broadnax said he was told by the Hornets coaches that he has “a good chance to be able to start next year or get playing time. It’s just something I have to work at.”

Peterson, who will line up against Broadnax in practice, was likewise happy the recruiting process was done.

“I don’t have to worry so much,” he said. “It’s a weight off my shoulders. The hard part’s off my shoulders.”

Peterson, who figures to play “nickel back” and outside linebacker for the Hornets, had 83 tackles as well as seven sacks for the Vikings in 2009.

He chose Sacramento State to be close to family, including older sister Pamela who’s a sophomore at Stanford, and because he felt a camaraderie among the coaches.

“I don’t want to be where the coaching staff doesn’t like each other,” he said. “They work well with the players.”

Vanden coach LeVon Haynes is sorry to lose three such solid players, but is pleased to see them moving on in style.

“It means a lot to the program to have those three young men go off to further their educations and represent their school,” the coach said. “It’s going to be exciting to watch college football on Saturdays.”

Reach Paul Farmer at 425-4646 Ext. 264 or pfarmer@dailyrepublic.net.

Vaca's Brock Hekking joins group of Vanden players to make college plans official

The future is looking bright for Brock Hekking.

 

LeVon Haynes would rather focus on the present.

 

The Vacaville High School lineman and the Vanden head coach both had big days on Wednesday, part of National Signing Day for high school football players and other athletes.

 

Hekking signed a national letter of intent to accept a full-ride scholarship at the University of Nevada.

 

Haynes oversaw the biggest signing day for Vikings in recent memory, with three football players signing scholarship offers -- linebacker Randey Peterson and wide receiver Chris Broadnax to Sacramento State, and safety Deone Bucannon to Washington State -- during a ceremony at the Vanden theater.

 

Another Viking, Damon Treat, was ready to sign with Humboldt State, but has delayed his decision. The running back leaves today on a recruiting trip to St. Cloud (Minn.).

 

"It's great, but now we need guys to step up and fill their shoes. They're humongous ," Haynes said. "It's going to be rough, but I hope it motivates the other guys. You look at the juniors, and sophomores, and freshmen, and say to them, 'Look. It's possible. If you work hard enough, you can get a scholarship, too.'"

 

Hekking has been working all along, and was pleased with the payoff. The 6-foot-3, 240-pound defensive end was a first-team all-Monticello Empire League choice.

 

He signed his offer Monday morning, then attended a lunch-time ceremony at Vacaville.

 

Hekking also had offers from Fresno State,

 

---

Brigham Young, Army and Southern Utah.

 

"Once I went (to Reno), I didn't need to make any more visits," Hekking said. "I knew this was where I wanted to be. It's a place I really see myself wanting to be for the next five years."

 

Bucannon, a two-time Solano County Athletic Conference defensive player of the year, made a verbal commitment to Washington State last summer.

 

Peterson and Broadnax, both all-SCAC choices, joined a growing list of local talent with the Hornets.

 

Treat is among several local standouts still trying to decide on future homes.

 

"It feels good to have options, but there's still a lot of stress, though," Treat said. "There's just a lot of pressure trying to decide the right school."

 

Also on Wednesday, Vanden's Alyssa Robles signed a letter of intent to play women's soccer at CSU Stanislaus.

Vanden football beaten by Oakdale

Oakdale's Devin Brooks cuts upfield during Friday's game against Vanden in the Division III playoffs. (Sean Moffett/PicsoftheGame.com)

Vanden High School's football team now knows what it's like to be on the losing end of a blowout as visiting Oakdale High dominated the Vikings during the 56-14 playoff victory.

After a season full of lopsided wins, the Vikings were humbled Friday night by Oakdale (11-1) after they couldn't overcome a disastrous first quarter in the Sac-Juoquin Section Division III quarterfinal match-up.

Vanden ended the season with a 10-2 record.

Among the few bright spots in the loss were personal highlights. Sophomore Ben Scott topped 2,000 passing yards, Damon Treat passed the

1,000-yard rushing mark for the season and Chris Broadnax reached 1,000 receiving yards.

What the Mustang backfield lacked in size and speed, it more than made up for with execution as the wing-T backfield piled up nearly 250 yards rushing in the first half.

Oakdale's Tim House was the benefactor of precise handoffs and options, scoring four times on runs of six, 16, 20 and three yards. Three of those TDs came in the first half, helping make the score 35-0 at the break.

The offensive show excited the large group of Oakdale fans. It appeared most of Stanislaus County attended the game, filling up three-quarters of the Vanden stands.

Devin Brooks added a 35-yard touchdown run in the second quarter and Daniel Linder started the offensive scoring in the second half with a

20-yard scamper.

"(Running the ball) is what they've been known to do. But that's no excuse, we did it

last week against a running team," Vanden head coach LeVon Haynes said. "That's what we expected. They were 10-1 for a reason. Our (defense) was a little shell-shocked."

Scott couldn't find his rhythm early as a combination of overthrows and four dropped passes doomed the passing game. He finished with three interceptions, two of which were returned for touchdowns.

That included a tipped pass off the hands of Broadnax that Nate Madsen returned for a

30-yard touchdown early in the first quarter. Charlie Gilstrap took one back 50 yards to open the second-half scoring.

Scott and Broadnax eventually hooked up for a 25-yard score late in the game, and Treat punched in a 1-yard run as time expired.

Haynes said a 10-2 record is nothing to be ashamed of, and he was proud of a team that did a lot of great things throughout the year.

"Our kids have nothing to hang their heads about," he said. "I feel bad for the seniors to go out like that. You tell (returning players), 'You don't want this feeling next year.' "

Senior leads Vanden into section quarterfinal

Vanden's Damon Treat is always a threat on the football whenever he has the ball in his hands. (Joel Rosenbaum / The Reporter)

There is no truth to the rumor that something magical happened 13 years ago when Damon Treat was bitten by a dog.

Then again ...

"I was 4 and I was in my back yard. I got bit by a baby pit bull in the ear and had to get stitches," Treat explained. "All my friends say my blood got interfused with the dog's, and that's why I run around so fast."

Whatever the reason, Vanden High School football opponents have been trying to stop Treat's speedy dashes for years.

On Friday night, Oakdale will travel to Vanden in an attempt to end the senior's banner career.

The Vikings and Mustangs will kick off a Sac-Joaquin Section Division III quarterfinal at

7 p.m. at Gammon Field.

Also on Friday, Vacaville will host Pleasant Grove of Elk Grove in a section Division I quarterfinal, also at 7.

Vanden head coach LeVon Haynes has watched Treat develop into the Vikings' leading scorer, and arguably its biggest weapon.

"Every time he gets the ball in his hands, something special can happen," Haynes said. "He knew the focus was going to be on him this year, so he's been more focused, and he's gotten better and better every week."

Treat is one of the main reasons the Vikings are still alive in the playoffs.

Vanden, the No. 4 seed in Division III, opened the postseason last week with a

48-14 rout over No. 13 Yuba City. Treat led the way, scoring on touchdown runs of 25 and

30 yards, catching a 30-yard touchdown pass and returning a punt 70 yards

for another score.

Treat is the Vikings' leading rusher, with

910 yards, and its top point-producer with 19 total touchdowns.

He also frustrates foes ... and sometimes his coaches ... with his moves.

"Sometimes I get on him a little bit because he tries to use all these ... shakes and stuff," Haynes said. "Sometimes I have to remind him, 'Use your speed and just outrun people.' He's just an exciting player."

The 5-foot-7, 155-pound speedster has been a force since his youth football days with the Vacaville Bengals. But he didn't always enjoy the spotlight, or the contact.

"I remember the first time I played. I was

8 and I cried and cried," he admitted. "I didn't want to be on the field at all. The next year my brother played and he loved it. And I just started thinking I'd better start enjoying this."

Treat and the rest of the Vikings would enjoy another win in what could be their final home game. If the seedings hold true and Vanden beats No. 5 Oakdale, the Vikings probably will play at No. 1 Inderkum next week.

Both Vanden and Oakdale enter the game with 10-1 records, and plenty of offensive power. Oakdale is averaging 42 points a night, while Vanden averages 40.

Treat knows the Mustangs will probably be trying to stop him.

"It's not about me ... if we all play our game, we can win," he said. "And I don't care if I'm running the ball, or catching it, or returning punts. Any time I have the ball in my hands I feel like I can do something special." After all, it's in his blood ... maybe.

Bulldogs, Vikings look like 10s

Vanden football's win a big Treat

Vikings bludgeon Honkers with big plays

Broadnax big play threat for Vanden

Vanden High School senior receiver Chris Broadnax has hauled in 35 passes this season for 816 yards and 13 touchdowns. (Joel Rosenbaum/The Reporter)

Chris Broadnax couldn't help but smile as he watched Ben Scott's progress last summer.

The Vanden High School wide receiver knew a good year by the Vikings' sophomore quarterback almost certainly would improve his chances of having a great senior campaign.

Not coincidentally, Broadnax, Scott and the Vikings all have had banner seasons they hope will continue tonight in the opening round of the Sac-Joaquin Section Division III playoffs.

Vanden (9-1), the No. 4 seed, hosts No. 13 Yuba City in a 7 p.m. kickoff at George Gammon Field.

"Chris has really emerged as a leader this year," Vanden head coach LeVon Haynes said. "He's fast, he's big, and he's making the plays we need him to make."

Part of the reason is the emergence of Scott, who took over for three-year starter Chad Hurst seemingly without skipping a beat.

Scott has thrown for 1,682 yards and 24 touchdowns. Broadnax has caught more than half of Scott's TD tosses (13) among his 35 receptions, and has a whopping 816 receiving yards.

"I have complete and total faith in Ben," Broadnax said. "I saw how hard he was working in the offseason, and I knew it was going to be a good year.

"We had a chance to work on our timing in the summer. He knows where I am on every play now."

Scott has other targets -- Myles Carelock and Deone Bucannon each have 20 catches -- but Broadnax has emerged as the Vikings' big-play threat. He also improved his collegiate stock, so much so that he recently made a

verbal commitment to accept a full-ride scholarship at Sac State.

"I think Sac State is a good fit for him," Haynes said. "He has an opportunity to go in and work hard, and play early."

The scholarship offer was the culmination of a long process for Broadnax, who went to several college camps over the summer.

"I think that made him want to work harder," Haynes said. "He saw that he was getting some interest, and he knew he could get better."

He also can get bigger. Broadnax has a solid frame at 6-foot-3 and 190 pounds, but could add bulk without losing a step.

In the meantime, Broadnax and the Vikings have some work to do. Vanden enters the playoffs at 9-1 just like they did last year, but wants to avoid a first-round home loss like the one that brought a sudden end to its banner season last year.

"The big thing is we need to cut down on mistakes," Broadnax said. "We want to get better every week, and one of the big things that means for us is to cut down on penalties. If we play like we can play, we will be all right."

Vikes snare SCAC awards

Vikes hit their marks, trounce Spartans

Vanden football cruises by Vallejo

Vanden sails by Benicia

Vanden's Chris Broadnax is tripped up by Benicia's Cory Fisher after intercepting a pass Friday night. (Joel Rosenbaum / The Reporter)

So much for the showdown.

The Vanden Vikings made short work of the explosive Benicia Panthers Friday night, using defensive pressure and a sharp offensive show on the way to a 47-17 victory.

Vanden improved to 7-0 overall (2-0 Solano County Athletic Conference). Benicia dropped to 5-2 (1-1 SCAC ) in the matchup at George A. Gammon field.

Cornerback Chris Broadnax said he had been looking forward to facing a passing team and responded with three interceptions. Not satisfied with one hat trick, he also added three touchdown receptions.

"I was hyped. We've been facing running teams all year," Broadnax said after the game. "I was waiting for the throws, and they were coming."

The first reception of the night opened the scoring as quarterback Ben Scott hit him for a 39-yard touchdown. Broadnax returned to the end zone in the second quarter, hauling in a 34-yard strike from Scott to put the Vikings up 14-7. He later scored on a 9-yard catch in the back of the end zone to open the second half scoring.

Running back Damon Treat, who continues to struggle with an ankle injury, ripped off a 47-yard run for a score around the five-minute mark of the second quarter and continued the rout with a 2-yard plunge with 39 seconds left in the half. Treat ended the night with 90 yards rushing, before leaving to ice his ankle.

After allowing a touchdown pass by Benicia's standout quarterback Andrew McNeece on the opening drive, Vanden's defense applied heavy

pressure, recording three sacks along the way. Benicia's four- and five-receiver sets couldn't get going as McNeece was regularly forced to throw early and took punishment throughout the game.

Head Coach LeVon Haynes said he continues to be impressed with Scott's composure as a sophomore, which included joining the defensive huddles near the sideline during time outs. Scott ended with three touchdown passes and just more than 100 yards in the air.

"He grew up quick," Broadnax said.

Vanden's Kevin Orme also shined with just less than 100 yards rushing, including a bruising 14-yard rumble in the fourth quarter. J.J. Hong capped the scoring for Vanden with a 23-yard score.

The game was delayed 10 minutes in the second quarter when the lights in the end temporarily went out.

Vanden JV football falls to Benicia

Viking a quick study

Sac State-bound Peterson makes impact

Vikings pull away from Jaguars in second half

Vanden football topples Wood

Vanden defensive back Damon Treat runs to the end zone after intercepting a pass from Wood quarterback Brian Clay, Jr., who tried to bring him down for a tackle in the first quarter Friday night. (Joel Rosenbaum / The Reporter)

It was all Vanden all the way as the Vikings bulldozed their way past visiting Will C. Wood High School 34-3 in front of a raucous homecoming crowd Friday night. The Vikings came crashing out of the gate and took the early lead off an offensive miscue from Wood that resulted in an interception that was returned 18 yards by Damon Treat for the touchdown. Treat came up big on defense during Wood's next offensive series, snatching another interception that he ran back 40 yards to the goal. Wood was unable to capitalize on its next possession and was forced to punt it away. Vanden marched down the field, led by a 49-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Ben Scott to Chris Broadnax. The Vikings were then able to take the game to the ground and grind their way down to the 12-yard line, where Scott once again took over and found Myles Carelock in the end zone for the 12-yard score, putting Vanden up 21-0. The second quarter brought a strong defensive effort from Wood. The Wildcats were able to hold the Vikings scoreless throughout the period. The Wildcats saw a glimmer of hope when Derek Albright booted a school-record 48-yard field goal, bringing Wood within 18. Vanden's next score didn't come until just outside the two minute mark, when Scott once again aired it out, 65-yards to Broadnax, who was able to scamper his way into the end zone. The Viking's final TD came in the forth quarter off an acrobatic leap from Treat, where he sailed over a pile of Wood defenders to punch it in from the 1-yard line. Viking's head coach LeVon Haynes said that these are the kind of games that stick in players' memories. "I felt like we had to come out here and we had to play hard and we had to play smart," Haynes said. "We didn't want to come out here and get caught up in the pageantry of homecoming and the field and stuff, so tonight we just felt like we had to come out here and play our kind of football." The struggling Wildcats will play host to Vintage, as they look to turn their season around. The Vikings now 4-0, are turning their attention to the start of league play, which will kick off with them facing Bethel next week.

Vikes right at home

Passing combination too tough for Rams

Vanden's Chris Broadnax eludes Dixon's Sam Welch (3) and Ryan Baptiste in the Vikings' win Friday. (Joel Rosenbaum / The Reporter)

A budding friendship between a pair of Vikings paid dividends for the Vanden High School football team Friday night at Dixon.

Quarterback Ben Scott and wide receiver Chris Broadnax started hanging out together in the summer and have become fast friends on and off the field. The two connected for three of Scott's four touchdown passes in a 33-10 win over the Rams.

"I thought we could pass pretty well," Vanden head coach LeVon Haynes said. "Last year (Dixon) stopped our run pretty good. I felt if we could get the ball to our receivers we could get some yards after the catch."

Though he did throw two interceptions, Scott was 17-for 31 passing for a whopping 296 yards and those four touchdown passes. He added a 2-yard scoring run to have a hand in every touchdown.

"He throws the ball very impressive," Dixon head coach Scott Winslow said of Scott. "He hit his guys in stride. They were all we thought they would be. We couldn't contain their speed and we made a lot of mistakes they capitalized on."

Broadnax was equally impressive. He had seven of the 17 receptions and gained 172 yards.

Vanden scored a touchdown in the first quarter, finished with 19 points in the second quarter and added another touchdown in the third period.

Jabari Scott recovered a fumble for the Vikings on Dixon's first offensive series. Seven plays later, Scott found Damon Treat with a 12-yard touchdown pass.

Ben Scott and Broadnax connected for the first time on an 31-yard

scoring strike in the second quarter, and later had an 80-yard connection. Scott added his 2-yard scoring run for a 26-3 halftime lead. The final Scott-to-Broadnax connection went for a 7-yard score in the third quarter.

What little offense Dixon could muster resulted in the final 10 points. Julio Reyes had an impressive 37-yard field goal in the second quarter. Quarterback Jeffrey Anderson scored on a 13-yard touchdown run late in the third quarter.

Davonne Yarbrough joined Jabari Scott with fumble recoveries for Vanden. Sean Phillips intercepted a pass. Damon Treat and Randey Peterson had sacks, while Jabari Scott and Shane Gracia combined on another.

Dixon managed only 107 yards of total offense. Anderson connected on only two of his 12 passes for two yards. Josh Byington was the leading rusher with four carries for 30 yards.

Rhiley Norton of Dixon hauled in both of Ben Scott's interceptions. Ryan Baptiste recovered a fumble.

Vanden rushed for 98 yards to go with the 296 passing yards. O'Shea Bryant was the leader with 46 yards on 12 carries.

Vanden improved to 4-0 and will be back at the new George A. Gammon Field for a game against Will C. Wood next Friday. Dixon fell to 3-1 and will be back home to take on Center next week.

Vanden wins big over McClatchy

Mighty Vanden blasts Vintage

Vanden storms Armijo in rout

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncaa/recruiting/football/news/story?id=4005690