Christina Vermillion pulling up for the mid-range jump shot. // Marcus D. Smith
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By Marcus D. Smith– The girls varsity program at Mesa Verde High School has not seen a start to the season as strong as this one in the past decade and a half.
Mavericks head into the winter break with a record of 8-5 on the season despite losing, 58-40, to the Center Cougars in the Nighthawk Christmas Classic hosted at Natomas High School.
Mesa Verde have taken their play this season to new heights and have changed the expectations early on for their play in conference. The eight wins in preseason places the Mavericks in a position to win the most games in program history since 2005, where the team went 15-10 under Coach Jinguli.
“[We’re] looking forward to after-Christmas comeback and really prep for league,” said Mesa Verde Girls Varsity Head Coach Mark Toscano.
With over half the battle already complete, the girls will have
to buckle down after the holiday break and come back focused on being a
complete team if they look to win more games down the stretch.
Up to this point they have relied heavily on the play of junior forward Maleena Ridore, and the double-double she is averaging this season. She averages just about 13 points and 13 rebounds per game, on 49% from the field. She leads the team in each of those categories.
They look to move past the game against Center for plenty of reasons. The Mavericks led after the first quarter, but with 5:31 remaining in the second quarter they lost that lead and never would recover from the deficit.
This game however was taken over by the full-court trap defense
installed by Center. Mesa was in a full-court trap in the game as well, Center
really struggled to get through it in the first quarter.
Whether it was due to the team’s focus or fatigue, the second quarter was the turning point for the girls, as turnovers began to accumulate. If the ball wasn’t turned over, there were quick shots taken early in the shot clock that allowed Center to capitalize on the missed shots.
The girls will get a much needed break for the holidays and the new year, and then they will return to the court Jan. 7, when they face Hiram Johnson at 7 p.m.
This will be the last non-conference game. League begins on Jan. 10, opening against Pioneer High School. Both of these games will be played at Mesa Verde High School.
“We’ll just go through some stuff we need to work on — defensively, offensively and prepare to make a run at league,” said Toscano. “That’s our goal right now.”
Mesa Verde Boys Basketball Update Mesa Verde is coming off of an 81-64 loss to Bella Vista High School. The Mavericks have not been able to put together a win in non-conference play so far.
Mesa Verde will compete in the Lindhurst tournament after the new year. They will first play Lindhurst on Jan. 2 at 5:30 p.m. The tournament will last from Jan. 2-4.
The Mavericks will have two games after the tournament before they open league play against Pioneer. Mesa Verde will be searching for their first win of the season in their pursuit.
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Marcus D. Smith
Sports Reporter Marcus D. Smith covers high school sports in Citrus Heights. Smith is a Sacramento-area native and earned his bachelor’s degree in journalism in 2017.
Mesa Verde High School senior forward Angel Rubio absorbing contact on his way to the rim during a Dec. 3 game against Leroy Greene Academy. // Marcus Smith
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By Marcus D. Smith– Mesa Verde Varsity boys basketball team were in action against Leroy Greene Academy on Tuesday, searching for their first win.
The game was a consistent back-and-forth battle between both squads. Very early on, it was bucket for bucket, blow for blow. Both teams were relentless for their very own purposes.
The Lions were looking win back-to-back games to start their season. As for the Mavericks, they were looking to taste a victory. They lost the previous three games, including a foundation and rivalry game loss with San Juan High School, 63-35.
Mesa Verde came out with intensity to begin the game and maintained that energy throughout the remainder of the game. It was neck-and-neck, but at the half they found themselves down by one point, 24-23.
“We are progressing right now. We’re trying to put in a system where it’s more of a pass-and-drive system,” said Mesa Verde Boys Varsity Head Coach Anthony Watkins. “The kids are picking it up, but we have a lot of freshmen and sophomores on the team, so it’s kind of hard for them to pick up everything. But they’re progressing.”
In the second half, these teams kept trading baskets like prize fighters, the score was knotted up at 36 with under five minutes in the fourth quarter.
Unfortunately for the Mavericks they would experience a late game drought at this point, as they would only score a field goal for the rest of the game. After the five-minute mark, they shot one-for-six from the field and were forced to three turnovers in that time-span.
“We need to cut down on our turnovers. Turnovers really killed us today,” said Watkins. “I think we had 23 turnovers today, so we have to cut that down… Execution of our offense is really hurting us right now but I think that will come with time and more practice, more games, we’ll correct it.”
Following Tuesday’s game, tournament games ran from Thursday to Saturday. Stay tuned for updates on the results.
Marcus D. Smith
Sports Reporter Marcus D. Smith covers high school sports in Citrus Heights. Smith is a Sacramento-area native and earned his bachelor’s degree in journalism in 2017.
Junior guard, Julia Gotishan looking for an open teammate to pass to. // Marcus D. Smith
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By Marcus D. Smith— Mesa Verde Girls Varsity Basketball elevated their game another level on Tuesday.
For the first time in over a decade, the varsity girls program started the season, 2-0, winning back-to-back games to begin the season. In the first game of a double-header, the Lady Mavericks set the tone of the night with a 35-24 victory against Leroy Greene Academy.
Mesa Verde ran the entire night and were able to set the momentum from the beginning of tip-off. They were able to jump out to an 11-0 lead to start the game, thanks to junior guard Vanessa Flores, who scored all 11 of the team’s points during that run. She finished with 15 points.
“[G]etting moved to 2-0 is one of the best starts the girl’s program has had at least the last 10 years,” said Mesa Verde Girl’s Varsity Head Coach Mark Toscano. “So this game was big and the win was huge for us.”
Defensively, they were able to contain the Lady Lions in the first quarter, which set the tone for the rest of the game. Leroy Greene was held to just four points in that first quarter. The game was a battle back and forth, but Mesa Verde would never relinquish the lead throughout the remainder of the game.
It was a solid team effort all-around. The Lady Mavericks were
able to flow through their offense with contributions from junior forward,
Maleena Ridore, who scored six of the team’s eight fourth quarter points, and
Kiylea Elliot who hit two timely three point field goals in the game.
Once the game settled in a bit, Mesa Verde would allow the
chemistry of their returners to set the pace. From beginning to end the tempo
of the game was set.
“I think it’s [the] chemistry all my girls have. I have eight girls on my squad. Six are returners from last year,” said Toscano. “I think that’s really going to lead us into having good momentum into this tournament. We’re going there to win it, we want to bring home a trophy for this program.”
Mesa Verde Girls Basketball also had scheduled games for Dec. 6 and 7 in the Western Sierra Tournament, located in Rocklin. Continue to check back with Citrus Heights Sentinel Sports for updates.
Marcus D. Smith
Sports Reporter Marcus D. Smith covers high school sports in Citrus Heights. Smith is a Sacramento-area native and earned his bachelor’s degree in journalism in 2017.
*Note: Sports stories are now a premium article accessible only by The Sentinel’s paid subscribers. To subscribe today for just $4/mo., click here.
By Marcus D. Smith– The football program at Mesa Verde High School has seen a rapid turnaround just in the matter of a coaching chance, with an overall sentiment that there has been a culture change for the varsity program.
The Mavericks varsity football program finished the season 5-4 under new head coach Bryan Golder. According to MaxPreps.com, this was Mesa Verde High School’s first winning season since 2004, when the program finished 6-4 under coach Barney.
“It was a blessing to coach the boys this year,” Coach Golder told the team and their parents on Thursday during a Fall Sports Banquet. “Just watching them grow from immature little boys to become young men… We’d have some practices where some guys would yell, [and] holler, [and] get emotional and cry in practice and frustrated at the world.”
“You’d have some practices where guys felt like they wanted to quit because they didn’t understand why we were so hard on them in games during football and they didn’t understand why we were so caring when it came to loving them as well,” Golder continued. “We wanted to set an example [to them], what life would be like after leaving this high school. There is a road out there, but you’re going to have to get a job, go to school — you can’t just expect mom and dad to provide and take care of you.”
Three days later, on Saturday afternoon, a tweet came from Mesa Verde’s athletic account stating they were “currently accepting applications for the Head Football Coach for the 2020 season.”
The Sentinel reached out to Mesa Verde Athletic Director Kevin Anderson who confirmed the news, but declined to speak further on the details.
“I don’t know all the information,” said Anderson. “He resigned to our admin. I was not included in that, so I don’t know any of the details of that discussion at this time.”
The Sentinel also reached out to Coach Golder regarding the announcement, who said he would give an official statement within a week, after first consulting his team directly.
Golder and his staff came from Liberty Ranch High School the previous year to coach at Mesa Verde and were sad to leave the culture they created with the program. The feeling was mutual between the athletes, parents and coaches in their appreciation for each other and what they were able to each bring to the table this season.
“It all started in early March when we first started going into the weigh room… Then, later on in the season, we just started growing as a family,” said senior offensive and defensive lineman Jack Adkins, who won the Special Teams award. “I’ve never actually been [in] a brotherhood like this one…I got all my brothers’ back for sure.”
His mother, Lindsey Adkins, who has been team parent for the past five years, became emotional when speaking to The Sentinel about what Coach Golder had done with the team.
“He not only brings the love of football to the field and the boys, but he brought prayer, love, family, and brotherhood,” said Adkins. “All years of being team mom… this was the year they were family.”
“[With] these guys, execution was key, family was key, respect [was] number one all the way around,” she said. “It wasn’t just they were coaching boys, they were coaching men.”
Her thoughts were also reflected by team mom Sara Rollins.
“He’s brought them together. It’s all been about loyalty, teamwork, and a family,” Rollins said. “The boys have never been a ‘family’ before, and I’ve watched them stand up for the younger players who’ve been picked on.”
“They communicate, they show up on Saturdays for their free time to work out with coaches here, just because they’re driven,” she said. “And these coaches put that drive in them.”
Despite not knowing of the news at the time, 2019 Defensive Player of the Year Shae Johnson, a junior, said the coaches were personally able to affect him, translating to his play on the field.
“I love those guys, man, they got me here for a reason,” said Johnson. “These guys brought a way different atmosphere.”
*Editor’s note: this is a developing story. Check back in our Midweek Edition on Thursday for more details.
Marcus D. Smith
Sports Reporter Marcus D. Smith covers high school sports in Citrus Heights. Smith is a Sacramento-area native and earned his bachelor’s degree in journalism in 2017.
San Juan High School Varsity Football Senior Class of 2020 (left to right): Wyatt Winalski, Elijah Vernon, Charlie Surratt, Nate Snowden, Romeo Bryant, Cameron Castillo, Joaquin Ayala, Cristian Angulo, Edgar Ambriz, Chris Carroll . // Photo credit: Marcus D. Smith
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By Marcus D. Smith– Senior night is always a bittersweet night of football and a range of emotions flow all throughout the game.
Understandably, it being the last time the seniors
suit up on a Friday night on the gridiron. There are legacies that they’ve
started and left for the underclass men to aspire to continue.
“I always feel like we could do better,” said senior running back, Jaedyn Reddick. “The culture has always been a little rocky, but I can see the change coming. It will be coming soon for sure, and as a senior I’m going to do anything I can to make the school better [like] come back out [as an alumni].”
This was a fight from beginning to end. The Spartans
would go on to lose the game 50-14, but they sent a message from the beginning
of kickoff.
Despite being down at halftime, you could feel the
passion from the players hugging each other during the senior night ceremony.
It was bigger than football.
“I wouldn’t want it with anybody else,” said senior Wyatt Winalski. “You know it’s kind of something that you’ll always remember, and the fact that I came out here senior year and I got the opportunity from my coaches and stuff — it’s amazing.”
The last four years for these guys have taken them on
a roller coaster together. From freshmen year to senior year they have battled
and fought together.
“The ones that stuck with me even though things were getting hard but the people that always were there to pick me up, especially during conditioning, if I was having a tough time,” said Winalski. “There were my brothers to have my back, and I couldn’t ask for anything more than that.”
Spartans Varsity Head Coach Andy Villegas has had a first row seat in watching the development of these young men, as he has played a huge role, coaching them since their freshman year.
“The guys that stayed and fought through, they put the work in. I’m just so proud of them,” he told The Sentinel. “It shows that they are able to commit and finish something that they commit to, and that’s not something that a lot of guys can do.”
The most important thing was the maturation process
and growth for the guys as they continue to strive to achieve their desires
past high school football.
The school year isn’t over, some will go on to play
winter sports such as basketball or wrestling. Others will await the spring to
participate in baseball or track and field.
“I’m hoping to go to college and play some baseball, so I got that, those tears to shed when it comes time, so I’ll save it for that,” said Winalski on his future plans after high school football.
For fellow senior Jaedyn Reddick, his plans include a focus on working out and hopefully playing football after high school, but if that doesn’t work out he has other options to fall back on.
“[I’m] Getting looked at right now, [by] Fresno State. But if that doesn’t work out I’m going to go to the Marines and just go to college from there, and just work my way up from there,” said Reddick.
For younger guys, like sophomore James Hard, they will focus on other sports this year and coming back stronger for next football season.
Hard especially is looking forward to his football
return after suffering a broken collarbone and will be out of contact sports
for two months.
He expects to participate in wrestling and baseball in
the upcoming seasons.
As for the Spartans football team, this wraps up their season in the Sierra Delta League, and Coach Villegas’ first year as Varsity head coach.
“It was all a learning experience and [in] the last half I put my younger guys in,” the coach said. “[It was] good to give them the experience, good to give them the workout, but I’m sad because I had a lot of really good senior athletes and having a mostly senior team come out this way is going to be kind of hard.”
—
Mesa Verde Recap Mesa Verde was in action on Friday night as they went to visit the best team in the conference in Casa Roble.
The Mavericks entered the game looking to end their
season with a victory after dropping a game to Woodland High School.
Mesas Verde’s offense was neutralized as they only put
forth a field goal in the first quarter and this would be the only points on
the scoreboard for the Mavericks.
The final score ended up being 43-3, as Casa Roble
would go on to take care of business at home.
This win would solidify their season as the best in
the Golden Empire League, winning the GEL championship with a record of 5-0 in
league, and 7-3 overall.
Mesa Verde has a bright future to look ahead to as they ended the season 5-4 overall and 2-3 in league play. This is the best record the varsity football program has seen in some years. They quintupled their total win shares from last year, going from 1-9 to now 5-4.
Marcus D. Smith
Sports Reporter Marcus D. Smith covers high school sports in Citrus Heights. Smith is a Sacramento-area native and earned his bachelor’s degree in journalism in 2017.
San Juan High School Spartans lining up with Linden ready for the battle at the line of scrimmage. // Marcus D. Smith
By Marcus D. Smith— Mesa Verde Mavericks faced the Woodland Wolves in a Senior Night home game on Oct. 24, while the San Juan Spartans played a game against the Linden Lions the following night.
San Juan High School entered their game against Linden with a depleted roster that recently saw its head count cut in half. Despite the deficiency of players, the Spartans still managed to make adjustments on the fly and put forth the best product on the field possible.
“Injuries and grades took a big hit so just, all week trying guys
at new positions,” said Spartans head coach, Andy Villegas of the adjustments
his team now faces.
The Spartans were left short-handed early in the first quarter
battling injuries to their offensive and defensive linemen as senior and team
captain, Charlie Surratt re-aggravated his knee and sophomore, James Hard
injured his collarbone and needed an evaluation. Neither of them returned to
the game.
A change that came as surprise to many was the switch at the quarterback position. Senior, Wyatt Winalski, started the game at quarterback, his usual position, but coach Villegas tried him out at tight end to shake the offense up, and even had him play a few snaps on defense.
“It’s just a matter of who’s going to step up and be the man, you know? I had to step up huge because I went from straight to quarterback and then ended up playing [defensive] end because of the lack of players,” said Winalski. “I mean it’s not something we all want to do but if the teams needs it, you got to step up and be the guy.”
Villegas added versatility to the quarterback position by placing
Winalski with junior, Matt Colter, who sees time all around the field at
running back, wide receiver, defensive back, and as a return specialist.
Colter got off to a cold start in his first game as quarterback,
throwing two interceptions. However, he was eventually able to settle in
comfortably in his role under center as he later ran 60 yards for a touchdown.
“I can be quarterback or wide receiver. I just want to do anything to help out my team and make us better,” said Colter. “I’m going to try and change the culture next year by putting all my heart into it and being a better leader and I can.”
The San Juan Spartans would ultimately lose this game against the
Linden Lions. The only touchdowns coming from a kick returned for a touchdown
by senior, Romeo Bryant, with 4:30 remaining in the contest and Colter’s
quarterback run to end the game with the final score, 59-13.
This game would push their losing streak to four, as they look to
end the season next week against Golden Sierra High School. The Grizzlies come
into this game with an undefeated record, 4-0, including their last victory
coming against Rio Vista, 51-22.
The Spartans will host Golden Sierra for their final home game at McArthur Field on the campus of San Juan High School. Kickoff will be at 7 p.m.
Mavericks vs. Woodland It was senior night for the Mesa Verde Mavericks and so family, friends, and fans were out to celebrate and support the hard work, consistency, and determination of the Senior 2020 Class.
Players were honored at halftime for their dedication put forth
into the Mesa Verde football program throughout the years and setting an
example for the next class of players.
“I appreciate the passion I see with everyone of you guys tonight. I appreciate the heart and the desire, and the love of the game of football,” said head coach Bryan Golder in an emotional post-game speech to his team. “To you seniors, for your senior night, thank you. Thank you for allowing me to coach you guys this year. I had a great time with you guys for senior night here at your home stadium.”
Mesa Verde showcased just how dangerous a threat they can be for 24 out of 48 minutes, as they were able to outscore the Woodland Wolves, 15-7, in the second half of their Thursday night game.
However, for the majority of the game they encountered a
demoralizing Woodland defense that was able to play a huge role in the, 34-0,
halftime deficit against the Mavericks.
“It’s a tale of two halves for us, [in the] first half we faced some adversity. We started having division, we started to have some separation and arguing amongst one another… when adversity faces us men, we’re not going to run from it,” said head coach Bryan Golder. “In the second half you guys did a much better job of becoming men about it and not hanging your heads and not quitting, not retreating and crying about it.”
Mesa Verde had five giveaways in the first half, including two
fumbles lost and an interception that were all returned for touchdowns.
The Mavericks defense only allowed 20 points on Thursday, while the offense gave up 21 points in turnovers, which turned out to be the major difference in the game.
“I don’t know what was going on in the first half, I was kind of just
in my own head the whole time,” said senior quarterback, Jaden Burger, “but
once I got to the second half, I just started playing our game.
Despite this loss, Mesa Verde still has a chance to contend for
the San Joaquin Section Division V Football playoffs. Their fate depends on
their next performance and other teams with similar records around the Golden
Empire League.
Mesa Verde are now 5-3 overall and maintain a .500 record in
league play at 2-2 as they head into their final game of league play against
Casa Roble High School.
“Offense, we need some work, a lot of work. Defense, d-line (defensive line), good [work]. Way to push them back each time. Every play, every play,” said junior linebacker, Shae Johnson. “Other than that we just need to work hard and come back next week stronger.”
The Rams will enter the battle against the Mavericks with a 6-3
overall record, but hold an unbeaten record in Golden Empire League play, 4-0.
Casa Roble is coming off of a Friday night steamroll victory,
49-7, against Dixon High School.
Playoff hopes are on the line and the Mavericks are well aware of
what needs to be done in order to advance to the San Joaquin Section Division V
Football playoffs.
“We need to work harder,” said senior offensive/defensive lineman,
Jaymee Simmons, “I don’t want this game to end. I want to keep going in the
playoffs. We have to show Casa [Roble] what we can actually do.”
Upcoming games on Nov. 1 around the Golden Empire League begin at 7 p.m. Teams in action consist of: Mesa Verde vs Casa Roble, Dixon vs Mira Loma, and Woodland vs Pioneer.
Note: Due to low interest from readers, The Sentinel is considering cutting our recently added local sports coverage. However, if you’d like to see sports coverage in Citrus Heights continue, send us a comment and consider helping make more local news coverage possible with a monthly subscription for just $4/mo. Click here to see subscription options.
Marcus D. Smith
Sports Reporter Marcus D. Smith covers high school sports in Citrus Heights. Smith is a Sacramento-area native and earned his bachelor’s degree in journalism in 2017.
By Marcus D. Smith– On their homecoming night, Oct. 18, Mesa Verde High School defeated Mira Loma by a final score, 40-6, while San Juan High School dropped a road game, 50-22, to Highlands High School the same night.
In facing the Mavericks, Mira Loma had no answer for the dynamic offense that scored in every quarter of the game on Friday.
The Mesa Verde defense came to play and had an excellent
performance against Mira Loma, forcing a fumble and an interception in the
game. The Mavericks held the Matadors to zero points for the majority of the
game until Mira Loma jumped on the scoreboard late in the fourth quarter.
It wasn’t until the second half when Mesa Verde began to really
take it to them. At halftime, Mavericks only led by two scores, 13-0, behind
rushing touchdowns from senior running back, Jshawn Brown and junior running
back, Mustafaa Mitchel.
In the third and fourth quarters, Mesa Verde scored on multiple
different occasions as they were able to effectively breakdown the defense of
the Matadors.
In the third quarter, Jaden Burger found junior tight end,
Franklin Smith, to connect for a 27-yard touchdown. Senior running back, Peter
Silva, provided the exclamation point for the game with his fourth quarter
rushing touchdown to extend the lead, 34-0.
The Mavericks will have a short week and then they are back in action on Thursday, Oct. 24, 2019 when they go head to head with Woodland High School.
Coming into this one, the Woodland Wolves are 2-1 after
experiencing their first loss of the Golden Empire League at the hands of Casa
Roble, 45-14.
Both teams are 2-1, this game would place the victor higher in
the Golden Empire League standings.
This will be considered a home game for Mesa Verde High School
and the game will be played at San Juan Stadium on the campus of San Juan High
School.
Spartans vs. Scots It was senior night for the Scots and the Spartans did not match up very well that evening.
From the start of the game and throughout its entirety, the defense
of Highlands continued to stifle and harass which made them uncomfortable on
the field.
That momentum would carry over offensively as the Scots raced to
a huge first quarter lead and never looked back.
San Juan will be at home on Friday, Oct. 25, when they welcome the Linden High School Lions to Citrus Heights for a showdown in the Sierra Delta league.
Linden will enter the contest with a 2-1 record in SDL after
coming out victorious in a nail-biter with Rio Vista High School. The Lions
were able to hang on by a shoestring, defeating the Rams, 33-32.
Spartans will go into this game searching for their first win
since SDL play began as they currently sit on a three-game skid.
Kickoff for the Spartans is set to begin at 7 p.m. This is the final home game of the 2019 season for San Juan High School.
Note: Due to low interest from readers, The Sentinel is considering cutting our recently added local sports coverage. However, if you’d like to see sports coverage in Citrus Heights continue, send us a comment and consider helping make more local news coverage possible with a monthly subscription for just $4/mo. Click here to see subscription options.
Marcus D. Smith
Sports Reporter Marcus D. Smith covers high school sports in Citrus Heights. Smith is a Sacramento-area native and earned his bachelor’s degree in journalism in 2017.
Mavericks watch on the sideline anxious to get back into the game on Friday night, Oct. 11. // Marcus D. Smith
Marcus D. Smith— The San Juan Spartans faced off the Rio Vista Rams in a home game on Friday night, while the Mesa Verde Mavericks traveled to Dixon for another night of Golden Empire League high school football.
Here’s a quick recap of each game, along with a look at what games are coming up:
Spartans vs. Rams San Juan Spartans are on a two-game skid after losing against another uptempo team in the Rio Vista Rams, 61-20. Spartans trailed throughout the entire game.
On the night of their homecoming, they were held to just 13
points in the first half. After the first quarter the Spartans were looking at
a 20-7 deficit, and ultimately never recovered.
In the second half, the story would be much of the same. The
Spartans would only score one more touchdown on the evening. That score would
come on a kick returned for a touchdown with roughly 11 minutes to go in the
third quarter.
To that point the score was 40-20, but the Rams would further
extend their lead in the third and fourth quarter with two passing touchdowns
and a rushing touchdown.
San Juan High School will go on the road next Friday, Oct. 18, when they play Highlands High School. This game will be Senior Night for the Scots. Highlands High School comes into this at 1-1 in league play and 6-1 overall.
Highlands will be coming off of their second league game, against Golden Sierra High School. That game resulted in a 34-33 loss for the Scots, their first loss of league and the season overall.
The Spartans will look to end their two-game losing streak and find a victory in a tough Highlands environment. San Juan will continue Sierra Delta league play in this bout. The game will begin at 7 p.m. in North Highlands.
Mavericks vs. Dixon Rams Mesa Verde went on the road to Dixon to face the Rams on their homecoming night on Friday.
The Mavericks went back and forth throughout the game until the
Rams pulled away late in the fourth, ultimately defeating Mesa Verde, 35-32.
“We just needed to relax, calm down, take a deep breathe and play football,” said Mesa Verde football head coach, Bryan Golder. “Nerves got in the way in the first half. Once they relaxed, they just played their game and I felt like they did very well.”
Going in to the half, the Mavericks were down, 14-12, but they
came out striking. Behind an 85-yard misdirection run from Peter Silva, Mesa
Verde took an 18-12 lead with 11:16 remaining in the third quarter.
Mesa Verde would only enjoy that lead for so long. The ensuing
possession, the Rams would score by taking advantage of a huge hole in the
middle of the defense and running the length of the field to take a, 21-18,
lead with 8:17 remaining in the third quarter.
The Mavericks failed on the two-point conversion. This and other missed point-after-touchdown(s) (PATs) would end up being one of the stories of the game for Mesa Verde, and a key factor in the loss.
“[W]e had our kids ready, we just didn’t always execute. That’s the bottom line,” said Mesa Verde football defensive coordinator and assistant head coach, Kevin Tibbetts. “We need to execute, [extra points], there’s a lot of stuff that played in factor this game where we had every opportunity to win this game.”
Another key factor would be turnovers in the game, as the Mavericks had six turnovers overall in the game Friday night against Dixon. Five of them came in the second half behind three interceptions thrown and two lost fumbles.
Mesa Verde’s largest deficit came in the fourth quarter when they trailed, 35-18, with 3:30 remaining in the game behind a wide receiver end around play by Dixon High School.
The Mavericks would not just lie down and take double-digit
spread. They fought back to narrow gap. Mesa Verde would score a touchdown and
add a two-point conversion to cut Dixon’s lead to a single-digit game, 35-26,
with 1:05 remaining in the game.
On the next kickoff, the Mavs would opt for an onside kick and
recover the ball back for their offense to take control. They took the nine
point spread and cut it down even further to, 35-32, behind a run up the middle
from J’Shawn Brown for a touchdown.
Mesa Verde would fail on their next two-point conversion with 16
seconds left in the game. Dixon High School recovered the onside kick after the
failed conversion and would eventually run the clock out.
“We’ll turn it around, we have Mira Loma next week. We’ll be
ready for them,” said coach Tibbetts looking forward to their next matchup.
Mavericks have an overall record of 4-2, and are now 1-1 in Golden Empire League. Their next opponent will be against Mira Loma High School. Mira Loma will come into this with a winless record, including 0-2 in Golden Empire League play.
Mira Loma is coming off of a tough shutout loss to Woodland High
School, 62-0.
The Mavericks will host the Matadors on Oct. 18, kickoff begins at 7 p.m. This will be homecoming for Mesa Verde. They plan to make this game an all-blackout game to bring in their homecoming celebration.
Note: Due to low interest from readers, The Sentinel is considering cutting our recently added local sports coverage. However, if you’d like to see sports coverage in Citrus Heights continue, send us a comment and consider helping make more local news coverage possible with a monthly subscription for just $4/mo. Click here to see subscription options.
Marcus D. Smith
Sports Reporter Marcus D. Smith covers high school sports in Citrus Heights. Smith is a Sacramento-area native and earned his bachelor’s degree in journalism in 2017.
San Juan High School Spartans under the Friday Night Lights. // Marcus D. Smith
*Note: scheduled away games may be affected by PG&E shutdowns.
Marcus D. Smith– High school volleyball, tennis and football are in full swing and the Citrus Heights Sentinel has all the updates and previews for you. Here’s the rundown from the most recent high school sporting events, along with upcoming events scheduled for later this week.
Girls Tennis. This week in high school girls tennis:
MVHS: The Mesa Verde Lady Mavericks varsity tennis team were in action on Oct. 8. They dropped that match in a tough, 7-2, sets against Dixon High School’s Lady Rams.
Mesa Verde will be back in action again Oct. 10 against Mira Loma High School. The Lady Mavericks will go on the road to face the Lady Matadors at 4 p.m.
Make sure to follow @mesaverdesports on Twitter for the update on this match and future matches.
Girls Volleyball. This week in high school girls volleyball:
MVHS: Lady Mavericks are looking to bounce back from their Oct. 7 loss against Pioneer High School, losing in three sets.
Mesa
Verde is looking for their first win of the season, and continue to search for
that victory against Mira Loma High School.
Mira
Loma comes into this game with a 5-7-1 record, that tie coming to Oasis Academy
from Fallon, Nevada. Overall they are 3-2.
The Lady Matadors got the best of Mesa Verde in three sets, back on Sept. 25. The Lady Mavericks will attempt to avenge that loss when they visit them on Oct. 14.
The first set is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. in the Mira Loma High School gymnasium.
SJHS: The Lady Spartans varsity volleyball team will be in action on Oct. 10th when they face Linden Lady Lions at 6 p.m.
This
match will be at home for the Lady Spartans, held at San Juan High School’s
main gymnasium.
With a
win, they will get back to .500 in conference, they are currently 2-3.
San
Juan Lady Spartans are undefeated so far when they play at home, 7-0. Overall
they are 11-5 on the season.
Football. A look ahead at the Friday Night football games from local high schools in the Citrus Heights area:
MVHS: Mesa Verde looks to turn the corner as a program as they opened the Golden Empire League play with a 20-7 win against Pioneer last week.
Mesa Verde takes their 1-0 record to Dixon High School to battle with the Rams. The Mavericks have been a solid team on the road this season, winning both of their games.
This game will be a true test for them as Dixon High School comes into this game from a 42-25 loss against Woodland and will be looking to get back to .500 in league play.
Last year, Mesa Verde lost to the Rams in a shutout, 48-0. Of course, this year has been a lot different for the Mavericks. They have had a complete turnaround under first-year Head Coach Bryan Golder.
Mesa Verde enters this game as winners of their last three games and are expecting to extend it to a fourth. Kickoff is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m.
SJHS: San Juan High School looks to respond from their 55-6 loss to Vacaville Christian in a heated environment.
In a game that featured five turnovers from the offense, the Spartans look to clean up the mistakes and communicate better.
There were a couple positive takeaways from the game:
Senior quarterback Wyatt Winalski and junior wide receiver Matt Colter have teamed up for at least a touchdown in consecutive games.
Defensively,
the Spartans did force two turnovers. A fumble by sophomore defensive lineman,
Conner Omari and an interception from Colter, who also starts at defensive
back.
The Spartans went back to practice throughout the week in preparation for their duel with the Rio Vista Rams in their second game in the Sierra Delta League.
The Rams have similar style to Vacaville Christian as an offense that can and will put points on the board. After their previous game, you can expect for Rio Vista High School to come out ready to play.
Their
first loss came last week when Sierra Delta League started and they went on the
road to face Highlands High School, 42-7. The Rams come into this game with an
overall record of 5-1.
Last year, the game against Rio Vista was a lopsided one, as the Spartans were dropped in a 53-12 loss. This
game has a different setting though, as last year Rio Vista played at home for
that blowout and there was a different coaching staff and group of players.
San Juan High School will be at home for this showdown against Rio Vista. Kickoff begins at 7 p.m.
Marcus D. Smith
Sports Reporter Marcus D. Smith covers high school sports in Citrus Heights. Smith is a Sacramento-area native and earned his bachelor’s degree in journalism in 2017.To follow local sports and support The Sentinel’s new sports coverage, click here to see subscription options.
By Marcus D. Smith— Mesa Verde High School varsity football opened up the Golden Empire League play with a 20-7 win against the Pioneer Patriots on Friday night.
It was a solid performance overall from top to bottom. The Mavericks led at halftime by six behind the only touchdown of the half, provided by senior running back J’Shawn Brown, on a 38-yard sprint to the end zone.
After the Patriots answered with a passing touchdown of their own, Mesa Verde responded by moving the ball fluently on offense, to end with a quarterback boot for 6’3 senior Jaden Burger to easily score for the Mavericks and extend their lead to 12-7.
Defensively, the Mavericks would add a force fumble to their season stats, as well as a safety. After going up, 14-7, they would eventually cap the game with a late-game touchdown with two minutes in the game that would seal the deal on the night.
This win adds another to the column, increasing their overall record to 4-1, and now 1-0 in league play. Earlier in the week, Mesa Verde Athletic Director Kevin Anderson said this was a huge game, due to the need to set the tone in league play.
In a post-game tweet from Mesa Verde’s official Twitter page, he called it the Mavericks “biggest win in over a decade. It’s a new game in the Heights.”
This win places them atop of the Golden Empire League
early in the standings, and overall giving them the best win record percentage
in the league, .800.
The Mavericks look to ride this momentum into next Friday as they travel to Dixon to take on the Rams of Dixon High School. Kickoff begins at 7 p.m.
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Marcus D. Smith
The Sentinel is pleased to introduce sports reporter Marcus D. Smith, who will be covering high school sports in Citrus Heights. Smith is a Sacramento-area native and earned his bachelor’s degree in journalism in 2017.
