by Will James
Hometown Sports
A race for the finish line of high school football’s regular season is underway, with many contending teams frantically needing a Week-10 victory to reach the post-season.
Such is the case for Capital Valley Conference contender Whitney, whose Wildcats (4-2, 5-4) invade Antelope Friday evening at 7:00 pm to face the Titans (5-1, 8-1), on Access Sacramento‘s Hometown Sports Game of the Week.
Game of the Week announcers Will James & Jim Dimino
This live telecast may be seen on Comcast channel 17, Consolidated Communications channel 17, and AT&T U-Verse channel 14. The game will also be streamed from AccessSacramento.org and on the NFHS Network.
The visiting Wildcats are reeling, perhaps teetering, after having undergone a succession of disruptions that includes an abrupt coaching change just prior to the start of the season, injuries to key players, and being drubbed 25-3 by the Cosumnes Oaks Wolfpack last week at home.
Moreover, Interim Head Coach, Jesse Armas employs an offense that features rotating QBs, Jr. Robert Jones and Sr. Preston Eklund. The alternating duo has combined for more than 1600 yards passing, while Jones has rushed for nearly 200 yards with a 10-yard average and 3 touchdowns. Brothers Sergio Sanchez and Jason Sanchez lead the ground attack, combining for 823 yards and 7 TD.
Linebackers Michael Hirsch and Ben Sopinski, and defensive end, Dagne Buck are the Wildcats’ leading defenders, totaling 180 tackles and 7 sacks.
On the flip side, Antelope Head Coach, Matt Ray, brings his Titans to the table on Senior Night, fresh off a 55-0 destruction of Bella Vista, and poised to defend home field, where Antelope has a near invincible record over the past four seasons at Titan Stadium.
Junior QB Nathan Lucero has played steady at the helm, while the outstanding rushing tandem of Moses Paul and Mhari Roberts have supercharged the offense with a combined 1650 yards and 20 TD.
Jacob Pinola, Gabe Thomas, and Carter Sullivan continue to spark Antelope’s defense; a vital area which may be the single-most important factor in this match-up.
The Titans allow just 16 ppg., while the Wildcats surrender just 18 ppg. This narrow margin could very well be identical to the final spread in the outcome; a narrow victory for one team and a narrow loss for the other.
