COS Football runs out on the field earlier in the year. (Photo by Norma Foster)

October 27, 2022

COS vs. Sacramento City Game Notes

COS squares off against Sacramento City College this Saturday at 1pm.

GAME NOTES . . .

College of the Sequoias (3-4) vs, Sacramento City College (3-4)

Saturday, October 29, 2022—COS Campus Field

LAST GAME: After falling behind 19-0, SCC played Fresno even the rest of the way, falling to the Rams 46-28. COS used a 11-play. 72 yard drive which consumed 6:34 and pulled ahead of Reedley with 49 seconds remaining, only to have the Tigers score on a 65-yard pass with 31 seconds remaining and suffer a bitter 25-22 defeat to the Tigers.

SERIES: COS leads 19-15. The first game was in 1962 when both schools joined what is now, the "old" Valley Conference. They played each year until 1980. In 2018, SCC was placed in the "new" Valley Conference so they are now conference opponents again. Sequoias won last year in Sacramento 16-0, the first shutout by a Giant team since 2011 (96 games).

RANKINGS: Both teams dropped in this week's JC Athletic Bureau state poll. Sacramento is ranked 33^rd in the state and 14^th in Northern California. Sequoias dropped two spots to a tie for 34^th in the state, and a tie for 15^th in Northern California.

COACHES: COS head coach Travis Burkett is now in his third season, having been hired in April of 2020. His career record at COS is 9-11. Burkett has 15 prior seasons as an assistant at the Division 1 level, most recently as the running backs coach at Nevada-Las Vegas. He was also an assistant at Cornell for 10 seasons. Travis starred at San Luis Obispo High before advancing to St. Mary's College on scholarship, where he earned a degree in history. Burkett is the 22^nd head coach in COS history. Panther coach Dannie Walker is now in his 18^th year on the staff and 14^th year as head coach. He was named interim head coach in 2009 and became the permanent coach the following year. His career record is57-75 with five post-season game appearances. Walker, a native of Denver, grew up in Salias and played at Hartnell College and Sacramento State, where he earned a BA degree in Kinesiology. His masters came from California University (Pennsylvania) in Sports Management.

PANTHERS: The strength of the Panther team is its defense, which has seven outstanding sophomore players, including three returning all-conference players: linebacker Isaiah Byars, lineman Mason Ahlemeyer and back Khalani Riddick. Byars is averaging 4.3 tackles per game, with one sack and two tackles for loss. Other top sophomores are lineman Carlos Lopez, linebacker Marcus Jones and backs Jamauri Jackson and Tienne Fridge. Jackson has been a "big play" guy, with a 60-yard interception return against Chabot (one of 5 Panther interceptions), and a 15-yard fumble return against Siskiyous. C.J. Elkridge had a 65-yard interception return in that same game. SCC has struggled on offense and has less than 200 total yards in four games, including only 93 against Modesto two weeks ago. Top players on offense are freshman running back Otha Williams, with 261 yards (he rushed for 76 against Shasta and 90 vs. Chabot); sophomore linemen Isaiah Carter and Eric Mayol; and receiver Johnathan Brenes, who has 23 catches for 271 yards and 4 touchdowns. Quarterback Ben Partee has 595 yards passing and 4 TDs. Kicker Alejandro Rojas is 3-6 in field goals and 14-19 on extra points, and has a 30.1 punting average.

GIANTS: Last week was kind of the opposite of the week before, with the Giant offense playing better and the defense giving up a lot of yards, including a big play at the end of the game. Standouts on offense were RB Danny Olivera, who had 99 yards last week, and is the Giants' leading rusher with 409 yards and a 4.8 average per carry; Aidan Galvan, who rushed for two touchdowns and is among state leaders with 8 rushing TDs; lineman Matthew Sanchez; and receiver Willie James, who had best game of the year with 5 catches for 61 yards. QB Nathan Lamb has completed 60.9 percent of his passes for 1332 yards, with 13 TDs and 5 interceptions. His leading target is tight end Anthony Valencia with 24 catches for 271 yards and 5 TDs. Defensive standouts last week were lineman Isaiah Jackson, linebacker Isaak Guzman and back Zavion Battle. Punter Mike Melanson boomed a 65-yard punt last week and continues to be the state's third leading punter with a 42.3 average. That ranks second in NorCal.

NOTES: Eight COS opponents continue to be ranked in the latest state poll. Although San Mateo suffered its first loss, the Bulldogs remain No. 1 in Northern California and are 4^th in the state. Others include Diablo Valley, tied for 9^th in the state and 4^th in NorCal; Butte, 14^th and 6^th; Fresno, 16^th and 8^th; Reedley, 25^th and 10^th; Modesto, 26^th and 11^th; and Shasta, 33^rd and 14^th…Sequoias will play at Modesto next week in a 5 pm game, and return home for its final regular season game Nov. 12 against Contra Costa…while the football team is out of town next week, the COS men's basketball team will open its season with two home games. COS will host American River Thursday, November 3 at 7 pm, and host Palo Verde on Friday, November 4 at 5 pm.