MJC football team can be explosive ... on occasion

By Ron Agostini
ragostini@modbee.com

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Four weeks into the season, the Modesto Junior College football season is best reflected by the 2-2 record.

Good or bad? Underachieving or overachieving? On the right path or off-center? To be continued Saturday night at Sacramento City.

"We're just trying to improve every week. I think we improved a little in our last game," MJC coach Sam Young said. "We are excited about making the trip to Sacramento this week and the challenge in front of us."

The Panthers (1-3) lost 49-26 last week to 8th-ranked San Joaquin Delta 49-26, which was beaten by MJC in Week 1. Sac's schedule, however, has not been easy. It was ripped 52-28 by top-ranked Butte in the season opener.

Saturday's game, at Hughes Stadium, features two of the region's better quarterbacks in sophomores Cody Allen of Sac and MJC's Greg Panelli. Allen ranks second in California with 314 passing yards per game. Panelli ranks fourth with 301 and is second with 26.5 completions per game.

Panelli's four touchdown passes during last weekend's 35-14 victory over Feather River revealed more explosion in the offense. All scoring tosses covered at least 25 yards.

"We were very pleased by the fast start and it was good to see the big plays. We had not had much of that the first three games," Young said.

The emergence of new wide receivers certainly helped Panelli. Vince Andrews, whose two touchdowns featured an 88-yard romp with a quick screen pass, gives the Pirates more speed. Slotback Donald Salter, a Stagg High graduate who lived in Utah before coming back to the valley, led all Modesto receivers with seven catches for 73 yards. Freshman Donovan Wallace, a freshman from Riverbank, also picked up his first JC touchdown.

"The offense is slowly coming to life," Young said. "We'd like to get both rushing and passing going at the same time."

Standing in the way is Sacramento, which fell twice to Modesto last year -- 44-13 during Week 5 and 31-6 for the Pirates' first Graffiti Bowl victory in six years.

MJC will enjoy a bye next week before it begins defense of its Golden Gate Conference title at home against Los Medanos on Oct. 17.

NOTES -- Defensive lineman Travis Winans, who incurred a dislocated shoulder two games ago at Santa Rosa, will be out a month. He's been replaced by Newman freshman Blake Carter. ... MJC's issues with penalties the first three weeks were solved against Feather River. The Pirates were flagged only three times for 30 yards. ... Kicker Matt Burkett, a weapon with his long kickoffs, will miss at least this week's game due to a shoulder injury incurred late in the win over Feather River. Freshman Zach Martin will assume kicking chores against Sacramento. ...

Feather River quarterback Matt Koman, who screamed in pain and was carried off the field late in the first half, had surgery Tuesday for a fractured fibula and tibia. ...

Al Baldock, the legendary Taft coach whose teams went 137-26-5 and won six state titles in 17 years, died two weeks ago after a long bout with Parkinson's disease. He was 79. Baldock and the Cougars opened the 1986 season at MJC two years after Taft's national title and lost to Ray Lankford and the Pirates 35-21.

Bee staff writer Ron Agostini can be reached at ragostini@modbee.com or 578-2302.