Two-Minute Drill: Neves throwing passes to the next great Downey QB

How deep is the talent pool at Downey High School?

Here’s a hint: Only coach Jeremy Plaa knows, and the offensive guru provided a glimpse Friday evening.

The Knights rested a Division I prospect (wide receiver Isaiah Johnson), and Plaa pulled his starters after the third quarter yet still had enough firepower to keep Johansen winless in a 45-12 rout.

Brett Neves threw four touchdown passes in the first half, showcasing Downey’s embarrassment of riches.

Six-foot-4 senior Calvin Grover extended his streak of games with a touchdown catch to five, but there’s a new name pulsating through the stadium speakers: Bryce Peterson, a sophomorecall-up and the future of the Downey offense.

Peterson had five catches in his varsity debut against Beyer on Oct. 7 and then tallied his first two touchdowns Friday.

For now, Peterson is running routes for Neves. Next year, though, he’ll likely take the torch from one of the most prolific passers in the Sac-Joaquin Section.

Plaa thinks highly of the former Central Saints youth football star. He believes Peterson could walk the same path as quarterback Aaron Zwahlen, a redshirt freshman at the University of Hawaii.

“(Peterson is) as close to a finished product as we’ve had,” Plaa said before Peterson’s freshman season.

And now, the Two-Minute Drill:

Downey needs one more win to clinch a share of its fifth straight conference title, and the next game is a big one: vs. No. 7 Modesto at Don Lanphear Stadium. ...

Division II playoff talk: Downey’s Knights will be lumped in with the giants from the Sierra Foothill and Delta leagues, along with Central Catholic. How important is a Modesto Metro Conference title? It may not carry much weight around the section, but it will guarantee Downey at least one home game. ...

Central Catholic captain Montell Bland finds himself at the center of a recruiting war between Causeway Classic rivals. Two weeks after UC Davis offered a scholarship to the linebacker-fullback, rated among the Class of 2017’s best in Northern California, Sacramento State threw its hat in the ring. ...

Kudos to Central Valley, which proved it likes more than cupcakes. The Hawks’ 16-8 win over Los Banos was its first against an opponent with a winning record. Until Friday, Central Valley had beaten Atwater (0-7), Davis (2-5), Enochs (0-7), West (0-7) and Livingston (1-6).

The Western Athletic Conference could get really wacky. Central Valley looks to slow down Tk Teneng on Pacheco’s new artificial surface, while Los Banos travels to defending league champion Patterson. ...

The Tigers’ season has officially come undone, rocked by injuries to key starters early and a 48-41 shootout loss to Ceres on Friday. But Los Banos should expect the Tigers’ very best, and here’s why: It’s Senior Night beneath the palms and everyone plays a little harder when their family is on the field. ...

With a 57-7 victory over Le Grand, Delhi (7-0, 3-0 Southern league) matched the program record for wins in a season. The Hawks have won every game by at least 12 points, a refreshing measure of dominance for a long-suffering program. ...

To lift its first league banner, though, Delhi will have to navigate a tricky gauntlet: at Denair, vs. Orestimba, at Ripon Christian. ...

Even more impressive: The Hawks won without two-way talent Jesse Flores, a Bee Player of the Year candidate. The senior fullback-lineman missed the game because of an ankle injury. ...

Can Denair, a team of just 14 players, stretch its 15 seconds of fame? The Coyotes’ inspiring story was picked up by USA Today. Denair (4-3, 2-2 SL) needs two victories in its last three games to be eligible for the playoffs. ...

With realignment on the horizon, it doesn’t look pretty for Johansen and Davis. Davis and Johansen are parked in the cellar of the MMC yet again, and the Spartans’ loss to Beyer on Friday was its seventh straight in the series. ...

The realignment committee doesn’t care much about proximity, sentiment or district ties. They’re looking solely at competitive balance, and that means Davis and Johansen could be leaving the MMC basement. Let’s hope it’s for better real estate. ...

From the lower levels, a play that earns its place among the varsity headlines: Seldom-used special-teams player Anthony Sanchez of Ripon returned a kickoff 45 yards with no time left on the clock, delivering an improbable 15-14 win over Modesto Christian. Ripon scored eight points with no time left on the clock. ...

A holding penalty in the end zone by Modesto Christian’s JV resulted in a safety and one untimed down – the squib kick to Sanchez. ...

Ripon-MC varsity came packaged with high stakes: two Trans-Valley League teams on the playoff bubble, each looking to keep pace with Hilmar. ...

Remember this name: Emoni Karriem of Modesto Christian. With the arrival of Rory Hanson, an accurate and tall quarterback, the Modesto Christian receiver could see more balls thrown his way. He certainly has the hands, reeling in a 13-yard post for Modesto Christian’s first touchdown. He started that drive with an interception. ...

They giveth and taketh away: One week after throwing seven interceptions in a stunning loss to Denair, Ripon Christian picked off five passes in a close loss to Gustine.

This story was originally published October 15, 2016 at 3:47 PM with the headline "Two-Minute Drill: Neves throwing passes to the next great Downey QB."