Perfection! Davis High finishes the goal, makes history with win over Ceres
Davis High went into this season with one main goal – hang a league title banner on the wall of the school gymnasium.
Mission accomplished and then some.
With the Spartans’ 33-24 win over Ceres High on senior night Thursday at Downey High, not only did they capture the outright Western Athletic Conference title, they also put the final touches on a perfect 10-0 regular season, the second one in school history and first since 1984.
“When you go into our gym, that’s where the tradition starts,” coach Tim Garcia said. “That’s the goal every year to hang a banner in the gym that will last forever and be a part of something special in history. And to go 10-0, it’s only the second time it’s been done in the history of our school, is something that we can be extremely proud of.”
Garcia and his players have always stressed the importance of representing the school well in all of their wins.
“It’s been a long ride,” Garcia said. “We just wanted to do something that’s going to bring the Davis community back ... it’s been a total team effort, from the coaches, players, parents and administrators. I also have to thank my wife and my kids. I’ve been coaching 18 years and none of this is possible without them.”
Davis honored a senior class that is no stranger to winning. The Spartans’ junior varsity team went 10-0 in 2019, when members of this year’s graduating class were sophomores. They have grown together to be able to replicate that at the varsity level.
“We worked, man,” Spartans senior receiver and member of the undefeated JV team Victor Rojas Jr. said. “We worked every summer, morning workouts, afternoon workouts, 6 a.m. workouts, grinding.
“Then we had that COVID season ... but we came back and did what we do.”
The Spartans struck first, scoring on two straight possessions. First, Isaac Martinez ran for three of his team high 163 yards and scored his lone rushing touchdown on the evening and again when Jose Sanchez, who filled in for starting quarterback Jayson Munthe after he left in the first half with an injury, scrambled through the middle for an eight yard run.
In addition to rushing for a touchdown, Sanchez caught a pass and had one interception on defense. His versatility, along with Martinez’s running ability, helped the Spartans take a 16-12 lead into halftime.
“I’m there for my team and if my team ever needs me always be there for them,” Sanchez, a senior, said. “If coach wants me to play any position, I make sure I go 100% ... I make sure I do my job.”
The Spartans defense held Bulldogs’ quarterback Landyn Hudson to an uncharacteristic 7 of 24 passing with one touchdown and one interception and virtually shut down his main passing target, Verlis Smith.
They also forced two fumbles, one on defense and one on special teams.
“We wanted to be physical,” Garcia said. “That offense is is very dangerous, the quarterback is savvy, he can throw the ball real well and he extends plays. Our kids did a great job of eliminating 12 (Smith). That was the ultimate game plan and then playing physical.”
The Spartans took a 33-12 lead into the final 7 minutes, 43 seconds of the game but the Bulldogs turned up their offense. They made things interesting. Kahmi Smith scored on a 12-yard run and Hudson threw an 11-yard touchdown to Ricky Stanley to make it a 33-24 game. Special teams provided them an extra possession after recovering a muffed onside kick.
The Spartans’ defense stepped up to end the game, forcing four straight incomplete passes.
Davis will see who they draw in the first round of the CIF Sac-Joaquin Section Division III playoffs on Sunday afternoon at 1:30 p.m. during the Section’s selection show. Until then, the Spartans celebrate.
“I want these kids to really enjoy this,” said Garcia. “We’ll get into the next season on Monday, regroup and get a game plan ready for the playoffs. But I want these kids to really live in the moment and really think about what we accomplished here because it doesn’t come around very often.”
