Downey’s Tyran Daniels races up major college football recruiting boards

Beyer High School running back Jay Green had nothing but green in front of him, when ...

Whoosh!

Downey safety Tyran Daniels flew in for the tackle, saving what would have been a 99-yard touchdown run and highlighting a 42-6 victory over Beyer.

Daniels finished with six stops, an interception and a blocked punt, earning Cal-Hi Sports’ Northern California Defensive Player of the Week honor.

The Bee’s Preseason All-District selection has 51 tackles, three interceptions and a growing buzz amongst college recruiters.

“Tyran has operated mostly under the radar,” Downey coach Jeremy Plaa said. “He’s one of the most dynamic athletes in the league; he’s got great size and speed and covers a lot of ground on defense.”

Count the Patriots among the witnesses. Green bolted by the 6-foot, 180-pound Daniels near the 8-yard line but was pulled down by the hard-charging Daniels at Downey’s 23.

“His speed makes him appear to be all over the field,” Plaa said. “He’s dangerous with the ball in the air and he’ll also come up and make a tackle on a run play.”

Plaa said Eastern Washington, San Jose State, Nevada and Oregon have expressed an interest in the do-it-all senior, who has 608 all-purpose yards. Most of those yards have come on kickoff returns (346) or on the ground as a change-of-pace back (177).

“He’s simply a weapon and is suddenly on the radar of college recruiters,” Plaa said. “One of the best performances I’ve seen from a player in 20 years.”

Neves is questionable – Downey junior quarterback Brett Neves is questionable for Friday’s Modesto Metro Conference showdown with Modesto (3-2, 1-0 MMC).

Neves left last week’s 42-6 victory over Beyer with a high ankle sprain. He hobbled off the field on one leg late in the first half with Downey leading comfortably 28-6.

Senior Tyler Lehikainen stepped in and steered the Knights (4-1, 1-0) to their 10th consecutive MMC win.

Lehikainen took all the practice snaps Tuesday and will start if Neves is scratched. Lehikainen served as P.J. Wilson’s backup last season. He appeared in eight games, completing six passes for 93 yards and two touchdowns. Lehikainen was 2 for 7 for 54 yards and a touchdown in Friday’s relief appearance. He also fumbled once.

With Neves, Downey was a clear favorite to win its fourth straight conference title. The dual-threat QB is averaging 258.6 passing yards per game with 15 touchdown passes.

The Modesto-Downey game has essentially decided the MMC title the last two seasons. The Knights edged the Panthers on the field (35-32) and in the standings last fall, while Modesto earned a share of the crown with a 46-19 victory in 2013.

Carpet concerns at Dunlavy Field – Sonora’s home debut Friday will put the state of the two-toned turf at Dunlavy Field under a microscope.

The artificial surface has been worn down to the rubber in some spots and will need to be replaced after the football season. Sonora coach Bryan Craig said the blades on most of the lighter shade of FieldTurf were not UV resistant and have been weakened by the usage and elements.

“It’s playable,” said Craig, whose top-ranked small-school Wildcats host small-school No. 9 Calaveras in a pivotal Mother Lode League contest. “But it’s ready to be changed out. The blades are broken down to the rubber.”

The turf was installed ahead of the 2005 season after the city of Sonora was granted three wishes by singer Amy Grant and the NBC reality program “Three Wishes.”

Knights’ Kamps waiting to be cleared – Ripon Christian will learn the status of reigning Southern League Defensive Player of the Year Will Kamps on Thursday. Kamps sat out last week’s 49-43 loss at Orestimba with concussion symptoms.

The 6-foot-1, 235-pound linebacker leads the Knights in tackles per game with 15. He also has a team-high four sacks.

Ripon Christian hosts Le Grand on Friday. The Bulldogs have won at least a share of the last six Southern League titles.

Picking off passes, picking up college looks – Orestimba two-way talent Austin Martins is drawing interest from one of the top Division II football programs in the nation. Martins has been contacted by Colorado School of Mines, which is ranked No. 11 in the latest American Football Coaches Association and D2football.com Top-25 polls.

The 5-foot-10, 190-pound running back/safety has picked up where he left off following an MVP season. Martins is averaging nearly 150 rushing yards per game while leading the Warriors with 47 tackles. He is tied for third in the Sac-Joaquin Section with four interceptions.

Orestimba (4-0, 1-0 Southern League) will host Delhi (3-1, 0-1) on Friday evening. The football program will honor about 650 alumni before the 7 p.m. kickoff.

This story was originally published September 30, 2015 at 4:45 PM with the headline "Downey’s Tyran Daniels races up major college football recruiting boards."