Notebook: Beyer, Gregori tasked with slowing down top running backs

The Beyer High School football team won its last five games to steal a share of the Modesto Metro Conference crown and sneak into the Sac-Joaquin Section playoffs.

The Patriots cut it close, too, snagging the final berth in the Division II tournament.

The thrill of that run was cooled over the weekend when Beyer learned its playoff fate. The No. 16 Patriots will open at No. 1 Grant, a team worthy of the respect shown to it by Beyer coach Doug Severe at the Modesto QB Club meeting Monday.

“They’re a legendary program,” Severe said. “We’ll go up and give them our best.”

Even that may not be good enough. Grant is 9-1, with its only loss coming to state-ranked Elk Grove, the No. 2 seed in the Division I playoffs.

The Pacers have made a section-best 25 consecutive postseason appearances. In 74 overall playoff appearances, Grant is 50-24 with seven section championships, including last year’s D-II title. The Pacers also won the CIF State Open Division championship in 2008.

Grant features a wealth of size and speed and overwhelms opponents with running back DeShawn Collins. The senior is closing in on his second consecutive 2,000-yard season. He has 1,816 rushing yards and 23 touchdowns.

More concerning for Severe and his staff, Collins is averaging about 11 yards per carry running behind a college-sized offensive line.

“They’re huge. I thought Enochs and Gregori were big, but they’ve got eight players over 300 pounds,” Severe said. “They look like a college or a pro team, but they’re high schoolers, so we’ll give them everything we got and battle.”

Gregori looks to keep pace with versatile Robards – Gregori seemingly has seen it all in the Modesto Metro Conference: a talented running back in Beyer’s Jay Green, a big-armed quarterback in Downey’s Brett Neves and ball-hunting linebackers such as Modesto’s Matt Henriques.

Now comes an athlete of a different caliber: Elk Grove’s Ryan Robards, a jack-of-all-trades for the Thundering Herd.

Robards gashes teams on the ground, finishes plays in the end zone, kicks field goals and plays center field for a team with section- and state-title aspirations.

Robards has rushed for 1,927 yards and scored 36 total touchdowns, including 30 on the ground. He’s made 4 of 5 field-goal attempts, and, defensively, he’s intercepted three passes and recovered two fumbles.

His versatility was on full display during a 41-14 victory over Lincoln on Sept. 11. , Robards rushed for 277 yards, nailed two field goals, including a school-record 51-yarder, intercepted a pass and forced a fumble.

Elk Grove is seeded No. 2 in Division I and seeking an opportunity to clash with two-time defending champion and No. 1 seed Folsom in the section final.

The Herd’s first test is No. 15 Gregori, which finished fourth in the MMC, well below expectation.

“Elk Grove is a monster, just an outstanding football team,” Gregori coach Jason McCoy said. “It’s going to be tough for us, but we’re embracing this opportunity.”

The Jaguars are making their second postseason appearance.

Central Catholic draws another wing-T team – One week after edging Oakdale in a thrilling Valley Oak League title game, Central Catholic will face another athletic wing-T offense. The top-seeded Raiders return to Division III to open against No. 16 El Camino.

“Defensively, for us, it’s another week of preparing for the wing-T,” Central Catholic assistant coach Leroy Rocha said.

Whether that defensive approach will include heavy doses of senior Justin Rice remains to be seen. As of Monday, Rocha wasn’t sure how much involvement The Bee’s reigning Player of the Year would have on defense.

He was a saving grace in last week’s 42-37 victory over Oakdale, a highly anticipated matchup of 9-0 teams that lived up to its billing. Rice broke up Adam Olsen’s pass on fourth and 14 from the Central Catholic 23-yard line with less than two minutes remaining.

“Defensively, he’s gotten more reps. If we need him, we’ll put him in,” Rocha said. “He’s so valuable to us, offensively.”

Rocha said the Raiders had no choice but to insert Rice at cornerback late in the game. With its physicality and depth, Oakdale had worn down the Raiders’ thin ranks.

“We had guys gassed and we needed stops,” Rocha said. “He’s just one of those teams players. He’ll go where he’s needed.”

This story was originally published November 11, 2015 at 3:03 PM with the headline "Notebook: Beyer, Gregori tasked with slowing down top running backs."