Page 9 - Sanger Herald 6-21-18 E-edition

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SANGER HERALD * PAGE 1B * THURSDAY, JUNE 21, 2018
Sanger's Apaches help county beat city at 64th annual all-star game
By Mike Nemeth
Sanger Herald
The rumor that reached members of the county all- star football team was that their city-side opponents vowed to shut them down.
City even had a call to arms. “They called it ‘D-line pride,’” said Jonathon Romias. “That got us angry.”
And focused.
Romias, whose week- old graduation haircut suffered from sweat and the confines of a football helmet, explained how his crew was able to short out nearly everything an obviously talented team from the more urban schools was able to generate. County won the 64th Annual City County All Star Game by a 10-5 score June 15 at Lamonica
Mike Nemeth / Sanger Herald
Sanger's Blake Wolf passes the ball in what could be his last official football game. The collection of county players in blue beat the city folks in red for the second year, 10-5.
Stadium in Clovis. “Alotofitwasweknew
what we wanted,” Romias said, still grinning that big Romias victory smile after the game. “We had the same goal.”
And that was winning. Certainly, the city team had the same intent. But there could only be one winner, and on this night that winning team included players from Sanger, Fowler, Caruthers and Riverdale.
Romias said he and the rest of the county team knew late in the game, despite a city rally, they had it won. “After we got everything going our way — the interceptions and running it down their throats — we knew it was our game,” he said.
The win was the second straight for county schools
after 2017’s 41-22 contest. City had won the previous four games.
Davontae Massey of Washington Union pulled down a pair of interceptions that debilitated what at the time appeared to be effective city offensive drives.
Massy said he felt the opportunity before each interception. “Both times,” he said. “This is what I do. I play my game, and I did it today.”
His second interception late in the second half derailed the city scoring drive and secured the game for county. His previous interception also came in the fourth quarter.
Massey said he plans to play football for the College of the Sequoias in
See All Star, Page 2B
7 on 7 provides football preview
By Mike Nemeth
Sanger Herald
Dale Boust analyzed every defensive play, every snap and pass — from delivery to reception.
He was among hundreds gathered in and around the fields at Bulldog Stadium to watch 32 high school teams square off at the Fresno State “Battle in the Valley” Team 7 on 7 tournament June 16. Boust, proud grandfather of newly minted senior receiver Jake Boust, encouraged his favorite Sanger football players from the sideline of the abbreviated 50-yard fields.
“We’re getting caught flat-footed,” the elder Boust said at one point during the Apaches’ second matchup.
The opposing team, Mount Whitney of Visalia, played tight and executed one successful passing play after another to come out ahead in the hurry-up style the games encouraged. The Pioneers had gelled perhaps a little faster than their Sanger opponents, but not by much.
Jake pulled down a pass from Noel Collazo, former Apache nose tackle Noah Collazo’s 6-foot-3 little brother, and Dale Boust responded with praise. “Good catch, buddy,” he said out loud. And to the person next to him he added, “He has good hands.”
The Pioneers pulled off the win. But score wasn’t the point of the tournament. This is the summer season, a time to build new rosters and establish next year’s team to prepare for the upcoming season. And in Sanger, that’s serious.
Football is big in the town that can draw thousands to Tom Flores Stadium for a regular-season game.
The tournament was just a piece of the summer schedule. The previous
Mike Nemeth / Sanger Herald
Noel Collazo makes a throw at Fresno State's 7 on 7 passing tournament over the past weekend. Some 32 teams unleashed their new rosters. Jake Boust, right, makes a reception in the first game against Paso Robles.
week, the Apaches attended another such camp and competition in Clovis and the week after planned to head to Atascadero for a camp that would include a lineman component.
But mostly the event just meant the football Apaches were back. They looked big, lean and strong. Jake said he liked what he saw and agreed with the big-lean- strong assessment.
And head coach Jorge Pena also had good things to say. “We’re pleased with the energy, the effort,” he said, walking between fields
after the first engagement, this one with Paso Robles’ Bearcats. “It’s a play here, a play there.
“What we really look at in this competition is are we competing? And we are.”
Pena said score at this point was less relevant because he rotated in a lot of the new players — moved up from junior varsity or other teams in the Apache spectrum. “Some are a little experienced, some a little more.”
One of those new players
See Football, Page 2B
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