Thursday, Aug. 16, 2012

Football season gets under way

Los Banos at Oakdale was supposed to be the big matchup of the Sac-Joaquin Section's 2011 Division III football playoffs.

But that was before fifth-seeded Casa Roble knocked No. 4 LB out of the playoffs with a 34-24 win.

So, Los Banos and Oakdale will have to settle for a preseason scrimmage this Saturday in Oakdale.

"It'll be pretty informal," first-year Los Banos head coach Dustin Caropreso said. "There will be referees, and people with chains. It'll be like a game situation, but it's just to get everybody practice."

Most importantly, it will be an opportunity for teams that have been practicing against themselves all August to hit somebody wearing a different-colored jersey.

"Guys are still playing for positions," Caropreso said. "Who's first-string, who's second-string, I think we have idea, but this will show us the nucleus of the team."

The coaching staff will look hard at the team's defense, which lost two-thirds of its starters to graduation, and fullback, a spot which has been nailed down by Paul Jacob the last three years.

Caropreso is looking for a combination of sophomore Bailey Rodriguez and Delvonte Moore to fill the position, with Moore also starting at safety and playing at receiver.

The freshman/junior varsity scrimmage will begin at 6 p.m., and the varsity teams will start at 7 p.m.

Pacheco moves pieces

Back down in the Valley, Pacheco will hit the road for a scrimmage against Orestimba in Newman.

"We're trying to figure out and solidify some positions that aren't solidified yet," Pacheco coach David Snapp said. "See who wants to get out and fight. Who wants to get out there and battle and compete with the teams on our schedule."

In its first year with seniors, Snapp likes the increase in his players' intensity after the program's challenging 2-8 campaign last year. And there's another thing that has caught his eye -- flexibility.

"It's been pretty intense. There's been some guys that have surprised us, guys we had pegged for one position who showed... we're really versatile this year," Snapp said. "We have guys who can play two or three positions on both sides of the ball. There's a lot of competition. I'm cautiously optimistic."

While much of LB's roster proved itself during last year's 10-2 campaign -- most notably quarterback Chris Corpuz, running back James Sams and receivers Daeton West and Keith Turner -- Pacheco is still learning which players fit where.

Snapp said Daniel Marquez has given Jacob Parks competition at quarterback, and Julian Kelly -- who played mostly at safety last year -- will step into the running back role.

"He's not a big guy, but he hits like a Mack truck," Snapp said. A few more names he said to watch for include Luis Zendejas at defensive tackle and Adam Perez at receiver, as well as Kalama Kamoku and Frank Ginda.

Saturday's scrimmage with Orestimba starts with freshmen at 4 p.m., followed by JV at 5 p.m. and varsity at 7 p.m.

Enterprise reporter David Witte can be reached by phone at 388-6565 or by e-mail at sports@losbanosenterprise.com

Enterprise reporter David Witte can be reached by phone at 388-6565 or by e-mail at sports@losbanosenterprise.com