Ahhhhh …

A bye week.

Second-year Davis High football coach Steve Smyte apparently knew what he was doing when he chose not to fill this Friday’s open date, instead opting to play nine games — providing his Blue Devils an extra week to recuperate and ponder the mountain that is the Delta Valley Conference.

“Our immediate work is on getting healthy,” Smyte told The Enterprise. “We aren’t deep enough at this point to where we can roll in someone else when we have a player go down.

“It becomes a shell game where we have to move a few players to try to give us the best chance to succeed.”

On Friday, in a 48-40 fireworks display with Colfax (in which Davis came up just short), that thin roster loomed large.

Inside linebacker Corey Nelson (ankle), in essence, played on one leg. His stablemate Austin Day — recovering from a concussion two weeks earlier — got knocked out of the game late. Once deep at the position, DHS saw a dislocated knee to Mike McTygue the previous game put the emerging senior out for a couple of more weeks.

With Bray Harwood, Grant Dickerson and Brenden MacDonald backing an outstanding effort by the defensive line, the Devils nonetheless got caught short in the secondary when safety Ahmari Hayes (concussion) couldn’t go.

When Falcons quarterback Austin Young started hitting on a handful of long pass plays — two for touchdowns — Hayes’ importance was crystal-clear.

Smyte, knows it could be worse. It could be last year.

Davis got really banged up early that season, had fewer quality football players and no bye week. When the Blue Devils limped home a 56-14 loser in the finale at Monterey Trail, they had 23 healthy players and a 1-9 record.

At 2-2 already, DHS is one of the most improved teams in the region — and its wounds will heal.

“We get (Hayes) back along with Austin, who didn’t have a concussion Friday. Corey will get healthy and McTygue not having an ACL injury is positive,” Smyte continued.

And quarterback Shayne Reagan, harangued and hammered by Colfax, “should be fine in a couple of weeks when we resume play,” according to Smyte.

Tailback Winfred Roberson is averaging over six yards a carry (642 on 103 tries) and has eight touchdowns — four against Colfax.

“Winfred was very good. He ran hard, made some nice cuts and he continues to improve in the passing game (three catches for 31 yards on Friday),” added Smyte, the former Boise State and UC Davis offensive assistant.

And speaking of the passing game …

Reagan has 845 yards passing and 10 TDs, but his receiving corps is one of the big reasons the Devils are showing promise for a competitive DVC campaign.

Three players have more than 10 catches — Kris Mackewicz (10-153 yards-3 TDs), Willie Hawkins (15-189-1) and Grant Dickerson (17-229-3) — and sophomore C.K. Hicks is averaging 21 yards on his seven grabs. His 79-yard score at Homecoming was the KXTV-Channel 10 High School Play of the Week.

“The receiving corps played their best game to date,” Smyte said. “C.K. made great strides, Grant did some good things, Willie Hawkins was superb … and Kris filled in at Y admirably.”

For good measure, the offense is getting some help setting up shop. Kickoff-return specialist Adam King has given his Devils terrific field position, averaging almost 30 yards a return.

Against Sacramento, he set up a score with a 56-yard effort and he went 64 yards in the Colfax game, giving Roberson a short field for the first of his four scores.

“He’s had a couple of great returns,” said Smyte, who obviously sees his Blue Devil mug as half full.

Maybe these two healing weeks will help it overflow before DHS meets Franklin on Friday, Oct. 7.

— Reach Bruce Gallaudet at [email protected] or (530) 747-8047

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DHS’ Adam King gets away from a Colfax defender during Homecoming on Friday. King unleashed a 64-yard kickoff return, but the Blue Devils fell to the Falcons, 48-40. Wayne Tilcock/Enterprise file photo

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