Davis Junior Blue Devil Blue squads face tough opponents

ELK GROVE — In a series of nonleague encounters on Saturday, the Davis Junior Blue Devils’ Blue teams went 1-3 on the road.

Here’s a look at what happened …

Midgets Blue

The Blue Devils topped Sheldon, 32-20, in a nonleague matchup.

The Davis defense forced three fumbles on the day, safety Connor Bunfill and cornerback John Lagattuta each recorded interceptions and the rest of the defense was led by the effort of Tucker Fisk, who had a team-high five tackles. Quick line penetration forced the Huskies’ quarterback to make quick throws, while Fisk also forced a fumble and made a recovery.

Defensive ends Miles Lampley and Ben Easton had great games, containing the speedy Sheldon backs. In addition, Jesus Jiminez, Nick Amoah, Christian McCoy and Kyle Morse contributed several tackles each.

The Devil offense was led by the efforts of Ish Perez, who carried the ball 10 times for 59 yards, including a 10-yard touchdown run early in the final quarter.

Despite being picked off three times, quarterback Lagattuta had a terrific aerial performance: He completed eight-of-14 passes for 141 yards and two touchdowns. His favorite target was tight end Easton, as the two connected for touchdowns of 40 and 45 yards. He also found slot receiver Morse on a 14-yard TD late in the second period.

Reserve QB Connor Bunfill then came in to lead the locals in the final stanza. He connected with Josh Steen for a three-yard reception and ran twice for 51 yards, including a 39-yard score on a perfectly executed play-action bootleg.

The 6-1 Blue Devils, who conclude their regular season on the road Saturday against the Highlands Junior Scots, have secured a game in the first round of the Sacramento Youth Football League playoffs.

Junior Midgets Blue

From the Some Days are Better Than Others Dept: The Devils were beaten 45-6 by Sheldon.

The out-of-league game had Davis facing a strong and fast opponent that dominated on both sides of the ball throughout the afternoon.

Several Husky fumbles in the first quarter actually gave the locals some early momentum, and they attempted to take advantage with some solid gains by running back Arcel Rusanganwa.

But once Sheldon hit its stride, the Blue Devil offense was all but shut down.

Rusanganwa led Davis rushing with 17 yards — and the only pass completion of the day was a beautiful 45-yard connection from Zach Thornburgh to wide receiver Billy Easton for a touchdown to end the first half.

The Devil defense struggled to contain the Huskies’ aggressive running game, although defensive backs Charlie Easton, Kayden Hoal, Will Smith and Tyler Brown gave valiant efforts in their attempts to slow down their hosts. The game ended with fourth-quarter scrimmaging that allowed Davis to showcase some impressive offensive play-calling that likely will be put to use on a better day.

Junior Pee Wees Blue

Despite losing Saturday’s game, 34-0, Davis still managed to enjoy a spirited encounter with the Sheldon Junior Huskies. Officially played as a scrimmage, scorekeepers still documented the finish in Sheldon’s favor.

The Blue Devils, however, made the most of their time on the field by sharpening their skills. Three tackles by Jamie MacNear, two by Taylor Vaughn and one by Aidan Cohan, as well as a pair of fumble recoveries by Cohan, a forced fumble by MacNear and an interception by Vaughn, combined to make for a day of continued progress for the locals.

“Every Saturday that the kids are able to spend time on the field and see the experience and skills of other teams in their age group, they come away with that much more knowledge and drive for how to improve the next time,” said Davis head coach Paul Hasson. “It will be interesting to see how the kids apply what they’ve learned as Junior Pee Wees this year when they come back next season, or perhaps move up to another level.”

The team’s final game will be Saturday (10 a.m.) in North Highlands against the Scotts, last year’s league Junior Pee Wee champions.

Notes: Thanks to the volunteer correspondents who recap their Junior Blue Devil games after each Saturday’s competition. The Pee Wee Blue team lost to Sheldon, 38-14, however, no summary was submitted. The Davis Junior Blue Devil Page is published each Tuesday — through the conclusion of playoffs — in The Davis Enterprise.