DJBD White squads give strong CBS program all it can handle

SACRAMENTO — Going on the road to face Christian Brothers — one of the tougher programs in the Sacramento Youth Football League — on Saturday, the Davis Junior Blue Devil White teams managed a 1-2 record against the Falcons.

Here’s a look at what happened …

Pee Wees White

The Davis defense led the way in a 20-0 victory over the Falcons, who were shut out for the first time in six games this year.

Forcing five turnovers was the key for the Blue Devils, with William Whouie and Kieffer Jones each causing fumbles and Adam Hasson, Elijah Hackett and Luke Carrell grabbing one interception apiece.

In addition, 11 different Devils —  including Santiago Gonzalez, Cameron Nelson, David Gallow, Josiah Roa and Zack Purnell — made tackles in the winning effort, with Jones posting six and Gallow four to lead the way.

Meanwhile, the local offense passed and ran the ball effectively, airing it out for 155 yards and picking up 134 rushing yards.

Finn Thompson and Jack Chavira were the leading receivers with receptions for 47 and 55 yards, respectively, and Chavira’s resulted in a touchdown.

Seven Blue Devils carried the ball, including Keaton Massey and Mitch Banuelos, with offensive linemen Chris Najera, C.J. Grundler and Kevin Halozan blocking well for them.

“I was very pleased with our team’s effort,” said Davis coach Scott Carrell. “The boys fought hard throughout the game, giving 100 percent on every play.”

Junior Midgets White

The Blue Devils fought hard to the end in a 36-6 loss where the score was not indicative of how well they played.

Local quarterback Caden Neel was 6-for-7 passing for 79 yards, with offensive teammates Jack Henry Grote, Dedrick Underwood, Mason Barrette and Luke Schwedler adding strong performances.

The highlight of the game came with just minutes left in the second quarter, as Neel passed to receiver Marc Antony Fields, who caught the ball, eluded several defenders and went 54 yards for a touchdown.

Additionally, Bo Van Court had two receptions for 22 yards and Adam Dapkewicz ran the ball three times for 22 yards.

The Davis defensive line stayed strong with Zachary Carrell making four tackles, including one for a loss of five. Elijah Mitchell and Preston Hubka had two tackles apiece, while Dapkewicz, Van Court, Dakota Triebel and Zachary Carrell each made one key stop.

In other defensive highlights, Jacob Miller had a sack for the Devils and Davis blocked a kick in the third period.

The effort of the entire defensive line — Matthew Chavez, Lamar Barnes, Jack Walsh, Mitchell, Joseph Sattari and Jalen Rosario — earned praise from local coaches.

Midgets White

The Blue Devils mustered two touchdowns on Saturday against undefeated Christian Brothers before succumbing, 42-14.

After failing to get into the end zone last week, Davis put together several impressive drives against a tough Falcon defense.

In fact, the locals scored on their first offensive drive as tailback Jacob Avila had an 11-yard touchdown run. Avila finished with 86 rushing yards.

The Devils came close to scoring again near the end of the first half when receiver Mathew DeSimone was stopped at the 1-yard line after catching a pass from QB Max Banuelos.

Down 22-7, Davis opened the second half with a scoring drive that ended when Banuelos and DeSimone hooked up for a 15-yard TD. In all, Banuelos threw for 85 yards and added a PAT toss to wideout Ricky Hernandez.

The local offensive line was led by Caleb Kang, who started his first game at center on Saturday, while cornerback Tyler Mundy paced the defense with six tackles and several pass break-ups.

Saturday’s game also included stellar performances by linebackers Avila and Jakob Lee, as the pair combined for seven tackles. In addition, Noah Murray teamed up with Cosmo Kasapligil on an early-game sack.

The DJBD White squad are on the road again next week, facing the San Juan Spartans.