“We have a lot of serious football players on this team, but we’re thin. Numbers are not good, to be honest with you,” explained new coach Steve Smyte.

— Davis Enterprise, Sept. 3, 2010

“We are farther ahead in where we are than last year. Depth may again be an issue, but we have more guys that can play football,” says Smyte, now in his second year.

— Davis Enterprise, Aug. 25, 2011

“I mean it. We’re just better all the way around,” the former UC Davis and Boise State assistant said. “We’re flying around there. I really like our aggressiveness … (and) we have more players. We have quality players.”

— Davis Enterprise, Aug. 21, 2012

Does anyone else see a pattern here?

In case you haven’t noticed — from a win-loss standpoint — the Davis High football team has suffered through four seasons in which turnout and injuries have betrayed the best-laid plans.

However, as the Blue Devils take the field Friday night, there will be double takes aplenty among the fans.

Yes, those are 34 healthy players marching by. And, yes, a lot of those Davis kids are big. And guess what else? A majority of them have been playing football since first or second grade.

Somebody just asked, “But are they any good?”

You’ll find out pretty quick, but since visiting Yuba City won’t have time to read this before kickoff, let’s you and me explore some of the things to watch for.

Defense is going to be scary good.

Playing a 4-3-4 alignment, DHS has a solid kid in every uniform.

Having seen a handful of practices and last weekend’s scrimmage with Woodcreek and Pleasant Valley, tackles Nick Denton and Zach Slavich and DEs Marvin Grant and Oscar Sepulveda mean business.

That quartet has one charge — control the line of scrimmage and take advantage of opponents’ breakdowns.

Linebackers Mike McTygue, Brendan MacDonald and Adam Inouye bring experience, quickness and football smarts.

Ahmari Hayes and Quinn Williams at corner join Adam King and either Eli Castro or Brett Bloomfield at safeties.

Get used to the name King. He, Williams and receiver C.K. Hicks will be busy returning kicks — hopefully a majority of which are punts this fall.

Speaking of Hicks …

He leads a corps of wideouts that could cause trouble, provided Grant Dickerson is as advertised at QB — and that the offense stays consistent (on the good side).

Hicks, Bloomfield, Dossa, Daniel Martin, Andre Foster, Ted Riffle and Alex Totah will give Dickerson (last year’s leading receiver with 38 catches) plenty of targets.

From what Smyte has witnessed, Dickerson is playing well, making the right reads and brings another, physical option to the running game.

It’s no secret that junior RB Winfred Roberson is expected to crack the 1,000-yard mark and with Wally Perez, Inouye and Dickerson himself lugging the leather, how much beyond Roberson the ground game extends will be clear in the next couple of weeks.

With tackles Bailey Murray, Brian Stabenfeldt, center Bray Harwood and guards Denton and Sepulveda grading the road, for the first time in years Davis backs will get into the secondary untouched.

So, are you ready for some football?

This might be a year for which we’ve been waiting a long time. Welcome back Blue Devils.

— Bruce Gallaudet is a staff writer for The Davis Enterprise. Reach him at [email protected] or (530) 747-8047.

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