Please, move along. There’s nothing to see here.

In what turned out to be a 58-0 thrashing by visiting Grant High, there was little to write home about Friday night on Halden Field at Ron & Mary Brown Stadium.

Managing only 56 yards of total offense, Davis found itself down 37-0 at halftime. Mercifully, the running-clock rule kicked in after the Pacers scored early in the third period, allowing Blue Devil fans and players to make a quick exit from this failed Delta Valley Conference exercise.

“Put this one on me,” said DHS head coach Steve Smyte. “I failed to get the team ready. Blame it on me, not on the guys.”

And maybe talent-laden Grant (5-3, 2-1) had a little to do with the final score.

Rallying behind versatile senior Shaq Thompson, the often-injured Pacers are trying to recover a season that at one point saw the perennial powerhouse sink to 3-3.

Sink probably is too strong a word here. Those three Grant losses came to Elk Grove, Long Beach Poly and Lincoln of Stockton — schools that now own a cumulative 22-2 record.

It also must be noted that 12 starters were missing at one time or another, thanks to injury, and the Pacers still haven’t seen the return of last year’s DVC Player of the Year Terry Shine.

That’s where Thompson comes in …

Converted from tailback to quarterback and basically relieved of any defensive-back responsibilities (a position he’ll undoubtedly play in college), the 6-foot-2, 210-pound Thompson passed for 229 yards and two touchdowns, while rushing for 48 more  and a two-yard score.

On a night that Grant had things all its way, Thompson was generous with the ball.

Nine Pacers carried the ball 34 times for 237 yards on the ground. Five of them scored.

Smyte admitted open-field tackling was again a problem, especially in the first half, but added, “They have a lot of special athletes. We’re just not there yet … not with those kinds of numbers.”

Battle-tested Grant, losers of only two games over the three previous seasons (including a 2008 state title in a 14-0 campaign), has 55 roster players. DHS suited up fewer than 30 healthy teammates on Friday.

But on Friday, things began hopefully for the Devils (2-5, 0-3).

On its first possession, Grant took to the ground and made it deep into Davis territory. But a holding call and solid stops by Blue Devil defenders Brendan MacDonald, Bray Harwood, Grant Dickerson and Nick Denton forced Thompson to the air.

Two incompletions later, DHS took over on its own 41-yard line.

Most of the rest of the night didn’t go well for Davis.

Grant held the locals on downs, then went 65 yards on just four plays. Todd Johnson’s 22-yard touchdown run with 4:27 left in that first period opened the flood gates.

Forty seconds later, the Blue Devils tried some trickery, but got no treat when Pacer corner Isaiah Taylor intercepted Adam King’s end-around pass and returned it to the Davis 21.

Thompson finished the short drive with two-yard TD scamper.

Trailing 14-0, the Devils again were quickly stymied, but this time Grant received two points when the snap to punter/QB Shayne Reagan sailed over his head and past the backline.

The Pacers took the free kick back to the DHS 48 and its wasn’t long before slot man Anthony Serrano caught Thompson’s 36-yard scoring strike.

Grant pushed the throttle down as, moments later, Reagan was hammered by defensive end Charles Faraimo at the Blue Devil 17. The ball popped loose, got kicked around and eventually wound up in the arms of Pacer cornerback Pedro Fair, who happened to be laying in the end zone.

With 1:39 to play until intermission, Thompson passed 26 yards to wide receiver Isaiah Adams and yet another score. Charlie Vue’s fifth extra point signed off Grant’s 37-point, first-half outburst.

Second-half touchdowns from Marquise Carter (two yards), Semesi Paea (32 yards) and Fair (nine yards) ended the visitors’ field day.

Despite the mismatch, silver linings peeked through the Devil clouds.

Sophomore Marvin Grant, called up last week from the junior varsity, received a trial by fire.

The 5-foot-8, 185-pounder played nose tackle across the line from 6-foot-3, 275-pound senior Faraimo.

“Marvin was in a tough spot for his first experience … but he needed the experience,” DHS defensive coordinator Randy Malmgren told The Enterprise.

Then there was sophomore Eli Castro, playing most of the second half from his secondary post.

“Eli really showed us something and will start (next week),” Malmgren added. “He just needs more reps on alignment and assignments.”

Smyte thought another 10^th-grader, bread-and-butter tailback Winfred Roberson “ran hard again. Did what he could, considering.”

Roberson was held to a season-low 42 yards on 16 tries.

Denton and Dickerson made a couple of big plays: once Denton caught Thompson from behind for a sack and Dickerson had a punishing hit on Deandre Carter during a fourth-period punt return.

Smyte also had words of praise for his quarterback despite a night nobody will remember (or at least, will try to forget): Reagan completed 3-of-16 passes for 31 yards and carried twice for minus-17.

Next week, Davis travels to Elk Grove (8-0, 3-0) to play The Thundering Herd — who beat this same Grant team, 21-14, on Oct. 7.

Notes: Malmgren summed things up afterward: “(Grant is) too athletic, too big and strong and (we made) too many mistakes.” … Linebackers J.C. Roeckl-Navazio (shoulder) and Austin Day (concussion) were out, eventually forcing Roberson into the lineup on defense. Oscar Sepulveda got an emergency start at tackle when regular offensive lineman Brian Stabenfeldt (foot) was scratched just before game time. … The Davis Junior Blue Devil football teams were introduced at halftime and each got to run a play. Youthful cheerleaders from a recent local camp joined their prep sisters on the sidelines for the first half. … Kris Mackewicz’ eight-yard, second-period catch was erased when Davis opted for a 10-yard Grant holding penalty. … Davis ran only 33 offensive plays (other than the five punts). … Roberson needs only 150 yards over the last two weeks to hit 1,000 rushing.

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

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DHS linebacker Mike McTygue tries to slow down Grant standout Shaq Thompson (1) on Friday during the Pacers’ 58-0 victory over the Blue Devils at Ron & Mary Brown Stadium. Wayne Tilcock/Enterprise photo

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DHS tailback Winfred Roberson looks for some running room on Friday during the Blue Devils’ 58-0 loss to Grant at Ron & Mary Brown Stadium. Wayne Tilcock/Enterprise photo

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