Prep football playoff notes: Andrews vs. Armstead may register on Richter scale

November 28 2011 by Taylah Cosgrove in Education Sport Tips |No Comments

At some point this afternoon, there will be a tremor in the trenches, maybe several.

Find the nearest desk or door frame for protection when Gavin Andrews, the 6-foot-5, 340-pound lineman from Granite Bay High School, locks up with the 6-8, 290-pound defensive lineman Arik Armstead of Pleasant Grove.

It’s the subplot to what should be a competitive Sac-Joaquin Section Division I championship game at Sacramento State.

Andrews, who sports a beard and is typically jovial, had only good things to say about Armstead, the nation’s No. 1 recruit by a number of scouting services.

Andrews, a top recruit himself, had an in-home visit with Oregon State coach Mike Riley this week and said he is firm on his commitment to play for the Beavers on scholarship. First, he wants to size up his skill set against Armstead, perhaps the most heavily recruited lineman in the region’s history.

Armstead had in-home visits this week with coaches from Notre Dame, Cal, USC and Auburn.

“I’m really looking forward to playing against Armstead,” Andrews said. “I know how good he is, and I want to see how good I am, going against the best.” Andrews then offered, “I’m just a little three-star recruit.”

Armstead said he also looks forward to playing against Granite Bay and Andrews.

“He’s really good,” Armstead said of Andrews. “It should be fun.”

Bulldogs bite Vacaville has won 11 consecutive games since suffering its lone loss in Kentfield to still-unbeaten Marin Catholic 33-29. Marin Catholic targets a D-III bowl bid, and a D-II Vacaville win over Folsom tonight would enhance those chances, not to mention Vacaville’s bowl hopes.

Vacaville has scored at least 27 points in every game this season with its dominant wing-T ground game.

Its defense held St. Mary’s of Stockton to 13 points until the final seconds in an earlier playoff win. The Bulldogs held top-seeded and previously undefeated Buhach Colony to just three points through 3 1/2 quarters.

Folsom’s spread offense is a touchdown machine with record-setting quarterback Tanner Trosin throwing to the likes of J’Juan Muldrow, Carson McMurtrey, Troy Knox and Doug Vernon.

“Stopping Folsom isn’t the right word ‘slowing’ them is the word,” Vacaville coach Mike Papadopoulos said. “Folsom plays perfect football on offense.”

Frightening film Granite Bay coach Ernie Cooper on Pleasant Grove: “I look at them on film and it’s, ‘Oh my gosh! Big, fast, well-coached, reigning D-I champions.’ My wife (Carol) comes in the room and sees me with my head down, shaking my head.”

Tiger’s tale Nobody knows Granite Bay, Folsom and Pleasant Grove better than Roseville coach Larry Cunha, whose Tigers were defeated by all three teams this season.

When asked to give his opinion of the finalists, he cracked: “If I had beaten any of them, I would be a much better analyst.”

Still, Cunha offered some interesting points.

D-I final: “Yes, Armstead is a stud, but credit the ability of their other 10 guys. It will be curious to see if Pleasant Grove moves Armstead to mirror Andrews as Granite Bay likes running plays behind their stud. That would be a great matchup.”

D-II final: “Folsom will commit to stopping the Vacaville run by packing the box. Vacaville’s best hope is to be effective running the ball and keeping the score close, much like Elk Grove did (in a semifinal loss to Folsom).”

Cunha predicts Pleasant Grove and Folsom will repeat as champions.

A look at today’s Sac-Joaquin Section title games at Sacramento State

Division I

No. 5 GRANITE BAY (11-2) vs. No. 2 PLEASANT GROVE (12-1)

Time: 1 p.m.

Granite Bay held off top-seeded Lincoln of Stockton in a semifinal. The Grizzlies will send quarterback Brendan Keeney (2,022 passing yards, 24 touchdowns), halfback Arik Bird (1,623 rushing yards, 17 TDs), defensive end Spencer Briare and lineman Gavin Andrews against the Eagles. Another strong effort will be necessary if Granite Bay hopes to take down the fastest team it has played this season. Pleasant Grove, the defending champion, can run all afternoon with Mark Jenkins (1,749 rushing yards, 34 TDs), Isaiah Saunders (595 yards, 12 TDs) and Brandon Lewis (548 yards, seven TDs). The Eagles also can pass with Cody Demps (1,638 yards, 21 TDs). The defense is a mixture of power with defensive tackle Arik Armstead, linebacker D.J. Dunn and speed with defensive back Desmond Lewis. Pleasant Grove needs a win to remain bowl hopeful.

Division II

No. 6 FOLSOM (11-2) vs. No. 4 VACAVILLE (12-1)

Time: 7:30 p.m.

Folsom is the defending D-II section and state champion and has played the part well down the stretch with a sound argument for another bowl bid. Quarterback Tanner Trosin has passed for 4,778 yards and 45 touchdowns, (he’s nearing the state’s single-season passing yardage mark of 4,907) and rushed for 1,078 yards.

Expect Trosin to look for receivers J’Juan Muldrow, Troy Knox, Doug Vernon and Carson McMurtrey. Vacaville has beaten Roseville, St. Mary’s of Stockton and top-seeded and previously unbeaten Buhach Colony in the playoffs. Vacaville has two 1,000-yard backs in Melvin Mason (1,861, 30 TDs) and Curtis Goins (1,316, 15 TDs), and will need to sustain drives to keep Trosin and the Folsom offense on the sideline.

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