A county-rival clash

There's been several changes on the football field at Lindhurst High this season and with it has come the inevitable growing pains.

A new coaching staff, a new offensive playbook and a completely new set of starters have all contributed to the Blazers' 0-2 start, but coach Dan Crabtree feels that his team is ready to turn things around.

Tonight they will get a huge test when the Blazers welcome regional-rival Wheatland into Dean Miller Stadium for their annual Highway 65 battle.

While the Blazers have had a rough start following a 21-6 setback to Live Oak in their opener and a 40-0 loss at River Valley last week, Crabtree noted that many of his players were overwhelmed with the changes in terminology. In order to jump start the offense, the first-year coach and his staff are looking to make things easier on the players this week.

"We're trying to simplify things and bring it back a little bit," Crabtree said. "We've been hesitant the last two weeks and haven't looked too good, but once they get the flow of the offense, they'll be fine."

The changes have been difficult for everyone on the team, and quarterback Kahlan Robinson is no exception. The Blazers' leading tackler at linebacker last season, Robinson, has had to learn the offense on the fly in game situations and is still growing into the position.

Robinson's main target in the air has been Stephen Paxton, who has hauled in eight passes for 133 yards and a touchdown. Angel and Anthony Vega will carry the load in the running game, while defensive end AZ Sutton leads the Blazers' defense.

"The kids are adjusting well, but it's still taking them a while to put it all together," Crabtree said. "We knew offensively that we'd struggle a little early on just getting the kids to know the right spots, but they're working really hard at it."

While Crabtree is starting over and building a new foundation at Lindhurst, Wheatland coach Javier Lopez and the Pirates come in loaded with talent and hungry for a Northern Section title — something that has eluded them in recent years.

Offensively, the Pirates will look to the two-pronged rushing attack of senior Vince Vetrone and junior Lacarlis Moore to move the chains. But Wheatland can also put the ball in the air, with quarterback John Millington and receiver Tyler Kreditor becoming a deadly combination in the passing game.

The Pirates (2-1) have playmakers on the defensive side of the ball too, especially in the linebacker department where tackling machine Clint Johnson, big-play man Mario Castellanos and sack- specialist Zach Downing have shined.

Gridley at Marysville

One team will pick up its first win of the season when the Bulldogs and the Indians tangle at War Memorial Stadium. The Indians (0-2) come in following losses to a pair of strong Wheatland and Yuba City teams to start the season. They are led by standout junior running back/linebacker Michael Barabin, who leads the team in rushing yards, tackles and sacks while also performing long-snapping duties.

The Bulldogs (0-3) have been close in each game, but are still searching for that elusive first win. Quarterback Anthony Parades and running back Dakota Sisk lead Gridley's offensive attack.

Williams at East Nicolaus

The Yellowjackets and the Spartans kick off their Mid-Valley League schedules when they get together in Goeff Wahl Field. Williams (0-3) is still searching for its first victory of the year following losses to Durham (27-16), Maxwell (22-21) and Pierce (36-15).

The Spartans (2-1) looked strong coming out of their bye week as Alex Cundiff rushed for 127 yards and a touchdown in their 20-8 win over visiting Mt. Shasta last Friday.

Rio Americano at River Valley

The Falcons (1-1) looked impressive in their 40-0 homecoming victory over Lindhurst last week, but they should see much stiffer opposition tonight when they welcome the Raiders into "The Nest." Junior running back Dustin Terrel leads the River Valley offense attack with three rushing touchdowns while maintaining a 12.77 yards per carry average.

Rio Americano (1-1) opened the year against two other Tri-County Conference teams and posted a 19-18 win over Natomas before losing to Pioneer 31-14 last week.

Anderson at Sutter

The Huskies look to rebound from their first setback of the season when they welcome the Cubs into Wayne Gadberry Field for a nonleague contest between Nothern Section schools. Sutter (2-1) is keyed by a strong defensive unit led by senior defensive end Austin Morehead, who leads the club in tackles and sacks.

Anderson (1-2) has dropped consecutive games to Red Bluff (21-17) and Enterprise (21-17) since stomping Las Plumas (35-6) to start the year.

Yuba City at Bella Vista

The Honkers (1-1) put up 29 first-half points in their win over Marysville last week, but they will need to play even better when they travel to Fair Oaks to take on the Broncos. Juniors Raul Lozano and Taylor Rowe have provided Yuba City with a nice 1-2 punch in the backfield, while senior middle linebacker Matt Poundstone leads the charge for the Honkers defensively.

Bella Vista (2-0) has steamrolled the competition over its first two games with a over 41-15 win over Cordova in week one and 25-0 shutout of Mesa Verde last week.

Quincy at Colusa

The Redskins (2-1) could have their hands full when they kick off their MVL slate at home against the Trojans. Led by senior fullback Carlos Gutierrez and linebackers Hayden Meyers and Benji Gil, Colusa has won its last two games — both within Colusa County — with victories over Pierce (21-0) and Maxwell (26-6).

Quincy (3-0) has been an offensive powerhouse, recording wins over Chester (34-7), North Tahoe (68-0) and Whittell, Nev., (52-0). However, the strength of those schools is questionable at best.

Live Oak at Mt. Shasta

The Lions (3-1) and their power running game look to start the Sacramento Valley League season on the right foot when they travel to Mt. Shasta to take on the Bears. Led by running backs Tony Montes and Paul Kang and a stout defensive unit, Live Oak has cruised to wins over Lindhurst (21-6) and Gridley (33-9) the previous two weeks.

The Bears (1-3) come in following back-to-back losses to traditional powers Hamilton (39-8) and East Nicolaus (20-8) in their last two contests.

Rio Vista at Pierce

The Bears (2-2) begin SVL play when the Rams invade Arbuckle for the league opener. Led by senior running back Rudy Godinez's 140 rushing yards and two touchdowns, the Bears blew past Williams 36-15 in the annual Rice Bowl last Friday, their second win of the season after finishing 10-0 last year.

Rio Vista (2-1) has won its last two games over Esparto (19-0) and Delta (19-14) after losing to East Nicolaus to start the year.

Portola at Biggs

The Wolverines (2-1) will be well rested and ready to go after their bye week when they welcome in a tough Portola team for their MVL opener. Biggs, which won its last game 29-3 over Los Molinos over two weeks ago, is led by sophomore quarterback Michael Torres and junior running back Gunner McDaniel.

Portola (3-0) has looked strong to start the season with wins over Maxwell (35-6), Fall River (34-26) and Los Molinos (49-0) last week.

Stone Ridge Christian at Maxwell

The Panthers (1-3) will attempt to put an end to their two-game losing skid when they play host to Stone Ridge Christian of Merced. Senior running back Gerardo Parra leads Maxwell on the ground while quarterback Tyler Wells and receiver Stephen Perry lead the air attack.

The Knights (1-2) come in off a 6-0 victory over Encina for their first win of the season.