Whitney Taps Sophomore Jacob Smiley As QB1, Expects To Hold Its Own In Grueling Sierra Foothill League; PLUS Fellow Soph Bradley Kenny Fills Big Shoes At Center-Antelope •
This is the fourteenth of 20 installments to our Return To Fall Series — a daily component to our 2021 NorCal Football Preview coverage.
To tackle Whitney High quarterback Jacob Smiley during tonight’s Sac-Joaquin season opener at Cosumnes Oaks High, the Franklin-Elk Grove defense will have to swarm to the football.
Actual bees would help, too.
The Wildcats of Rocklin have size, talent, experience and lots of potential — some of that demonstrated in Smiley’s 6-foot, 3-inch, 215-pound frame. The sophomore beat out senior Roman Floyd for the starting job this week, though Floyd still has a place on the offense, since Whitney coach Zac McNally firmly believes in getting his top athletes playing time.
“They both have a lot of talent, and when it comes down to it, we want to get all my best players on the field at the same time, so Roman can be at receiver,” said McNally, a standout player at De La Salle-Concord before graduating in 2005. “Being able to put a lot of talent around Jacob is really going to help him grow as a quarterback in this program.”
That talent includes three three-year varsity seniors, each of them likely to play on both sides of the ball — linebacker/tight end Brandon Wong (6-1, 205) and linemen Ian Don (6-2, 240) and Noah Garcia (6-1, 250).
With experience comes size. Twenty-five of the 38 players on Whitney’s roster are 6 feet or taller, and many of them are filling out those jerseys.
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It’s also a good mix of experience and youth. The Wildcats play with six sophomores, including Smiley and top defensive back, Phoenix Rose. Wong is a sensational talent who made 74 tackles in just five games last year. He made 17 of those in a 28-13 win over Del Oro-Loomis.
He joins Carson Phillips, Takai Takahashi and Anthony Parker to lead a stout senior linebacking core. Takahashi made several plays during an Aug. 13 scrimmage with Jesuit-Carmichael, wrapping up Marauders in his trademark American flag gloves.
“We have a leadership role that we take seriously,” Takahashi said. “We know what it’s like to play at the highest level and we are preparing our young guys so they can be as good as us, or better than us.”
Takahashi and Parker will also handle most of the rushing duties for Whitney this fall, behind a Garcia-led lineman group.
It’s a whole lot of size and talent for opposing Sierra Foothill League teams to contend with. And McNally expects the team to improve rapidly.
“I believe our best football is ahead of us,” he said. “We get tighter each day, and just having kids back in the locker room for the first time in two years and spending days at school has impacted the brotherhood.
“We have parents involved, our boosters are there and our chemistry is real as we gel as a team more each day.”
It’s what makes this return to fall so special.
PLAYER SPOTLIGHT: Bradley Kenny, Shadowboxer
Class of 2019 quarterback Michael Wortham was just 5 feet, 9 inches tall, but his shadow looms like a skyscraper over Center-Antelope’s artificial turf.
The dual threat sensation and CalHiSports All-State honoree took Center to two of the program’s three Sac-Joaquin Section title appearances and amassed over 6,000 yards of offense during his prep career in Center’s trademark baby blue garb.
To chase that legacy, Center’s future signal callers will have to start early and shine often.
Bradley Kenny has one of those locked up.
“We are going to go with our sophomore (Kenny) and see what he can do,” Center coach Digol JBeily said. “He’s a smart kid and we are working on his footwork.
“He’s picked up a lot this summer.”
Wortham-like expectations are quite unfair, especially considering Center’s lack of experience and depth. The team returns only two starters, has only four seniors and sports a roster of just 20 varsity players. Kenny was pulled up from the junior varsity team last year, but he still hasn’t thrown a varsity pass.
Kenny had a lot to learn before Center’s season opener tonight at Rio Linda, and a lot to prove before anyone will expect anything like the 2019 campaign, when Wortham and Co. rattled off 12 straight wins before falling to eventual state champion Ripon, 21-13, in the SJS Div. 5 finals.
His aspirations are right on track, and he knows he isn’t Wortham 2.0.
“I’m more of a pocket pass, not really a runner,” Kenny said. “I just want to win games, and bring us back to the playoffs.”
Kenny showcased a strong arm during an Aug. 9 practice on the Cougar turf. He often connected with senior wide out Jayshaun Darling, and let junior receiver Elijah Green dart up the sideline on long plays down the perimeter of the field.
Green and Darling, both kick returners, will be critical weapons for Kenny, alongside returning starting running back Benny Tafoya.
Green was part of coach JBeily’s recruitment campaign last year, pulled over from the basketball team.
“I could be a (dynamic playmaker) if I step up and be a big role player,” Green said. “I want to be that guy.”
New shadows are growing.