It was a happy homecoming for Denair High School’s varsity football team, which came away with a convincing 49-21 victory over Le Grand on Friday to take sole possession of first place in the Southern League standings.
During halftime, Madison Gonsalves and Jason Araujo were named varsity Homecoming Queen and King, while Angelique Quijano and Seth Hall were selected JV queen and king.
Also, the winner of the parade float competition — featuring a fast-food theme — was announced. The senior class, which chose In-N-Out Burger as it’s fast-food chain, was declared the champion, while the junior class (McDonald’s) was the runner-up. The freshmen (Little Caesars) were third, and the sophomores (Taco Bell) took fourth.
Before a packed home grandstand at Jack Lytton Stadium, the Coyotes improved to 6-1 for the season and 3-0 in conference play, one-half game ahead of undefeated Mariposa (6-0, 2-0), which they’ll face this Friday night in a matchup that will go a long way in determining the league champ.
“Every week is a big game in the Southern League,” said Denair head coach Anthony Armas “This week is no different. Mariposa is playing really well right now. We’ll be playing in the (Mariposa County) fairgrounds, which is always a tough place to play. And, it will be their homecoming, so it’s going to be a tough one.”
Junior running back Bryson Salazar, who was one of the varsity Homecoming King candidates, was a royal pain for the Bulldogs. He ran for season-best 237 yards and four touchdowns on just nine carries — better than 26 yards per try. Salazar had scoring runs of 42, 47, 69, and 15 yards.
Not to be outdone, senior running back Degan Butler had 111 yards on 15 carries (7.4 per attempt) and a score, while junior Connor Hart tallied 59 yards and one TD on four carries (14.8).
Junior quarterback Derek Potter connected with classmate Harlan Brown for a 39-yard score.
The Coyotes appear to be in full stride as they ready for the 75-minute trip to Mariposa — the back half of a tough two-game league stretch that Armas believes will serve his team well.
“We’ve tried to create as many obstacles as possible this year for our players,” said Armas. “We had (state champion) Summerville on the schedule, booked McClatchy (Sacramento), which is a much larger school than we are, and had a long road trip to face Pajaro Valley (Watsonville). Combine that with our regular-season schedule, and I hope it better prepares us for a possible playoff run.”
Following the Mariposa contest, the Coyotes still have Delhi (1-6, 0-3) and Waterford (3-3, 0-2) remaining on the schedule. Postseason action gets underway Nov. 7.
