Youth, Lack of Experience Contribute to Season-Opening Loss for Denair Football Team

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Submitted by Denair High School

Ten juniors, seven sophomores and just five seniors. That’s the makeup of the 2017 Denair High football team. And if you factor in the differences in physical maturity between those players – as well as the relative lack of experience – Friday night’s 48-2 season-opening loss to Summerville isn’t nearly as surprising as the final score might indicate.

Any thoughts that the momentum of last fall’s overachieving playoff team would carry over to this year were erased by halftime, when the Coyotes trailed 35-0.

“We started very slow,” assessed Denair coach Anthony Armas. “We didn’t adjust to their size and speed. … They definitely were the better team.”

Armas and his staff have two weeks to address the myriad problems he saw from the sideline Friday night and again when watching film over the weekend. Denair has a bye this week and next plays a week from Saturday at Millennium of Tracy.

“We’ve got a lot to work on. We did a lot of stuff wrong,” Armas said. “We misaligned a lot on defense. Assignment wise, we didn’t do what we needed to. … By the second half, a lot of kids were trying to freelance, especially on defense. We need to have them understand what we’re trying to do and understand the schemes.”

Understanding, Armas expects, will come with additional practice. But he also realizes there is no substitute for experience. With the Coyotes’ limited number of players and restrictions on live contact at practice, it’s difficult to replicate varsity game speed in middle of the week.

“I think it was a lot of youth, but at the same time, that’s the hand we’ve been dealt,” Armas said. “We’re not going to make any excuses.”

Amid the disappointment, Denair did do some things right.

“I thought Hunter Musgrave ran the ball very hard. If anyone stood out, it was him,” praised Armas.

Musgrave, a junior, was Denair’s leading rusher and also one of its leading tacklers from his cornerback spot on defense. He didn’t leave the field until late in the game.

The Coyotes’ only points came on a safety in the third quarter when a Summerville player muffed a punt, then fell on the ball in his own end zone.

Despite being “physically manhandled,” Armas believes his players emerged with no major injuries – just the normal assortment of bumps and bruises.

He expects that four practices this week and four more next week before their second game will be enough to correct some of the fundamental problems that doomed them against Summerville. With a heat wave in the forecast, Armas said “we’ll be smart about it” and make sure there is plenty of water on hand.

Junior varsity game: Denair lost 22-6

This week: Bye. Denair (0-1) will be at Millennium of Tracy on Saturday, Sept. 9. Kickoff is at 7:30 p.m.

Community Invited to Rachel’s Challenge Event August 29

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Submitted by Denair Unified School District

With school back in session, some parents may have concerns about the possibilities of their child or his or her classmates being the target of bullying – either in person or via social media. And though the Denair Unified School District has strong policies in place against bullying and discrimination of any kind, sadly, opportunities exist even when children are away from class.

With that in mind, district officials strongly encourage parents and community members to attend a free presentation of Rachel’s Challenge on August 29 at 6:30 p.m. in the Coyote Center, on the campus of Denair Middle School.

Earlier that day, the same program will be shown to all middle and high school students in the district.

Rachel’s Challenge exists to equip individuals to replace acts of violence, bullying, discrimination and negative activity with acts of respect, kindness and compassion.

The program is dedicated to the memory of Rachel Scott, the first student killed in the tragic shootings at Columbine High School in 1999. Hailed as one of the most powerful intervention programs ever shared in public schools, Rachel’s Challenge provides a stunning and inspiring story that holds the power to transform lives.

More than 23 million people have heard Rachel’s story in live settings around the world. It is reported that, as a result, at least eight school shootings have been prevented and more than 500 suicides have been averted.

“Her love, goodwill and compassion have gone around the world a thousand times,” said Aaron Rosander, Denair’s superintendent. “It is all about compassion, sympathy and listening to others. … It’s a great family event. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, but you will walk out of this a changed person because of what this 15-year-old did.”

Rosander and his team invite everyone to join them on August 29 to start a chain reaction of kindness, compassion and positivity across our community and beyond.

Denair High School Fall Sports Preview

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Submitted by Denair High School

Building upon last year’s unexpected successes will be the theme for the Denair High School football and cross country teams this fall, while the volleyball club will seek to create positive momentum of its own under the leadership of a new coach.

Here’s a quick overview of the Coyotes’ varsity teams, which swing into action Friday the first football game at Summerville and cross country meet in Lodi. The volleyball girls begin Monday with a non-league match at Turlock Christian.

 

Football

The Coyotes were the biggest small-school surprise in the Sac-Joaquin Section last fall, overcoming long odds and a small roster to earn a spot in the Division VI playoffs. Despite suiting up as few as 14 or 15 players, Denair finished third in the Southern League and posted its first winning record (6-5) in years.

The 2016 Coyotes will long be remembered as the young men and their coaches who restored pride and confidence in the program.

“These are the guys who jump started our program,” coach Anthony Armas said after the season. “I think what we were able to do despite our numbers … to get people excited again about the program, that’s going to be their legacy.”

Armas began practice this season with 22 players on his varsity squad, which has only five returning starters from a year ago. Adding depth is a talented group of juniors and sophomores who are used to winning – they were unbeaten last year at the JV level.

Among the seniors are three two-way players who will add experience and muscle to the line – Blake Davis (tight end/outside linebacker), Dylan Mann (tight end/defensive end) and Bryson Prock (center/defensive line). Continue reading “Denair High School Fall Sports Preview” »

Farm & Family Festival Fun Run Helps Denair High Students

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Submitted by Denair Farm & Family Festival

Want to enjoy a fun way to support students at Denair High School and get a little exercise in the process?

Then consider signing up for the 5K Fun Run to be held before the Denair Farm & Family Festival on Saturday, Sept. 9.

Registration is $25 and includes a T-shirt and swag bag. Proceeds from the race provide money for scholarships for Denair High students.

Check-in for the fun run starts at 7 a.m. in front of the Gas Light Theater; the event begins at 8 a.m.

To register in advance, go to www.active.com and type in “Denair Fun Run.”

After they finish, runners will want to stick around for the annual Farm & Family Festival, one of the highlights of each year in the community. The event will feature more than 100 vendors, a car and truck show, live entertainment, a kids zone and plenty of food.

Admission is free to the festival. For more information, go to www.denairfestival.com.

Independent Auditor Gives DUSD Thumbs Up

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Submitted by Denair Unified School District

An independent auditor praised the Denair Unified School District for the accuracy of its financial projections Thursday night while cautioning trustees to pay close attention to future spending.

In particular, Debbie Fry of School Services of California advised school board members to avoid making long-term financial commitments without a corresponding revenue stream to pay for them. Those dollars from the state, she explained, are directly tied to enrollment – which has been flat or declining in Denair. Enrollment is projected at about 1,300 students this year, down from nearly 1,600 10 years ago.

The district’s $16.2 million budget for 2017-18 includes about $1 million in so-called “one-time money” collected and saved over the past three years, said Linda Covello, chief business officer. The additional money has been Gov. Jerry Brown’s preferred method of funding schools beyond what is legally required.

Denair will use that money to add modular buildings on the fast-growing Denair Elementary Charter Academy campus, buy new textbooks at all four campuses, and pay for computers and other technology to better prepare those students.

Saving the extra state dollars to spend on specific projects is a key part of the district’s strategy to attract more students, Covello said. By law, the one-time funds cannot be spent on ongoing expenses such as employee salaries.

“The top priority for the district has been to increase enrollment … to generate additional ongoing revenue and be able to increase ongoing expenses (salaries and benefits) in a way that is sustainable,” she explained. “So over this year and the next, the district plans to spend down all of the one-time moneys sitting in the ending fund balance on one-time expenses that can improve and/or increase programs.”

Added Superintendent Aaron Rosander: “This is all planned. The one-time money is going to disappear as we invest in technology, infrastructure and other programs.” Continue reading “Independent Auditor Gives DUSD Thumbs Up” »