Inderkum Tigers Run Past Pioneer

Ready For Paws vs. Claws Rival
Game Against Natomas High

BY TREVOR HORN
THE NATOMAS BUZZ | @natomasbuzz

WOODLAND – After a senior season depleted by a ligament tear in his foot, Josh Montes is happy just to be back on the field and contributing.

The running back helped lead Inderkum to a 50-6 Tri-County Conference win over Pioneer in Woodland Friday night.

“Feel great to be back,” Montes said. “Felt like last year. It felt good to come back and get my hands on the ball and score a touchdown.”

Montes rushed for 82 yards and one touchdown—but it was his lone catch of the night that really caught the eye of head coach Terry Stark. Montes leaped up over two Pioneer defenders for a 35-yard pass that set up his touchdown two plays later, giving the Tigers an early 14-0 lead.

“You could see when he made that leaping catch that he is back,” Stark said. “He didn’t have any spring for the longest time from the torn tendon… He is getting a little bit of that Josh Montes back.”

The Tigers (7-2 overall, 2-1 TCC) racked up 37 points before halftime, led by junior quarterback CJ Spencer, who finished 7 of 10 for 126 yards passing, two touchdowns and an interception—which resulted in the lone touchdown for Pioneer on the ensuing drive on a 48 yard run by Juan Carlos Ramirez.

Like Montes, the Tigers are coming back to full strength. However, junior wide receiver and defensive back Tyler Dean went down in the first quarter with a knee injury. Stark hopes it is minor.

Leading rusher Eric Walters is expected back for the season finale next week at Natomas High School —and the head coach is just happy the team is healthy when it matters most.

“It’s been really nice,” Stark said. “You have to be healthy. I want to give our team credit for battling through all of those injuries and continue to find a way to win. That’s not easy. At one point we lost 15 starters.”

And for the third straight game, the healthy Tigers defense held a TCC opponent to single digits, a credit Stark gives to the defensive line.

“The big thing is getting our two (defensive) linemen back,” Stark said. “Diondre Burns and Jabar Halley, getting those guys back gives us some size.”

Led by another double-digit tackling performance by senior Dedric Allen, the defensive lineman likes the Tigers shot for a postseason run—and was not shy about his proclamation after another tough defensive performance for the Tigers.

“I believe we can win the section,” Allen said. “I looked at the bracket and all I see are two teams that could challenge us in Placer and Yuba City.”

But he was quick to make sure he knew there was still one regular season game left next week against neighborhood rival Natomas.

“We just got to get past Natomas next week,” Allen said.

Starks knows the rivalry between the two schools is good for the community in Natomas, and he feels for the struggles of Nighthawks first-year head coach Jeff Remington.

“He’s a good coach. It is tough for him right now,” Stark said. “I hope he sticks it out, and I am sure he will and they will get better because of it.”

Game Notes:

• Junior Terence White led the Tigers with 120 yards on just six carries and two touchdowns.
• Khalil Hudson caught both touchdown passes. The junior had three catches for 49 yards.
• Senior girl’s soccer player Hailey Maxwell kicked extra points for the Tigers on Friday night. Maxwell was the junior varsity kicker in 2011 and has been Spencer’s backup all season. Starks said she was just happy being a part of the team as the backup, but was hopeful she could get a chance. She was 7-7 Friday. The lone missed extra point was a botched snap and she never got a chance to kick the ball.

Her older sister Cheyenne, both daughters of assistant football coach Monty Maxwell, was the everyday kicker for the Tigers football team in 2009. Cheyenne is at Southeastern Louisiana University on a soccer scholarship and Hailey is headed to UC Riverside on a soccer scholarship next year.