SAN JOSE — Non-league football gives the chance for teams to make a statement right out the gates, and that’s exactly what Sacramento High did on the road against Archbishop Mitty. Led by senior quarterback Derek Shelton, the visiting Dragons were able to make several huge offensive and defensive plays that blew the game open onward to a 47-21 victory.
Shelton performed well throughout the entire game, going 12 of 26 for 241 yards, four touchdowns, and one interception. Better yet, all four of the touchdown throws were to fellow senior and wide receiver Anthony Bradley, who racked up an impressive total of 225 yards to go along with the four scores. The scoring plays between Shelton and Bradley were of 11, 61, 22, and 71 yards. All in all, the Monarch defense struggled shutting down the duo at any moment given.
“They love working together,” said Sacramento coach Joe McCray on his explosive pair. “They’ve been playing together since Pop Warner years. They’ll be the duo to watch”
As for Mitty, sophomore Shamir Bey took the reins at quarterback for the first time. Although Bey started off well, with a 61-yard touchdown toss to fellow sophomore James Thomas on the second drive of the day, the rest of the game was a rough ride. Bey went 10 of 25 for 161 yards, two touchdowns, and four interceptions. However, it’s never easy to step into the rule he’s in, and Mitty head coach Keith Burns knows in the end it’ll be just one game.
“You gotta look for small wins,” said Burns. “As much as the film will be hard to watch, we’ll find what we did right and what we didn’t do right and start from there.”
The game started off exciting for both sides, with a score of 7-7 just minutes into play. It looked as though the teams would be trading blows for a while, but instead it was just the Dragons controlling the ball for the rest of the game. Sac High scored 34 unanswered points over the course of two quarters, resulting in a 41-7 lead by the middle of the third. It all came in rapid succession, with multiple drives being just one or two plays before a Sac High player found the end zone.
“Part of it is big guys stepping up at the right time,” Shelton said. “But, I think it’s also the mental part of it. We were really resilient.”
A key play and momentum killer for Mitty happened early in the second quarter, trailing 23-7. After picking up a first down, Bey's pass was intercepted by Sacramento defensive back Deyvon Drayton, who returned it 36 yards for a touchdown. It was one of three interceptions in the game for Drayton. The Dragons, meanwhile, scored on defense, on a punt return, and on big throws.
“We got outcoached, and we got outplayed,” Burns said. “Their offense beat our defense and their defense beat our offense. But, no one’s going to push the panic button.”
Overall, it wasn’t the way the Monarchs wanted their season to start, and it was almost exactly how Sac High did. The two-hour trip was well worth the drive, and the Dragons look to keep the ball rolling at home against Vanden in a couple weeks. As for Mitty, they look to bounce back next Friday on the road versus Menlo-Atherton, who dropped a heartbreaker to Bellarmine in its season opener.
