Silver Valley football opens season away, outnumbered

YERMO •  The Silver Valley football team is heading into enemy territory heavily outnumbered in its first game of the season.

The Trojans will leave Yermo at 4 p.m. today to face the Citrus Valley Blackhawks at 7 p.m. in Redlands. Silver Valley will have 22 kids boarding the bus and taking to the field to take on Citrus Valley’s 45 players. The Blackhawks 25 juniors on their own are a larger contingency than the Trojans entire team.

Silver Valley coach Freezy Smalls said that although Citrus Valley has more than two times as many players, the teams should match up well.

“Their team hasn’t been together very long and neither have we,” Smalls said. “I think it will make for a pretty even game. They have a whole lot more players.”

The Blackhawks are entering Citrus Valley’s second season with a football program. The team is comprised completely of juniors and sophomores. However, the Blackhawks have 11 returning offensive and defensive starters including their starting quarterback, leading rusher and leading receiver.

Citrus Valley’s junior quarterback Evan Lucero will look to make handoffs to running back Andrew Gonzles and passes to Ryan Smith. Smith and Gonzales each had three touchdowns last season to lead the team.

Smalls said he exchanged offensive and defensive strategies, but not tape with Blackhawks coach Pete Smolin. Citrus Valley is expected to operate its offense out of the I and Wing T formations allowing for some passing, but focusing on the run.

“We’re going to be playing with three to five guys on the front, and we’ll just adjust as we see what they do,” Smalls said. “I think our guys can cover the rush or the pass. It’s going to be key for them to read the plays as they’re happening. We have some younger kids. We kind of hope they try to pass because we have a lot of speed in the backfield. It’d be nice to get some interceptions and get the ball back.”