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Thursday, Nov. 19, 2009

Sevilla helped carry Atwater into playoffs

ATWATER -- Brian Sevilla entered the 2009 season expecting to be a big two-way contributor for the Atwater football team.

He already shown his chops on the defensive end as a junior, but this season Sevilla was also supposed to give quarterback Nathan Sanchez something he hadn't had in his first two years under center.

A dangerous pass-catching tight end.

At 6-foot-1 and 215 pounds, Sevilla's combination of size and speed had Atwater coach Bob Valladao salivating at the possibilities.

The best laid plans, however, don't always come to fruition.

On the season, Sevilla has just three catches for 55 yards and a touchdown.

That's not to say that he hasn't been the offensive contributor Valladao and Co. expected, it's simply come in a form that no one anticipated.

"I was supposed to play tight end, but then Anthony Blanco went to Turlock," Sevilla said. "Coach said he was looking for some explosiveness, so Mondo (Armando Garcia) and I have been splitting time at fullback.

"It didn't take very long to make the transition. I'm pretty comfortable with the position now."

Sevilla's numbers seem to back that up.

The senior is third on the team with 69 rushes, 419 yards and seven touchdowns.

More importantly for Atwater, his running is getting stronger as the season wears on.

He had a season-high 84 yards and two touchdowns on seven carries in last week's win over Turlock.

"I think he broke off his biggest run of the season (46 yards) in that game, so it's nice to see him getting comfortable," Valladao said. "He's so strong and fast, you just want to find a way to get him the ball.

"He's got good size and hands so we really wanted to try him at tight end, but a need came up and he and Armando have done a nice job filling in."

The most impressive part about Sevilla's offensive contribution, might be that it's in addition to the all-league effort he's given at defensive end.

Sevilla said the track season helped him improve both his strength and speed heading into the year, and he's put both to good use.

His 14 sacks led the Central California Conference and his 58 tackles led Atwater.

"I've been surprised by the number of sacks," Sevilla said. "But then again I've worked harder this year than ever before.

"I put in more time studying film, lifting and I just have a better understanding of the game."

Valladao hopes Sevilla can continue to dominate offensive lines as Atwater (7-3) prepares to take on Stockton Stagg (8-2) in the first round of the Sac-Joaquin Section Division II playoffs on Friday night.

Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. at Chavez High.

"They're a good team with some athletes," Valladao said. "They've relied a lot on the big play, so we're going to be trying very hard to avoid that."

With rain showers forecasted, Atwater has spent its week preparing for inclement weather.

The coaching staff dunked the football in water after every offensive play at Wednesday's practice to help get the team prepared for a wet ball on Friday.

With Chavez's field already rumored to be in poor shape, Valladao has his team preparing for the worst.

Atwater's Veer offense seems better suited for the bad conditions than Stagg's Pistol.

Throw in a big night from Sevilla on both sides of the ball and it could be a winning formula for Atwater.

"A playoff win would be huge for us," Sevilla said. "We've been down for a few years and it would really show people we're heading in the right direction."