Prep Football: Buhach Colony still a mystery up north

ATWATER -- Shortly after the playoff brackets were posted online the questions started flying into the Sac-Joaquin Section office.

Who is this Buhach Colony?

"We got a lot of calls from people in the north," said Will DeBoard, the Sac-Joaquin Section director of communications. "A lot of them couldn't pronounce Buhach Colony's name.

"Buhach Colony has a good coach and they're definitely on the rise, but it's their first year in the spotlight."

Fresh off its first 10-0 regular season, Buhach Colony will open the Division II playoffs as the No. 1 seed -- ahead of nationally ranked Grant, the No. 2 seed.

The Thunder will host No. 16 Bethel (6-4) tonight at Atwater High.

The kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.

The Thunder have earned respect in the southern part of the section after winning their first Central California Conference championship.

Buhach Colony is ranked No. 9 this week by CalHiSports in Northern California behind No. 1 Grant, No. 4 Folsom and No. 5 St. Mary's, all of whom are in the Division II field.

Still, the Thunder are relatively unknown in the Sacramento area.

"They don't know who we are," said Buhach Colony coach Kevin Swartwood. "If you look at any blogs up there all the talk is about Folsom and Grant, Folsom and Grant. That's all you hear about. We're the No. 1 seed and we don't even get brought up.

"It's a total lack of respect."

Buhach Colony can earn respect with a long playoff run.

If the Thunder get by the Jaguars tonight, they'll face a Sacramento area school in either Del Campo or Rosemont in the second round.

Both Folsom and Vacaville are on BC's half of the bracket.

Does Swartwood believe his team should be placed among the Sacramento heavyweights?

"I think so," he said. "We have as much size as anybody outside of Grant. We have as much speed as anybody. I don't see why not. Time will tell."

Bethel is similar to a team Buhach Colony faced earlier this season in Rodriguez.

The Jaguars' veer features lots of speed.

"If we don't play assignment football, the next you know they'll be running down the field," Swartwood said.

As expected, Corey Chapman has added another big-play threat the last two weeks to an already explosive Thunder offense.

"He adds that other element," Swartwood said. "Before we had Jarrell (Davis) on the perimeter and Dallon (Muse) inside and we threw to Matt (Small). That was pretty darn good.

"Once we got Corey back we've been a little more prolific. That fourth weapon makes it even more difficult to stop."