Le Grand football back on the big stage as Bulldogs face Woodland Christian in title game
Le Grand High sophomore Reyes Diaz remembers as a little kid coming to football games during the Bulldogs’ run of four consecutive championships from 2010 through 2013.
He remember seeing all the fans. He remembers looking up to the players.
Now Diaz is in their shoes as No. 3 seed Le Grand prepares to play against undefeated No. 1 Woodland Christian on Friday afternoon at Sacramento City College’s Hughes Stadium for the Sac-Joaquin Section Division VII championship.
Kickoff is scheduled for 2 p.m.
It’s the Bulldogs first trip back to the section championship game since 2013.
“It’s crazy to think about back when I was a kid, I was watching them and now I’m playing for it,” Diaz said.
Senior Aaron Martinez was a ball boy for those section championship teams with his dad Aaron working as an assistant coach and his uncle Rick Martinez as the head coach.
“I looked up to those players a lot,” said Aaron Martinez, who has been sidelined with a knee injury. “I remember coming to the games and seeing them and then I was playing youth football so I would wear what they wore. The towels had their numbers on them so I wanted my number on my towel.”
Le Grand (7-5) is back on the big stage with an opportunity to win a blue banner.
This time it’s Aaron Martinez Sr. trying to win his first section championship as head coach. He feels his team is battle tested after playing some tough non-conference opponents and then navigating their way through a very competitive Southern League schedule.
“I feel the Southern League has prepared us,” he said. “It’s been a gauntlet. There hasn’t been the one or two games where you can get healthy. I correlate it back to when we were really good and everyone just got better because they were tired of getting beat.”
Martinez feels the Bulldogs are peaking at the right time.
Le Grand has turned to its ground game in winning its last three games, spearheaded by the running back duo of Louie Aguallo and Isacc Davison.
Aguallo has rushed for 662 yards and 11 touchdowns, including four touchdowns in last week’s 37-20 semifinal victory over Mairposa. Davison has rushed for 468 yards and four touchdowns.
If the Bulldogs have to turn to their passing game they feel they can win that way too with quarterback Julian Bucio and receivers Carlos Castaneda and Reyes and tight end Jeremiah Lopez.
“They are not afraid of the big moment,” the elder Martinez said. “There’s not a ‘happy to be here’ feeling with this group.”
The Bulldogs expect a challenge with Woodland Christian, which averaged just over 38 points per game.
The Cardinals are led by dynamic running back Billy Hinkle.
“We have to be cognizant of where he is because they will run zingers and end arounds,” Martinez said.
Martinez said he has liked the focus and approach his team has taken this week in preparing for the big game.
“When we beat Mariposa, yes, it was a rivalry game and there was excitement and fun, but it wasn’t a big celebration,” Martinez said. “It was more of a business-like win. I feel their energy. I know they want more.”
This story was originally published November 25, 2021 at 5:00 AM.
