Injuries piling up for local teams

It’s been a rough start for local Central California Conference teams, and it has nothing to do with wins and losses.

Merced, Golden Valley and Atwater have all been hit with injuries early.

It started in Week 0 with Merced losing running back Ulonzo Gilliam in the first half against Clovis West to a leg injury. Bears quarterback Jake Foss later suffered an apparent head injury in the fourth quarter when his head hit the turf on a sack.

Foss was forced to sit out Friday’s 24-7 loss to Monterey Trail.

Gilliam was eventually cleared to play just hours before the game on Friday after seeing multiple doctors.

Gilliam practiced pain-free on Monday, according to Merced coach Rob Scheidt, but when Gilliam got the results from an MRI on Tuesday, he was told he was out six weeks with a fractured femur.

“I pulled him out of school and told him in the parking lot,” said Gilliam’s father, Ulonzo Gilliam Sr. “He was disappointed. My heart went out to my son.”

On Friday morning, the Gilliams went to Madera for a second opinion and were told Gilliam needed surgery and could be out six months.

The Gilliams then went to Fresno to see an orthopedic specialist on Friday afternoon for another opinion. After going over the MRI and X-rays, the specialist told Gilliam there was nothing wrong and he was cleared to play.

“I think I was more nervous than Lonzii,” Ulonzo Gilliam Sr. said. “He just kept telling me, ‘Dad, there’s nothing wrong with me.’ It really was stressful. The balance of your kid’s future sportswise could be over. It was scary for me as a parent.

“All the work he put in to work toward this when he was a kid is flashing before you.”

Gilliam scored Merced’s lone touchdown in the first half on a 15-yard run against Monterey Trail.

“He’s not hurt, I’ll tell you that much,” Scheidt said after watching Gilliam play on Friday night.

Golden Valley lost running back Isaiah Montanez to a dislocated pinky with 8 minutes left in the game against Beyer. Montanez had scored two touchdowns, including a 92-yard kickoff return to start the game.

The Cougars offense struggled without him in the 26-20 loss.

“My finger got caught in a helmet,” Montanez said. “I’ve never had that happen before.”

According to Golden Valley coach Dennis Stubbs, Montanez will have to see an orthopedic doctor to find out the damage. Montanez is questionable for this week’s game at Livermore.

Atwater lost a couple of players to injury, including quarterback Frank Cocio, in a 49-0 loss to Central Catholic. According to a Facebook post by Atwater Falcon Football, Cocio showed no break or dislocation to his non-throwing arm.

Special start for Chowchilla

Special teams play has been a key reason for Chowchilla’s 2-0 start this season. The Redskins have excelled in returns, including Anthony Stewart’s 75-yard punt return and 85-yard kickoff return for touchdowns against Le Grand on Friday.

Chowchilla has also successfully executed four onside kick attempts in the first two games.

“We had two against Madera South in the first game and two more against Le Grand,” Redskins coach Alex Pittz said. “The onside kicks against Madera South helped us hold them to just two possessions in the first half. It’s tough for a team to score when they don’t have the ball.”

Two for the win

Pacheco coach David Snapp had already planned to go for two as the Panthers drove down and scored on a 21-yard run by Deontae Smith with 1:36 left in the game against Heritage. Kicker Manuel Gallegos had been banged up on the previous extra point attempt.

After the touchdown, Snapp used his final timeout to make sure they set up the play they wanted.

“We came up with a play because we felt we could outflank them,” Snapp said. “We went with a lead option that got us outside, and we were able to isolate the outside linebacker because of our formation. We had a two-on-one with the linebacker. He played the pitchman, and our quarterback was able to walk in the end zone.”

It was a relief for Snapp when the gamble paid off.

“It was huge,” he said. “We wanted to do it. We wanted to put the game on the line. It would have been tough to watch our kids battle all night and lose when we had a chance to tie. That would have been a crushing blow. In the end, I think this shows I have confidence in our guys, and we believe in what we’re doing.”

Gustine’s Labry explodes out of the gate

It didn’t take long for Gustine star Brandon Labry to make an impact this year. On the Redskins’ first play of the season, Labry broke free for an 80-yard touchdown in Gustine’s 28-23 win over Linden.

The senior finished with 205 yards and two touchdowns on 13 carries. He also added 13 tackles on defense.

This story was originally published September 6, 2015 at 4:05 PM with the headline "Injuries piling up for local teams."