Wednesday, September 12, 2012

Wednesday's Notebook


Elk Grove High School alum Lance Briggs thinks this season’s Chicago Bears is the best squad he’s been a part of in his eight seasons with the NFL club.

"Adding to the team that we had last year can only make it better," said Briggs told the NFL Network. "That should only make it better. We made some great pickups, we got really aggressive, grabbing Brandon Marshall, bringing in Kelvin Hayden,  Wilhite, [return specialist Eric] Weems. It gives us a chance to make a championship run this year."

Plus, starting quarterback Jay Cutler is healthy this fall.

The seven-time All-Pro linebacker spent much of the pre-season as the ambassador to New Era’s NFL sideline hats.


Two other former Herd football players, Kenny Wiggins and Matt Kopa, were signed to their NFL teams’ practice squad, Wiggins with the 49ers and Kopa with the Patriots. Both are offensive tackles.

Brandyn Thompson, a former Franklin Wildcat, was cut by the Washington Redskins, the team he played with last season in a reserve role at defensive back. Laguna Creek alum Jeremy Ross was released by the Indianapolis Colts. …

Pleasant Grove’s former defensive lineman Arik Armstead made his collegiate debut for the Oregon Ducks Sept. 1 in their 57-24 win over Arkansas State. Armstead had two solo tackles.

Eagle teammate Devin Young is in his third season as a starting tight end for Menlo College.

Another former Eagle, running back Deonte Williams is in his senior year at Cal Poly-San Luis Obispo. Brothers Lefi and Josh Letuligasenoa, who attended Elk Grove, and Sheldon defensive tackle Marcus Paige-Allen are also on the Mustang squad. Lefi is a junior starting at right guard. Josh, a freshman, is listed as a defensive end. Paige-Allen is a redshirt freshman this fall and also a defensive lineman. Folsom’s record-setting quarterback Tanner Trosin is a freshman on the team.

The Mustangs are now in the Big Sky Conference. …

Former Cosumnes Oaks’ defensive back Marcus Rios might see playing time this fall as a fresman at UCLA. Bruins’ coach Jim Mora recently talked about the competition going on in the Bruin secondary. He cited Rios as having the "indicators" which could make him a contributor this season.

Former Sheldon linebacker Nate Iese is on the Bruins roster as a linebacker. He, too, is a freshman at UCLA. …

Dylan Woodfill, who graduated from Pleasant Grove in 2010 is playing football again this season for Sacramento State. The 6-4, 290-pound offensive lineman didn’t play at all in 2010 and redshirted for the Hornets last season.

Another former Eagle, Cole Hikutini, is listed as a tight end this season for Sac State. Kyi Thomas, who was a key part of Sheldon’s NorCal basketball championship team last season, is a reserve wide receiver for the Hornets. …

At San Diego State, former Franklin Wildcat Cody Galea is a starting defensive end this season. He has a pair of tackles and a sack in the first two games of the season for the Aztecs. …

Jordan Glass, who graduated from Elk Grove in 2007,  is once again UC-Davis' starting middle linebacker.

The Sacramento Mountain Lions, one of the four teams in the United Football League, will open its season Sept. 19 with a game at Las Vegas. They will open their  home season Sept. 28 against Omaha.

All home games this season will be played at Raley Field. The UFL games will be shown this season the CBS Sports Network. …

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