Saunders Could Play Saturday For OU

Former Pleasant Grove and Fresno State wide receiver Jalen Saunders will be in uniform and could play Saturday when Oklahoma takes on Texas in the annual Red River Shootout at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas.

Joe Davidson of the Bee wrote a short story how Saunders who left Fresno State last spring for OU won his appeal to play this fall for the Sooners based on the fact the Bulldogs got a new coaching staff following the dismissal of longtime head man Pat Hill.

Saunders while at PG was one of the Section's top sprinters, regularly finishing near or at the top of the 100 meter dash. Last year at Fresno, he was an all-Western Athletic Conference selection.

On another note, the Bee's Nathaniel Levine projected the high school football playoff picture presuming the season would end now after six games. Interesting that Franklin, Elk Grove, Cosumnes Oaks, Pleasant Grove and Monterey Trail would all be post-season qualifiers. I think the first three have the post-season pretty well in lock.

Pleasant Grove will be in, likely, if they can beat a very good Ponderosa team at their home field tomorrow night. That's not a certainty. The Bruins are doing quite well this season.

I have to doubt the Mustangs will reach the post-season. At 4-2 they need two wins to get there and I just don't think they will do it. They'll probably defeat Laguna Creek, but I don't think they'll beat any of the other DVC teams. A couple teams at 5-5 made the playoffs last year, but remember, a team must win two games in their league.

Levine's projection has all Delta River League teams in the post-season except for Sheldon. He has also Davis of the Delta Valley Conference projected into the Division I bracket. Davis will give Franklin a tough ball game Friday. It's the best Blue Devil team I've seen since I've lived here.

Friday is a must-win for Grant at 2-4. Elk Grove may be too tough an opponent for the Pacers, however.

And one more note - the Sac-Joaquin Section's Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony will be Sunday at Power Balance Pavilion. Forty-three people will be honored including Sheldon softball coach Mary Jo Truesdale. Couldn't be any more prouder for this wonderful lady who has won 579 games over her coaching career, primarily at Elk Grove and Sheldon, along with five Section championships at Sheldon.