Arik Armstead was a can’t-miss visitor Monday at Pleasant
Grove High School. The San Francisco 49er was at his alma mater in what former
Eagles’ football coach Joe Cattolico described as a “collaboration between
cable network BET and the NFL Network.”
Armstead did spend a few moments with his former coach
before heading off campus with TV production crews in tow.
“Arik is the kind of guy who, well, Arik is so unassuming
you’re not going to get this from Arik, he’s not that kind of person, but it
seems like his playing time has grown,” Cattolico, who is a history teacher at
the school, said. “My observation is that he’s looked pretty good when he’s
been in there.”
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| Armstead Pressures Green Bay's Aaron Rodgers |
Armstead was in at defensive tackle just about every play
during the New York Giants’ game winning drive in the final seconds of Sunday’s
30-27 Niner loss.
“Defensively, (the 49ers) have played pretty well all
season,” Cattolico said. “Their struggles have been on the other side of the
ball.”
The 49ers are 1-4 this season, having lost their last four
games.
Cattolico heard the comments and criticisms from football
fans questioning Armstead’s selection in the first round by San Francisco out
of Oregon University.
“I am certainly no expert at football at that level, but I
think he’s demonstrated he’s every bit the player that’s warranted being picked
at that spot,” Cattolico claimed. “He’s just going to keep getting better.”
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| Arik Armstead walking into NY's MetLife Stadium Sunday |
When he is not coaching his son’s flag football team,
Cattolico has spent evenings in the stands at one or perhaps two local high
school games each week. He says he’s a bit surprised at how good Elk Grove has
shown in its first six games of the year.
“I think the general football public expected them to be
this good,” Cattolico said. “I knew they would be a good football team, but
this year they haven’t been challenged at all on the scoreboard.”
Elk Grove, at 6-0, has already a 35-point win over defending
Division II champion Grant and a 49-point victory last weekend over Jesuit.
“They have the look right now of somebody that will be
really tough to beat,” Cattolico observed.
To this point, Herd running back Ryan Robards has 1143 yards
rushing and has scored 141 points.
“I’m sure he’s ahead of a lot of teams in the Delta League
in scoring,” Cattolico said.
He’s correct. Davis has scored 134 points and Sheldon 89
points in their first six games.
“What is impressive is what he does in all three facets of
the game – kicking the ball, returning the ball, playing defense, playing
offense – the only guy in my time that I’ve seen have as wide ranging an impact
on the game was John Boyett when he was at Napa,” Cattolico said.
Boyett went on to play collegiately at Oregon.
“In that Grant game, well, no one can win a game
single-handedly, but he was close,” Cattolico laughed.
Robards had six TD’s in the Herd’s 42-7 victory – three
rushing, one on a punt return, one on a fumble return and one on an
interception return.
Also impressive to Cattolico this season, now just past the
halfway mark, is his own school.
“I think you could call Pleasant Grove a surprise,” he said.
“They’ve beat a couple teams that beat them last year – Jesuit and Monterey
Trail – so they could be a little bit of a surprise. I think right now, even
though there’s a lot of football to be played, they could be fighting with
Franklin for that third spot (in the league).”
The top four teams in the Delta League qualify for the
post-season.
This Friday Pleasant Grove (2-1 in the Delta, 3-3 overall)
plays at Elk Grove.
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