This Week In Natomas Prep Sports

BY TREVOR HORN
THE NATOMAS BUZZ | @natomasbuzz

A career game for an Inderkum running back, a close game in a loss for the Natomas football team and a full slate of rivalry competition between both schools highlight a very busy week in prep sports for Inderkum and Natomas high schools.

Athlete of the Week

Hard to argue with the career game for Inderkum Tigers senior running back Eric Walters this week’s Natomas Buzz athlete-of-the-week.

Walters rushed for a career-high 266 yards and two touchdowns on 25 carries as Inderkum beat Terra Nova of Pacifica 34-28 last Friday. Despite being hobbled with an ankle injury in the second half, Walters was the workhorse, as he has been all season, for the Tigers as they watched a 28-6 first half lead evaporate. But with strong running by Walters, along with junior Terence White, the Tigers pulled away late in the game to improve to 4-1.

Natomas

Football: The Nighthawk offense woke for the first time this season, scoring a season high 27 points, but a last minute effort was not enough as Natomas (0-5) to host Foothill 33-27 last Friday.

In the first quarter, junior quarterback Daniel Guttierrez found sophomore wide receiver D’Angelo Fields for a touchdown pass to give NHS an early 7-0 lead on the road.

But after scoring 33 consecutive points, Foothill looked in control. However, Guttierrez found Fields and senior Ashan Gaskins for two more touchdown passes. But the comeback fell just short.

This week the Nighthawks are on the road again to open Tri-County League opener for both teams. Woodland (0-5) lost to Davis last week 40-0.

Girl’s Tennis: Natomas defeated Inderkum 5-4 in the first of two rivalry matches this season for the two district schools on Tuesday at Natomas. No. 1 doubles of Nehaa Kadka and Alexandria Tinoco won 4-6, 6-4, 10-7. No. 1 singles Ashleen Rai lost a 6-2, 6-1.

The Nighthawks defeated Woodland at home Thursday, 8-1. Rai came back from a loss earlier in the week to win her No. 1 singles
match 6-4, 6-3. No. 2 Carmen Fernandes won 6-1, 6-4. Tejaswi
Adhirkari, Marisssa Rosales and Lidia Hernandez all won singles
matches Thursday.
Tinoco and Khadka won the top singles match (6-2, 6-1). The No. 2 and
No. 3 doubles of Maria Cuevas and Brianna Curiel and Isis Cuevas and
Viktoriya Dorokhina also won.

NHS will be on the road at River Valley on Tuesday and home against Pioneer Thursday.

Boy’s Soccer: Led by junior striker Gustavo Gonzalez’s two scores, NHS beat Inderkum 2-1 in Tri-County action on Wednesday at home. The Nighthawks (4-9-1 overall, 1-3-1 TCC) lost at Yuba City 4-0 on Monday.

NHS travels to Woodland on Monday before coming home against River Valley (4-0-1 TCC).

Girl’s Volleyball: Despite still trying to get the most out of the her team that lost seven seniors from last year, head coach Jenna Boller is excited about “new personalities, news skills, new determination and an eagerness to win” by her squad. The Nighthawks dropped a league match at Yuba City on Thursday 3-0 and drops NHS to 1-12 overall and 0-2 in league play.

A district match-up against Inderkum on Tuesday night will highlight action next week that also has NHS traveling to Woodland on Wednesday.

Girl’s Golf: Nighthawks defeated Pioneer with Maya Hernandez leading the way.

Inderkum

Football: Led by the star performance by Walters, the Tigers responded to the first loss of the season with a 34-28 win over Bay Area small-school powerhouse Terra Nova last week.

The Tigers (4-0) stayed ranked No. 9 this week and host Yuba City (4-1) Friday night at 7 p.m.

The Honkers gave No. 6 Placer all it could handle with a near upset in a 42-33 shootout loss. Led by senior running back Nate Van Dusen (157 rushing yards per game), Yuba City averages 34.2 points per game.

Inderkum head coach Terry Stark is hopeful that running back Eric Montes will return this week, knowing that the winner tonight could very well end up being the Tri-County champions.

“This could be a championship game,” Stark said. “If we beat Yuba City, we have a good shot to win the championship. If they beat us, they have a good shot at the championship. One team is going to win Friday night.”

Boy’s Soccer: Still trying to find their groove under new head coach John Torres, the Tigers dropped two this week in Tri-County action. Inderkum (2-11, 0-5) fell to Pioneer 4-1 on Monday and to Natomas 2-1 on Wednesday.

Next week IHS has two home games against Yuba City on Monday and Woodland on Wednesday.

Girl’s Volleyball: In the lone match of the week on Tuesday, the Tigers fell 3-0 to Tri-County favorite River Valley.

A big home match versus Natomas coming on Tuesday for Inderkum (0-13, 0-3) at 6 p.m. and another league match against Yuba City are on the slate this week.

Girl’s Tennis: Tigers fell to Natomas 5-4 in a Tri-County rivalry match-up this week. Inderkum has a double slate next week with a home match against Woodland on Tuesday and travel to River Valley on Thursday.

Girl’s Golf: Inderkum split two matches this week. The Tigers beat River Valley 266-275 and fell to Woodland 248-281.