Jeremy T. Ringfield's Blog, page 23

Kurtenbach: Purdy must take on mantle of “the man” for 49ers

This is it for the 49ers’ duo of head coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch.

No, the duo isn’t on the hot seat, but consider the 2025 season the beginning of either a glorious future or the end for the pair, which came in Santa Clara in 2017 and retired the winning standard of the red and gold.

But even the most successful of franchise leaders only have so much leash, and Shanahan and Lynch have already used up every inch of theirs, going through two “franchise” quarterbacks before finding Brock Purdy, the last pick in the 2022 NFL Draft.

Now Purdy is the third franchise quarterback, signed to the largest contract in 49ers history.

It was a no-brainer deal for the Niners and a win-win for the franchise and player — both parties earned serious concessions from the other in reaching the final agreement.

The deal also irrevocably intertwined the Bay Area fates of the three most important people in an organization — Purdy, Shanahan, and Lynch.

Perhaps the trio will lead the Niners to another golden era. No matter what, we’re down to brass tacks in the South Bay.

It speaks volumes about Purdy that Shanahan and Lynch have tied their San Francisco fates to a 6-foot quarterback coming off a six-win season. While the alternatives were not necessarily plentiful or obviously superior, there was still the realistic possibility of adding Purdy’s 2024 backup Sam Darnold, longtime Shanahan target Kirk Cousins (usurped in Atlanta), longtime bugaboo Russell Wilson, or Northern California native Aaron Rodgers. Such alternatives were relentlessly offered from outside parties, but those inside the Niners’ facility were steadfast in their zeal to sign Purdy.

Perhaps that’s because the powers that be know they’re only still in power in Santa Clara because they lucked into Purdy with that final pick.

The severity of the situation at hand is obvious.

The 49ers did a hard reset this past offseason, trading Deebo Samuel, cutting contracts the team deemed to be underwater, re-signing the team’s core three — Purdy, George Kittle, Fred Warner, loading up on 11 draft picks, and putting a full-court press to successfully bring back defensive coordinator Robert Saleh.

In turn, the team could be pushing the message that 2025 is a gap year, saying that they’ll see what happens in 2025 but will be back to Super Bowl or bust in 2026. There are subtle ways of hinting at such expectations without expressly stating such beliefs.

Yet Shanahan and Lynch have said nothing of the sort so far. No, thanks to one of the most favorable schedules in NFL history (though making such proclamations before the season always proves foolhardy) and those big-money contracts to their middle linebacker, tight end, and especially their quarterback, it’s full-steam ahead this season.

Success of this experiment will be obvious. It will come in the form of a double-digit-win season, a playoff berth, and perhaps even a home playoff game. division titles. It could even look like 2023, when Purdy not only led the 49ers to a Super Bowl appearance, but also received MVP votes in the process.

Related Articles Luke Farrell relishes dirty work as 49ers’ new blocking tight end NFL fearless forecast 2025: Super Bowl, MVP winners and big themes — including game managers’ success Kurtenbach: A gut check for the Faithful — I’m predicting the 49ers will miss the playoffs in 2025 49ers’ 5 keys to victory: If rushing attacks don’t define outcome, then Purdy must mute Seahawks Kurtenbach: The 49ers are banking against years of NFL conventional wisdom in 2025, but it just might work

Failure will not be obvious, but rather evidenced by dissonance. The team wins but Purdy struggles; Purdy is exceptional but the team around him cannot win games. It’s this kind of gray area that has unfairly cursed the young quarterback so far in his career — the 49ers’ wins apparently (if you listen to certain sects of media) have nothing to do with Purdy, but the losses are hung on the quarterback’s neck like an albatross.

It simply will not matter that his supporting cast is diminished or that his receiver core is questionable, at best. No, now that he’s the $265 million man (even though he might only see a third of that number) whatever deference the 26-year-old once received (minimal, it seems) will be gone.

And if he’s gone, then so too are the two who drafted him.

Luke Farrell relishes dirty work as 49ers’ new blocking tight end

SANTA CLARA – The 49ers were mostly inert during free agency this offseason, choosing instead to focus on contract extensions with franchise cornerstones Brock Purdy, Fred Warner and George Kittle, while at the same time shedding salary to get younger following a 6-11 season.

It wasn’t looked upon favorably by a fan base hoping for some star power. There was one exception, and it was a big one in a physical sense. Luke Farrell is not big in terms of name recognition, but he plays big.

Almost lost in the whirlwind opening days of free agency was the team quickly reaching an agreement with tight end Luke Farrell. While throwing others overboard – allowing their own free agents to leave, as well as releasing some under contract – the 49ers extended a hand to Farrell, a 27-year-old four-year veteran with Jacksonville who received a three-year contract with $11 million guaranteed and a maximum value of $20.25 million.

It was a pretty good chunk of change for a team looking to reduce payroll, especially with the presence of a Hall of Fame candidate in Kittle already on the roster and still in his prime.

“I’ve heard from guys that have been there,” Farrell said of former Jaguars teammates who once played for the 49ers. “I like how they operate and the opportunity to play in this offense with these coaches and players.”

Since he arrived in 2017, the year Kittle was drafted, 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan has cycled through eight more tight ends – Garrett Celek, Logan Paulsen, Ross Dwelley (he left and came back last year), Levine Toilolo, Jordan Reed, Tyler Kroft, Eric Saubert and Brayden Williams.

None received the kind of financial compensation afforded to Farrell.

“I think having a No. 2 tight end in the NFL is huge,”  Shanahan said. “Usually, there’s one guy who excels in the pass game and one guy who excels in the run game.”

Farrell, at 6-foot-5, 250 pounds, has just 36 career receptions and has yet to score his first NFL touchdown. But he’s a people mover who operates almost as an extra tackle. Rather than rely solely on angles and leverage, Farrell can actually move the mountains that face him as edge setters or beasts coming on stunts from the interior.

Shae Hammond/Bay Area News GroupTight end Luke Farrell, right, works with Isaac Alarcon during a 49ers blocking drill at the club facility in Santa Clara.

“Luke, his (game) tape was very, very impressive,” offensive line coach and run game coordinator Chris Foerster said. “He literally has an impact on defensive ends. When he blocks or hits one, there’s movement. You see things with him that you don’t see in a lot of tight ends.”

The presence of Farrell, a fifth-round pick out of Ohio State in 2021, will put Kittle in the passing game more often as a receiver, either flexed or put in motion, while he takes care of a big percentage of the dirty work along the line of scrimmage.

“I take a lot of pride in it,” Farrell said. “Since I was in college, I’ve just really bought into the team mindset and whatever I can do to help propel the offense forward and the team forward and that’s what my role has been. Also, all I can do on special teams. It’s allowed me to have the career I’ve had so far, and I have a lot of gratitude for it.”

The attention paid to Kittle could result in Farrell’s first NFL touchdown as well as increased opportunities for Brock Purdy for a reliable set of hands as a receiver.

“He’s got unexplored talent in the passing game,” tight ends coach Brian Fleury said.

Which is fine by Farrell.

“I’m always in the mindset of wherever they need me, I’m going to be there,” Farrell said. “I’m going to be where I’m supposed to be, when I’m supposed to be there, and that’s as a receiver, too.

Kittle, like Farrell, was a fifth-round draft pick. He was also from a Big Ten school, Iowa, and has morphed from unassuming rookie with close-cropped hair to big-time, big-haired personality on a national scale.

Farrell carries with him the same mentality he had at Ohio State, where he was a player simply trying to make a roster at the outset.  He didn’t see himself as an NFL player. An excellent student, Farrell’s long-term goal for athletics was staying involved as a physical therapist.

“I was a developmental guy at Ohio State, redshirted, and really didn’t get any significant time until my third year,” Farrell said. “Then it was like, `OK, this is a real possibility.’ Once it became possible, I just wanted to keep doing what I was doing and perform the role they wanted me in. When you have success on a team like that, you’re going to get the exposure.”

Farrell cuts an impressive figure among the position group, and Kittle is excited to see what he brings in terms of physicality.

“I like that he’s a big dude. I’m a huge fan of that,” Kittle said. “He’s got great tape. He’s excited to be here, and I’m excited to get to work with him, too. He’s an experienced guy and has played a lot of reps, so it’s not like you’re teaching a rookie.”

Related Articles Kurtenbach: Purdy must take on mantle of “the man” for 49ers NFL fearless forecast 2025: Super Bowl, MVP winners and big themes — including game managers’ success Kurtenbach: A gut check for the Faithful — I’m predicting the 49ers will miss the playoffs in 2025 49ers’ 5 keys to victory: If rushing attacks don’t define outcome, then Purdy must mute Seahawks Kurtenbach: The 49ers are banking against years of NFL conventional wisdom in 2025, but it just might work

During the offseason, Farrell attended Tight End University in Nashville, the yearly summit for the position hosted by Kittle and fellow Pro Bowl tight ends Travis Kelce and Greg Olsen. Before that, Farrell’s connection to Kittle came in a Zoom meeting during the COVID pandemic.

“He was on because his dad had a connection with Kevin Wilson, who was our tight ends coach at the time. They both coached at Oklahoma,” Farrell said. “George had some down time, and we were just studying a lot of ball and were trying to pick up any skills we could just from film study.

“He hopped on with us, told us what he was about, gave us some of his experience and wisdom, having a handful of years in. (When I signed with the 49ers), he reached out right away and welcomed me.”

Farrell joins the 49ers, a Super Bowl contender, from a Jaguars team that went 4-13 last season after twice going 9-8. In Farrell’s rookie year, they were 3-14, so he knows what a losing locker room can feel like.

The 49ers, Farrell believes, don’t have the vibe of a team that went 6-11 a year ago.

“If you didn’t know what happened last year, you’d have no idea of their record,” Farrell said. “That’s a testament to the people in the building, and their resiliency and how professional they are. You don’t dwell on the past when you’re looking forward to the season.”

Horoscopes Sept. 7, 2025: Evan Rachel Wood, take the time to invest in the future

CELEBRITIES BORN ON THIS DAY: Evan Rachel Wood, 38; Shannon Elizabeth, 52; Toby Jones, 59; Michael Emerson, 71.

Happy Birthday: Draw on your experience, and you’ll find a way forward that is within budget and utilizes the skills you need to reach your goal. Take the time to invest in the future and prepare to grow with the markets and trends on the horizon. Don’t wait for others to surpass you; take the initiative. Lead the way, and don’t look back. Your strength is having the courage to push forward alone. Your numbers are 3, 18, 20, 27, 31, 38, 46.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Don’t lose sight of reality. Take pride in what you know and can do to improve your life. Changing how you earn or handle money looks promising, but it comes with pressure and anxiety due to uncertainty. Hang in there; the best is yet to come. Trust and believe in yourself, and those you encounter will follow suit. 3 stars

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Work quietly behind the scenes where interference is easier to control, and you’ll be amazed at what you achieve. Building a solid foundation that offers peace of mind and a happy personal life will be worth far more than the stress that comes from trying to keep up or comparing yourself to others. 4 stars

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): You may crave diversity, change and casting your fate to the wind, but first, dig into different scenarios you may encounter. Turn your attention to your surroundings and make improvements that ease stress and make your life easier to navigate. Avoid criticism and those who make you feel inadequate. Choose serenity over turmoil. 2 stars

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Look for opportunities, not battles. Explore the possibilities and look for new ways to utilize your skills, or refine and update what you can offer to suit the changing times. Broaden your awareness and surround yourself with people and possessions that contribute positive vibes to your environment. Protect against injury, insult and ill health. 5 stars

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Esthetics will play a role in how you feel and what you can do to improve your life. Whether you want to make physical changes to your appearance or your surroundings, the timing is good, and the outcome will boost your morale. Make time for loved ones and plans that offer something to look forward to. 3 stars

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Clear the air, talk through your differences and lighten the stress that comes with disagreements, misinformation and emotional situations. Stick to the facts and be sure to share the truth with those blowing situations out of proportion. Positive change begins with honesty, trust and compromise. Speak from the heart, and you’ll have no regrets. 3 stars

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Pump it up and make things happen. Don’t be a slouch when there is so much you can do to advance. Get in the game and do your part, and you’ll rise to the top. Let your charm lead the way and your passion rise to the surface. Engage and make a difference. 3 stars

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Share your thoughts and feelings and align yourself with those who have similar concerns. Look for platforms to host your grievances, and do your best to remain calm and informative regardless of those who oppose your beliefs. A smile and a positive attitude will help you gain momentum and achieve excellent results. 5 stars

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Conversations will spin out of control if you are too combative in your approach. Choose your battles wisely and channel your energy appropriately. Today is about learning, fact-finding and discovery rather than pontificating and imposing one’s will on others. Take the high road and bring about positive change and self-improvement. Physical activity will ease internal stress. 2 stars

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Place your attention on money, health and looking and doing your best. Plan your day strategically and optimize your time to suit your goal. Look at investments through a practical lens that helps you distance yourself from making emotional rather than practical choices. Recognize domestic issues before they turn into irreversible situations. Protect your assets. 4 stars

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Put pressure on yourself to adjust to the changes happening around you and to move forward. Get a handle on what makes you tick, and try to incorporate a passionate attitude into your everyday routine. Initiate a change at home that leads to greater comfort, convenience and relationships with those closest to you. 3 stars

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Emotions will surface, and airing your feelings will help rectify any problems that are stifling your progress or hurting your relationships with loved ones. The ability to bend and work your way through times of trouble will strengthen your character and help you gain respect. Follow through with promises. Actions speak louder than words. 3 stars

Birthday Baby: You are engaging, informative and compromising. You are captivating and patient.

1 star: Avoid conflicts; work behind the scenes.
2 stars: You can accomplish, but don’t rely on others.
3 stars: Focus and you’ll reach your goals.
4 stars: Aim high; start new projects.
5 stars: Nothing can stop you; go for gold.

Visit Eugenialast.com, or join Eugenia on Twitter/Facebook/LinkedIn.

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NFL fearless forecast 2025: Super Bowl, MVP winners and big themes — including game managers’ success

The reigning Super Bowl champions have a system quarterback and a game manager.

That would be Jalen Hurts, who has played brilliantly in two Super Bowls, with the Eagles blowing out the defending champion Kansas City Chiefs 40-22 in New Orleans in Super Bowl LIX on Feb. 9.

Hurts completed 17 of 22 passes for 221 yards and two touchdowns, and rushed for 72 yards and 11 carries with another score in being named Most Valuable Player.

Which brings us to the supposedly disparaging faint praise which comes to quarterbacks that avoid turnovers, execute a system designed to fit their strengths and stay on top of things such as down, distance and the game clock.

All quarterbacks are in effect “system quarterbacks.” The Eagles’ system happens to use Hurts as a runner because he’s such a good runner – not exactly a novel concept – and uses his running skills as well as those of Saquon Barkley to set up the passing game.

The 49ers did the same thing with Brock Purdy in very different ways when he took over as the last pick of the draft in 2022 and then excelled in 2023.

Purdy was downgraded in some circles because of the talent of his teammates, and people were happy to point out a dip in performance when some of those players such as Christian McCaffrey, Brandon Aiyuk and Trent Williams had washout years because of injuries.

It stands to reason that the supporting cast matters to the central figure in the sport, who is responsible for 10 other players. Operating a system is huge. Managing a game is huge. These are not small things.

How would Patrick Mahomes be without Andy Reid installing a system? Joe Burrow without Zac Taylor? Look how Lamar Jackson has developed with offensive coordinator Todd Monken at the controls.

It’s time to celebrate system quarterbacks and game managers rather than demean them. Hurts doesn’t win without either, or without physically dominating players on both sides of the line of scrimmage.

Getty ImagesBuffalo quarterback Josh Allen was the Most Valuable Player -- but not first-team All-Pro.

The Josh Allen-Lamar Jackson conundrum

With the same media panel of voters, it didn’t seem to make much sense that Jackson would be voted the first-team All-Pro quarterback with Josh Allen winning the Most Valuable Player.

And yet it makes perfect sense if you take a few seconds and think about it.

Baltimore had eight players selected to the Pro Bowl aside from Jackson. Buffalo had Allen and no one else.

Jackson had better numbers – 4,172 yards passing, 41 touchdowns, 4 interceptions, 915 yards rushing and four touchdowns and was deservingly first-team All-Pro. He led his team to a 12-5 record.

Allen passed for 3,731 yards, 28 touchdowns and six interceptions. He rushed for 531 yards and 12 touchdowns. He led his team to a 13-4 record.

Allen did more with less in terms of a supporting cast.

In this case, splitting the All-Pro/MVP vote made perfect sense.

Super Bowl winner

Buffalo Bills: This time Allen and Co. not only get past the Kansas City Chiefs for a change, but deliver a first-ever Super Bowl win over  . . . . believe it or not, the 49ers.

MVP

Joe Burrow, Cincinnati: The league is full of new era passing /running threats such as Jackson, Allen, Mahomes and last year’s rookie sensation Jayden Daniels of Washington. Operating from the pocket is getting to be a lost art. No one does it better than Burrow.

Offensive Player of the Year

Ja’Marr Chase, Cincinnati: At the other end of many of Burrow’s targets will be Chase, who had 127 receptions for 1,708 yards and 17 touchdowns. He’s the gold standard at his position.

A.P. PhotoLook for Maxx Crosby (98) of the Raiders to have a big year with Pete Carroll as head coach.

Defensive Player of the Year

Maxx Crosby, Las Vegas: This was my prediction a year ago as well. I’m making it again, believing a now-healthy Crosby paired with a Pete Carroll defense will be a perfect match.

Offensive Rookie of the Year

Ashton Jeanty, Las Vegas: Had 275 carries for 2,062 yards and 27 touchdowns at Boise State. Pencil the No. 6 overall pick out of Boise State in for at 1,500-plus yards and double-figure touchdowns as the central figure in the Raiders’ offense.

Defensive Rookie of the Year

Abdul Carter, N.Y. Giants: Last time the Giants had a defensive end and the No. 3 overall pick with this much talent was Michael Strahan.

Coach of the Year

Kyle Shanahan, 49ers: Shanahan’s teams are expected to be good, so he’s usually not a realistic candidate. Last year’s 6-11 nosedive sets him up for a worst-to-first in the NFC West.

Getty ImagesIt could be a big bounceback year for 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey and coach Kyle Shanahan.

Comeback player of the year

Christian McCaffrey, 49ers: My heart tells me Dre Greenlaw will have a big year with Denver. My head tells me he’s more likely to break down than McCaffrey. Would love to be wrong on this one. Greenlaw’s one half of play – before going out again – was the highlight of the 49ers’ season.

Fearless 49ers forecast

Here’s a secret – the 49ers lost a lot of players they fully intended to lose and put their money back into stars such as Purdy, George Kittle and Fred Warner. If those three remain healthy and with a youthful infusion, 6-11 becomes 11-6 or better.

First coach fired

Kevin Stefanski, Cleveland: The whole quarterback thing – signing Joe Flacco and then drafting Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders – is just plain strange. And not conducive to coaching stability.

Game of the Year

Week 4, Baltimore Ravens at Kansas City Chiefs: Lamar Jackson thinks he should have won the MVP last season and Patrick Mahomes will be motivated to win another after stumbling in the Super Bowl.

A.P. PhotoThe signing of Davante Adams immediately upgrades the Rams' passing game for quarterback Matthew Stafford.

Offensive moves that will mean the most in 2025

The Rams signed Davante Adams to pair with Puka Nacua. Matthew Stafford is the best pure passer Adams has had since Aaron Rodgers was winning MVPs with Green Bay.  The Chicago Bears made a commitment to quarterback Caleb Williams by signing guard Joe Thuney, drafting 6-foot-8 tackle Ozzy Trapilo and signing center Drew Dalman in free agency.

Defensive moves that will mean the most in 2025

The New England Patriots paid top dollar (four years, $104 million, $63 million guaranteed) for defensive end Milton Williams. He’s more of a set-the-edge type than a pass rusher but will be difficult to move in a Mike Vrabel defense. Minnesota hopes to milk the last bit of football out of veteran defensive tackles Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave, who were released by Washington and the 49ers, respectively.

Players under full-time injury watch

Minnesota quarterback J.J. McCarthy lost his rookie season to a torn ACL and will replace Sam Darnold for a division-winning team. Dallas quarterback Dak Prescott was limited to eight games when he tore a hamstring off the bone. Dre Greenlaw and Talanoa Hufanga couldn’t stay on the field for the 49ers and now play for the Broncos.

Related Articles Kurtenbach: Purdy must take on mantle of “the man” for 49ers Luke Farrell relishes dirty work as 49ers’ new blocking tight end Kurtenbach: A gut check for the Faithful — I’m predicting the 49ers will miss the playoffs in 2025 49ers’ 5 keys to victory: If rushing attacks don’t define outcome, then Purdy must mute Seahawks Kurtenbach: The 49ers are banking against years of NFL conventional wisdom in 2025, but it just might work

Ranking the impact of new NFL head coaches

1. Ben Johnson, Chicago; 2. Pete Carroll, Las Vegas; 3. Mike Vrabel, New England; 4, Brian Schottenheimer, Dallas; 5. Liam Coen, Jacksonville; 6. Aaron Glenn, N.Y. Jets; 7, Kellen Moore, New Orleans

Two-way Travis

The Jacksonville Jaguars took Travis Hunter with the second pick in the draft and appear intent on allowing him to play on offense and defense. Are they being sincere? Or will Hunter get the kind of token effort the Raiders gave Charles Woodson to be a two-way player?

Rodgers and Pittsburgh

Aaron Rodgers, even at 41, is the most talented passer the Steelers have had since Ben Roethlisberger. The question is if Rodgers can leave the circus behind and put up one last big year under Mike Tomlin.

High school football: Monterey beats Seaside in 60th Battle of the Bay

MONTEREY — There’s still an adrenaline rush that oozes through the veins of players and the alum that make this event an annual get together for a rivalry entering its 60th year.

Adrenaline from a festive crowd, however, eventually wears off and reality begins to take shape that this once fierce rivalry between Monterey and Seaside High has become one-sided.

For the third straight year, the Toreadores were down a blue-collar Seaside squad, coasting Saturday to a 42-8 win in Battle of the Bay at Monterey Peninsula College.

“It was 42, but it felt like 14.” Monterey coach Alex Besaw said. “It was a long game.  It’s really hard to have sloppy wins. We can’t overlook the sloppiness going into our league opener. It’s great we’re 2-0. But we have a long ways to go.”

Monterey, who was coming off a come-from-behind win over Christopher last week, opens the Gabilan Division season next Friday, hosting Aptos under their new lights on campus.

With four straight wins in the rivalry game, Monterey holds a 32-27-1 overall series lead. The last three years have one-sided as the Spartans have been outscored 134-28, with running clocks in two of the meetings in the fourth quarter.

“I don’t think two games are enough to jump into our league,” Besaw said. “You want to use non-league to position yourself for the potential of the playoffs. Whether we’re ready or not, it’s here. When you have a young team, you have to learn fast.”

A downward trend in the numbers in the Spartans program has shrunk the rosters of both the varsity and JV teams to 38 players. By comparison, Monterey has a freshman team roster of 40.

“Right now it’s an unfair playing field,” Seaside coach Al Avila said. “It has been that way for years. There are a lot of kids overthere that live in Seaside. It’s the reality of things.”

Because the Monterey Peninsula Unified School District has an open enrollment policy, kids in the Marina, Seaside and Monterey districts and choose to attend one the the schools if their class isn’t impacted.

The Toreadores, who hold a 31-27-1 overall lead in the series, are in the Gabilan Division, while the Seaside was dropped to the Santa Lucia Division this fall after a 1-9 season in the Mission Division North.

“I thought we did good job all week in handling those emotions,” Besaw said. “This was the 60th meeting. Sometimes you try just a little too hard, and you force the game to come to you. We didn’t have a great start.”

Which is a concern for Besaw going forward. In last week’s win over Christopher, it was staring at a 14-0 first quarter deficit before rallying, using a two-point conversion in the waning seconds for a 22-21 win.

“We cleaned some things up this week,” said Besaw, who had guided Monterey to the postseason in each of his first three years as the head coach. “But it took us a little too long to do that.”

The talk after game didn’t center around the outcome as much as what lies ahead for Monterey, where all nine teams in the Gabilan Division went to the postseason last year

“We told the kids the importance ofbeing prepared and how important it is to get off to a good start next week against Aptos,” Besaw said. “If we do what we’ve done these first two weeks, it will be hard to fight out of the gates.

Fine-tuning their playbook, the Toreadores got their playmakers involved with Ethan Bonilla rushing for two touchdowns, with Dekota Ordonio catching a touchdown pass from Bronson Gulley and rushing for one.

Bonilla, who went over 100 rushing yards in last week’s win, racked 107 yards in limited touches against Seaside, while Kai Vaughn added a touchdown run. Last week he caught two touchdowns and the winning two-point conversion.

“Was I worried about complacency?” Besaw said. “No. It was more about managing the expectations. The opponent doesn’t dictate how we behave and play. We’re still a young team trying to find the right trajectory to have a successful football program.”

Ricardo Luna also ran for his first touchdown of the season for Monterey, who

Seaside, who suited up 24 players, avoided the shutout in the third quarter when sophomore Elijah Romero connected with DJ Washington, providing a glimmer of hope going forward.

Surviving their preseason schedule is the objective as the Spartans gear up for the Santa Lucia Division, as it will face Sobrato of Morgan Hill who fell 6-0 to Bellarmine Prep two weeks ago.

Stevenson 49, Livingston 12: The Pirates are off to an explosive start, erupting for 40-plus points for the second straight game in improving to 2-0.

In two games, Stevenson has outscored the opposition 93-18, the largest margin of difference of any program in the Pacific Coast Athletic League through two games.

“We asked our guys to play to the standard we expect,” Stevenson coach Kyle Cassamas said. “We are focusing on the getting better every single week. I thought we did a great job in all three phases of the game.”

Finn Mink was electric in throwing the ball, completing 18-of-21 passes for 242 yards and four touchdowns. The senior quarterback also added 21 yards and a touchdown on the ground.

Derek Diniz caught seven passes for 102 yards and two touchdowns, and rushed for 41 yards, compiling six tackles on defense. Caden Olson also caught seven passes for 75 yards and a score.

Stressing balance in its attack, Tono Borgomini added 74 yards on 17 carries and a touchdown for Stevenson, while Logan Lund caught a touchdown and rushed for a touchdown.

“Offense is building each week and I thought we did a great job moving the ball with explosive plays,” Cassamas said. “We had a hard-nosed running game opponent and I was thrilled to see our defense stand tall.”

Zryan Morgan recorded seven tackles, while Cody Thatcher finished with six, forcing three fumbles. Alex Wang added five tackles for the Pirates, who have a bye next week before hosting San Lorenzo Valley.

Pacific Grove 21, Greenfield 7: Scoreless in the first half, the Breakers used two touchdowns from Garrett Kuska to pull away from Greenfield, improving to 2-0.

The Breakers, who have started the fall 2-0 for the third straight year, have a bye next week before facing St. Francis of Watsonville in a crossover game among the Mission Divisions.

Kuska staked Pacific Grove to a 14-point lead when he was on the receiving end of a 32-yard touchdown pass from Ersi Kulliolli. He later added a 2-yard touchdown run with 2:09 remaining to secure the win.

Northrup Kirk broke up the scoreless battle in the third quarter when he found a seam and took off 49 yards to the end zone.

Greenfield produced its first offensive points of the season when Francisco Hernandez caught a 30-yard touchdown pass.

North Salinas 27, Soledad 7: The Vikings will go into Gabilan Division play as one of six undefeated teams in the division, erupting for 20 fourth quarter points in knocking off former Mission Division South rival Soledad.

Bumped to the Gabilan Division this year, despite not having won a league title during their tenure in the Mission Division South, North Salinas will host Salinas next Saturday at Rabobank.

Dylan Reynoso put together a big fourth quarter for North Salinas with touchdown runs of 33 and 29 yards, while Kai Ceralde hit Canelo Gonzalez on a back-breaking 84-yard touchdown pass.

Gonzales provided the game’s only points in the first half with a 15-yard touchdown run for North Salinas.

Defense set the tone for North Salinas in the first half when Julian Gabriel made a stop at the goal line to keep the Aztecs (0-2) out of the end zone.

Soledad, who gave reigning state champion Carmel fits last week, cut into the Vikings 21-point lead when DJ Valenzuela found Marcos Negrete on a touchdown pass.

College football: Hartnell falls, MPC rallies to beat Shasta

STOCKTON  — Hurdles are part of the journey when you’re rebuilding the foundation and establishing a culture, with a vision in the present.

Art Berlanga has overcome obstacles throughout his coaching career in taking programs into uncharted waters. There’s little that the first year Hartnell College head football coach has not thought of in terms of a potential scenario.

Yet, not even Berlanga had a team bus breaking down on the road Saturday between Salinas and Stockton on his radar, delaying the start of the game 75 minutes.

“No, it wasn’t something I thought out,” laughed Berlanga. “It’s life. You adapt and control. The word unforeseen exists for a reason. Things happen. You have to adapt.”

The Panthers are still learning the importance of preparation during the week, as they were outscored 24-0 in the second half in a 44-14 setback to San Joaquin Delta in Stockton.

“It falls on me,” Berlanga said. “I have to do a better job. That’s it. Everyone talks about the process. We’re knee deep in it right now. Our preparation Monday-Friday matters a whole lot on game day — dictates how we play.”

Of course, it wasn’t ideal having half the team sitting off to the side of the freeway near Gilroy for 90 minutes, waiting for another bus to arrive, while the other bus that took the remainder of the team made the journey to Stockton.

“We’re not going to use that as an excuse not to play good football,” Berlanga said. “Things happen. It’s about what can we control and keep moving. We didn’t put a good product on the field today. The message after the game is it’s on me.”

Arriving at 1 p.m. for what was supposed to be a 1 p.m. kickoff, the Panthers were given an hour to get dressed. Forced out of their pre-game routine, it showed early when they found themselves staring at a 13-0 first quarter deficit.

Yet, an Adam Shaffer 3-yard touchdown pass to Brian Neal created some momentum. When Shaffer called his own number for a 9-yard touchdown run with 10 seconds left in the first half, the Panthers had life, down by six.

“We had a lot of hope going into halftime,” said Berlanga, who took Forge Christian High in Denver to a state title game last fall. “We scored just before halftime. We had energy. We were in a good spot.”

What transpired was a teaching moment as the Mustangs (1-1) erupted for 24 unanswered points in the second half to pull away from the 1-1 Panthers.

“They just made more plays than we did in the second half,” Berlanga said. “Overall, they were bigger and faster. When you’re put in that situation, you have to have a lot of things go right to be successful.”

Shaffer finished with 78 passing yards and 70 rushing yards for the Panthers, who will return to Rabobank Stadium next Saturday, hosting Los Medanos at 1 p.m.

Palma graduate Caden Scherer and Alvarez alum Jacob Peinado each had seven tackles for Hartnell, while former Rancho San Juan standout Ian Ray finished with five.

MPC 35, Shasta 32: Squandering a 19-point second-half lead, the Lobos needed a little late fourth quarter magic to leave Shasta with a win.

Ricky Guillory’s touchdown run on a jet sweep with 2:01 left in the game turned a four-point deficit into a dramatic three-point win for the Lobos, who have now won their first two games by a combined six points.

“I take some personal responsibility,” MPC coach Adrian Gallegos said. “I made a couple of bad decisions in my opinion. I may have underestimated Shasta. I got a little too cute at times. I’ll learn from it.”

The Lobos, who came into the game ranked No. 19 in the state after its upset of Foothill, are two-for-two this year in game-winning drives.

“Honestly, our guys don’t blink in the moment,” Gallegos said. “Since I’ve been here, we’re 5-for-5 in game-winning drives. We made it hard. I guess we like the dramatic.”

The 2-0 Lobos — who host Santa Rosa next Saturday — own the longest current winning streak in the state. Santa Rosa is coming off a seven-point loss to nationally ranked Modesto.

“We’ll clean it up in the film room and get better,” promised Gallegos, who served as the Lobos offensive coordinator for two years before taking the head coaching job this fall. “It took a lot of guys tonight to pull this out.”

Two touchdown runs by Monterey High grad Enobong Wirth in the first half, coupled with a Simon Manuel Lopez touchdown pass to Julius Robertson in the third quarter staked the Lobos to a 28-9 cushion.

What followed was a series of mishaps in which a Shasta defensive touchdown saw them run off 24 unanswered points to take its first lead of the game with six minutes remaining.

“We put our defense in a bad situation with turnovers,” Gallegos said. “Little things flipped the momentum. We made it harder on ourselves than we had to. We had the game in control. We were imposing our will.”

With seven different players touching the ball on the game-winning drive, the Lobos drove 80 yards in under four minutes, capped by Guillroy skirting in from 2 yards out with 2:01 left in the game.

Wirth carried the load on the game-winning drive, finishing with 140 rushing yards in the game.

Shasta, who had one more offensive possession, went four-and-out as Trevohn Ferguson knocked down a pass to end the game. The sophomore from Milpitas also had an interception earlier in the game.

 

Pro Soccer: Winless streak extends to seven in Union’s loss in Colorado

COLORADO SPRINGS — A season filled with expectations is turning into another disappointment as Monterey Bay FC has dropped to the bottom of the Western Conference.

The Union’s winless run was extended to seven matches on the pitch Saturday as host Colorado Springs took advantage of its high altitude air, erasing a 1-0 deficit to secure a 2-1 decision.

The setback sank Monterey Bay FC into last in the United Soccer League Championship’s Western Conference — pushing them six points out of the final playoff spot with six matches remaining in the season.

The Union, whose only road win this year came on March 22 in Orange County, are now winless in their last 12 games away from Cardinale Stadium at 1-8-4.

Monterey Bay FC, which has never made the playoffs in its four-year existence, closes the season with five of its final six matches at home, where it is 5-3-2.

The Union are going to have to leapfrog four opponents just to jump into playoff contention. Currently, four teams are tied for fifth in the Western Conference in points with 30. Six teams are separated by two points among the eight automatic qualifiers.

Tarik Scott, on loan from FC Dallas of Major League Soccer, produced his first goal as a member of the Union (6-12-6) on a fast break, staking them to a brief 1-0 lead. Since his arrival, the forward has a goal and an assist in three matches.

Colorado Springs, who moved into a tie for fifth with 30 points, answered with a pair of goals to avenge an earlier season loss to the Union by the same 2-1 result.

Since starting the season 5-1-0 in one-goal matches, the Union are 1-8-0 overall.

If the Union are going to have a miraculous close to their season to make a postseason push, four of the six opponents on their schedule are franchises that would be in the playoffs if the season ended today.

 

SF Giants’ winning streak snapped as Walker blows save against Cardinals

ST. LOUIS — There exist phenomenon that defy explanation, trends unfolding with no rhyme, no reason. The Giants do not know why their offense stalls when Justin Verlander takes the mound. Nor do they know why their bullpen often falters when Verlander is in line for a win. Yet, these trendspersist.

The Giants entered the bottom of the ninth on Saturday at Busch Stadium with a two-run lead. Verlander, having thrown six shutout innings, was in line for his fourth win of the season. San Francisco’s offense only scored two runs, but those two runs looked like enough on a night where pitching ruled.

That was before Ryan Walker faced five batters and didn’t record a single out.

Three singles, a double and a hit-by-pitched yielded three runs for the St. Louis Cardinals, who handed Walker his first blown save since re-entering the closer role for Randy Rodríguez. The Giants, as a collective, lost 3-2, wasting an opportunity to gain ground on the Mets for the final NL wild card spot as their five-game winning streak was snapped. And Verlander, as an individual, had to watch another win go by the wayside.

“That’s a frustrating one,” Verlander said. “Not just for me, personally, obviously. We’re playing good baseball, we’re chasing down the teams ahead of us. It sucks, but that’s baseball. Can’t win ‘em all. Find a way to win the series tomorrow and just keep trying to play good baseball. That’s all we can do.”

For Verlander, this marks the seventh time this season he’s departed from a start in line for a victory only to end up with a no decision. Walker, oddly enough, has failed to protect leads in four of those seven instances, including tonight.

Walker gave up four runs in the bottom of the ninth to the Los Angeles Angels on Easter Sunday, then failed to protect leads against the Chicago Cubs (May 6) and Chicago White Sox (June 29). Tonight, Walker let another lead slip away.

Nolan Gorman and Mason Wynn led off the ninth with back-to-back singles, then Walker loaded the bases by plunking Jimmy Crooks. Thomas Saggese sliced San Francisco’s lead to one run with an RBI single, then Jordan Walker erased it entirely with a walk-off, two-run double that deflected off third baseman Matt Chapman’s glove.

“Obviously, he’s not trying to do that,” Verlander said. “He’s my teammate. You have to turn the page. Next time he’s out there, I have the utmost faith in him. So, just unfortunate.”

Said Walker: “I try not to get too frustrated. “I’d rather just wipe it off and move on. But, I mean, it sucks. At the end of the day, it’s baseball. Someone’s gotta win, and today, it was them. Maybe I could’ve mixed up my pitches more, but you could always have a ‘what if’ at the end of the day. I’m happy with what was called and what I threw. It comes down to execution. If I execute the pitch a little bit better, then it’s a different story.”

The onus of the loss falls on Walker, but San Francisco’s offense did not provide much as far as run support for their starter either.

The Giants were bound to eventually have a quiet game offensively — their streak of games with at least one home run ended at 18 — but it was the latest quiet game with Verlander on the mound. Including this loss, Verlander has received three runs or fewer of run support in 20 of his 25 starts this year.

“I don’t know how to explain it,” said manager Bob Melvin. “When a guy like that takes the mound, you feel pretty good. … He’s had the worst luck as far as wins and losses go. He’s almost down to below four (ERA) at this point in time after maybe a little bit of a rough start. Certainly not his doing.”

In striking out Gorman looking in the sixth, Verlander recorded the 3,535th strikeout of his career to pass Giants Hall of Famer Gaylord Perry for eighth on the all-time strikeouts list. The next pitcher for Verlander to pass is Don Sutton, who totaled 3,574 strikeouts over 23 seasons. With three to four starts remaining, it’s plausible that Verlander moves to seventh by season’s end.

“I was excited to get to 200 (strikeouts),” Walker said. “I couldn’t even imagine 3500. That’s insane. It’s a long time in the big leagues.”

For SF Giants’ Matos, refined mechanics, approach fueling hot streak

ST. LOUIS — The Giants have transformed into an offensive juggernaut over the last two weeks, and Luis Matos has had no small role in that success.

Since being recalled from Triple-A Sacramento on Aug. 21, Matos is hitting .400/.429/.711 with three home runs, eight RBIs and 11 runs scored over 12 games. In his fourth game back, Matos led the Giants to a win over the Milwaukee Brewers by hitting a two-run homer in the second, then scoring the go-ahead run on a single by Heliot Ramos in the ninth.

Matos, 23, made the Opening Day roster but has spent most of the season as a platoon bat against left-handed pitching behind  Mike Yastrzemski. On two occasions, he’s been optioned to Triple-A Sacramento. With Yastrzemski traded to the Royals at the deadline, Matos is capitalizing on his first extended run of playing time this season.

It’s a hot streak that’s been a product of his own willingness to change.

“I was having issues with my timing,” Matos said through team interpreter Erwin Higueros, “so I decided to change my whole approach and start from zero.”

One tweak Matos made was moving up in the batter’s box to be closer to the pitchers, which he believes allows him to capitalize on middle-inside pitches. Matos was 29 inches behind the front edge of home plate in July, but in September, he’s moved up to 22.1 inches.

Matos has also significantly widened his base. In July, his feet were 42 inches apart on average. In September, that distance has expanded to 48.6 inches.

“It was done to use my legs, to be faster with my hands,” Matos said. “When I wasn’t playing as often, I was having problems with that. I realized that spreading my legs was going to help me more with getting to the ball faster.”

The most significant tweak that Matos made was the adaption of a permanent two-strike approach.

Early in the season, there was a clear difference in Matos’ stride before two strikes compared to with two strikes. Here’s an at-bat by Matos back on March 29, his first game of the season. The first clip is with the count at 1-1, while the second clip is with the count at 1-2. Notice that there is a more pronounced leg lift when Matos has one strike compared to two strikes:

https://sporty-clips.mlb.com/bGJNTUJfQjFOTUJnVkFFbGRmRlJGYkFraENXRk1SX0JnVUFBVmNBVUFZQUFWY0ZVZ0FIVXdKV0FGa05XMVFBQTFBTUNRTU5BMWNBQVZRSA==.mp4https://sporty-clips.mlb.com/bGJNTUJfQjFOTUJnVkFFbGRmRlJGYkFraENXRk1SX0JnRllBRkZXVndFQUR3UlRWUUFIQ1ZKZkFGa0dBbGdBVUFSVUFRSUZWd3BRQkFKVA==.mp4

Now, here’s an at-bat by Matos on Sept. 3, a night where Matos singled and drew a walk. The first clip is with the count at 0-0, the second with the count being at 2-2. Along with a noticeably wider stance, Matos keeps his stride short from the beginning of the plate appearance and doesn’t alter his stride once he gets to two strikes.

https://sporty-clips.mlb.com/Uk8ya2FfQjFOTUJnVkFFbGRmRlJGYkFraENXRk1SX0FWVlVWbFJWQlZRQURBY0VCQUFIQVE1VEFGa0FVd1VBQTFRQUFnY0NVd3BkQTFCUg==.mp4https://sporty-clips.mlb.com/Uk8ya2FfQjFOTUJnVkFFbGRmRlJGYkFraENXRk1SX0RnWllVQUFEVWxFQVhWTldYd0FIQVE0REFGZ0ZWRmtBQkFGV1ZBSUdBQVpYVmdOVw==.mp4

“Luis has a tremendous feel for what he’s doing in a time where we’ve lost that a little bit,” said hitting coach Pat Burrell. “It’s become so mechanical and metric driven a lot of times. Then, you have a natural swinger with a baseball bat in Luis. I’m at the point with him where I just trust him, and that’s crazy because he’s 23, but I go, ‘Look, you know how to hit. You’ve always hit. I love what you do.’”

Added manager Bob Melvin: “He’s spread out a little bit more, even more with two strikes, just trying to take a lot of the movement out,” said manager Bob Melvin. “He’s got quick hands, so it allows him to wait a little bit longer and lay of pitches out of the zone. I think getting to play quite a bit also is helping him as well. … He’s made some adjustments and it’s working for him.”

Matos’ sample size is far too small to make any definitive assessments, but this is unquestionably the best that Matos has looked all season. He’s raised his OPS on the season from .599 to .725 over this 12-game stretch, and he’ll likely be a mainstay in the Giants’ starting lineups throughout September.

“It’s nice to see him get some length here and get some opportunity. I think he’s doing a hell of a job with it,” Burrell said. “He’s 23 and he’s still learning. When I was 23, I was in Double-A. He’s been up and down for three years — that doesn’t go unnoticed. He’s a very mature young man, but in terms of major-league at-bats, he’s still pretty green. But I think he’s working in the right direction. In fact, I know he is.”

Santa Cruz County RTC shoulders $6.6 million in overruns for Phase 2 of Highway 1 project

CAPITOLA — Costs are rising as a project along Highway 1 near Capitola and Aptos progresses, prompting the local transportation agency helping lead the effort to fork over millions of dollars more to keep momentum going forward.

The Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission agreed unanimously at its Thursday meeting to program an additional $6.6 million to help get Phase 2 of the Watsonville-Santa Cruz Multimodal Corridor Program over the finish line. The money will be provided through an amendment to the commission’s Measure D highway corridors budget for fiscal year 2025-2026, but commission Executive Director Sarah Christensen has also been authorized to pursue a short-term money borrowing strategy that may be needed to avoid cash flow issues.

The project, which stretches along the highway from the Bay Avenue/Porter Street exit to State Park Drive, broke ground in April 2024 and as of this week is approximately 45% complete, according to representatives from Caltrans. In addition to auxiliary lanes and bus-on-shoulder facilities in both directions of the highway, another central feature of the project includes a complete rebuild of the bridge at Capitola Avenue and that specific component is about 90% complete.

As a project partner, Caltrans was responsible for awarding and administering the original $72 million construction contract to Granite Construction, but the transportation commission is required to shoulder the burden of project cost overruns, according to the staff report.

“In construction projects there’s a lot of, sometimes, unforeseen situations; a lot of in-field conflicts that come along in the construction,” said Amin AbuAmara, the commission’s director of capital projects. “Sometimes these conflicts happen.”

The priciest contributor to the ballooning budget is a modification to a pedestrian overcrossing at Mar Vista Drive, Caltrans representatives explained at the meeting. Once crews began digging, they discovered two unmapped sewer force mains that necessitated a redesign of the bridge and ultimately equated to $2.8 million in additional spending.

Additionally, the construction contractor originally planned to close all four exits at the Bay Avenue/Porter Street ramps simultaneously for 14 months, but once the commission’s staff was notified of that plan, they knew a change was needed and asked for a phased closure schedule despite the adjustment resulting in $1.9 million of added costs.

“We intervened and said, ‘Absolutely not,’” said Christensen. “I suppose the cost increase associated with maintaining traffic and limiting the impacts to the traveling public is somewhat of a price to pay to limit impacts to the traveling public.”

Other significant expenditures arose from discovery of unsuitable, human-made materials and utility conflicts, along with additional required tree removal.

While the requested funding for additional work totaled $7.7 million in all, Caltrans managed to cut $1.5 million in costs by reducing the size of the soundwall between the highway and the frontage road, and through more efficient use of excavation materials, resulting in the final request of $6.6 million.

Commissioner Steve Clark was not pleased with the commission’s newfound cost burden and asked a series of questions to confirm reasoning for the changes, some of which he suggested could have been predicted.

He then continued by asking about the overruns’ impact on the third and final phase of the project that extends south to Freedom Boulevard and is also the costliest segment. In addition to increasing that phase’s original contingency allocation, Christensen added context by saying that all of the funding available for highway projects included within Measure D — a 30-year half-cent sales tax — has already been used on the first two phases.

“Staff has been working really diligently to manage the risk of that (Phase 3) project so that we can successfully complete it and hopefully have a little bit of funding left over to do other enhancements into the next few decades of the life of the measure,” said Christensen.

To meet current funding commitments for Measure D’s highway category, according to the staff report, a line of credit was recommended instead of bonding because it allows the commission to only pay interest for what is needed.

The finance plan for the line of credit will be shared with the commission at a future meeting where its approval will be requested.