With playoffs on the line

Pride and honor.

The words are written in big letters across campus and is proudly displayed atop the press box at Wahl Field. But the phase isn't just a motto at East Nicolaus High, it's a way of life, especially for the Spartans' football team.

According to the Northern Section record book, East Nicolaus has won seven section titles and have appeared in 15 championship games over the past 23 seasons.

And while coach Mark Varnum may be in just his second season leading the Spartans' storied program, the fiery head man is well aware of the rich tradition at the school and driven to not let it fade.

"People talk about pride and honor, but it's something we really do preach," Varnum said. "We're kinda getting back to old-school, hard-hitting East Nicolaus football."

The Spartans will need to be at their best tonight when they play host to visiting Quincy in a key Mid-Valley League contest.

The teams come in with identical 5-2 overall records, with the Spartans sitting in second place in the MVL standings with a 3-1 mark. Quincy is 2-2 in league with both its losses coming to league front-runner Portola and perennial powerhouse Hamilton.

"We're right in the thick of things. We're in second place in league and that's what we're shooting for," Varnum said. "We feel good. The main thing is we're 5-2 and the games we lost were against two great teams that I

don't see losing all year."

The two losses Varnum referred to came in the form of a 53-0 loss to North Coast Section juggernaut Ferndale in week two and a 68-0 loss to a powerful Portola team two weeks ago, both on the road.

While tonight's foe may not be up to the level of the Ferndales and Portolas, the Trojans do have some offensive weapons that have East Nicolaus concerned.

At the top of that list is running back Alex Easley, whose 881 yards rushing and 15 touchdowns rank among the best in the section. Add to that an additional 531 yards and nine touchdowns by quarterback Cameron Diaz De Leon, and the East Nicolaus D will have its work cut out.

Offensively, the Spartans will look to the 1-2 punch of junior running backs Alex Cundiff and Josh Wilson, both of whom can take over a game with their big-play potential.

Wilson's game-breaking talents were on full display last week when he returned the opening kickoff 95 yards for a touchdown to ignite East Nicolaus' 24-13 win over Colusa.

And while the Spartans have become a more pass-happy offense in recent years, Varnum's team has reverted back to a tried-and-true formula for success in recent weeks.

"We're getting back to being a hard-nosed, physical team," Varnum said. "That's a good style for us. We just really want to go in there and pound them and put it to them a bit. If we stay smart and the guys do their jobs, I think we'll be fine."