Ray rebuilds a championship

This was going to be a rebuilding year for the East Nicolaus High football team.

The Spartans lost 19 seniors to graduation, and many were key players who led the team to the 2006 Northern Section Div. IV championship.

“And that team was like a family,” said coach Matt Ray, adding he had to do little to motivate the squad or, for the matter, discipline the players.

“They policed themselves,” Ray said.

That was a far cry from the 2007 team, a collection of new players - some even new to East Nicolaus - and a group that really had no concept of what being a team really required.

That is why Ray said his second championship in three years as the head man at East Nicolaus was a little sweeter.

It is also why Ray has been selected at the 2007 Appeal-Democrat Coach of the Year.

“They are both very satisfying in their own way,” Ray said of his two championships, “But the coaches had to work a lot harder this year.”

Ray said he knew he would have plenty of talent. He just didn’t know what kind of team he would have. At times, he worried more about how to convince his players to be good teammates than he did about the teams they were playing.

The turning point, Ray said, was the 21-20 loss to Delta.

Ray said the Spartans should have handled the Saints without much effort, and instead turned in one of the most selfish performances he had ever seen.

"We had a major meltdown, and right after that, we quashed that (selfish play). ... It was one of those 'I get it moments’ for the players,” Ray said. “After that, it was smooth sailing."

The Spartans, 5-3 after the Delta loss, ran off four straight wins, including a convincing 20-6 victory against Modoc in the championship.

Ray said that season-closing resiliency the team showed was evident throughout the season, and never more than in the two wins against Esparto.

East Nicolaus rallied in the final two minutes to beat Esparto 17-16 in the season opener, and repeated the come-from-behind theme with a 27-21 win in the section semifinal.

“This team found a way to win,” Ray said.