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Thursday, September 18, 2014 Page 3 Red Bluff Daily News By Travis Souders Sixth-year head coach John Studer didn't mince words when conveying his expectations for the Corn- ing High football team this season. "I feel that we have the ability to make the playoffs again, and I think our whole staff and team in general would be disappointed if we didn't," Studer sad. "We have the talent to win enough games to be a playoff team and I think if we stay healthy, which every team is worried about, and get a little bit of momentum and finish strong, I feel like we're a team that can win in the playoffs." With five seniors starting on the offensive line, he's got good reason to feel that way, even with Division III still littered with quality teams. A year ago, Corn- ing went 7-4, falling to Orland 13-6 in the opening round of the postseason before powerhouse West Val- ley went on to win the section title. Studer isn't expecting the return to the playoffs to be easy, but he is expecting it to happen. "It will definitely be a challenge. We're not going to roll over (Division III) by any stretch of the imagi- nation," he said. "But we're good enough to win in the playoffs." It will help Corning's cause to have had a glut of sophomores who got playing time last year, as it means a senior-heavy squad will be bolstered by var- sity-experienced juniors on both sides of the ball. The Cardinals never do seem to be big up front, but they do have games under their belts, and that matters in Corning's moving-parts wing-T offense. The anchors of the system are the Cardinal guards Quincy Jones and Osiel Villa. "There's an old saying, and I'm not sure it didn't originate in Corning, but it's that the wing-T only goes as far as your guards take you," Studer said. "One, if not both, of those guys are pulling on 90 per- cent of our plays, and in most cases, they're making the critical block that we're running play off of. They have either the kick-out or the lead-up on the line- backer, and it's true, you need those guys to run this offense. They get it." Running behind Villa and Jones, along with the rest of the Corning line, is a diverse and multi-faceted backfield group including senior fullbacks Joe Aguirre and Tony Carrillo. Most defenses tend to try to take away the fullback first in wing-T sets, so car- ries for that position are usually in the 10-to-12 range for Corning. That might change as defenses continue to key in on the dive, but the Cardinals are multiple enough with a mobile quarterback and two wingbacks that Studer said he still sees opportunities for Aguirre and Carrillo to have an impact. Alex Davila, a balanced 1,000 yard rusher as a sophomore last year, will complement Chance Nel- son, a more elusive back who represents one of Corn- ing's best big-play threats. Junior Wyatt Haydon is the quarterback, and the run-happy Cardinals have been so pleased with what they've seen from his throws already that Studer anticipates being able to use his arm as a weapon. "One of the reasons I think we've caught the ball so well early on is because he throws such a good ball," Studer said. "Unlike a typical season for us, the air attack will be more of a threat. He commands the hud- dle really well, too. Anyone watching practice would suspect he's a senior. His top target figures to be Aiden Nye, who rotat- ed between receiver and the backfield last season. Defensively, Corning has seven players returning that started at one point or another last year; the down- side is that many of them also started on offense. The Cardinals have the most talent on the field, on both sides of the ball, using two-way players. But Studer still believes he'll have the depth to keep everyone fresh enough to compete in Division III. Seth Danielson Is Your Check Engine Light On? We'll Code Check it 527-5314 Where Excellence Meets Affordable No Appointment Necessary FREE Visit us on the web at www.eliteautomotiveredbluff.com Monday-Friday 7:30-5:30 SMOG CHECK ✓ 20815 Dalby Ln. Red Bluff Zac Danielson GOOD LUCK CARDINALS! CRANE MILLS PASKENTA CORNING It's playoffs or bust for Cardinals