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Kelly, Ussery, Wilson ready for Lions Classic
 SONORA WILDCAT Ryan Kelly (center) and Calaveras Redskin teammates Monti Wilson (left) and Chris Ussery (right) kneel at Stagg Field in Stockton before practice on Wednesday afternoon. The trio will participate in the 38th Lions All-Star Classic Football Game on Saturday night. JASON BUCK/UNION DEMOCRAT The 38th annual Lions All-Star Classic Football Game is on Saturday night, and so Sperling is intently watching the North defense trying to stop its offense. Lodi running back Collin Rhodes takes a handoff and looks for some daylight around the edge. But through no fault of Rhodes, there is no room. Absolutely none. Calaveras Redskin Monti Wilson has darted in from his strong safety position, shed a block, and locked up Rhodes in the backfield. “There we go!” yells Sperling. “That’s what I want! Way to go, Monti!” Moments later, Lincoln wide receiver Donzale Ashley, who happens to be 6-foot-2, runs a 15-yard stop. The ball is airborne, Ashley jumps up and this looks like a sure completion. But, seemingly from out of nowhere, Redskin cornerback Chris Ussery — who happens to be 5-foot-7 — emerges, makes a skyscraping leap, and deflects the ball harmlessly to the turf. Incompletion. “Holy, Calaveras, Batman!” beams Sperling. “What a play! What a play!” The North offense huddles up. Sperling taps Sonora linebacker Ryan Kelly on the shoulder pads. “I just happen to think that we’re gonna score a defensive touchdown on Saturday night,” says Sperling. “What do you think?” “I know we will,” answers Kelly. Then Kelly lines up at his weak-side backer position. Out of earshot of Kelly, Sperling says, “I call Kelly ‘Urlacher.’ He reminds me of Brian Urlacher (the Chicago Bear All-Pro linebacker). Ryan is athletic. He moves to the ball. A natural nose for the ball. Plays downhill. He’s a linebacker coachs’ dream. He picked up our defense (Tampa 2) real quick. Great open-field tackler. He’s got the wheels.” Lodi head coach Todd Dillon, a former pro quarterback, is temporarily taking snaps for the North offense. He fakes a pitch left, fakes a handoff up the gut, then pitches to his right. Kelly is not fooled. He grabs the running back and cradles him up at the line of scrimmage. No gain. “That’s it, Kelly!” bellows Sperling. “Great instincts, Kelly! That’s what I want to see!” In 2010, Kelly led Sonora to the postseason while Wilson and Ussery were the bedrocks that helped propel Calaveras to the Sac-Joaquin Section Division IV championship game. Wilson earned 2010 All-Area Most Valuable Player honors. Summerville quarterback Zach Roberson, who was All-Area Co-MVP in 2009 and 2008, had to withdraw from the 2010 Lions game due to an injury late last week. After three days of Stockton workouts, Kelly, Wilson and Ussery have made a strong impression on the Lodi coaching staff — who will lead the North into battle on Saturday. “At Lodi, we play in Division-One,” says Sperling. “And people make a big deal out of that. As if Division-Four or Division-Five is somehow different. Let me make this clear: Ryan Kelly, Monti Wilson and Chris Ussery would start on any Division-One team I’ve seen play. “Those three kids are like our kids at Lodi. They play in small towns. They play in great football programs with great football coaches. All three are so disciplined.” “This whole experience has been a blast so far,” said Ussery. “Everyone here has this huge passion for football. It’s very intense and it’s giving me a good picture of what college sports will look like.” Ussery will begin playing college baseball next spring at San Joaquin Delta College. “So,” says Ussery, “Saturday is my last football game and I want to soak up the moment.” This fall, Kelly will be playing football for Mendocino College. “I think Chris, Monti and myself are the only ‘Mountain kids’ out here,” says the 6-foot, 220-pound Kelly. “And I think we’re showing everyone out here that we’re a tough crew. Monti and Chris came from a hard-hitting high school and so did I and all of that is showing up on this practice field.” “Ryan is a D-One linebacker,” said Sperling. “Mendocino is lucky to have him.” “What I’ve noticed about Ryan is that he is so strong to the ball,” said eight-year Lodi defensive coordinator Curtis Perkins. “He’s a natural leader on defense. He makes great hits.” When the North first-string offense has lined up, Kelly has been playing right guard. “What I’m looking forward to doing on Saturday night is hitting people,” said Kelly. “I’ll be playing hard. That’s what I did last year and that’s what got me here to this game.” “Ryan is a big dude who does play hard,” said Wilson. “He’s a bull. He’s an awesome football player, and he’s a funny guy. He keeps this team loose.” The 5-foot-11, 183-pound Wilson earned a partial athletic scholarship to play football in the fall for (Division II) Southern Oregon. “I know that Southern Oregon got a real good catch with Monti,” said Perkins. “He’s very fast. He has a knack for the ball. He’s very coachable and very skillful in that secondary. “On Saturday, I want him at strong safety because he’ll play well in pass coverage but I’ll roll him up a lot. He’s a strong safety but he’s like a linebacker, too. He just loves to hit. “With Monti and Chris both at Calaveras, it’s no wonder why they had so much success this year. It’s too bad for me that I only get them for a week. I wish I had them all year. It sure would have made my job as defensive coordinator a whole lot easier.” As Wednesdays’ 11-on-11 drills in Stockton come to a close, seven passes have been attempted against Ussery at cornerback. If you’ve guessed that one of those seven passes were completed, then you’ve guessed a little too high. “Chris breaks on the ball so well,” said Perkins. “I really don’t have to say too much to him.” “It’s an honor for me to get to play with Chris and Monti,” said Kelly. “It’s a lot better having them on my team because they were giving me problems when we played them last fall. Those two guys are as quick as anybody out here. Those two are great athletes and great guys and Calaveras had a great season, as we all know.” “Nothing has changed with Monti,” says Ussery. “He’s looking as fast and as strong as he was during our season.” “Chris is looking really quick, as he always does,” said Wilson. “He’ll be tough on Saturday at cornerback. Personally, on Saturday, my plan is to be aggressive. I want to be a playmaker. Make big hits. This is a hard-working team and we’re all planning on making a lot of big hits.” And with practice winding down, it’s Kelly who makes a big hit on a running back. More than that, he actually smashes that ball carrier straight into the turf. Sperling, ever a linebacker coach, shakes his head in a mild state of amusement. “Well,” he says, “in all actuality, you’re really not supposed to make a full-smashing tackle in these type of drills. But it’s Kelly. We’re used to it by now. We just keep saying, ‘It’s Kelly.’ So we have to let it go. What else can we do?” |
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