Cal Football

Spring Showcase a Hit With Fans and Players

By Jim McGill

April 30, 2022

6,289

MEMORIAL STADIUM -All 15 days of spring practice are in the books after today’s Spring Showcase game in front of an estimated 3.000 enthusiastic fans and player families. The weather and conditions couldn’t have been a better way to welcome fans back to Memorial for their first spring scrimmage in three years.

Besides 20+ recruits on hand, including some of the Bears’ biggest targets, like 5 star Pittsburg QB Jaden Rashada‍, 4 star WR Rashid Williams‍, Central Valley Christian OLB Jaeden Moore‍ -all at the top of Cal’s wishlist at their respective positions, Cal’s ‘23 4 star safety commit RJ Jones‍ and more, the Bears also welcomed former All-American and current NFL WR DeSean Jackson and fellow star receiver Geoff McArthur, former DT and longtime NFL MLB Lorenzo Alexander and 1982 Big Game “The Play” star Kevin Moen, who reminisced about his famous, trombone player flattening touchdown to break Stanford QB John Elway’s heart with announcer Joe Starkey.

The action was designed to be fairly vanilla, with redshirt junior QB Jack Plummer playing behind the first team o-line against mainly the second-team defense and redshirt frosh QB Kai Millner playing behind the second-team o-line and often going against the first-team defense.

The first big play of the day came on a beautiful TD pass from Plummer to speedy redshirt frosh receiver Mavin Anderson in the corner of the end zone for 25 yards over redshirt frosh DB Fatu Iosefa. The drive also featured a 15-yard catch by senior WR Monroe Young and a 12-yard completion to redshirt frosh receiver J.Michael Sturdivant.

RB Chris Street took a swing pass for a 12-yard gain and RB Damien Moore had a couple nice runs and a slick one-handed catch in the next possession before the drive ended on a Miles Williams interception on a Millner pass that sailed. Williams also had a sack on the drive and showed up big all practice.

Soph RB Ashton Stredick exploded through the line and down th sideline for 45 yards on the best run of the day. QB Robby Rowell was nearly picked on the next play by soph CB Isaiah Young but the young corner wasn’t able to hold onto the ball. The drive ended on a 44-yard Dario Longhetto field goal that would’ve been good for at least 10 more.

Redshirt soph QB Zach Johnson put together a nice drive on the next series, featuring a 17-yard catch to Anderson, a 30-yard catch by Young and a scrambling 5-yard TD pass to roommate Justin Baker.

Senior QB Ryan Glover, who recently entered the transfer portal, got into the mix, scrambling for a 10-yard TD.

Unofficially, Plummer went 6-for-8 for 54 yards and 1 TD. Millner went 6-for-15 for 54 yards and one INT. Rowell went 2-for-3 for two yards. Johnson was a perfect 3-for-3 for 48 yards and one TD and Glover went 1-2 for two yards and his rushing TD.

For running backs, Moore had four carries for 23 yards, Stredick had five carries for 56 yards, Ott had six carries for 21 yards, Brooks had two carries for seven yards an fullback Beau Tagaloa had six yards and a TD.

On defense, DE Ethan Saunders was as disruptive as usual, with four tackles and a sack. Safety Miles Williams had a great day, with four tackles, a sack and an interception. Fatu Iosefa had five tackles and an impressive two sacks, showing great speed and timing off the edge. CB Tyson McWilliams had three tackles and pass defended. MLB Kyle Smith had four tackles. DT Jaedon Roberts had a pair of sacks. MLB Kaleb Elarms-Orr looked sharp after rehabbing during the fall and offseason and being limited this spring, with three tackles. DT Gunnar Rask and LB Mykle So’oto each had three tackles a piece.

On special teams, kicker Dario Longhetto continued his impressive spring, going 3-for-3 in field goals from 24, 44 and 49 yards. Backup kicker Nick Lopez hit his only attempt from short distance.