Sac-Joaquin Section: Woodland Christian improves to 6-1 after 62-12 win over Delta

Cardinals continue to look like a section small-school power under coach Mike Paschke

Author:
SBLive Sports
Publish date:
Oct 8, 2022 4:53 PM EDT

WOODLAND, Calif. — There's a small school in Yolo County in the midst of doing big things.

It's Woodland Christian High School, a tiny campus tucked into a sprawling new neighborhood, coached by a guy who graduated from the old high school across town that bears the town's name: Woodland High.

Mike Paschke also was on the front lines of constructing "new" Pioneer High in Woodland when that school opened in 2003, and now he's in his second year as head coach at Woodland Christian.

What's the big deal? Well, victories, for one. The Cardinals have been a powerhouse in the Sacramento Metropolitan Athletic League since 2013 after lean years as a new varsity program the previous decade.

Woodland Christian has not lost a league game since 2015 and it didn't lose a game last season until the Sac-Joaquin Section Division finals.

Now there seems to be a real chance that WC may not lose again this season, or at least for a long while. In racing over and past the second best team in the league, the Delta Saints of Clarksburg on Friday night, by the score of 62-12,

Woodland Christian moved to 6-1.

The loss was to Division 4 Pioneer, 26-14. Paschke wants to play Woodland someday, his alma mater, and he wants to play for championships at every level imaginable - section, NorCals and a CIF State final.

"That's the goal," he said. "It's up to the kids."

The campus of 240 students has players of all sizes.

This doesn't look like your typical D-7 outfit, not with the shifty and quick Billy Hinkle, who had a 40-yard touchdown run and a 62-yard interception return.

The bulk comes in the form of Noah Rico, a 6-foot-5, 340-pound junior, and there's Jordan Sacramento, a 6-3, 245-pound tight end who caught a touchdown.

And there's Khai Brown, a bruiser at 5-1 and 225 pounds. he scored two touchdowns.

"He's building something there," Delta coach Tim Rapp said of Paschke. "Our kids tried. They played hard but we were out physicaled, out speeded, out everything."

Paschke runs the youth feeder football program at Woodland Christian, the goal to have players from start to finish.

"We're starting to see the rewards from that," the coach said.

Here are photos from Friday night's game in Woodland:

All photos by Dennis Lee