Casa tries to stop Windsor's win streak

As one of the Empire's best two-way players, Windsor's D.J. King enjoys plenty of tackles and touchdowns.

But the downside to King's dual role comes following the fourth quarter. That's when the Jaguars senior begins to feel like a senior citizen. It's a slowly-climb-out-of-bed feeling that typically lasts about 48 hours.

“I'm exhausted,” King said. “I mean, I'm exhausted. I don't go out and celebrate. A bunch of us just go to my house, sit on the couch and play video games. I don't even want to move after these games.”

No doubt his season has been taxing, but King's next assignment might leave him particularly lifeless late tonight.

The Jaguars, on a six-game winning streak, will visit perennial Sonoma County League power Casa Grande (6-1, 2-1) tonight, hoping to keep pace with unbeaten Petaluma in the battle for the league title.

Windsor (6-1, 3-0) was written off by many after all-Empire running back Cameron Erion suffered a season-ending leg injury in Week2. But the Jaguars have gone 5-0 without Erion, thanks in large part to King's do-it-all performance.

The 5-foot-10, 185-pound quarterback/safety has rushed for 623 yards and 11 touchdowns and thrown for 544 yards and five scores despite missing a game on offense due to a groin injury. With his passing and rushing totals, King has had a hand in 69 percent of the Jaguars' offensive yards and 67 percent of their touchdowns.

On defense, he's collected 37 tackles, four interceptions and one sack. Special teams? OK. King had a partially blocked punt in Windsor's 20-13 overtime win against Healdsburg two weeks ago.

Perhaps not surprisingly, Gauchos coach Trent Herozg said his defensive game plan is designed around stopping King.

“He's as good a two-way player as there is in our area,” Herzog said. “... He's such a smart football player. He has great instincts on defense and knows where the ball is going to be. On offense, he knows where the gaps are on defense and knows where to run with the ball.”

Given all his duties, it's natural to wonder what the Jaguars would do without King. A glimpse was given when he played only defense due to his groin injury earlier this season. The Jaguars went to the Toss offense and managed to eke out a 14-7 win against Sonoma (3-5).

“There would be a big difference without D.J.,” Windsor coach Jason Fayter said. “Not only because he's a good player, but also because he's a huge part of the reason we play as a team. He has absolutely no ‘me' in his attitude.”

The notion of a team being a family isn't uncommon, but it does appear that Windsor has a special chemistry this season.

Some of that existed before the season. Players such as King, Michael Campbell, Jordan Winkler, Teddy Vanbebber, Kyle Smith and Steven and Michael Hutchison have played together dating back to Pop Warner.

But Erion's injury left the Jaguars devastated. And bonded. In playing for their injured teammate, they've found common ground.

“At the beginning of the year, I think the juniors and seniors were kind of separated,” senior wide receiver/defensive back C.J. Lanwehr said. “But after Cameron got hurt everyone became a lot closer.”

Windsor's success is undeniable. But the Jaguars will get their first chance to prove they are league-champion material tonight against Casa Grande, winners of six straight SCL titles.

Windsor has beaten just one team with a winning record — 5-2 Healdsburg — while the rest of their wins have come against teams with a combined record of 11-26.

But the Jaguars have been here before. Written off. Dismissed. That, of course, began five consecutive wins ago.

“We knew coming into the season that we weren't going to scare other teams when we got off the bus,” Fayter said. “We knew we were going to have to be scrappy and play with heart. That's what we've done.”