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Football: Wednesday practice update
By Jonathan Okanes
Wednesday, September 8th, 2010 at 1:52 pm in Football, Mid-week.
Saturday’s game will be a little extra special for the three Cal players from Colorado, but that’s mostly true for starting center Chris Tompek-Guarnero.
(Guarnero told me today that Tompek-Guarnero is his legal name and he would like to be referred to as that. “Tompek-Guarnero” is now what is on the back of his jersey. Tompek is his mom’s name).
Safety Alex Logan and quarterback Austin Hinder are not intergral players in Cal’s program yet, although each is expected to contribute someday. But not only is Tompek-Guarnero a two-year starter who also started the first three games of his sophomore year at left guard before getting injured, he at one time had orally committed to Colorado.
“Anytime you play a team from your hometown, it’s always something special,” Tompek-Guarnero said after practice this morning. “I’m excited to play them. I know a couple guys on their team.”
Tompek-Guarnero is from Westminister, which is only about 20 miles from Colorado’s campus in Boulder. His mother, Trudy, attended Colorado and he made an oral commitment going into his junior year of high school.
But after the Buffaloes fired coach Gary Barnett, Tompek-Guarnero was unsure who his offensive line coach would be. He re-opened his commitment and “fell in love with Cal.”
“It just wasn’t the right environment for me to go there,” Tompek-Guarnero said. “I knew they were going to have a new coach. I didn’t know who my O-line coach was going to be.”
Cal coach Jeff Tedford said he’s been happy with how the team has recruited in Colorado, but said when the Buffaloes and Utah join the Pac-10, it will benefit them more than the existing members of the conference.
“They’ll be coming to California to play games now,” Tedford said.
No real news from practice today. Tedford reiterated that Isi Sofele is solidly the No. 2 tailback and Covaughn DeBoskie-Johnson “has a pretty firm hold” on the No. 3 spot. That hold got stronger when Dasarte Yarnway fumbled on Saturday. For Tedford, fumbling isn’t exactly the way to move your way up the depth chart.
I will be heading up to Sacramento tonight to be this week’s guest speaker for the Sacramento Grid Club. For those of you attending, I look forward to seeing you there.
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September 8th, 2010 at 2:06 pm
Thanks JO. Sure as heck hope we crush Colorado. Hinder seems to have a real presence about him, a mojo, in addition to ball skills. Look forward to 2013 or whatever when he gets a shot.
September 8th, 2010 at 2:15 pm
Jeez, Yarnway has such high potential and ability to help us this year. He showed that last Saturday before his fumble. Hope JT gives him another chance!!!
September 8th, 2010 at 2:52 pm
I look forward to seeing you at the Grid Club. Always a nice event, full of good insight and information.
September 8th, 2010 at 9:07 pm
Tedford can afford to be a little harsh on Yarnway as he is currently the #4. Should there be an injury or two, Yarnway will be in the mix.
That fumble shouldn’t really that negative on him. He had the ball pretty secure, the hit was a helmet right on the ball. That happens sometimes. Hopefully we don’t see that from him again.
September 8th, 2010 at 10:18 pm
Too bad about Yarnway. During the game I thought he clearly outplayed Deboskie. He just looked like more of a natural. Hopefully he’ll bounce back.
My biggest concern was how bad Sweeney continues to look in game situations. As my roommate put it, this guy seems to think he’s a running back instead of a quarterback.
September 9th, 2010 at 7:46 am
Calbear91 says, “sure as heck hope we crush Colorado. I don’t know about the “crush” thing but I’m looking forward to a great game.
Yea, Colorado has had a tough go these past few years but we expect to see some improvement this year… things are coming togeather. Hopefully you’ll get a look on Saturday.
Good luck Cal fans. And… GO Buffs!!!
September 9th, 2010 at 8:31 am
Jauncho: but doesn’t he remind you of Pawlawski?
September 9th, 2010 at 10:59 am
Jauncho: but doesn’t he remind you of Pawlawski?
Mike P was a player…. Sweeney, not so much.
September 9th, 2010 at 12:22 pm
Did Steve Levy return in the form of Beau Sweeney?
September 9th, 2010 at 12:31 pm
Cal better smash Colorado, because they look pretty good:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=80ixPnCyB0g
Speedy (a la James-like), Mcknight (their #21) and that SC transfer look like playmakers. HIT EM HARD!
GO BEARS!
September 9th, 2010 at 3:52 pm
While I hope like everyone else Cal will crush Colorado, I’m hoping our team doesn’t have the overconfidence that we do
September 9th, 2010 at 7:06 pm
I don’t know how Sweeney can be judged as a player or not, when all he has done is make hand offs and short passes in gargbage time. I don’t see alot of talent there, but he has yet to be tested. As a Cal fan, it is hard accepting that qb is not a strength. In the past, we almost always were strong there even though we were weak in most other areas.
September 10th, 2010 at 10:09 am
I guess I am in a distinct minority, but I saw things in Sweeney last week that I thought looked promising for the future. Obviously he was not being asked to do much other than kill time and not make mistakes. But I liked his quickness and ability to scramble. Others interpreted that as not being able to execute pass plays, etc. but to me it showed he has good instincts and ability to move when the situation calls for it. Not saying the guy is ready for prime time now, only that I think he has the tools to grow into a good starting QB.