When Drew Rickert walked, well, really, he limped, onto the football field at Galt High School to coach his Bradshaw Christian team Friday night, he had no idea a win would be the 150th of his coaching career at that south Sacramento private school.

Rickert, who has a cast on his left leg and seemed to favor it at times that night, had his team go through the motions against a Warrior squad that he knew was badly undermanned. The Pride won, 70-14, in a game where the entire second half was a running clock.

Rickert’s Pride spotted Galt a 6-0 lead when Kayson Jones returned the opening kickoff 84 yards for a touchdown. After that, it was all Bradshaw Christian.

Rickert asked his son and starting quarterback Ethan to run pass plays every down, except one, in the first quarter. The Warriors just weren’t ready.

“We knew we could throw the ball real well this year, but we haven’t had a chance,” he explained. “We always run the ball and we get up in the score and we can’t throw it, so I decided we’re going to come out the first quarter and throw it a lot. We need to work on that stuff because we’ll probably need it in the playoffs.”

The young Rickert threw five touchdown passes in the opening stanza, four to Nathan Zippieri and one to David Wiser. It was 37-6, Bradshaw.

In the second quarter, the Pride went into their patented tight double-wing formation and ran every down, the trademark of Rickert’s offense. Fullback Mateo Mojica scored three touchdowns. Add Roberto Garduno’s 35-yard interception return for a touchdown and it was 63-6 at halftime.

The whole time, following big plays and touchdowns, the Pride players calmly congratulated each other and returned to the huddle or the sideline, trying not to show up the weaker opponent, something totally unlike most of today’s football in-game celebrations and frequent trash talking. The wrath of Rickert would have been on any Bradshaw player if they did or do something out of line.

However, Rickert was, well, Rickert in working the referees, in at least the first drive or two of the game, offering impassioned comments when penalties weren’t called. The side judge on the Pride sideline was none other than KCRA-3 news reporter Mike TeSelle who moonlights as a high school football official on Friday nights. TeSelle threw a penalty flag early in the game when he heard enough from Rickert.

“I was frustrated because I asked him about a hold and he got mad at me,” he explained. “Then later I asked the umpire to measure and then (TeSelle) threw the flag on me. We talked about it later then he was fine.”

Photo by Paige Lampson

Bradshaw Christian athletic director Alex Williams commending head football coach Drew Rickert on his 150th career win, all at Bradshaw.

 After the final gun and shaking of hands with the Warrior team and coaches, Bradshaw athletic director Alex Williams and defensive coordinator Dan Paige got the entire team to gather in front of the visitor’s bleachers, brought in the parents and Pride supporters to give Rickert a cut-crystal trophy commemorating the accomplishment.

“He was my coach when I played and I am honored by that,” Williams said. “The most important thing I can say about Coach Rickert is that the 150 wins isn’t about the wins, it’s about what these young men mean to him and growing young men and seeing them become better members of society.”

A teary-eyed Rickert was overwhelmed by the show of appreciation.

“It’s so awesome, I had no idea I’d won 150,” he said. “I didn’t know what to say. I was speechless. I love coaching these kids. I look forward going to work. I am just so happy. I am blessed.”

His son, Ethan, who has grown up knowing nothing but Pride football, was equally as honored.

“I’ve seen all his 150 wins and growing up around here and now being a part of it is great,” he said.

In his now 18 seasons of coaching football at Bradshaw Christian, Rickert has won five Sac-Joaquin Section championships, one in Division VII and the others in Division VI. They’ve also lost two Section championship games, the most recent in 2016. With a strong core of juniors, most with now three years of varsity experience, there’s no reason the Pride won’t be a team to beat this year in Div. VI.

“It’s pretty special because we have a group of kids, we have only five seniors, but we have this group that’s been with us since Junior Pride,” Rickert said. “They are great kids, they work hard and it is so special to see them go out there and succeed.”

“And, I get to talk about the Lord to them and that’s the biggest thing of all.”