The American River Football team is looking to turn things around after its win against Shasta College. After ending its grueling 0-5 start to the season with a loss to Modesto 14-38, players and coaches view the start of league play as a clean slate and a chance to return to form, this held true after beating Shasta 34-20 on Saturday.

Quarterback play has been the biggest struggle for the Beavers this year. Already having played six different people under center, ARC now looks to Frank Arcuri, who was going to be the quarterback last season but was sidelined due to an injury in the  summer. This year he returned as a receiver but has now returned to the quarterback position. Against Shasta, he completed 13 of 22 passes for 101 yards with no interceptions. Arcuri didn’t attempt many deep throws and relied mostly on short completions. If he can clean up the mistakes and stay healthy, Arcuri could bring stability to a position that has already seen six different players.

The Beavers have also struggled with injury problems at key positions. Wide receiver, Jadon Anderson, also the team’s No. 1 target on the field, has missed time battling a hamstring injury. He leads the team with 184 receiving yards. Running back, Nathan Crawford, who currently leads the team with 373 rushing yards missed Saturday due to a shoulder injury. When healthy, both are big time playmakers for ARC’s offense.

Defensively, Cornerback Cade Dutton, has emerged as a leader in the secondary. Dutton has tallied 11 solo tackles and 23 total with 1 interception. On the line the Beavers showed strength, the offensive line, led by Guilbert, opened holes for Crawford and provided protection despite instability at quarterback. On defense, the line has been a bright spot against the run and brings physicality every week.

If the team can stay healthy and get steady quarterback play from Arcuri, Head Coach Jon Osterhout says he believes they can, once again, fight for another Norcal Division title.

Through six weeks, the biggest issues have been health and consistency at quarterback. But with conference play having begun, the Beavers are leaning on their experience and physicality in the trenches to turn things around. ARC hasn’t lost a conference game since 2020, and while this year’s start has raised concerns, the program has a proven track record of performing when it matters most.