Neither of them anticipated getting into the coaching grind as players all those years ago. They just wanted to be a starter on their own teams, to get in a good meal, recover from the rigors of the sport and graduate.

Coaching was for mentors.

But here they are, the Sacramento-area’s three long-standing junior college coaches in their element as mentors. They do more than draw up plays and scheme ways to deal with a game forever rooted in blocking, tackling and player relations.

Jon Osterhout of American River College was an All-American offensive lineman at Sacramento State in 1999. Now, he’s preparing for his 10th season as head coach with the Beavers, ranked second in Northern California by the JC Athletic Bureau.

Ben Noonan of Sierra College was a receiver blasting down field for Santa Rosa JC in the late 1990s, finishing at Bemidji State University in Minnesota. He’s in his 10th season steering the Wolverines of Rocklin, ranked eighth in NorCal and hosting defending state champion and preseason national No. 1 College of San Mateo on Saturday in a 1 p.m. season opener.

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Dannie Walker of Sacramento City College was a ball-hawking defensive back at Hartnell College in Salinas who kept on pursuing at Sacramento State in the late ’90s. He’s in his 11th season leading the charge for the Panthers, who are ranked 15th in NorCal and will host ARC in a season opener at 1 p.m. Saturday at Hughes Stadium.

Each of the coaches has been an assistant coach at this level, and the old saying goes that the best gig in coaching is that of the assistant. You know: Work with your position guys and then head home. Leave the heavy lifting to the head man. But each of these men is lifting regularly, committed to helping young men who don’t want to stop playing the sport.

“Oh, yeah,” Osterhout said with a laugh of the myriad duties of a head coach. “Eligibility checks, the psychologist, the older brother, the uncle, the dad, the motivator — it’s so much more than just being a coach for these guys. The rewarding part is that you’re the conductor with your staff with the same goal. You want to help kids.”

JC ball promises nothing more than an opportunity. High school players don’t typically enter their senior prep season eager to compete at a local JC. No, the good ones think big, which is fine until reality drops in like a forearm to the face mask.

About 2% of high school student-athletes across the country land full athletic scholarships, meaning most are left to scramble. There’s a reason the JC ranks in California are chock-full of talent every year. JC ball is a haven for the overlooked, the underdeveloped, the emotionally or academically immature. Players pack into JC spring and summer practice sessions with a chip on their shoulder the size of their expectations, or their ego. The task of coaches and their staff is to mold an army into a cohesive unit, including, quite often, one-time prep rivals now suddenly lining up next to each other, pulling the rope in one direction now.

Each of the local programs carries more than 100 players. JC teams don’t generally make cuts. Players tend to eliminate themselves. The grind becomes too much.

“Some play for the wrong reasons,” Osterhout said. “You come to play California community college football and it’s different. There are no scholarships, no band, no cheerleaders. It’s exclusively about football. You find out really quick how dedicated you are and how much you love this game.”

The coach added: “If you find out that you can’t win a starting job at a JC, then what do you think it’s going to take to play at USC or Sac State or UC Davis?”

Said Walker of Sac City: “This level of ball means a little bit more to me because it takes so much more. I lived it. Guys are all here for different reasons. It’s up to us coaches to help them, but they have to help themselves, too. You invest so much time in them, recruiting them, getting to know them, coaching them, and then you ride with them. It is fun to see guys develop, a great challenge.”

Noonan agreed. It’s what keeps the Sierra coach hooked. Every player is afforded a chance to show what he can do, a fresh start.

At Sierra, Jaylin Johnson, a Cosumnes Oaks High of Elk Grove graduate, overcame cancer and was told by doctors he would not be able to play sports. He is now Sierra College’s special teams captain and starting long snapper. He found a way.

“Nothing like JC ball,” Noonan said. “ARC and Sac City do a wonderful job developing young men as well as we do, and thus, I feel JC ball in the Sacramento area is as strong as it’s ever been. I’m a former JC guy who got my coaching start in JuCo. This level truly is a second chance for many. Here, it’s more than just football. Have a life plan because football ends for all of us at some point. I’m lucky enough to have a job where that statement hasn’t come true yet.”

Top players

Each of the local JC’s has a quarterback to lead championship hopes. and two of them will square off Saturday at Hughes Stadium. Former Sheldon High Bee All-Metro leader Sean Nixon leads Sac City and Kenny Leuth returns as the starter for ARC. Both crave a chance to play at the four-year level, and both are standout students.

Nixon’s brother, Scott, is a receiver on the Panthers after earning Bee Player of the Year and National Football Federation honors in 2022.

Sierra is led by quarterback Cruz Herrera of St. Mary’s of Stockton, who started at Delta College last fall. The Wolverines are a young team with just one returning starter on offense in offensive lineman Jesse Espinoza of Del Campo High.

Avant Jacobs of Oak Ridge returns at running back for ARC, which lost to San Mateo in the NorCal finals last season. Robert Freeman is a returning All-American receiver for the Beavers. The ARC lines are stacked.

“We’ll all find out how fast we mature and develop once the season starts,” Walker said. “Can’t wait.”

Northern California rankings

From Fred Baer/JC Athletic Bureau

Last year’s record in parentheses

1. San Mateo (12-1)

2. American River (8-4)

3. San Francisco (7-4)

4. Butte (7-4)

5. Laney (8-3)

6. Fresno (7-4)

7. Modesto (5-6)

8. Sierra (6-5)

9. Diablo Valley (7-4)

10. Sequoias (6-5)

11. Feather River (11-0)

12. Santa Rosa (4-6)

13. Reedley (5-5)

14. Foothill (8-3)

15. Sacramento City (3-7)