From Ducor to Super Bowl

Every father has big dreams for their children, but Sean Pascoe could never have dreamed of this when he watched his son, Bear, play at Ducor Elementary School.

But Sean will be traveling to Indianapolis to watch his son play football in the Super Bowl on Feb. 5. A big reason why came when Pascoe, a 2004 Granite Hills graduate, caught his first career touchdown pass from six yards in the New York Giants 20-17 win over the San Francisco 49ers in San Francisco in Sunday’s NFC Championship Game. The Giants will play the New England Patriots in the Super Bowl.

“I knew he had talent, body size and athletic ability,” said Sean. But Sean added about how far he thought his son could go, “You never know how it’s going to turn out.”

And it would have been impossible to predict that Pascoe would have made that touchdown catch against the team that released him after drafting him in 2008. “What a great place and time to score that touchdown against a team that cut you,” said Granite Hills athletic director Gary Stoddard, who was the offensive line coach when Pascoe played at Granite. “I was ecstatic when he caught that touchdown.”

Even though Pascoe’s father was sitting virtually at the top of the stadium when Pascoe’s touchdown unfolded, he said he had a good view of his son’s score. “You can really see the play develop,” Sean said.

Pascoe had received a lot of reps during practice last week with starting tight end and his roommate, Jake Ballard, continuing to nurse a knee injury. On Sunday as Pascoe and Ballard broke the huddle, Ballard went to line up left and Pascoe went to line up right. But as they came to the line of scrimmage, Pascoe and Ballard switched sides and that’s where it becomes a little confusing.

“You have been working the back side all week long,” said Sean about what Manning had told his son. Sean said his son wasn’t the primary receiver on the play, but when Manning found Bear breaking open, he hit him for the 6-yard touchdown pass that tied the score 7-7.

Before the play, center David Baas had to come out of the game, causing Kevin Boothe to move to center and Mitch Petrus to come in and replace Boothe at left guard.

“It was funny because we went running in yelling our personnel,” said Pascoe in the locker room after the game. “We were a little confused between me and Jake. Eli says he doesn’t remember it, but me and Jake switched positions right at the last minute. I was on the backside all week, and he was to the front side. It just worked out. When the ball was snapped, they kind of jammed Jake and Victor (Cruz) so it kind of created a little pocket on the strong side. So I just slipped in behind the Mike (middle linebacker) and Eli was able to find me. It worked out just right.

“To break the ice in that area of the game, it was a great game to do it in. It was nice to finally get on the board.”

And of course, Pascoe made sure to keep the ball. After the game when Pascoe met with family and friends, Pascoe’s agent told him to bask in the moment. “There’s guys that play their whole careers and never get this far,” said Sean about what Pascoe’s agent said. “Just savor the moment.”

“He was so stoked,” said Sean about talking to his son after the game.

And even though the Giants arrived into San Francisco later than scheduled on Saturday, what little time Sean had to spend with his son, he knew his son was ready. “Saturday night the whole time, he was honed into this game,” Sean said.

As the offensive line coach at Granite, Stoddard had the chance to work with a quarterback in Pascoe who was possibly 100 pounds bigger than some of his offensive linemen. “It was really unique to have a 6-5, 260-pound quarterback,” Stoddard said. And Stoddard quickly added, “there’s no fat on Bear Pascoe,” then and now. “We had this monster athlete playing quarterback,” Stoddard said.

And Stoddard said it was something to see Pascoe turn up the field on the option against opposing defenders. “The DBs and the safety were giving up the rest of the game trying to tackle him,” Stoddard said.

“I’m just excited for him, for the family, for Granite Hills and for Porterville,” said Stoddard about Pascoe playing in the Super Bowl.

Every father has big dreams for their children, but Sean Pascoe could never have dreamed of this when he watched his son, Bear, play at Ducor Elementary School.

But Sean will be traveling to Indianapolis to watch his son play football in the Super Bowl on Feb. 5. A big reason why came when Pascoe, a 2004 Granite Hills graduate, caught his first career touchdown pass from six yards in the New York Giants 20-17 win over the San Francisco 49ers in San Francisco in Sunday’s NFC Championship Game. The Giants will play the New England Patriots in the Super Bowl.

“I knew he had talent, body size and athletic ability,” said Sean. But Sean added about how far he thought his son could go, “You never know how it’s going to turn out.”

And it would have been impossible to predict that Pascoe would have made that touchdown catch against the team that released him after drafting him in 2008. “What a great place and time to score that touchdown against a team that cut you,” said Granite Hills athletic director Gary Stoddard, who was the offensive line coach when Pascoe played at Granite. “I was ecstatic when he caught that touchdown.”

Even though Pascoe’s father was sitting virtually at the top of the stadium when Pascoe’s touchdown unfolded, he said he had a good view of his son’s score. “You can really see the play develop,” Sean said.

Pascoe had received a lot of reps during practice last week with starting tight end and his roommate, Jake Ballard, continuing to nurse a knee injury. On Sunday as Pascoe and Ballard broke the huddle, Ballard went to line up left and Pascoe went to line up right. But as they came to the line of scrimmage, Pascoe and Ballard switched sides and that’s where it becomes a little confusing.

“You have been working the back side all week long,” said Sean about what Manning had told his son. Sean said his son wasn’t the primary receiver on the play, but when Manning found Bear breaking open, he hit him for the 6-yard touchdown pass that tied the score 7-7.

Before the play, center David Baas had to come out of the game, causing Kevin Boothe to move to center and Mitch Petrus to come in and replace Boothe at left guard.

“It was funny because we went running in yelling our personnel,” said Pascoe in the locker room after the game. “We were a little confused between me and Jake. Eli says he doesn’t remember it, but me and Jake switched positions right at the last minute. I was on the backside all week, and he was to the front side. It just worked out. When the ball was snapped, they kind of jammed Jake and Victor (Cruz) so it kind of created a little pocket on the strong side. So I just slipped in behind the Mike (middle linebacker) and Eli was able to find me. It worked out just right.

“To break the ice in that area of the game, it was a great game to do it in. It was nice to finally get on the board.”

And of course, Pascoe made sure to keep the ball. After the game when Pascoe met with family and friends, Pascoe’s agent told him to bask in the moment. “There’s guys that play their whole careers and never get this far,” said Sean about what Pascoe’s agent said. “Just savor the moment.”

“He was so stoked,” said Sean about talking to his son after the game.

And even though the Giants arrived into San Francisco later than scheduled on Saturday, what little time Sean had to spend with his son, he knew his son was ready. “Saturday night the whole time, he was honed into this game,” Sean said.

As the offensive line coach at Granite, Stoddard had the chance to work with a quarterback in Pascoe who was possibly 100 pounds bigger than some of his offensive linemen. “It was really unique to have a 6-5, 260-pound quarterback,” Stoddard said. And Stoddard quickly added, “there’s no fat on Bear Pascoe,” then and now. “We had this monster athlete playing quarterback,” Stoddard said.

And Stoddard said it was something to see Pascoe turn up the field on the option against opposing defenders. “The DBs and the safety were giving up the rest of the game trying to tackle him,” Stoddard said.

“I’m just excited for him, for the family, for Granite Hills and for Porterville,” said Stoddard about Pascoe playing in the Super Bowl.