Somehow I knew that - just trying to remember too many teams and from what cities they're from. Most fans likley wouldn't have caught that one observer so guess you had your coffee today, Ha, ha [guess I shoulda hadda 2nd cup!]
2017 WCAL - Looking Forward
- Thread starter Rmbr26
- Start date
Somehow I knew that - just trying to remember too many teams and from what cities they're from. Most fans likley wouldn't have caught that one observer so guess you had your coffee today, Ha, ha [guess I shoulda hadda 2nd cup!]
WCAL Football 2016
Serra 9-4 vs Sanger 13-0
Sanger in Fresno County beat Ridgeview-Bakersfield 20-10 last weekend to win the schools 8th section title including the last 6 consecutive section titles [so a well run and respected program]. According to the newspapers nearly the entire town turned out to Tom Flores Stadium with lines 100 deep 2-3 hours before the game and 6,000+ fans in attendance for the game. The same is expected for the Serra-Sanger match-up.
Sanger is a run-first team on offense and their main weapon is 3-year varsity RB Andrew Azu 5’10-185 who had 30 carries for 221 yards & 2 TD’s in Sanger’s 20-10 win over Ridgeview. The Sanger RB Azu has over 2,000 yards & 30+ TD’s on the season. Sanger also counts on WR and sometimes running QB Jalen Cropper 6’0-154 who contributes on offense. Sanger’s main QB is Jacob Tijerina 6’2-185 who directs the run offense and will occasionally throw. Sanger’s short yardage FB is Miguel Garcia 6’1-215. Not a great deal of info available on the rest of Sanger team since they do not post stats. They have a smaller roster than Serra showing 45 players and a handful brought up for playoffs as many teams seem to do. Physically Serra will be larger on the lines, but we know that doesn’t always mean a lot. Serra will need to stop Azua to stop Sanger. Early on in the season Serra had serious problems with their first 3 opponents run games [St. Mary’s, DLS & Pitt]. Then again every team has had problems with those 3 teams running games. Since that time Serra made player changes within their D-line and looked much better including in largely stopping both SF & the Bells from any large gains on the ground towards end of season [likely the 2 best WCAL run teams Serra faced besides VC early on]. WCAL teams are a bit different & will be interesting how Sanger's D reacts to Serra's different sets incl. the double-wing along with containing Leki Nunn.
Serra 9-4 vs Sanger 13-0
Sanger in Fresno County beat Ridgeview-Bakersfield 20-10 last weekend to win the schools 8th section title including the last 6 consecutive section titles [so a well run and respected program]. According to the newspapers nearly the entire town turned out to Tom Flores Stadium with lines 100 deep 2-3 hours before the game and 6,000+ fans in attendance for the game. The same is expected for the Serra-Sanger match-up.
Sanger is a run-first team on offense and their main weapon is 3-year varsity RB Andrew Azu 5’10-185 who had 30 carries for 221 yards & 2 TD’s in Sanger’s 20-10 win over Ridgeview. The Sanger RB Azu has over 2,000 yards & 30+ TD’s on the season. Sanger also counts on WR and sometimes running QB Jalen Cropper 6’0-154 who contributes on offense. Sanger’s main QB is Jacob Tijerina 6’2-185 who directs the run offense and will occasionally throw. Sanger’s short yardage FB is Miguel Garcia 6’1-215. Not a great deal of info available on the rest of Sanger team since they do not post stats. They have a smaller roster than Serra showing 45 players and a handful brought up for playoffs as many teams seem to do. Physically Serra will be larger on the lines, but we know that doesn’t always mean a lot. Serra will need to stop Azua to stop Sanger. Early on in the season Serra had serious problems with their first 3 opponents run games [St. Mary’s, DLS & Pitt]. Then again every team has had problems with those 3 teams running games. Since that time Serra made player changes within their D-line and looked much better including in largely stopping both SF & the Bells from any large gains on the ground towards end of season [likely the 2 best WCAL run teams Serra faced besides VC early on]. WCAL teams are a bit different & will be interesting how Sanger's D reacts to Serra's different sets incl. the double-wing along with containing Leki Nunn.
I think myself that both VC & Serra are the favored teams going in. Serra has looked solid for quite a few games now and no real close games going back to 41-40 O/T win over SF, but then followed it up with 31-17 win over Lancers in post season. VC had the "squeaker" over Palma 14-10 so wondering how the Warriors will match up vs Card Newman. The one strong game I see for CN was the 49-32 loss to St. Mary's which isn;t all that bad [just ask Folsom - 56-25 last week].
I'm pulling for both Serra and Cardinal Newman. How cool would that be if St. Mary's wins, too, and all 3 of these teams (2 that St. Mary's faced earlier this year) are in a state championship game. Love the connection!
Hmmm, didn't think of it that way, but yeah that pretty kool about the connection with al 3 teams. This is a different Serra team than their first couple teams - much more solid defense against the run, good pass defense and their offense has not been making the mistakes as early on. Biggest difference is both Leki Nunn and TC Lavulo the seniors and best players on O & D will play a full game - something that didn't occur in those early games. Should be interesting & looking forward to the St. Mary's-Freedom game, esp after the "DLS Debacle" last week [CVC didn't make history & neither did Freedom
WCAL Football 2016 - Serra vs Sanger Div 2-A Game Televised Saturday nite
Yep the Football Gods have smiled upon us fans who could not make the short 200-mile trip to the town of Sanger.
Serra arranged for Baosn.TV to broadcast the game and their picture quality is always excellent [much better than NFHSnetwork & best of all its FREE!
baosn.tv
Yep the Football Gods have smiled upon us fans who could not make the short 200-mile trip to the town of Sanger.
Serra arranged for Baosn.TV to broadcast the game and their picture quality is always excellent [much better than NFHSnetwork & best of all its FREE!
baosn.tv
BAOSN.TV easily the best quality streamed broadcast. Looking forward to tomorrow's game ! Go Padres!
[B said:
Yes looking forward to the game tonite and apparently before a very large crowd in the town of Sanger. Valley Christian looked very solid in their win over Card Newman last nte by 31-6. The first 1/2 was 17-6 before VC's Defense took overr in the 2nd 1/2 and clamped down. VC's QB MIles Kendrick had possibly the best game of his HS career last nite - very impressive!
Back from snuba and chasing turtles to watch the pads stream. Cardinal Newman defense looked overmatched against VC as did their offense. Surprised they were so overmatched. VC did play it's A game though. They are tough when they are playing well.
Sometimes with BAOSN.TV they don't go fully live til game time -which is I hope the case here, we'll see shortly..
Good game. Sanger has some fast athletic skill players and big line. Serra offense looks good.
[B said:
jordan - you're taking the word of the one sleepy announcer on BAOSN.tv over the other co-announcer & the officials? If you watched the play just before the snap the extra Serra defender appeared to be off the field. Just sayin', Mister Sleepy for BAOSN.TV says a lot of things and even said "Well I thought" on that one.
Anyway looks like Sanger has their own version of Leki Nunn & its not their starting QB but their all-purpose QB/RB/WB who has made the dofference so far. The 2nd 1/2 shd be really interesting.
I missed the replay. They went on and on about it but I never saw it (live or afterwards).
Serra 49-28 over Sanger & Leki Nunn QB for Serra has incredible game..
The Leki Nunn show. Apaches simply could not contain him and got burned multiple times on broken plays. Congrats Padres!
Let's just say "Nunn better." Might have been the best individual performance by a Serra QB ever. If it wasn't, it was close. Tom Brady, eat your heart out. Well, that's hyperbole. But you get the idea.
Serra's Leki Nunn Accounts for 6-TD's in 49-36 Win over Sanger NorCal Sectional Game
Serra players celebrate after beating Sanger 49-36 in the NorCal Division 2-A championship bowl Saturday night in Sanger.
[photo by Jonathan Allen]
Serra is second to none in Northern California largely in part to the legs and arm of senior Leki Nunn.
The dual-threat quarterback put on a show Saturday night at Sanger in the CIF NorCal Division 2-A bowl championship game by accounting for six touchdowns — two passing on back-to-back throws and four rushing, two in each half — during a 49-36 victory for the Padres.
“How he does not have 50 to 70 (scholarship) offers is beyond me,” Serra coach Patrick Walsh said. “The performance is just something that I felt blessed to be there. He was unbelievable — again. Again. Not like the first time ever — again. He just made unbelievably spectacular plays all night long.”
Serra (10-4), which began the season with four straight losses, will play for a state title for the first time next Saturday at Sacramento State.
“We’re in rarified air here in the school and the community,” Walsh said. “It’s very exciting and I’m very excited for the Padre brotherhood and the community. It takes a lot. It takes the administration and teachers, students, parents and coaches, but ultimately the kids, making unique sacrifices to get a community this far. Very, very cool to be here.”
The Padres will face Sierra Canyon (15-0) of Chatsworth, with kickoff scheduled for noon. It’s their second straight game against an undefeated team, as Sanger (13-1) suffered its first loss in front of thousands of raucous fans at home.
“You had to be there to fully feel the presence of that town,” said Walsh, a former running back at De La Salle in Concord. “I’ve never been a part of a high school experience like that and I’ve been around high school for a long time. It was second to none, unbelievable atmosphere. Loud, red — win or lose, it was going to be a great atmosphere.
“It was hard to communicate, it was loud, and the way the kids showed poise out there on the field under duress in about as hostile of an environment in the state of California was spectacular — offensively and defensively.”
A back-and-forth contest through three quarters, Nunn took over down the stretch.
The dual-threat quarterback put on a show Saturday night at Sanger in the CIF NorCal Division 2-A bowl championship game by accounting for six touchdowns — two passing on back-to-back throws and four rushing, two in each half — during a 49-36 victory for the Padres.
“How he does not have 50 to 70 (scholarship) offers is beyond me,” Serra coach Patrick Walsh said. “The performance is just something that I felt blessed to be there. He was unbelievable — again. Again. Not like the first time ever — again. He just made unbelievably spectacular plays all night long.”
Serra (10-4), which began the season with four straight losses, will play for a state title for the first time next Saturday at Sacramento State.
“We’re in rarified air here in the school and the community,” Walsh said. “It’s very exciting and I’m very excited for the Padre brotherhood and the community. It takes a lot. It takes the administration and teachers, students, parents and coaches, but ultimately the kids, making unique sacrifices to get a community this far. Very, very cool to be here."
The Padres will face Sierra Canyon (15-0) of Chatsworth, with kickoff scheduled for noon. It’s their second straight game against an undefeated team, as Sanger (13-1) suffered its first loss in front of thousands of raucous fans at home.
“You had to be there to fully feel the presence of that town,” said Walsh, a former running back at De La Salle in Concord. “I’ve never been a part of a high school experience like that and I’ve been around high school for a long time. It was second to none, unbelievable atmosphere. Loud, red — win or lose, it was going to be a great atmosphere. “It was hard to communicate, it was loud, and the way the kids showed poise out there on the field under duress in about as hostile of an environment in the state of California was spectacular — offensively and defensively.”
A back-and-forth contest through three quarters, Nunn took over down the stretch.
The Padres scored 21 unanswered points in the fourth quarter beginning with the opening snap, which turned into a 54-yard bomb from Nunn to senior wide receiver Charlie Quinn to go up 35-28. After the defense forced a three-and-out, once more Nunn needed just one play from scrimmage to strike as Serra offensive coordinator Steven Lo dialed long distance again. Under pressure, Nunn scrambled out of the pocket while doing his best impersonation of Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson — though he tweeted that it more resembled Heisman Trophy winner Lamar Jackson from Louisville — and heaved the ball to a wide open Isiah Kendrick, who walked into the end zone for a 55-yard touchdown aided by broken coverage.
“It was a called play, it just wasn’t on time because the protection broke down,” Walsh said. “But Leki had to scramble to ultimately get to the called play.”
Serra put the game out of reach after an 11-play, 97-yard drive that culminated with Nunn’s fourth TD run of the night, this one from 5 yards out, and gave the Padres a 49-28 cushion with 1:42 left. Then, it was just a matter of 200-mile bus ride back to campus. “We’re going to eat some pizza and fuel up and hug it out, then head back to San Mateo,” Walsh said. The first half featured a number of big plays. Sanger found pay dirt twice on long runs of 59 and 66 yards to jump ahead 14-7 after the opening 12 minutes.
Sandwiched in between those touchdowns was a 4-yard keeper by Nunn, which was set up by a 36-yard completion to Kendrick, who caught for over 100 yards. Ditto for Quinn, who scored a 45-yard touchdown to tie it at 14-all with 5:27 left in the second quarter off a play-action pass from backup quarterback Luke Bottari — a sophomore who subbed in for three victories in the latter part of the season and earned the nickname of Dak Prescott after the Dallas Cowboys rookie QB. “We crossed the tight ends, we thought the safeties were really low and we decided to take a shot when we got in their territory,” Walsh said. “And ‘Dak’ delivered a perfect ball for a great catch by Charlie.”
Back-to-back completions to Serra senior Shane Villaroman late in the first half moved the ball inside the red zone, and Nunn capitalized on a 11-yard touchdown run in which he kept the ball on the read option and faked a pass to freeze the defense with 1:09 left.
The Padres took that 21-14 lead into halftime, but only because senior free safety Taniela Latu with five seconds left prevented a touchdown with an interception inside the end zone for a touchback.
With the first trip to a state title, the coaching staff and players at least earned the rest of the night off, right?
“If we can get the film uploaded on the bus, we’ll work on the bus,” Walsh said. “There is no time to pat ourselves on the back now. I’m very proud, I’m very happy, for we’ve gone further than any team in school history and we’re excited about the opportunity to play for a state championship now.
“We’ve got plenty of time to look back.”
Article by VYTAS MAZEIKA | vmazeika@bayareanewsgroup.com
Serra players celebrate after beating Sanger 49-36 in the NorCal Division 2-A championship bowl Saturday night in Sanger.
[photo by Jonathan Allen]
Serra is second to none in Northern California largely in part to the legs and arm of senior Leki Nunn.
The dual-threat quarterback put on a show Saturday night at Sanger in the CIF NorCal Division 2-A bowl championship game by accounting for six touchdowns — two passing on back-to-back throws and four rushing, two in each half — during a 49-36 victory for the Padres.
“How he does not have 50 to 70 (scholarship) offers is beyond me,” Serra coach Patrick Walsh said. “The performance is just something that I felt blessed to be there. He was unbelievable — again. Again. Not like the first time ever — again. He just made unbelievably spectacular plays all night long.”
Serra (10-4), which began the season with four straight losses, will play for a state title for the first time next Saturday at Sacramento State.
“We’re in rarified air here in the school and the community,” Walsh said. “It’s very exciting and I’m very excited for the Padre brotherhood and the community. It takes a lot. It takes the administration and teachers, students, parents and coaches, but ultimately the kids, making unique sacrifices to get a community this far. Very, very cool to be here.”
The Padres will face Sierra Canyon (15-0) of Chatsworth, with kickoff scheduled for noon. It’s their second straight game against an undefeated team, as Sanger (13-1) suffered its first loss in front of thousands of raucous fans at home.
“You had to be there to fully feel the presence of that town,” said Walsh, a former running back at De La Salle in Concord. “I’ve never been a part of a high school experience like that and I’ve been around high school for a long time. It was second to none, unbelievable atmosphere. Loud, red — win or lose, it was going to be a great atmosphere.
“It was hard to communicate, it was loud, and the way the kids showed poise out there on the field under duress in about as hostile of an environment in the state of California was spectacular — offensively and defensively.”
A back-and-forth contest through three quarters, Nunn took over down the stretch.
The dual-threat quarterback put on a show Saturday night at Sanger in the CIF NorCal Division 2-A bowl championship game by accounting for six touchdowns — two passing on back-to-back throws and four rushing, two in each half — during a 49-36 victory for the Padres.
“How he does not have 50 to 70 (scholarship) offers is beyond me,” Serra coach Patrick Walsh said. “The performance is just something that I felt blessed to be there. He was unbelievable — again. Again. Not like the first time ever — again. He just made unbelievably spectacular plays all night long.”
Serra (10-4), which began the season with four straight losses, will play for a state title for the first time next Saturday at Sacramento State.
“We’re in rarified air here in the school and the community,” Walsh said. “It’s very exciting and I’m very excited for the Padre brotherhood and the community. It takes a lot. It takes the administration and teachers, students, parents and coaches, but ultimately the kids, making unique sacrifices to get a community this far. Very, very cool to be here."
The Padres will face Sierra Canyon (15-0) of Chatsworth, with kickoff scheduled for noon. It’s their second straight game against an undefeated team, as Sanger (13-1) suffered its first loss in front of thousands of raucous fans at home.
“You had to be there to fully feel the presence of that town,” said Walsh, a former running back at De La Salle in Concord. “I’ve never been a part of a high school experience like that and I’ve been around high school for a long time. It was second to none, unbelievable atmosphere. Loud, red — win or lose, it was going to be a great atmosphere. “It was hard to communicate, it was loud, and the way the kids showed poise out there on the field under duress in about as hostile of an environment in the state of California was spectacular — offensively and defensively.”
A back-and-forth contest through three quarters, Nunn took over down the stretch.
The Padres scored 21 unanswered points in the fourth quarter beginning with the opening snap, which turned into a 54-yard bomb from Nunn to senior wide receiver Charlie Quinn to go up 35-28. After the defense forced a three-and-out, once more Nunn needed just one play from scrimmage to strike as Serra offensive coordinator Steven Lo dialed long distance again. Under pressure, Nunn scrambled out of the pocket while doing his best impersonation of Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson — though he tweeted that it more resembled Heisman Trophy winner Lamar Jackson from Louisville — and heaved the ball to a wide open Isiah Kendrick, who walked into the end zone for a 55-yard touchdown aided by broken coverage.
“It was a called play, it just wasn’t on time because the protection broke down,” Walsh said. “But Leki had to scramble to ultimately get to the called play.”
Serra put the game out of reach after an 11-play, 97-yard drive that culminated with Nunn’s fourth TD run of the night, this one from 5 yards out, and gave the Padres a 49-28 cushion with 1:42 left. Then, it was just a matter of 200-mile bus ride back to campus. “We’re going to eat some pizza and fuel up and hug it out, then head back to San Mateo,” Walsh said. The first half featured a number of big plays. Sanger found pay dirt twice on long runs of 59 and 66 yards to jump ahead 14-7 after the opening 12 minutes.
Sandwiched in between those touchdowns was a 4-yard keeper by Nunn, which was set up by a 36-yard completion to Kendrick, who caught for over 100 yards. Ditto for Quinn, who scored a 45-yard touchdown to tie it at 14-all with 5:27 left in the second quarter off a play-action pass from backup quarterback Luke Bottari — a sophomore who subbed in for three victories in the latter part of the season and earned the nickname of Dak Prescott after the Dallas Cowboys rookie QB. “We crossed the tight ends, we thought the safeties were really low and we decided to take a shot when we got in their territory,” Walsh said. “And ‘Dak’ delivered a perfect ball for a great catch by Charlie.”
Back-to-back completions to Serra senior Shane Villaroman late in the first half moved the ball inside the red zone, and Nunn capitalized on a 11-yard touchdown run in which he kept the ball on the read option and faked a pass to freeze the defense with 1:09 left.
The Padres took that 21-14 lead into halftime, but only because senior free safety Taniela Latu with five seconds left prevented a touchdown with an interception inside the end zone for a touchback.
With the first trip to a state title, the coaching staff and players at least earned the rest of the night off, right?
“If we can get the film uploaded on the bus, we’ll work on the bus,” Walsh said. “There is no time to pat ourselves on the back now. I’m very proud, I’m very happy, for we’ve gone further than any team in school history and we’re excited about the opportunity to play for a state championship now.
“We’ve got plenty of time to look back.”
Article by VYTAS MAZEIKA | vmazeika@bayareanewsgroup.com
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Really proud of Serra, VC, M-A, the WCAL and CCS overall. Even the Milpitas and Palma losses were close and competitive--hats off.
It's pretty fun to see a Football culture developing at Serra thanks in part to Coach Walsh and the success of the Serra athletes. After so many years of being second-fiddle to Bells & SF, I see this Serra program attracting local Peninsula talent instead of having it run down the 280 to either SF or Bells. I was off with my statement that I made saying the WCAL is "average" this year, turns out this was a fairly strong year--one of the strongest in awhile.
Now let's finish the job VC, Serra & MA! best of luck.
It's pretty fun to see a Football culture developing at Serra thanks in part to Coach Walsh and the success of the Serra athletes. After so many years of being second-fiddle to Bells & SF, I see this Serra program attracting local Peninsula talent instead of having it run down the 280 to either SF or Bells. I was off with my statement that I made saying the WCAL is "average" this year, turns out this was a fairly strong year--one of the strongest in awhile.
Now let's finish the job VC, Serra & MA! best of luck.
"Serra is second to none in Northern California"
DLS or St. Mary's might have an argument there, but congrats to the Padres on an epic season.
DLS or St. Mary's might have an argument there, but congrats to the Padres on an epic season.
Congrats to the Padres! The same goes to VC and MA. That Sanger team was the real deal. They were scary good. It has been a pleasure to watch Serra transform itself over the course of the season to the team that they are now. That is unless you are a Lancer fan.
Good luck to Serra, VC and MA at state!
Good luck to Serra, VC and MA at state!
Until Walsh arrived on the West 20th Avenue campus in San Mateo, the Serra football program had been in a dismal coma for at least a decade. And that includes the Tom Brady years. As the 2000 season came to a close, the administration decided that something needed to be done. Bellarmine and St. Francis had won or shared the WCAL title for more than a full generation. The situation was depressing (except in the San Jose College Park neighborhood and along Miramonte Avenue in Mountain View). Since Walsh arrived at Serra in 2001 and Valley Christian was added to the WCAL a year later, those two teams have rejuvenated the league. VC has won or shared six WCAL titles; Walsh and Serra have shared six crowns. Mitty is no pushover as well. SF and the Bells remain strong but they no longer treat the league as their private playpen. Only the three San Francisco schools struggle to maintain consistently competitive football programs. It seems somehow fitting that the two programs which have altered the balance of power in the WCAL _ Serra and VC _ will represent the league in the state's championship bowl showdowns this week. Good for them.
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Very good write-up Colhenry! You instantly brought back memories of "SFBW" [Serra Football Before Walsh], an utterly depressing era when I quit following Serra Football for a number of years after my son's graduated. Serra was one of the perenial doormats it seemed most years and went through a series of somewhat forgettable coaches [sorry whomever you are]. There was simply no hoping Serra even had a chance against the mighty Lancers or Bells most seasons - can any Serra fan/alumni say "The Curse" without wincing? There just seemed to be no answer or hope until one Patrick Walsh appeared & just hearing he starred as DLS had everyone's pulse beating faster. It has been a good ride and I've followed Serra ever since Walsh appeared. The program is not what it once was nor are the athletes Serra attracts. Seeing a couple hundred Serra students & fans at a game 200 miles away last night was something.
So once again the WCAL represents itself well & as you stated it is even more unlikely in that neither Bells or St. Francis is one of the 2 teams going to state [BTW I picked SF to win the whole enchillada this season and felt Serra except for Nunn & Lavulo lost too many starters and was just too young a team. This Padre team certainly proved me wrong for the first time, Lol!].
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Two notes: 1. The Serra football player profile has changed dramatically since Walsh took over. The Poly demographic is obviously the key to the Padres' recent run of success. 2. This 2016 Serra team is very young. It will be bolstered by a strong current freshman group and a number of JV guys in 2017. Look for Serra to make another WCAL title push next year.
I watched a lot of the 2nd half of the game and Serra + Nunn were quite good.
I don't pretend to know much about Sierra Canyon, but I think they're gonna have their hands full with the Padres.
They are. That's one of the games I've studied pretty thoroughly already and I have Serra winning by two scores IF they play mistake free football.
CT4L
Sierra Canyon is going to be a load for Serra. What's especially worrisome is that Serra's defense suddenly turned porous vs. Sanger. And asking Leki Nunn to duplicate or exceed what he did last weekend is asking a lot. SC is not chopped liver by any means. For some perspective, in the CIF 3AA game (one notch down from Serra vs. SC in the CIF pecking order), Menlo-Atherton will face Paraclete Friday night in SoCal. Paraclete lost by four TD's to SC during the regular season. SC is 15-0 and quite strong. Serra is going to have its hands full Saturday at noon in Sacto.
Agreed. Serra's run defense has the ability to be stout against the run, but they're going to have to be stout for 4-quarters instead of figuring it out in the 2nd half. I also think they're intermediate pass-defense needs to step up. I've been really impressed by Serra's pass rush, if they can continue that then they can effectively take away SC's medium to deep passing ability. Serra has those awesome D-line and LB shifts they do before snaps that really cause lineman fits, I love that.
A bit surprised on a number of threads where fans are picking Serra asthe favorite [and in some cases a heavy favorite] over Sierra Canyon. Looking over their record, SOS, etc. I'm trhying to figure how Serra is being considered by some the favorite in this one? Maybe solely based on the big win over then undefeated Sanger who was 13-0 [now 13-1]. Sierra Canyon is 14-0 and looks solid including ranked above Serra in state whereas Sanger was ranked slightly lower going into last weeks game.
Rmbr I am surprised as well. Sierra Canyon may be a small enrollment school but they have wins over Paraclete, Corona del Mar, and LA this year and will not be a pushover.
Agree that Sierra Canyon will not be a push over but I don't believe they have an answer to Nunn. When I viewed the film of Sierra Canyon and Corona Del Mar they had a problem containing Corona Del Mar's QB which in my opinion is no where near the talent of Nunn. Also, I believe Serra's physical defense will eventually be too much of a factor for Sierra Canyon to win this game.
CT4L
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Nunn would have to get the nod as the more dynamic runner but both are averaging a little more than 5 ypc this year. Garbers rushed for 78 against Sierra Canyon so you are right SC will have a big job ahead of them containing Nunn.
I was able to see CDM when they played LG early this year and it is a very good team and Cal commit Garbers is the real deal. CDM can compete with anyone in the CCS. SC needed OT to beat them.
Hopefully this is as good a game as I think it will be. Don't like watching blow outs for SBGs.
Go Serra
Serra's Opponent Sierra Canyon 14-0 in upcoming game:
Sierra Canyon and its core of seniors look to finish with a CIF state championship
Sierra Canyon's 13 senior football players. Top: Sam Shadorf, left, Dominic Shihabi, Arnie Vargas, Niko Harris, Leo Gomez, Joey Rodriguez, Kanan Ray. Bottom: Jordan Curt, left, Max Lapides, Bobby Cole, Max Motel, Kyle Roca, Dylan Tait. (David Sobel)
In the era of transfers, Chatsworth Sierra Canyon High has accomplished a rarity. There are 13 seniors on its 14-0 football team who have been together from start to finish for four seasons.
“These young men have had four years of exactly how we want to do things,” Coach Jon Ellinghouse said. “It’s a unique advantage. It was a great group of kids who bought in and believed in us.”
They get to end their high school career Saturday at noon at Sacramento State, playing San Mateo Serra in the CIF state championship Division 2-A bowl game. One of those seniors is UCLA-bound offensive lineman Kanan Ray - 6'4 - 275.
“I guess from Day One, we started to bond,” Ray said. “We always talked about how good we would be as seniors and playing for a state championship. We’re all best friends. How far we’ve come is crazy.”
Eric SondheimerContact ReporterVarsity Times Insider
Sierra Canyon and its core of seniors look to finish with a CIF state championship
Sierra Canyon's 13 senior football players. Top: Sam Shadorf, left, Dominic Shihabi, Arnie Vargas, Niko Harris, Leo Gomez, Joey Rodriguez, Kanan Ray. Bottom: Jordan Curt, left, Max Lapides, Bobby Cole, Max Motel, Kyle Roca, Dylan Tait. (David Sobel)
In the era of transfers, Chatsworth Sierra Canyon High has accomplished a rarity. There are 13 seniors on its 14-0 football team who have been together from start to finish for four seasons.
“These young men have had four years of exactly how we want to do things,” Coach Jon Ellinghouse said. “It’s a unique advantage. It was a great group of kids who bought in and believed in us.”
They get to end their high school career Saturday at noon at Sacramento State, playing San Mateo Serra in the CIF state championship Division 2-A bowl game. One of those seniors is UCLA-bound offensive lineman Kanan Ray - 6'4 - 275.
“I guess from Day One, we started to bond,” Ray said. “We always talked about how good we would be as seniors and playing for a state championship. We’re all best friends. How far we’ve come is crazy.”
Eric SondheimerContact ReporterVarsity Times Insider
