By Mitch Stephens | MaxPreps.com
The West Catholic Athletic League is a proven commodity, but the Northern part of the conference — specifically the three San Francisco schools — hasn't quite pulled its weight.
Over the last five seasons, St. Ignatius (San Francisco) (11-23-1),Sacred Heart Cathedral (San Francisco) (4-31) and Archbishop Riordan (San Francisco) (3-32) are a combined 18-86-1 in WCAL play.
But 2015 should be different.
Seven of the eight WCAL teams will be severely tested to open the season tonight, including Sacred Heart Cathedral versus Terra Nova-Pacifica at Kezar Stadium, Valley Christian at Pioneer-San Jose, St. Ignatius travels to Campolindo, Mitty hosts Los Gatos at Foothill College, Serra hosts national juggernaut De La Salle and Bellarmine against Franklin-Elk Grove at San Jose City College. All games are at 7 p.m.
Riordan opens Sept. 11 at Sacred Heart Prep-Atherton.
"Those schools looked much improved," Valley Christian coach Mike Machado said of the three San Francisco schools. "I don't see the rest of the league dropping off, so it's going to be a really tough race."
With the experience at Bellarmine, the urgency of Serra, the Division I athletes at Valley Christian, new coach at Mitty, stability at St. Francis and vast improvement from the North, this is wide open a race as we've seen in the last 10 years.
With the new Central Coast Section three Open Division playoff format, and a new CIF 13 Bowl Game format, don't be surprised if all eight make runs at regional berths.
"The clear favorite in the WCAL never turns out to be the clear favorite," St. Ignatius coach John Regalia said. "I don't think anyone saw Bellarmine doing what they did last year. Everyone has experience, great coaching and there's a ton of respect for one another. It's just a great league to be a part of."
Here's an alphabetical league at one of the state's best leagues, if not the best in Northern California.
Bellarmine College Prep (San Jose)
Coach:Mike Janda
2014:10-3 overall, 5-2 WCAL
Janda needs just 12 wins to catch CCS career leader Benny Pierce at Saratoga. With the experience he has, especially at the skill position, led by perhaps the fastest player in the Bay Area Kyle Macauley, don't be surprised if Janda catches him by the end of the season. They return 13 starters from last year's squad.
The Bells play a rugged nonleague season — Sac Joaquin Section powers Franklin-Elk Grove and Del Oro-Loomis, along with two-time defending CCS champion Aptos — so they should be battle tested by league play.
"This is one of the most experienced teams I've ever coached," Janda said. "Because of their development over the last two and three years, we're hoping they can provide the leadership we need."
Janda called Macauley, who ran a 10.69 100-meters last spring, second year quarterback Troy Martig, tight end/LB Josh Bringuel and OL Wolfie Rehbock, the "heart and soul of the team."
Archbishop Mitty (San Jose)
Coach:Keith Burns
2014:8-5, 4-3
Burns, a former college and NFL assistant, joined Mitty last season and now is the head man. He's immediately implemented the spread offense and with a couple of superb athletes vying for the quarterback job, the Monarchs should be fun to watch.
Fremont transfer Phillip Tran and Samuel Serra, a basketball standout who sat out last season to focus on the round ball, are battling out for the starting job.
Other top players including running back Derek Bauerle, a first-team-All leaguer last year, linebackers Blake Flovin and Matt Tofano and DE Jacob Dewey.
Riordan
Coach:Kevin Fordon
2014:1-9, 1-6
First-year head coach Fordon, a De La Salle-Concord graduate and former assistant at Concord and DVC, is very optimistic about a senior-laden team that is led by first-team All-WCAL linebacker Payton Ilalio (103 tackles) and running back Raymone Sanders (867 rushing yards, eight TDs).
"I'm lucky enough to work with a large, talented senior group who I hope can go out as WCAL champions," said Fordon, the team's defensive coordinator last year. "That's our goal. I think we can do it."
Most of the Crusaders were juniors last year, including all-leaguers linemen Rocco Russell, Sam Tofi and Mario Guisto, along with receivers Isaiah Davis and Aidan Verba-hamilton.
"They have a lot of talented seniors coming back," Machado said. "It's a very good class."
Many Pac-12 schools are looking at Jamar Williams-Sheppard, a senior at Sacred Heart Cathedral, as both a linebacker and running back.
Sacred Heart Cathedral
Coach:Ken Peralta
2014:3-7, 0-7
Under third-year coach and proven winner Peralta, SHC has some beef up front to go along with arguably the league's top tailback in Jamar Williams-Sheppard, a 6-foot-2, 215-pound senior who will also play some outside linebacker.
Williams-Sheppard rushed for 1,159 yards and 15 touchdowns but 886 of those yards came in the first four weeks before seven starters went down with season-ending injuries. Williams-Sheppard is getting Pac-12 Conference interest on both sides of the ball, though 6-3, 300-pound two-way tackle Keith Ismael is the team's top recruit and perhaps the best linemen in the league.
The Irish return 12 starters and feature such skill guys as junior RB Jamal Lavallier, receiver Areon Mitchell and quarterback George Stefko.
"We got a lot of good kids in all three levels of the program," Peralta said. "Everyone is buying in. It's looking good."
The West Catholic Athletic League is a proven commodity, but the Northern part of the conference — specifically the three San Francisco schools — hasn't quite pulled its weight.
Over the last five seasons, St. Ignatius (San Francisco) (11-23-1),Sacred Heart Cathedral (San Francisco) (4-31) and Archbishop Riordan (San Francisco) (3-32) are a combined 18-86-1 in WCAL play.
But 2015 should be different.
Seven of the eight WCAL teams will be severely tested to open the season tonight, including Sacred Heart Cathedral versus Terra Nova-Pacifica at Kezar Stadium, Valley Christian at Pioneer-San Jose, St. Ignatius travels to Campolindo, Mitty hosts Los Gatos at Foothill College, Serra hosts national juggernaut De La Salle and Bellarmine against Franklin-Elk Grove at San Jose City College. All games are at 7 p.m.
Riordan opens Sept. 11 at Sacred Heart Prep-Atherton.
"Those schools looked much improved," Valley Christian coach Mike Machado said of the three San Francisco schools. "I don't see the rest of the league dropping off, so it's going to be a really tough race."
With the experience at Bellarmine, the urgency of Serra, the Division I athletes at Valley Christian, new coach at Mitty, stability at St. Francis and vast improvement from the North, this is wide open a race as we've seen in the last 10 years.
With the new Central Coast Section three Open Division playoff format, and a new CIF 13 Bowl Game format, don't be surprised if all eight make runs at regional berths.
"The clear favorite in the WCAL never turns out to be the clear favorite," St. Ignatius coach John Regalia said. "I don't think anyone saw Bellarmine doing what they did last year. Everyone has experience, great coaching and there's a ton of respect for one another. It's just a great league to be a part of."
Here's an alphabetical league at one of the state's best leagues, if not the best in Northern California.
Bellarmine College Prep (San Jose)
Coach:Mike Janda
2014:10-3 overall, 5-2 WCAL
Janda needs just 12 wins to catch CCS career leader Benny Pierce at Saratoga. With the experience he has, especially at the skill position, led by perhaps the fastest player in the Bay Area Kyle Macauley, don't be surprised if Janda catches him by the end of the season. They return 13 starters from last year's squad.
The Bells play a rugged nonleague season — Sac Joaquin Section powers Franklin-Elk Grove and Del Oro-Loomis, along with two-time defending CCS champion Aptos — so they should be battle tested by league play.
"This is one of the most experienced teams I've ever coached," Janda said. "Because of their development over the last two and three years, we're hoping they can provide the leadership we need."
Janda called Macauley, who ran a 10.69 100-meters last spring, second year quarterback Troy Martig, tight end/LB Josh Bringuel and OL Wolfie Rehbock, the "heart and soul of the team."
Archbishop Mitty (San Jose)
Coach:Keith Burns
2014:8-5, 4-3
Burns, a former college and NFL assistant, joined Mitty last season and now is the head man. He's immediately implemented the spread offense and with a couple of superb athletes vying for the quarterback job, the Monarchs should be fun to watch.
Fremont transfer Phillip Tran and Samuel Serra, a basketball standout who sat out last season to focus on the round ball, are battling out for the starting job.
Other top players including running back Derek Bauerle, a first-team-All leaguer last year, linebackers Blake Flovin and Matt Tofano and DE Jacob Dewey.
Riordan
Coach:Kevin Fordon
2014:1-9, 1-6
First-year head coach Fordon, a De La Salle-Concord graduate and former assistant at Concord and DVC, is very optimistic about a senior-laden team that is led by first-team All-WCAL linebacker Payton Ilalio (103 tackles) and running back Raymone Sanders (867 rushing yards, eight TDs).
"I'm lucky enough to work with a large, talented senior group who I hope can go out as WCAL champions," said Fordon, the team's defensive coordinator last year. "That's our goal. I think we can do it."
Most of the Crusaders were juniors last year, including all-leaguers linemen Rocco Russell, Sam Tofi and Mario Guisto, along with receivers Isaiah Davis and Aidan Verba-hamilton.
"They have a lot of talented seniors coming back," Machado said. "It's a very good class."
Many Pac-12 schools are looking at Jamar Williams-Sheppard, a senior at Sacred Heart Cathedral, as both a linebacker and running back.
Sacred Heart Cathedral
Coach:Ken Peralta
2014:3-7, 0-7
Under third-year coach and proven winner Peralta, SHC has some beef up front to go along with arguably the league's top tailback in Jamar Williams-Sheppard, a 6-foot-2, 215-pound senior who will also play some outside linebacker.
Williams-Sheppard rushed for 1,159 yards and 15 touchdowns but 886 of those yards came in the first four weeks before seven starters went down with season-ending injuries. Williams-Sheppard is getting Pac-12 Conference interest on both sides of the ball, though 6-3, 300-pound two-way tackle Keith Ismael is the team's top recruit and perhaps the best linemen in the league.
The Irish return 12 starters and feature such skill guys as junior RB Jamal Lavallier, receiver Areon Mitchell and quarterback George Stefko.
"We got a lot of good kids in all three levels of the program," Peralta said. "Everyone is buying in. It's looking good."
