Cal High

[NorCalScout]

I've heard a bunch of rumbling at 7 on 7's about players leaving Cal High
Is there any truth? I heard Billeci is rubbing players & parents the wrong way?
They have already lost a few D1 players that went to Foothill in past years and now I am hearing more from last years team are looking to transfer? I personally am not a big fan of players transferring and trying to work the system but parents all think there kids are scholarship material when the truth of the matter is, very few of them are. Wasn't to impressed with anyone from last years team with the exception Locklear & Friedel, not sure if they have some young talent coming back or moving up but might be tough times a head for the Griz.

 

[paul_johnson884]

So much for closed enrollment.

 

[mshNASTY]

I heard they lost 2 kids to Antioch that were on a 7 on 7 team out there. Sounds like there could be truth to that. Belleci only rubs the unaccountable kids and parents the wrong way. He does a great job over there and some kids want to be pampered and told how great they are just doesn't happen with him.

 

[Bubba3000]

Having had personal experience with Coach Billeci, here's my take. My son has played tackle football since he was a little boy and I'm not sure to this day if he's ever missed a practice at any level. He's always had a strong work ethic. I saw his effort ramp up his first two years in high school and early in his junior season of football I got an email from Billeci to meet with he and my son in his office after practice. He basically said my son wasn't working hard enough and he blamed the attention he was getting from recruiters and mail from college programs. I sided with Coach on this topic and told my son to work hard and that recruiting will take care of itself. His effort improved but there were times when he still wasn't giving 100% and it cost him some play time his junior year. I had a couple of run ins with Coach Billeci but at the end of the day he was just trying to help my son mature as a young man and I believe his influence has helped accomplished that. My son became much more of a leader his senior year, worked really hard and got scholarship offers. I'm proud to say that the college decision he made was based more around academics than athletics.

If I were the father of a talented QB that is good enough to play at the next level, I would cringe at the thought of him playing in the Cal High offense. They run the ball about 80% of the time and the system clearly doesn't highlight the quarterback position. With that said I see things very simply in black and white. Those that stand out in high school play in college and those that stand out in college play in the NFL. Basically, if you're a division 1 caliber player you can get there playing at Cal High. Probably the positions that get the best college looks at Cal High are running back, offensive line and linebacker. I have never felt Billeci's system utilizes the tight end position as well as it could but look at Matt Snyder. There's a kid currently on scholarship at Nebraska that blocks as well as he catches, is 6'5" 245 and mentally tough.

Billeci isn't going to win any popularity contests but I can tell you despite his hard nosed approach, my son thinks very highly of him and paid him a visit at the school during this last Christmas break from college.

 

[Bball622]

Your telling me 2 kids transfer from the city of San Ramon to Antioch? The 2 kids I heard that transferred are average and not impactful players. Kids don't want to have to deal with being held accountable and parents have this mindset that whatever these 7 on 7 coaches are telling about being d1 is true. The days of tough love are gone now it's the days of catering to kids who are misguided.

 

[Paloma]

I heard they lost 2 kids to Antioch that were on a 7 on 7 team out there. Sounds like there could be truth to that. Belleci only rubs the unaccountable kids and parents the wrong way. He does a great job over there and some kids want to be pampered and told how great they are just doesn't happen with him.

Not surprised about Antioch. They have an assistant that was fired by Freedom and has been recruiting kids since he got to Antioch. He is why the James Logan WR was ruled ineligible last season. We will see if Lemmon does anything about this. If they were on a 7on7 team with Antioch coaches I believe that is considered prior contact. Maybe Antioch is trying to duplicate last year by having way more talent than Foothill only to be completely out coached, even with the best player the state has ever seen.

 

[Bubba3000]

Your telling me 2 kids transfer from the city of San Ramon to Antioch? The 2 kids I heard that transferred are average and not impactful players. Kids don't want to have to deal with being held accountable and parents have this mindset that whatever these 7 on 7 coaches are telling about being d1 is true. The days of tough love are gone now it's the days of catering to kids who are misguided.

I believe this is one of the reason kids in the area are considered "soft" to potential recruiters.

 

[Streak One]

It is misguided to think playing with a "star" will automatically get you recruited. That seems to be the sales pitch for Antioch and people are buying it

 

[Bubba3000]

It is misguided to think playing with a "star" will automatically get you recruited. That seems to be the sales pitch for Antioch and people are buying it

You Sir are reading my mind! I know it's a short story.....

 

[bayside101]

A. Belleci is not a victim he gave a group of people access to his network. In other words people were helping those kids attend cal in the first place. Once they have direct access to your parents they don't really need the coach anymore now do they.

B. Once the coach doesn't give "them" what they want they convince kids to move some where else.

C. There are a bunch of disgruntal ex coaches from Bellecci's staff one of them happens to coach at Antioch. So I don't think that is a coincidence.

D. Bellecci has been living off what Sanchez built for 6 or 7 years, that is how strong Tone's relationships are, but the last of those players came through with Bubb'a son. Now Bellecci is responsible for what he built or didn't build. So kids transferring doesn't surprise me because the community that Sanchez help build is gone. It has been hard to watch it erode over the last seven years.

 

[Bball622]

Wow talk about disgruntled!!! ^^^that last person to reply obviously has some issues maybe your one of those coaches who got ran out. Unless your involved in the program you probably don't know what's really going on. Living off what Sanchez built come on man. The guy (being the coach) wins period !!! If your going to come on here and bash people say your name and who you get your facts from so we can all know who you are.

 

[Bubba3000]

A. Belleci is not a victim he gave a group of people access to his network. In other words people were helping those kids attend cal in the first place. Once they have direct access to your parents they don't really need the coach anymore now do they.

B. Once the coach doesn't give "them" what they want they convince kids to move some where else.

C. There are a bunch of disgruntal ex coaches from Bellecci's staff one of them happens to coach at Antioch. So I don't think that is a coincidence.

D. Bellecci has been living off what Sanchez built for 6 or 7 years, that is how strong Tone's relationships are, but the last of those players came through with Bubb'a son. Now Bellecci is responsible for what he built or didn't build. So kids transferring doesn't surprise me because the community that Sanchez help build is gone. It has been hard to watch it erode over the last seven years.

My son was in sixth or seventh grade when Sanchez left. The 2014 team that played DLS in the section title game had no Sanchez lineage to my knowledge. It was not easy for him to turn down the chance to play for Sanchez and his staff in college.

 

[Bubba3000]

The kids that thrive in Billeci's system are hard nosed, old school types. Unfortunately, it's hard to find 40 or so of those types from the student body. Realistically, it's probably hard to find ten of those in any given season.

I will say this, Cal High has lost some pretty damn good coaches from all three levels of the program and most of that lies at Coach Billeci's feet.

 

[bayside101]

If your going to come on here and bash people say your name and who you get your facts from so we can all know who you are.

After Erick's first season at Cal Hi they wanted to fire him. They wouldn't even give the guy a job on campus. There were a hand full of people that supported Erick me and my family were one of those groups.

I am definitely disgruntled it is hard to watch someone take a Ferrari and turn it into a pick up truck. 2014 Liberty playoff game was a half empty stadium. Hard to be there when you remember what it once was. In fact the liberty side was full I was sitting in the cal hi bleachers surrounded by liberty fans.

Erick knows exactly who I am and that is the important part, who cares if you know who I am. I will be around all season and all summer anyone that has a problem with what I say will actually see me directly. I've always owned everything I say. Two where did I bash Bellecci, I think you are a bit sensitive. If I was going to bash him I would say something like as two people with Pittsburg lineage I'll call Erik when I need to order flowers. Or I would talk about how he is Tosh Lupoi's little puppy dog and that connection/relationship is why kids are transferring to Antioch, in attempts to secure Tosh's prize recruit.

Sanchez was involved in the pop werner programs the elementary schools, more importantly his house was a beacon in the the broadmore neighborhood everyone came to that house. He traveled 8000 people to a game in Washington. Camps were held for kids as young as seven years old and he held pep rally's at the local junior high's.

Bubba serious question, when Tone was at Cal Hi would kids transfer to Antioch High School??

 

[Bubba3000]

First of all Tony should probably be removed from the thread because in my opinion there isn't a coach in Northern California that can compare. It isn't fair to compare Eric or anyone else in the area to Tony.

There are better coaches than Billeci but there are also worse. It's no secret that Eric isnt the most user friendly but until the school makes a change he's the coach we got. Unfortunately it seems the only guys that like playing for him are the kids they absolutely love football and won't allow anyone to screw their high school football experience.

Oh and to answer your question its no. In fact there would probably kids from Antioch trying to transfer to Cal High.

 

[amoebadefense]

This is better than Days of our lives.

 

[paul_johnson884]

so, leadership matters in HS football.
#whoknew

 

[Paloma]

Agree on the Sanchez comparison. Coach Billeci has done a very solid job. What is amusing is how this turned in to a complete Billeci conversation. In my opinion the bigger story here is an assistant coach who used to work at Cal High, Freedom, and now is at Antioch recruiting players to Antioch by dangling the Najee carrot over players heads. There is no reason to purposely transfer to a high school in the third highest crime city in the Bay Area unless it is to play football along side the top player in the nation. Why leave Freedom to go to Antioch(two Freedom players did that before last season)? It certainly isn't because of coaching and it isn't because of school curriculum.

 

[EastBayDad]

This whole thread is stupid. Who are any of you to talk about any of these coaches?

I don't have a dog in this fight, but coaches work for pennies an hour, put a lot of their own money back into their programs, tons of hours of time away from their family, etc.

Most of them have their heart in the right place and do what they think is best for their kids...

As far as transfers go it's an NCS issue... Let them do their investigations
If they say it's illegal the kid sits, so be it

If they say there was a legit move then so be it

But it doesn't have anything to do with anyone on this site one way or the other

 

[Paloma]

Because that's what these message boards are about. A coach is using the top recruit in the nation to pull guys from other schools. If you feel that this is wrong then you probably feel that nearly every single thread is wrong, in which case EastBay Dad you should probably stick to the basketball threads.

 

[Bubba3000]

Like Streak I think kids and parents that believe playing on the same team with a 5 star recruit is going to somehow help their chances of being recruited are being very naive.

 

[Indianpride45]

This whole sitting kids over a transfer is ridiculous, if a kid wants to transfer so be it. Give them a few games and move on. Sitting them for a season is just plain wrong.

 

[EastBayDad]

From what I've read about SoCal, it's the Wild Wild West... Kids can transfer anytime they want, some pick a new school each year and it's all good

Too many schools and players to police so it's pretty much all good

This whole sitting kids over a transfer is ridiculous, if a kid wants to transfer so be it. Give them a few games and move on. Sitting them for a season is just plain wrong.

m what

 

[Paloma]

This whole sitting kids over a transfer is ridiculous, if a kid wants to transfer so be it. Give them a few games and move on. Sitting them for a season is just plain wrong.

Agree if those are the rules. If not then enforce/abide by them. My problem is the hypocrisy of the NCS and how it randomly choses to enforce rules. Either allow a free for all or not. juat make a decision Gil Lemmon....

 

[Indianpride45]

Agree if those are the rules. If not then enforce/abide by them. My problem is the hypocrisy of the NCS and how it randomly choses to enforce rules. Either allow a free for all or not. juat make a decision Gil Lemmon....

I agree enforce the rules that wasn't my point. My point was the rule is stupid. Kids should be allowed to transfer if unhappy at least once without fear of getting banned a full season. Kids only get 4 years of sports and taking one full year away because a kid transfers is wrong in my opinion.

 

[1315]

Paloma- There are big stakes for families who have all their eggs in the single football basket. The dream of D1 NLI, college paid for, clouds the judgment of many, hence transfers. SRV QB is the poster child.
There's a simple formula for respect from your peers and enthusiasm for your program. And bball, it's not loyalty. Coaches should stay off the blogs.
But he does know leadership; the good and the bad. IN 2011, three of the four captains the kids chose were gone by week 5 and he put in the real leaders. Now only if Cal would get an OC like Kravitz was in '10....calling both sides of the ball looks impressive, but in one of the best leagues in Nor Cal?
As far as the passing game, Cal has been known for getting the right kids, mostly home grown, other than '12, '13. The QB rating record holder never threw a pass before 9th grade, but could rifle a four-seamer. For three years, 5-8 throws a game. Then the year after Cal had their best team/QB ever, he showed you don't need a Theder/Kenion trained signal caller from third grade on, Bears, etc. Smarts with an arm worked fine. Playing D1 baseball.

 

[Bubba3000]

When you have the caliber of offensive linemen that Cal High has had over the past 10 years you don't need any elite 11 quarterbacks. It seems like since the class of 2014 crop of linemen the program is definately declining at that position

 

[remc]

This is better than Days of our lives.

Now that's funny

 

[ncscalfootball]

Wud not mind seeing a Cal-Vacaville Game or a Cal-Wood Game

 

[Bluedog2]

Wud not mind seeing a Cal-Vacaville Game or a Cal-Wood Game

With the EBAL strapped to two preseason games for the season due to the change, it may be super difficult to make this happen, but any thing is possible....

 

[observer22]

2? I thought there were now 10 teams in the new EBAL with the addition of Dublin and Dougherty, which would leave just 1 preseason game? I think DLS has made some independent deal so they get more, but I think the EBAL publics are limited to just 1 as they are expected to play everyone else in the league.

 

[ThunderRam]

even with the best player the state has ever seen.

Fantastic player, no doubt, but way over the top with the hyperbole.

 

[ncscalfootball]

Wow! Reminds me of the MEL awhile back when Bethel and Benicia, Hogan where there...

 

[Indianpride45]

even with the best player the state has ever seen.

OJ Simpson, Marcus Allen, Marshal Faulk, John Elway, Tom Brady, etc, I think would all consider that statement uniformed at best.

 

[slick58]

OJ Simpson, Marcus Allen, Marshal Faulk, John Elway, Tom Brady, etc, I think would all consider that statement uniformed at best.

One of those guys didn't play high school ball in California.

 

[Indianpride45]

One of those guys didn't play high school ball in California.

Correct, Marshall was a Louisiana Product. Mixed him up with Terrell Davis. Either way point is pretty clear, and there are many more greats who have played HS ball in this state.

 

[Bubba3000]

Correct, Marshall was a Louisiana Product. Mixed him up with Terrell Davis. Either way point is pretty clear, and there are many more greats who have played HS ball in this state.

Agree IP45, let's wait and see how Najee pans out in the long run before giving him the title.

 

[RunningRon]

Coincidentally IP45, drove through Chico this past Saturday and had a bite to eat at a place that had Aaron Rodgers on the wall.......not too bad himself.

 

[Bubba3000]

Not to mention a few fair players named Larry Allen, Maurice Jones Drew, Daryle Lamonica, James Lofton, Marshawn Lynch, Willie McGinest, Amani Toomer and Troy Polamalu.

 

[Indianpride45]

Troy Aikman, Eric Allen, Teddy Bruchi, Mike Sherman, Tony Gonzales, Lynn Swann, some guy named Ronnie Lott..........