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M-A vs. Serra

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colhenrylives

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For San Mateo County prep football followers, this Friday night's non-league meeting at Levi Stadium between Menlo-Atherton and Serra has been a very long time in coming. Over the last several years, the county's two best football programs have scrimmaged but this game will be the first time the schools have ever met during the regular season. What's more, they are the first two teams to win CIF titles since San Mateo HS in 1926, Serra in 2017 and M-A in 2018 (both were equity-based bowl games _ San Mateo's crown was won as part of a true state playoff system which is long-gone). And there's more. The Bears' Troy Franklin, a multi-talented WR, may well be the best county athlete at the position since Serra's Lynn Swann 50 years ago. The comparisons are interesting. Swann was much more than a WR; he also returned kicks, played some free safety on occasion and, in 1969, played QB (and kicked extra points) for a 9-1 Serra team that won a WCAL title. Franklin also returns kicks and, once in awhile, plays QB in the Wildcat formation. He can play free safety as well. Like Swann a half-century ago, Franklin is worth the price of admission.

A footnote: Woodside's Julian Edelman, the MVP of the 2019 Super Bowl playing for the Patriots as a WR and kick returner, was a prep and college QB.
 
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colhenrylives said:
For San Mateo County prep football followers, this Friday night's non-league meeting at Levi Stadium between Menlo-Atherton and Serra has been a very long time in coming. Over the last several years, the county's two best football programs have scrimmaged but this game will be the first time the schools have ever met during the regular season. What's more, they are the first two teams to win CIF titles since San Mateo HS in 1926, Serra in 2017 and M-A in 2018 (both were equity-based bowl games _ San Mateo's crown was won as part of a true state playoff system which is long-gone). And there's more. The Bears' Troy Franklin, a multi-talented WR, may well be the best county athlete at the position since Serra's Lynn Swann 50 years ago. The comparisons are interesting. Swann was much more than a WR; he also returned kicks, played some free safety on occasion and, in 1969, played QB (and kicked extra points) for a 9-1 Serra team that won a WCAL title. Franklin also returns kicks and, once in awhile, plays QB in the Wildcat formation. He can play free safety as well. Like Swann a half-century ago, Franklin is worth the price of admission.

A footnote: Woodside's Julian Edelman, the MVP of the 2019 Super Bowl playing for the Patriots as a WR and kick returner, was a prep and college QB.
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Comparisons to Lynn Swann is pretty high praise, for those who are too young to have seen him play
 
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There is one big difference (pardon the pun). Franklin is taller than Swann, roughly 6-3 to 6-1. And the former is probably still growing. He's only 16.
 
remc said:
Comparisons to Lynn Swann is pretty high praise, for those who are too young to have seen him play
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High praise indeed. If this young man can accomplish half of what Swann did on the field that would be a great career.
 
WM483 said:
High praise indeed. If this young man can accomplish half of what Swann did on the field that would be a great career.
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Yes, now I’m going to be keeping an eye out on this kid
 
Side note - 2 of MA starters - 1 OL/DL MCL out & Corner out because their coach left starters in 4th qtr of Bellarmine game. Also got word that Bellarmine coaching staff was not too happy with MA coaching staff running up score in 4th qtr after game was well over and starters in game.
 
[B]colhenrylives[/B] said:
There is one big difference (pardon the pun). Franklin is taller than Swann, roughly 6-3 to 6-1. And the former is probably still growing. He's only 16.
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You are being very generous with Lynn Swann's height Col as I believe in person Lynn is about 5'11 [often rosters/programs add an inch or 2 to make players seem bigger - at least that's the only explanation.

More "Swannie" trivia..
* Swann if memory serves me correctly [not always the case these days] was All-County in Basketball as well.
* Swann ran track and won the CA state long jump with a leap of 24'10" [does not qualify as a WCAL record as didn't take place in a league meet at that time].
* Swann beat his brother Calvin from SM High in the San Mateo County Track Meet in the 100 yard dash at 9.9 secs - converted to 100M time that would be between 10.8-10.9 which would make Swannie the fastest player in the WCAL this season,

Anyone know how fast Troy Franklin is? Swann's speed AND leaping ability would be difficult to match...

And on a final note some say Tom Scott was actually the faster of the 2 Serra WR's as Scott went to the state meet in the 100 while Swann competed in the long jump [no time available on Scott]..
 
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pc2986 said:
Side note - 2 of MA starters - 1 OL/DL MCL out & Corner out because their coach left starters in 4th qtr of Bellarmine game. Also got word that Bellarmine coaching staff was not too happy with MA coaching staff running up score in 4th qtr after game was well over and starters in game.
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Ran up the score? It was 48-14 at half. MA finished with 51 points... How is that running up the score? Every article i’ve read on the game says MA just ran the ball up the middle the whole 4th quarter.
 
Rmbr26 said:
You are being very generous with Lynn Swann's height Col as I believe in person Lynn is about 5'11 [often rosters/programs add an inch or 2 to make players seem bigger - at least that's the only explanation.

More "Swannie" trivia..
* Swann if memory serves me correctly [not always the case these days] was All-County in Basketball as well.
* Swann ran track and won the CA state long jump with a leap of 24'10" [does not qualify as a WCAL record as didn't take place in a league meet at that time].
* Swann beat his brother Calvin from SM High in the San Mateo County Track Meet in the 100 yard dash at 9.9 secs - converted to 100M time that would be between 10.8-10.9 which would make Swannie the fastest player in the WCAL this season,

Anyone know how fast Troy Franklin is? Swann's speed AND leaping ability would be difficult to match...

And on a final note some say Tom Scott was actually the faster of the 2 Serra WR's as Scott went to the state meet in the 100 while Swann competed in the long jump [no time available on Scott]..
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Fabulous knowledge, Rambling One. Speaking of speed, the 2019 collection of Serra football burners is impressive. Some of us got winded just watching them on Saturday in the San Mateo heat.
 
46defense11 said:
Ran up the score? It was 48-14 at half. MA finished with 51 points... How is that running up the score? Every article i’ve read on the game says MA just ran the ball up the middle the whole 4th quarter.
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When was the last time you heard a complaint from a Bellarmine booster regarding a public school running up the score on the hapless Bells?
 
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Does this MA squad have the potential to be the best public school team in CCS history?
 
kitty3 said:
Does this MA squad have the potential to be the best public school team in CCS history?
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Whoa. Hang on there, professor. M-A is very good. But those Sequoia teams of the early 1960s were simply overwhelming, unbeaten and barely scored on over several seasons in a row. The Cherokees produced a number of college and NFL players, including at the very end of the run, Gary Beban who won the Heisman Trophy at UCAL. But, yes, M-A has to be in the conversation, primarily because of its very tough non-league schedules in 2017, 2018 and 2019. The current schedule may be the most difficult of them all.
 
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[B]WCAL75[/B] said:
Palo Alto has seen their fair share of good teams including the 2010 team that went down and beat Corona Centennial for the state title.
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Yes agree that 2010 Paly team that won state was loaded with good players. I also like the 2014 SHP team that went 13-0 including beating the Bells 14-0 in the CCS Open Championship.
 
dcpanda said:
SHP is a far cry from a public school. They just refuse to play the privates unless it’s aquatics.
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SHP is definitely not a public school as it's probably the most affluent with arguably the most beautiful and spacious campus in the Bay Area. The times the Gators did play the Privates, they have done very well defeating Bellarmine twice for CCS Open titles, Riordan for CCS D3 and beat SI and SHC last season in the CCS Sectionals. This tiny school has dominated in aquatics (primarily Water Polo).
 
WCAL75 said:
Palo Alto has seen their fair share of good teams including the 2010 team that went down and beat Corona Centennial for the state title.
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That's pretty much the benchmark for the modern era. That said, M-A actually does have the schedule to do something comparable...

That Palo Alto team beat Valley Christian in the CCS Open Division title game, then beat Centennial for the D-I state title.

M-A will be playing Serra this weekend and Folsom in a few weeks. Win those games, and we can have this conversation about them being the best public in CCS history... but, that will mean they'll have to do it all over again in the post-season.
 
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[B said:
"dcpanda[/B], post: 240851, member: 1290"]SHP is a far cry from a public school. They just refuse to play the privates unless it’s aquatics.
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OK got me there, LOL!
I happened to be day-dreaming thinking of schools outside the WCAL who had great teams in CCS in recent years & I fell into the trap of naming SHP of the PAL Bay League. In fairness that was a great team & from a very small private with fewer students than any WCAL school. That year little SHP beat the big, bad Bells with the largest student body of any NorCal private by 14-0 in the CCS Open Championship - commendable whether private or not and many WCAL fans did not give SHP a chance in that game.
 
1972 undefeated Leland under coach Kent Miller was very dominating and defeated Riordan 41-16 in the championship, and there were three undefeated Saratoga teams (1973,1976 and 1980) under HC Bennie Pearce that went through the WCAL, and an undefeated Oak Grove team under HC Ed Buller in 1997 that dominated St Francis in the championship and could have been the best of the ones mentioned above.

The 2010 Palo Alto team defeated a very good VC in the championship and their league that year was relatively strong, and plus the Centennial Corona team that was stacked with talent but couldn't play in the water to boot. MA has a long ways to go to exceed the PA team. MA has been inconsistent in the past with great talent, and they will have to play the entire season.
Palo Alto's Davante Adams was a big time receiver in HS, College and now in the NFL.

Not to under appreciate the talent of MAs receiver.
 
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colhenrylives said:
When was the last time you heard a complaint from a Bellarmine booster regarding a public school running up the score on the hapless Bells?
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Full Transparency - I can't stand Bellarmine! Just heard that from a HS football writer. I could care less what MA does in their games but I can promise you this Serra is preparing for this game "a little extra"...

Serra is more concerned about the St. Mary's, St. Francis and most importantly Valley Christian game.
 
WCAL75 said:
Palo Alto has seen their fair share of good teams including the 2010 team that went down and beat Corona Centennial for the state title.
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PA would be my pick for the more recent best CCS public team. However, at this early season PA didn't show it's true strength in 2010 due to a benign pre-league schedule. MA has a chance to make an early statement that will put everyone on notice. Still, I give a nod to Serra as a slight favorite.
 
It became readily apparent last Saturday that a key Serra strength is its collection of outstanding DB's. But don't be shocked if, on occasion, the Padres insert yet one more DB into the mix vs. Menlo-Atherton's tall, gifted, heavily recruited Troy Franklin: QB Daylin McLemore who is 6-3 and is being recruited as a DB (SJS has offered). Serra Coach Walsh is an innovator who tends to think outside the box. We'll see Friday night.
 
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colhenrylives said:
It became readily apparent last Saturday that a key Serra strength is its collection of outstanding DB's. But don't be shocked if, on occasion, the Padres insert yet one more DB into the mix vs. Menlo-Atherton's tall, gifted, heavily recruited Troy Franklin: QB Daylin McLemore who is 6-3 and is being recruited as a DB (SJS has offered). Serra Coach Walsh is an innovator who tends to think outside the box. We'll see Friday night.
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Hi Colhenrylives - uuuhh hate to be Debbie Downer but I'm close friends with his Dad(2 time SuperBowl Champ with 49ers) and his mom(Masters in Mathematics) and ridiculously intelligent. Daylin is being recruited at ASU, U of A , BYU as a QB. His phone is ringing off the hook weekly and if he puts on another show Friday night forget it. Pac 12 automatic. He's been a kid patiently waiting behind Bottari for 2 years and now has his shot....my prediction is he ends up at ASU...Herm Edwards and his Dad are tight.
 
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NorCalSportsFan said:
The 2010 Palo Alto team defeated a very good VC in the championship and their league that year was relatively strong, and plus the Centennial Corona team that was stacked with talent but couldn't play in the water to boot. MA has a long ways to go to exceed the PA team. MA has been inconsistent in the past with great talent, and they will have to play the entire season.
Palo Alto's Davante Adams was a big time receiver in HS, College and now in the NFL.
View embedded media


Not to under appreciate the talent of MAs receiver.
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I remember one particular poster on this board hyping up PALY early in that 2010 season so I started following them intently. While he was spot on about Kevin Anderson being one of the best players in NorCal, Adams was the player that caught my eye most.

That was a gritty, tough and supremely talented team that was super fun to watch.
 
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pc2986 said:
Hi Colhenrylives - uuuhh hate to be Debbie Downer but I'm close friends with his Dad(2 time SuperBowl Champ with 49ers) and his mom(Masters in Mathematics) and ridiculously intelligent. Daylin is being recruited at ASU, U of A , BYU as a QB. His phone is ringing off the hook weekly and if he puts on another show Friday night forget it. Pac 12 automatic. He's been a kid patiently waiting behind Bottari for 2 years and now has his shot....my prediction is he ends up at ASU...Herm Edwards and his Dad are tight.
Click to expand...

Remember the 2017 state bowl game that Serra won. Walsh used 6-3 Patrick Nunn as a DB on that 6-8 WR. It was a surprise move and it worked. Would not be shocked to see Walsh repeat that ploy with McLemore in certain situations. Could be wrong. Been wrong before.
 
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For the record, Walsh's Serra teams have not lost a game to a PAL school since 2004 when Aragon defeated the Padres, 27-21, in OT in a CCS playoff contest on the winners' field.
 
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EXCERPT SM Journal by Terry Bernal

"To add intrigue to the matchup of high-powered offenses, both squads will be supremely difficult to scout. M-A is under the guidance of a new coach in Papin, and has modified its offense extensively after gaining over 4,300 yards in 15 games last season. And while Walsh has been at the helm for Serra the past 19 seasons, this year marks the first year offensive coordinator Darius Bell — in his second year, but being hired late in the offseason prior to his 2018 debut — has really had a chance to implement his full vision.

Bell is boasting a chameleon offense. The Padres might run the pistol one series, the wing-T the next, then they might just come at your with a formation where they line up with the kitchen sink at slot receiver. At the end of the day, Serra has 32 different formations this year, this compared to the 20 formations Bell utilized when he served as the offensive coordinator at Riordan prior to moving to Serra"

32 different formations on offense and I thought there defense calls were AP advance even at the college level. Oh My!
 
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32 formations! While that can be very versatile, it also sets up room for a lot of mistakes. Granted, I didn't see too many mistakes last Saturday.
 
FBAddict said:
32 formations! While that can be very versatile, it also sets up room for a lot of mistakes. Granted, I didn't see too many mistakes last Saturday.
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Yup, with practice time limited they must sow the seeds during spring/summer. I would imagine they pick some of that abundant formation fruit from the tree each week when scouting. Good luck to both teams tonight, what a cool experience for these young men.
 
[B said:
"colhenrylives[/B], post: 240990, member: 968"]For the record, Walsh's Serra teams have not lost a game to a PAL school since 2004 when Aragon defeated the Padres, 27-21, in OT in a CCS playoff contest on the winners' field.
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Think I remember that game Col. Correct me if wrong: In O/T and Aragon scores first, but Serra blocks the PAT. Then Serra on 1rst & goal from 10 gets 7 yards to make it 2nd & goal from the 3. Next play Serra fumbles and game over...Padre fans stunned.
Aragon had a good RB that year named Dominic Williams & that was the last I ever heard of him...
 
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