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The Sleeping Giant

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colhenrylives

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Sep 25, 2009
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Maybe Patrick Walsh was on to something back in the spring of 2001 when he was hired as Serra's head football coach. He referred to the Padres, a rather unremarkable non-factor in the WCAL title picture for a full generation, as a "sleeping giant." He was right. Since Walsh took over the reins at the all-male Catholic school in San Mateo, his teams have amassed an overall 180-77-1 record (third best among all prep football coaches in San Mateo County history), heading into Saturday's 2022 WCAL finale at home vs. Sacred Heart Cathedral. Unbeaten Serra has already secured a tie for this year's league crown. It's Walsh's ninth WCAL championship, either shared or won outright. This year's team, 9-0, remains No.1 in Northern California with Central Coast Section playoffs looming. A 10-0 regular season mark would be the school's first. Serra opened in 1944. Its varsity football team made its debut in 1946.
 
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colhenrylives said:
Maybe Patrick Walsh was on to something back in the spring of 2001 when he was hired as Serra's head football coach. He referred to the Padres, a rather uninspired non-factor in the WCAL title picture for a full generation, as a "sleeping giant." He was right. Since Walsh took over the reins at the all-male Catholic school in San Mateo, his teams have amassed an overall 180-77-1 record (third best among all prep football coaches in San Mateo County history), heading into Saturday's 2022 WCAL finale at home vs. Sacred Heart Cathedral. Unbeaten Serra has already secured a tie for this year's league crown. It's Walsh's ninth WCAL championship, either shared or won outright. This year's team, 9-0, remains No.1 in Northern California with Central Coast Section playoffs looming. A 10-0 regular season mark would be the school's first. Serra opened in 1944. Its varsity football team made its debut in 1946.
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A testament to the Padres is that observers are now nitpicking the quality of their victories, the aesthetics and the points scored.
 
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The year before he took over, Serra went 5-5. 3-7 the year before that. He has steadily built that program over 22 years.
 
A further Walsh/Serra note: At the same time Walsh was beginning his tenure on West 20th Avenue 21 years ago, an embryonic football program was taking its initial varsity steps 15 miles south in Atherton on the oak-dotted campus of Sacred Heart Prep. The two San Mateo County Catholic high schools have never met on the football field. That could well change next month. SHP, 8-1 after beating Menlo-Atherton, 35-14, Saturday, is very close to finishing its regular season at 9-1 if it can defeat rival Menlo School this week. SHP is favored to do so. SHP is the champion of the Peninsula Athletic League Bay (A) Division. As such, it should receive a high seed in the Central Coast Section Division I playoffs. Serra, at either 10-0 or 9-1, depending on its game with Sacred Heart Cathedral this weekend, is ticketed for a high seed as well. Somewhat ironically, SHP's lone (close) loss was to that same SHC unit on the first weekend of the season at Kezar Stadium (let's not forget that Mixon option TD pass that won the game, by the way).
 
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SHC’s Mixon and Miller are the real deal as they are having excellent senior seasons. If those two remain healthy along with Sanders they may be able make it a game against the Padres.
 
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ArmchairGOAT said:
SHC’s Mixon and Miller are the real deal as they are having excellent senior seasons. If those two remain healthy along with Sanders they may be able make it a game against the Padres.
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Agree. Again, the issue is that Serra defense. Can SHC score at least 14 points Saturday? No WCAL team has done so vs. Serra this year. Special teams are also a factor. Serra's special units are strong.
 
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ArmchairGOAT said:
SHC’s Mixon and Miller are the real deal as they are having excellent senior seasons. If those two remain healthy along with Sanders they may be able make it a game against the Padres.
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I went into season rooting for Mixon to bring SH it's first WCAL POY award. I have to amend this and am rooting for Co-POY with Mixon and RL Miller. Another week for Miller and another 3 TD (3 different methods of scores) performance. Miller isn't putting up the gaudy number of catches he was last season but it almost seemingly looks like anytime he touches the ball on offense or defense, it is going for 6. Simply incredible.
 
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colhenrylives said:
Agree. Again, the issue is that Serra defense. Can SHC score at least 14 points Saturday? No WCAL team has done so vs. Serra this year. Special teams are also a factor. Serra's special units are strong.
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I second that. Serra overall has no weak links anywhere. They dont have that 1 gamebreaker player this year. With the way the high school landscape is now, wouldnt be surprised if some kid transfers in for next season to be that guy. Clearly Padres have proven to be the best option to be the North rep in the state title game. Whether its against MD or SJB, lets hope going to be better than the 44-7 score last year.
 
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colhenrylives said:
A further Walsh/Serra note: At the same time Walsh was beginning his tenure on West 20th Avenue 21 years ago, an embryonic football program was taking its initial steps 15 miles south in Atherton on the oak-dotted campus of Sacred Heart Prep. The two San Mateo County Catholic high schools have never met on the football field.
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This statement had me scrambling though my playoff archives. Indeed it is true. I was particularly looking for the season that Sacred Heart Prep won the CIF-CCS D1 title. In 2014, SHP and Serra could have met in the second round of CCS playoffs if Serra hadn't been taken out in the first round by Los Gatos. SHP went on to win the D1 title that year by beating Oak Grove in the first round, Los Gatos in the semi round and Bellarmine in the final round.
 
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iamgearyblvd said:
I second that. Serra overall has no weak links anywhere. They dont have that 1 gamebreaker player this year. With the way the high school landscape is now, wouldnt be surprised if some kid transfers in for next season to be that guy. Clearly Padres have proven to be the best option to be the North rep in the state title game. Whether its against MD or SJB, lets hope going to be better than the 44-7 score last year.
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Great point re one stud RB. Instead, Serra uses a short/medium shotgun passing game as a quasi-running attack after the catch. However, when they run their tight formation, their OL has been effective punching holes for the RBs. It's been interesting to watch their defense take over the team's identity in 2022. Still, at some point (probably soon), the offense is going to have rise up and dominate, at least for a period or two.
 
Serra offensively doesn't have that Missle type player. That defense is insanely good. I hesitate to say this but is the QB play where it needs to be for the Padres?
 
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Will this gifted, though anonymous, young fellow be promoted to the varsity for the playoffs? We await with anticipation.
 
Different kid. Check the Leland roster. Frosh QB. Serra transfer. On Padres' varsity roster for Folsom and DLS. Did not see the field. Transferred ASAP.
 
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colhenrylives said:
Different kid. Check the Leland roster. Frosh QB. Serra transfer. On Padres' varsity roster for Folsom and DLS. Did not see the field. Transferred ASAP.
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I thought Santa Bell was talking about the Serra varsity team.
 
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