So Irish beers, you have nothing else to report?
Did anyone hear about SI Palma scrimmage?
Scott Evil? Anything on Csthedral ?
WCAL Football 2017: Sports Stars Magazine write up of Serra's State Bowl Win
- Thread starter Rmbr26
- Start date
Did anyone hear about SI Palma scrimmage?
Scott Evil? Anything on Csthedral ?
Well I could report that there was so much trash around between BART and SSFHS it wasn't even funny, but that's about it.
WCAL 2017 Football Teams Projected Order of Finish for League:
#8 – St. Ignatius Wildcats
Well one team has to be projected as “bringing up the rear” so to speak and this year it is projected to be none other than the St. Ignatius Wildcats for a variety of reasons. Many fans would think its almost “automatic” that S.I. will rule SF and take down both SHC & Riordan with ease as is the case in most other years. That possibility still exists, however there are changing trends in both the sport at some schools and looking at roster numbers & talent this upcoming season. My projections are simply based upon last season’s win/loss records, the talent coming up from the JV & Frosh teams and which players are returning in relation to the other WCAL teams.
S.I. facing an uphill battle for 2017
S.I. has had several “off years” so to speak, however this was not across the board in all sports, but more specifically in Football at S.I. Their roster numbers have been down and they have not had the kind of talent that a number of the other WCAL teams have put out on the field. Starting with last season’s records: Varsity 2-5 [overall 4-6], JV 5-4-1, Frosh 1-7-1. As with anything projections are not a lock and with “superb coaching” as S.I. usually has and some JV players emerging possibly I will be proved wrong. Here are the facts as they say “plane & simpal”:
S.I. won 2 of 3 pre-season in 2016 and could likely win 2 of its games starting 2017. Should S.I. lose the opener against Clovis-East that would set the tone [Clovis-East was 0-10 in 2016]. S.I. had the 2 league wins over SHC & ARHS last season which should prove a more difficult task in 2017 due to better rosters at both of those schools. A successful season for S.I. upcoming would include 2 pre-season wins, winning over SHC and one other WCAL school for an overall record of 5-5 [last season 4-6]. S.I. will start a new QB and does not return most of their other skill players as well, of which none of those were among the top players at their positions last season. On defense S.I. will be good, but not great without some of the standouts that the top tier teams will have. S.I. instead will rely on a good group of players playing as a cohesive unit and needing consistent play throughout the season. S.I. was outscored on average by 2 T.D.’s in their 7 league games in 2016 and gave up an average of approx.. 31-points per game. Giving up 31 per game puts tremendous pressure on the offense and will not win against the better teams. Simply put S.I. must be an improved team on both offense & defense in 2017 to have a successful season. Projected Record 3-7.
Next Up #7
#8 – St. Ignatius Wildcats
Well one team has to be projected as “bringing up the rear” so to speak and this year it is projected to be none other than the St. Ignatius Wildcats for a variety of reasons. Many fans would think its almost “automatic” that S.I. will rule SF and take down both SHC & Riordan with ease as is the case in most other years. That possibility still exists, however there are changing trends in both the sport at some schools and looking at roster numbers & talent this upcoming season. My projections are simply based upon last season’s win/loss records, the talent coming up from the JV & Frosh teams and which players are returning in relation to the other WCAL teams.
S.I. facing an uphill battle for 2017
S.I. has had several “off years” so to speak, however this was not across the board in all sports, but more specifically in Football at S.I. Their roster numbers have been down and they have not had the kind of talent that a number of the other WCAL teams have put out on the field. Starting with last season’s records: Varsity 2-5 [overall 4-6], JV 5-4-1, Frosh 1-7-1. As with anything projections are not a lock and with “superb coaching” as S.I. usually has and some JV players emerging possibly I will be proved wrong. Here are the facts as they say “plane & simpal”:
S.I. won 2 of 3 pre-season in 2016 and could likely win 2 of its games starting 2017. Should S.I. lose the opener against Clovis-East that would set the tone [Clovis-East was 0-10 in 2016]. S.I. had the 2 league wins over SHC & ARHS last season which should prove a more difficult task in 2017 due to better rosters at both of those schools. A successful season for S.I. upcoming would include 2 pre-season wins, winning over SHC and one other WCAL school for an overall record of 5-5 [last season 4-6]. S.I. will start a new QB and does not return most of their other skill players as well, of which none of those were among the top players at their positions last season. On defense S.I. will be good, but not great without some of the standouts that the top tier teams will have. S.I. instead will rely on a good group of players playing as a cohesive unit and needing consistent play throughout the season. S.I. was outscored on average by 2 T.D.’s in their 7 league games in 2016 and gave up an average of approx.. 31-points per game. Giving up 31 per game puts tremendous pressure on the offense and will not win against the better teams. Simply put S.I. must be an improved team on both offense & defense in 2017 to have a successful season. Projected Record 3-7.
Next Up #7
WCAL 2017 Football Teams Projected Order of Finish for League:
#7 – Riordan Crusader’s
Riordan looking to show an improved team in 2017
Riordan took a step backward in 2016, but should be showing an improved roster for the 2017 season simply based upon the number of experienced varsity players returning. Going 0-7 in league and 2-8 overall it appears that there is nowhere for Riordan to go but up from last season’s record. Riordan returns a good number of starters on both sides of the ball as well as several of their skill players. Hopefully with that experience from last season this team will show better execution of offense and increase their point production. In particular Riordan must have a more stable & consistent situation at the QB position.
With the majority of starters returning, a capable RB & WR and if better play at the QB position then Riordan should be a much more competitive team for 2017. With better offense Riordan can have a more successful season upcoming and that is the name of the game – to score!. I had Riordan very close with the 6th ranked team with not much separating them so I fully expect Riordan to raise their standards this season. Central Catholic will be anything but a scrimmage to start off the season.
Projected Record: 3-7 = slight improvement over 2016, while anything beyond such as 4-6+ will require an upset of a significantly higher ranked team.
Next Up #6
#7 – Riordan Crusader’s
Riordan looking to show an improved team in 2017
Riordan took a step backward in 2016, but should be showing an improved roster for the 2017 season simply based upon the number of experienced varsity players returning. Going 0-7 in league and 2-8 overall it appears that there is nowhere for Riordan to go but up from last season’s record. Riordan returns a good number of starters on both sides of the ball as well as several of their skill players. Hopefully with that experience from last season this team will show better execution of offense and increase their point production. In particular Riordan must have a more stable & consistent situation at the QB position.
With the majority of starters returning, a capable RB & WR and if better play at the QB position then Riordan should be a much more competitive team for 2017. With better offense Riordan can have a more successful season upcoming and that is the name of the game – to score!. I had Riordan very close with the 6th ranked team with not much separating them so I fully expect Riordan to raise their standards this season. Central Catholic will be anything but a scrimmage to start off the season.
Projected Record: 3-7 = slight improvement over 2016, while anything beyond such as 4-6+ will require an upset of a significantly higher ranked team.
Next Up #6
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With all due respect, I don't think you know this team very well, of course I know you are basing this pick by past performances mainly, a conversation with coaches who competed in the 4 team scrimmage will tell you this team is explosive and physical, two traits any team would covet. Let's see how they play during the preseason, so we can revisit this analysis. When the transfers are eligible to play, this team will be even more competitive.
Rabbit5, I came away pleasantly surprised how the Crusaders performed last Fri, basically sweeping all 3 teams.
I would, however, pump the brakes a bit, but agree with you to wait and see how this team plays in the upcoming weeks - especially this Fri night's opener in Modesto against Central Catholic. Too many penalties that were covered up in a scrimmage format would put the Crusaders in a serious hole if it were game conditions against a good team. (I.e. CC Raiders) Team roster depth also has me concerned and playing 3 good non-league teams then facing Serra and Mitty before the transfers add additional talent and depth. Key is conditioning and health as many of the players will be playing on both sides of the ball. Definitely much more playmakers on this season's roster make this season promising. If they play to their potential and stay injury-free, they could be competitive in every game.
I would, however, pump the brakes a bit, but agree with you to wait and see how this team plays in the upcoming weeks - especially this Fri night's opener in Modesto against Central Catholic. Too many penalties that were covered up in a scrimmage format would put the Crusaders in a serious hole if it were game conditions against a good team. (I.e. CC Raiders) Team roster depth also has me concerned and playing 3 good non-league teams then facing Serra and Mitty before the transfers add additional talent and depth. Key is conditioning and health as many of the players will be playing on both sides of the ball. Definitely much more playmakers on this season's roster make this season promising. If they play to their potential and stay injury-free, they could be competitive in every game.
rabbit5 you would be accurate in that I likely do not know this Crusader team well [yet]. I am excited by what I see on paper, but know better than to jump to conclusions. First steps first after last season and that would include wins over both S.I. & SHC.
As for scrimmages I’d caution placing too much emphasis on those. Did you know the 49ers felt they handled the Bronco’s in their recent scrimmage and their offense looked fully capable? Then again there was just the Saturday evening game between same 2 teams and down went the ‘9ers 33-14. Just sayin..
WCAL 2017 Football Teams Projected Order of Finish for League:
#6 – SHC Irish
Is this the Season the “Luck ‘O the Irish” changes?
So this is no surprise to anyone out there following the thread that if S.I. was 8th and Riordan was 7th then it would have to be the other 3rd SF team who comes in at the #6 position.
For those following the last couple years we’ve pretty much classified the WCAL into 3 tiers of teams with 3 at the top, 2 in the middle and 3 at the lower end [so to speak]. The far north teams in SF in close proximity to each other “share the wealth” so to speak and have been struggling to keep up with the mid-peninsula/south bay teams.
SHC as with Riordan looks optimistically better in 2017 than last season and for many of the same reasons’. SHC was a young team in ’17 and returns a good number of varsity players including a good portion of their starters. SHC also like Riordan returns some experienced skill players and lastly SHC is one of the few WCAL teams to return its starting QB Will Irons, which in a word is “HUGE”. A tall experienced QB much like SF’s Reed Vettel the Irish will ride the shoulders of their senior QB this season and as Will Irons goes so goes the Irish.
I must confess that the Irish extremely weak pre-season schedule may actually help them this season, simply by bolstering their confidence. The Irish much like the better Pop-Warner teams should be able to come through the weakest of pre-season schedules undefeated. In some way with the opposite approach of say Serra or SF the Irish subjected to early season injuries in recent years should be able to limp through this early season schedule without injuries and enter league play healthy. That will be the turning point as SHC will then face S.I. and suddenly the 2017 season will be on the line [for all intents & purposes].
Projected Record 5-5 [if all goes according to plan & a successful season – [Pray Irish, Pray!!]
Next Up #5 Team
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#6 – SHC Irish
Is this the Season the “Luck ‘O the Irish” changes?
So this is no surprise to anyone out there following the thread that if S.I. was 8th and Riordan was 7th then it would have to be the other 3rd SF team who comes in at the #6 position.
For those following the last couple years we’ve pretty much classified the WCAL into 3 tiers of teams with 3 at the top, 2 in the middle and 3 at the lower end [so to speak]. The far north teams in SF in close proximity to each other “share the wealth” so to speak and have been struggling to keep up with the mid-peninsula/south bay teams.
SHC as with Riordan looks optimistically better in 2017 than last season and for many of the same reasons’. SHC was a young team in ’17 and returns a good number of varsity players including a good portion of their starters. SHC also like Riordan returns some experienced skill players and lastly SHC is one of the few WCAL teams to return its starting QB Will Irons, which in a word is “HUGE”. A tall experienced QB much like SF’s Reed Vettel the Irish will ride the shoulders of their senior QB this season and as Will Irons goes so goes the Irish.
I must confess that the Irish extremely weak pre-season schedule may actually help them this season, simply by bolstering their confidence. The Irish much like the better Pop-Warner teams should be able to come through the weakest of pre-season schedules undefeated. In some way with the opposite approach of say Serra or SF the Irish subjected to early season injuries in recent years should be able to limp through this early season schedule without injuries and enter league play healthy. That will be the turning point as SHC will then face S.I. and suddenly the 2017 season will be on the line [for all intents & purposes].
Projected Record 5-5 [if all goes according to plan & a successful season – [Pray Irish, Pray!!]
Next Up #5 Team
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I am taking a pragmatic approach to this year's team, namely what I am stating above is that this team possess the skill set that other Riordan teams did not, with the exception of the Raymone Sanders team, et al... and that is physicality, speed, and confidence to win. The scrimmage gives this team the same feeling that the scrimmages gave the aforementioned team a few years back, and that is validation and confidence. I am not jumping to conclusions, but this team, save key injuries, will handle both SI and SH. The tough pre season schedule will benefit them, as this team understands that they are building something here, and not have to live and die with each game. I understand that SI and SH did not fare well in their respective scrimmages, but at least SI took on Palma at Palma, while SH lost to SSF.
My concerns for this team are as always, depth and injuries, but barring injuries, they will not only compete, but they will surprise.
In that respect rabbit5 we are both on the same page hoping for the same success..
WCAL 2017 Football Teams Projected Order of Finish for League:
#5 – Mitty Monarch’s
Do Monarch’s remain solid in 5th place or make a move on the 4th ranked team?
My “favorite” underdog team of 2016 in that the Mitty Monarch’s came back strong in the post-season after several devastating losses to SF & Serra to post quality win’s over Oak Grove & Los Gatos. So Mitty who went 7-6 played some very good games while being overwhelmed by several more physical and talented teams. While Mitty had a dismal JV teams their Frosh posted one of the best season records, so there is help on the way [possibly..].
Mitty is in need of a major reload and could be doubtful that the upcoming reinforcements from lower level teams can provide the support to move up anywhere past the #5 position in league.
The pre-season should tell us all we need to know as Mitty faces a solid opponent in the opening game in Sacramento who went 10-2 last season. If Mitty can secure that opening win the Monarch’s are unlucky enough to travel to host Menlo-Atherton to take on one of the CCS top public school teams this season. No beating around the bush as Mitty will be a clear underdog in this game.
Projected Record: 5-5
Next Up #4 Team
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#5 – Mitty Monarch’s
Do Monarch’s remain solid in 5th place or make a move on the 4th ranked team?
My “favorite” underdog team of 2016 in that the Mitty Monarch’s came back strong in the post-season after several devastating losses to SF & Serra to post quality win’s over Oak Grove & Los Gatos. So Mitty who went 7-6 played some very good games while being overwhelmed by several more physical and talented teams. While Mitty had a dismal JV teams their Frosh posted one of the best season records, so there is help on the way [possibly..].
Mitty is in need of a major reload and could be doubtful that the upcoming reinforcements from lower level teams can provide the support to move up anywhere past the #5 position in league.
The pre-season should tell us all we need to know as Mitty faces a solid opponent in the opening game in Sacramento who went 10-2 last season. If Mitty can secure that opening win the Monarch’s are unlucky enough to travel to host Menlo-Atherton to take on one of the CCS top public school teams this season. No beating around the bush as Mitty will be a clear underdog in this game.
Projected Record: 5-5
Next Up #4 Team
.
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Rmbr,
Awesome analysis and write ups. I really enjoy all your posts every year. After reading this thread, it really seems to me that to be in the top tier wcal team, one needs the great players in key positions, great coaching, and a good farm system (jv/frosh). If a team has the greatest coach, i think that is just not enough to be the top. i believe elite teams need the players at key positions (that can work as a team, not individually) has just a little more priority over coaching. But, you still need a really good coach to be in the top as well developed players that come up to varsity level. basically, 1. players 2. coach 3. farm system.
Awesome analysis and write ups. I really enjoy all your posts every year. After reading this thread, it really seems to me that to be in the top tier wcal team, one needs the great players in key positions, great coaching, and a good farm system (jv/frosh). If a team has the greatest coach, i think that is just not enough to be the top. i believe elite teams need the players at key positions (that can work as a team, not individually) has just a little more priority over coaching. But, you still need a really good coach to be in the top as well developed players that come up to varsity level. basically, 1. players 2. coach 3. farm system.
It was a scrimmage, not a game...There is no losing or winning a scrimmage. But good to have faith
Every time you compete, there is a winner and a loser. Scrimmages are competitions that help you gauge your team, based on that, SH was beaten.
Sorry, "lost to SSF"?? Irish emphasized passing in their scrimmage and were clearly the better team.
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Delusional rabbit. Maybe it's Post-Eclipse Anxiety Disorder...
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Sorry missed that rabbit5 & just corrected. If I'm on track then Riordan is pointed towards a 3-7 season winning 2 games favored in and going on to beat S.I. at Kezar. Beyond that a 4-6 season will require an upset of some kind over a significantly higher ranked opponent such as Mitty or Bell's. While odds will be against the Crusader's doing so we'll have to wait and see. 4-6 at this juncture would be a successful season [especially if games vs top tier teams are competitive more so than last season].
WCAL 2017 Football Teams Projected Order of Finish for League:
#4 – Bellarmine Bell’s
Will Bell’s remain “middle of the pack” OR bounce back to prominence with a bevy of fresh talent from the JV’s?
We know 2 things about the Bell’s historically speaking which are they have one of the best coaching staff’s and they reload extremely well from the lower tier teams. There would seem to be a 3rd X-factor if you will in that the Bell’s historically come up with some great QB’s year after year. The typical Bell QB is an athlete type who can usually throw well, run very well & scramble and complete a high percentage of passes when they need to in the clutch. The Bell’s are all about the run game on offense and defense swarming the opposition. Last season may have been just a hiccup so to speak in the Bell’s otherwise very successful program. The Bell’s started strong and finished the season 7-6 going 4-4 in their last games ending in a season ending shut-out to Menlo-Atherton 21-0 [whom Belll’s beat in season opener 34-20].
This season has the Bell’s starting fresh with a new QB while losing their athlete QB Ike Ogbogu, a talented player who was more runner than passer.Bell’s also lose their short yardage RB and 3 LB’s. The Bell’s JV team finished 3rd and Frosh 4th or “middle of pack”. So where does that leave the Bell’s as projected for 2017? All in all it puts the Bell’s squarely in the middle tier with Mitty once again unless they surprise as they did a few years ago winning the WCAL with a group of incoming talented juniors’. The Bell’s do not look to be as formidable as several other teams on offense, will have some good O/D-line players returning and should be solid on D.
In 2016 Bell’s lost to the Top 3 VC, SF & Serra uncharacteristically. If 2017 is to be successful that will have to change. The 1rst game of the season will determine the tone for the 2017 season as Bell’s face Menlo-Atherton in the “rubber-match” from last season. M-A is the Top Ranked public currently in the CCS and will be favored in this game.
Projected Record: 6-4
Next Up #3 Team
#4 – Bellarmine Bell’s
Will Bell’s remain “middle of the pack” OR bounce back to prominence with a bevy of fresh talent from the JV’s?
We know 2 things about the Bell’s historically speaking which are they have one of the best coaching staff’s and they reload extremely well from the lower tier teams. There would seem to be a 3rd X-factor if you will in that the Bell’s historically come up with some great QB’s year after year. The typical Bell QB is an athlete type who can usually throw well, run very well & scramble and complete a high percentage of passes when they need to in the clutch. The Bell’s are all about the run game on offense and defense swarming the opposition. Last season may have been just a hiccup so to speak in the Bell’s otherwise very successful program. The Bell’s started strong and finished the season 7-6 going 4-4 in their last games ending in a season ending shut-out to Menlo-Atherton 21-0 [whom Belll’s beat in season opener 34-20].
This season has the Bell’s starting fresh with a new QB while losing their athlete QB Ike Ogbogu, a talented player who was more runner than passer.Bell’s also lose their short yardage RB and 3 LB’s. The Bell’s JV team finished 3rd and Frosh 4th or “middle of pack”. So where does that leave the Bell’s as projected for 2017? All in all it puts the Bell’s squarely in the middle tier with Mitty once again unless they surprise as they did a few years ago winning the WCAL with a group of incoming talented juniors’. The Bell’s do not look to be as formidable as several other teams on offense, will have some good O/D-line players returning and should be solid on D.
In 2016 Bell’s lost to the Top 3 VC, SF & Serra uncharacteristically. If 2017 is to be successful that will have to change. The 1rst game of the season will determine the tone for the 2017 season as Bell’s face Menlo-Atherton in the “rubber-match” from last season. M-A is the Top Ranked public currently in the CCS and will be favored in this game.
Projected Record: 6-4
Next Up #3 Team
WCAL 2017 Football Teams Projected Order of Finish for League:
#3 – St. Francis Lancer’s
Will the Lancer’s overtake VC & Serra to once again be dominant in the WCAL?
As the perceptive and knowledgeable colhenrylives has pointed out numerous times a new erahas taken place in recent years’ in WCAL football. Formerly the Bell’s and St. Francis reigned supreme year in & year out. While still outstanding teams year in & year out the 2 teams no longer have exclusivity to winning league every season.
The Lancer’s are ranked #1 in CCS by CalPrep’s/Freeman’s and ranked higher in other polls over VC & Serra as well. The Lancer’s are one of only 3 teams to return an experienced QB in 2017, of which Reed Vettal is a 3-year varsity player [so a huge plus]. SF has what looks to be the 2nd largest roster of 8 WCAL teams. SF also has talent coming up from an undefeated 10-0 JV team, while the less important Frosh were a middle of the pack 4-5. The Lancer’s lose undoubtedly the most talent in graduating seniors’ from last season’s team incl their 2 stalwarts Bennett Williams and Cyrus Habibi-Likio – whom no matter who they replace them with will not equal the contribution those 2 players made last season. So the big question is the number of incoming players and talent they will bring with them.
The Lancer’s went 10-2 in 2016 losing only 2 games to Serra. SF was the #1 Defense in WCAL and again will need a top notch defense if to contend for a league title. SF loses its top WR, 2-RB’s, top 2 DB’s, and 2 LB’s which are all important positions. While the Lancer’s are top ranked in some polls and rated higher than in 2016 its difficult to imagine reloading at the skill positions other than QB and improving on last season’s 10-2 record. If the Lancer’s reload with quality RB’s and WR’s then that will likely be key to their success.
Projected Record: 7-3
Next Up #2 Team
#3 – St. Francis Lancer’s
Will the Lancer’s overtake VC & Serra to once again be dominant in the WCAL?
As the perceptive and knowledgeable colhenrylives has pointed out numerous times a new erahas taken place in recent years’ in WCAL football. Formerly the Bell’s and St. Francis reigned supreme year in & year out. While still outstanding teams year in & year out the 2 teams no longer have exclusivity to winning league every season.
The Lancer’s are ranked #1 in CCS by CalPrep’s/Freeman’s and ranked higher in other polls over VC & Serra as well. The Lancer’s are one of only 3 teams to return an experienced QB in 2017, of which Reed Vettal is a 3-year varsity player [so a huge plus]. SF has what looks to be the 2nd largest roster of 8 WCAL teams. SF also has talent coming up from an undefeated 10-0 JV team, while the less important Frosh were a middle of the pack 4-5. The Lancer’s lose undoubtedly the most talent in graduating seniors’ from last season’s team incl their 2 stalwarts Bennett Williams and Cyrus Habibi-Likio – whom no matter who they replace them with will not equal the contribution those 2 players made last season. So the big question is the number of incoming players and talent they will bring with them.
The Lancer’s went 10-2 in 2016 losing only 2 games to Serra. SF was the #1 Defense in WCAL and again will need a top notch defense if to contend for a league title. SF loses its top WR, 2-RB’s, top 2 DB’s, and 2 LB’s which are all important positions. While the Lancer’s are top ranked in some polls and rated higher than in 2016 its difficult to imagine reloading at the skill positions other than QB and improving on last season’s 10-2 record. If the Lancer’s reload with quality RB’s and WR’s then that will likely be key to their success.
Projected Record: 7-3
Next Up #2 Team
A very modest retort: I would posit that most WCAL freshman teams are more important than JV's. That's because most WCAL programs (Bellarmine is probably one notable exception) regularly bring strong sophomores up to the varsity early on (Serra is a prime example). Which means JV teams frequently aren't that relevant in the big picture because their best players are on the primary club. Not to say they are not worth talking about. Just noting a WCAL reality that has held true for many years. Bottom line: A freshman title is more valuable than a JV crown in the long-term.
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Point well taken colhenry. I do consider the impact the Frosh and JV may have on the varsity while looking at what sophs were on the varsity the previous year. The important thing is not how many sophs were brought up to varsity the prior year, but which ones actually played. Example: Leki Nunn started as a soph on both sides of the ball, so an immediate impact.
I think your point makes complete sense if the coach such as Walsh only brings up the sophs who can play and contribute immediately. Otherwise riding the bench for the season does the team no good and the young player would be better off remaining on JV simply for playing time and to gain game time experience. As for being a back-up for a varsity position I believe a player starting on JV could be moved up to varsity at any time during the season.
I think your point makes complete sense if the coach such as Walsh only brings up the sophs who can play and contribute immediately. Otherwise riding the bench for the season does the team no good and the young player would be better off remaining on JV simply for playing time and to gain game time experience. As for being a back-up for a varsity position I believe a player starting on JV could be moved up to varsity at any time during the season.
OK got me thinking as to just how important are sophs pertaining to their teams in WCAL by team? Here’s the count by team of sophs on their varsity roster last season for 2016..
VC – 3 soph’s
Serra – 2
SF – 5
Bell’s – 3
Mitty – 6
S.I. – 4
SHC – 3
ARHS – 4
Of note: Riordan has perhaps the most creative roster including:
Jaylan Natan - punter 4’0 - 450
Nikita Moysov – FS/WR 7’8- 350
Now THAT I’d like to see ..
VC – 3 soph’s
Serra – 2
SF – 5
Bell’s – 3
Mitty – 6
S.I. – 4
SHC – 3
ARHS – 4
Of note: Riordan has perhaps the most creative roster including:
Jaylan Natan - punter 4’0 - 450
Nikita Moysov – FS/WR 7’8- 350
Now THAT I’d like to see ..
Since 2002, (when Valley Christian entered the league) there have been 6 instances when the Frosh Champion has at least had a share of the WCAL title as seniors: Bellarmine 3x, Valley Christian 2x, and Serra 1x.
There have been 7 instances where the JV champion has at least had a share of the WCAL title as seniors: Valley Christian 3x, Bellarmine 2x, St. Francis 1x and Serra 1x.
Only two classes have won a Frosh title, JV title as Sophomores, and then won a league title as seniors: the 2015 Bellarmine Bells, and the 2016 Valley Christian Warriors.
So you have approximately a 50% chance of winning the league in 3 years after a Frosh title, and a 50% chance of winning league in two years after a JV title.
That's good news for news for Valley Christian fans (2014 Frosh Champs) and Bellarmine fans (2015 JV Champs).
Serra had a frosh kicker and, call me misguided and obtuse, more than two sophs on varsity by Game 5 in 2016.
There were a total of 3 freshmen listed on WCAL rosters last season, one being the kicker for Serra and the other 2 listed as QB’s for VC & Riordan – For VC, Cory Taylor 6’0-170 and for Riordan, Adham Abdelghani 5’11-160 if anyone can confirm they were actually on the rosters during the regular season].
Just watched the film of SHC scrimmage. Missed it since I was back in Louisville moving my no. 3 son into house with three fellow lacrosse teammate for his sophomore year. Irons looked good. Not a great game for their receivers with a lot of dropped balls. But they did not "lose" Rabbit Stew. SHC constantly drove the field. SSF did not.
Riordan's Adham Abdelghani was brought up in Week 7 and debuted against SHC. He struggled his first 2 games and got hurt the next week against Serra and sat out the last game against Mitty. He struggled mightily last season but appeared to be confident running the offense in last week's scrimmage. I believe he had ~6 TD passes-4 of them 30+ yards.
Correct, Serra had five sophs and one freshman on varsity by the end of the year, from what I saw.
Along with the frosh kicker, all made contributions to Serra's success down the stretch.
WCAL 2017 Football Teams Projected Order of Finish for League:
#2 – Valley Christian Warrior’s
Can VC equal or better last season’s 13-2 nearly unbeaten record?
It was difficult to scrutinize and rank the last 3 teams as with last season it appears that not much separates the 3 top teams: SF, VC & Serra. VC went 13-2 losing only in O/T to SF by 13-10 and then rolling through the playoffs before losing in their state bowl game by 21-17 to Madison of San Diego [if not for a last second pass being batted away in end zone VC would have been state champs]. So how easy will it be to duplicate 2016’s 13-2 season? The simple answer is not easy at all.
Its difficult to determine who had the better season between VC & Serra as to WHO was the better team at the end. Overall VC had a tremendous season at 13-2, however Serra had a historic run ending similar to VC in a state bowl game. VC did win against Serra early in the season before falling to SF whom Serra won against twice for whatever that comparison is worth.
How can VC be #2 if St. Francis is not #1 as projected?Simply put in terms of impact players lost to graduation St. Francis lost the most, then VC then Serra. VC starts with a new QB and also lost the WCAL MVP lineman in Dylan McCreery, their top WR in Anthony Flores, their 1rst team WCAL kicker, their top LB Trent Lauback, the league’s leading rusher in RB Javon Sturns and a host of others. In terms of overall team depth and talent VC returns more on the defensive side of the ball and should be the #1 or #2 defense in the WCAL. Perhaps VC coaching will make some adjustments of their talented defensive backfield and switch several to the offensive side of the ball or we will see several of the talented athletes on VC’s squad playing both ways as with Bellarmine. VC WILL have the WCAL’s deepest roster and that is in itself a big plus during a grueling season. VC will definitely have the “horses” on defense and will have a bevy of new talent on offense as well. The big question are the skill postions and scoring ability against the better teams VC will face.
Projected Record: 8-2 or 9-1
Next Up: #1 Projected Team = Serra
#2 – Valley Christian Warrior’s
Can VC equal or better last season’s 13-2 nearly unbeaten record?
It was difficult to scrutinize and rank the last 3 teams as with last season it appears that not much separates the 3 top teams: SF, VC & Serra. VC went 13-2 losing only in O/T to SF by 13-10 and then rolling through the playoffs before losing in their state bowl game by 21-17 to Madison of San Diego [if not for a last second pass being batted away in end zone VC would have been state champs]. So how easy will it be to duplicate 2016’s 13-2 season? The simple answer is not easy at all.
Its difficult to determine who had the better season between VC & Serra as to WHO was the better team at the end. Overall VC had a tremendous season at 13-2, however Serra had a historic run ending similar to VC in a state bowl game. VC did win against Serra early in the season before falling to SF whom Serra won against twice for whatever that comparison is worth.
How can VC be #2 if St. Francis is not #1 as projected?Simply put in terms of impact players lost to graduation St. Francis lost the most, then VC then Serra. VC starts with a new QB and also lost the WCAL MVP lineman in Dylan McCreery, their top WR in Anthony Flores, their 1rst team WCAL kicker, their top LB Trent Lauback, the league’s leading rusher in RB Javon Sturns and a host of others. In terms of overall team depth and talent VC returns more on the defensive side of the ball and should be the #1 or #2 defense in the WCAL. Perhaps VC coaching will make some adjustments of their talented defensive backfield and switch several to the offensive side of the ball or we will see several of the talented athletes on VC’s squad playing both ways as with Bellarmine. VC WILL have the WCAL’s deepest roster and that is in itself a big plus during a grueling season. VC will definitely have the “horses” on defense and will have a bevy of new talent on offense as well. The big question are the skill postions and scoring ability against the better teams VC will face.
Projected Record: 8-2 or 9-1
Next Up: #1 Projected Team = Serra
WCAL 2017 Football Teams Projected Order of Finish for League:
#1 – Serra Padres
Serra again has the toughest pre-season schedule of WCAL teams
Serra had a brutal 2016 pre-season which most HS coaches would have nightmares about, facing St. Mary’s-Stockton, De La Sale, Pittsburg & opening league against Valley Christian – 3 of 4 teams going to state and the other Pitt going to sectional before losing to another powerhouse. Several of the losses were ugly, however Serra coaches played reserves and back-ups got important playing time against top competition in those losses. Did it work?
A 10-game single season win streak followed setting a school record resulting in the first ever sectional win for Serra and ending in a close loss in a state bowl game. The only other scholl coming close was Valley Christian.
How will a Serra team without 3-year starter Leki Nunn respond in 2017?
This is the question everyone is asking without the unstoppable Nunn at QB who ended as the school’s all time passing leader over 2 NFL QB grads and also the all time rushing QB in Serra history so Nunn’s legacy is set. Moving on a good portion of that 2016 team returns and with it some of the best players from last season. The Padres are loaded at the QB postion unlike any other NorCal team this season with 2 talented junior’s and a talented senior – take a pick as all 3 are quite capable. The likely starter at this point is Luke Bottari who performed very well in games Leki Nunn sat out part of the game or was injured in 2016 and finished with one of the WCAL’s highest QB efficiency ratings. So 3 WCAL teams with experienced QB’s with experienced QB’s returning and Serra is one of them [having 2 of 3 experienced QB’s along with SHC and SF].
How does the rest of the Serra team stack up to the likes of VC, SF & others?
Serra returns the best core of skill players among the WCAL teams. Besides solid QB play the Padres will rely on first team WCAL RB Isaiah Kendrick who was excellent both running & catching passes out of the backfield along with 2 other RB’s with experience from last season. As for WR’s the Padres return the league’s leading WR in Shane Villoroman who set the single season yardage record for Serra last season with some incredible numbers. There is also Patrick Nunn the 6’3 WR younger brother of Leki Nunn set to make his mark in his own right this season. Serra appears a better team on defense to start this season anchored on the line by Cal commit Antonio Mafi 6’1-340. There are others, but this should give fans a glimpse of this years’ Padre team. A bit more capable of defense and still very potent on offense Serra should contend strong for the WCAL title and likely not a 3-way tie in 2017.
Finally, what to expect in pre-season:
Serra faces 3 very tough opponents coming out of the gate in St. Mary’s, Elk Grove & Pitt, all of whom will be very physical teams. I believe coach Walsh knows at this juncture the WCAL crown and post season is the real prize & the pre-season game wins are not the end-all. Does that mean Serra will concede games? Not at all, but like last season should another NorCal power get in front early I do not know the Serra coaching staff will risk important starters in what becomes a somewhat meaningless game except for rankings at that time. Serra leanred important lessons last season and is not likely to forget them any time soon – ie: it is possible Serra could start the season 0-3 against the opponents it has lined in preparing for WCAL league play.
Projected Record: 7-3 WCAL Champ or Co-Champ
#1 – Serra Padres
Serra again has the toughest pre-season schedule of WCAL teams
Serra had a brutal 2016 pre-season which most HS coaches would have nightmares about, facing St. Mary’s-Stockton, De La Sale, Pittsburg & opening league against Valley Christian – 3 of 4 teams going to state and the other Pitt going to sectional before losing to another powerhouse. Several of the losses were ugly, however Serra coaches played reserves and back-ups got important playing time against top competition in those losses. Did it work?
A 10-game single season win streak followed setting a school record resulting in the first ever sectional win for Serra and ending in a close loss in a state bowl game. The only other scholl coming close was Valley Christian.
How will a Serra team without 3-year starter Leki Nunn respond in 2017?
This is the question everyone is asking without the unstoppable Nunn at QB who ended as the school’s all time passing leader over 2 NFL QB grads and also the all time rushing QB in Serra history so Nunn’s legacy is set. Moving on a good portion of that 2016 team returns and with it some of the best players from last season. The Padres are loaded at the QB postion unlike any other NorCal team this season with 2 talented junior’s and a talented senior – take a pick as all 3 are quite capable. The likely starter at this point is Luke Bottari who performed very well in games Leki Nunn sat out part of the game or was injured in 2016 and finished with one of the WCAL’s highest QB efficiency ratings. So 3 WCAL teams with experienced QB’s with experienced QB’s returning and Serra is one of them [having 2 of 3 experienced QB’s along with SHC and SF].
How does the rest of the Serra team stack up to the likes of VC, SF & others?
Serra returns the best core of skill players among the WCAL teams. Besides solid QB play the Padres will rely on first team WCAL RB Isaiah Kendrick who was excellent both running & catching passes out of the backfield along with 2 other RB’s with experience from last season. As for WR’s the Padres return the league’s leading WR in Shane Villoroman who set the single season yardage record for Serra last season with some incredible numbers. There is also Patrick Nunn the 6’3 WR younger brother of Leki Nunn set to make his mark in his own right this season. Serra appears a better team on defense to start this season anchored on the line by Cal commit Antonio Mafi 6’1-340. There are others, but this should give fans a glimpse of this years’ Padre team. A bit more capable of defense and still very potent on offense Serra should contend strong for the WCAL title and likely not a 3-way tie in 2017.
Finally, what to expect in pre-season:
Serra faces 3 very tough opponents coming out of the gate in St. Mary’s, Elk Grove & Pitt, all of whom will be very physical teams. I believe coach Walsh knows at this juncture the WCAL crown and post season is the real prize & the pre-season game wins are not the end-all. Does that mean Serra will concede games? Not at all, but like last season should another NorCal power get in front early I do not know the Serra coaching staff will risk important starters in what becomes a somewhat meaningless game except for rankings at that time. Serra leanred important lessons last season and is not likely to forget them any time soon – ie: it is possible Serra could start the season 0-3 against the opponents it has lined in preparing for WCAL league play.
Projected Record: 7-3 WCAL Champ or Co-Champ
Serra will be a much more conventional (though loaded) offensive team in 2017. Leki Nunn was a truly gifted, special player who could make something out of nothing. He made everyone around him better. And he was the QB. His presence forced foes to account for his running ability, opening up things for others. Not so in 2017. Serra will be easier to defend this year. All three of the QB's have limited running ability. Busted plays won't have as much potential for big yardage. Without Nunn, it's very doubtful that Serra could have beaten SF twice last year. Or, for that matter, Sanger on the road. He was critical in big games vs. quality opponents. Simply, Nunn was the difference, the key cog in the Serra machine. It's fair to say that Serra has had only two special, multi-purpose (including kick returns) QB's in its history: Nunn and Lynn Swann (1969). And Nunn was a much better passer than Swann. It's a whole, new ballgame in San Mateo now. For me, St. Francis is favored in 2017. But that's just one twit's opinion.
WCAL Football Season Opening Games
Friday night games:
Bellarmine @ Menlo-Atherton 7:00
Mitty hosts Sacramento 7:00 Foothill College
Riordan at Central Catholic 7:30 Modesto
SHC hosts Fernley-Nevada 7:00 Kezar
St. Francis @ Oak Grove 7:00
St. Ignatius @ Clovis East 8:00
Valley Christian @ Manteca 8:00
Saturday
Serra @ St. Mary’s -Stockton 7:00
Projected Winners:
Menlo-Atherton
Mitty
Central Catholic
SHC
St. Francis
St. Ignatius
Valley Christian
St. Mary’s
Friday night games:
Bellarmine @ Menlo-Atherton 7:00
Mitty hosts Sacramento 7:00 Foothill College
Riordan at Central Catholic 7:30 Modesto
SHC hosts Fernley-Nevada 7:00 Kezar
St. Francis @ Oak Grove 7:00
St. Ignatius @ Clovis East 8:00
Valley Christian @ Manteca 8:00
Saturday
Serra @ St. Mary’s -Stockton 7:00
Projected Winners:
Menlo-Atherton
Mitty
Central Catholic
SHC
St. Francis
St. Ignatius
Valley Christian
St. Mary’s
