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WCAL Football 2017: Sports Stars Magazine write up of Serra's State Bowl Win

Scotty and Crew,

Each year the dream becomes alive with SHC thinks their FB "will rise". It seems they have an excuse of why it didn't. We all heard the whining after SHC was called out about a future MASS EXODUS. It seems it occurred.

This year a weak OCC schedule was on the books, so we are making excuses. I have mixed feeling about SHC beating SI. I have great respect for Riordan Grad at the helm on Elllis St ( aka Drive by Way), not only he is a great guy.,.he is a great coach and when he stepped away it was obvious his absence effected players and their need to leave.

I don't think you will beat SI, you can call me names, you can degrade players who left and put their private busdiness on the Messsge Board.

And I agree with your schools 3 P's, put it up as a marque like Riordan has theirs.


Just my opinion...I could be wrong?

Don't be fooled....the saying goes "We Are Riordan'

aka 'Drive by Way' Thats a classic post SFCFan! hahahahahaha not sure if this grouip wants to go back to the old school posts that thoroughly entertained everyone ;)
 
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Wat's up OneDNA,

I think that was a Fly By the May Tag. Poster missed it...

I haven't been to a Bruce Match in FB in years.

1. Price for admission: $5.00
2. A beer after game at Stadium Club: $ 6.50
3. A win by SI: $priceless

4. A crying SHC fan into his beer at the Stadium Club post game: Poster inspiration...I am buying
 
Somehow I am missing on "Drive by Way" Lol!
SFCityFan, CaliSpectator, any update if Crusader soph qb #13 has been cleared of his concussion protocol?
 
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Is the WCAL of 2017 weaker than last season 2016?

Getting a lot of feedback from the SF schools [mostly ARHS & SHC] while S.I. fans are nowhere to be found..[?]. While some fans feel the top tier of the WCAL this season of SF, VC & Serra is not up to par with last season that fact remains to be seen until we get further into this season. IMO from reviewing games, scores and stats the teams overall as a league actually seem stronger than last season IMO.

While the top tier teams lost quite a bit of talent the lower tiers are stronger this season and may provide some surprises as the season continues. The lower tier of SHC, S.I. & Riordan is the most difficult to gauge as of yet and if any of the 3 teams or possibly more than one is ready to challenge Bells or Mitty.
For that matter we simply need to look at possibly the biggest mismatch of week #1 of Serra vs Riordan.
Recent history tells us Serra has a decided edge - or do they? Riordan has some talent this season at skill positions and has shown vast improvement at the most important one which is the QB. Serra is 1-2 and while a much tougher schedule [most difficult of WCAL teams as was 2016] the Padres dropped game #1 in a blow-out to St. Mary's, the same St. Mary;s that was beaten somewhat easily by Central Catholic whom Riordan hung with for a nearly a 1/2 before being blown out in that game by a wide margin.

So what does all this mean? Some Riordan fans feel the Crusader's will take down Serra which is interesting. It is not inconceivable based upon the 2015 Crusader blow-out f then favored Serra in a WCAL classic game and the best of that season.

Here's the computers' overview of power rankings going into this weekends games.

SF 45.2 vs VC 36.5
Bells 27.7 vs MItty 23.5
SHC 17.3 vs S.I. 13.2
Serra 36.7 vs Riordan 6.1

Projected Winners'
VC
Mitty
SHC
Serra

What Most Fans Think:
SF
Bells
SHC - S.I. [split]
Serra

Serra's offense, though brimming with skill guys, has a problem: The lack of a true, multi-threat QB. Leki Nunn was all that and more. That's not news. But a lot of the stuff that Serra ran to such great effect in 2015 and 2016 with Nunn at the helm doesn't work now because the run threat simply isn't there. Nunn is gone. Defenses can cheat and load up on the pass now. Look for the Padres to alter their offensive approach as the WCAL part of the schedule looms. Serra remains a work in progress as a result.
 

There it is. Fubo, Jr. is back.

1. The ticket is $10.00.
2. Don't drink beer.
3. SFCityFan picking his jaw off the floor: Priceless!
 
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You can call me FUBU, Gael but don't call me from your parking lots on Ellis. Cause I am not coming. This "Drive by Way".

The culture of fans don't change spots and neither do leopards. Leprechauns just drown their sorrows...I am buying
 
[QUOTE="colhenrylives, post: 173927, member: 968"]Serra's offense, though brimming with skill guys, has a problem: The lack of a true, multi-threat QB. Leki Nunn was all that and more. That's not news. But a lot of the stuff that Serra ran to such great effect in 2015 and 2016 with Nunn at the helm doesn't work now because the run threat simply isn't there. Nunn is gone. Defenses can cheat and load up on the pass now. Look for the Padres to alter their offensive approach as the WCAL part of the schedule looms. Serra remains a work in progress as a result.[/QUOTE]

That's a good assessment colhenry, but still early and I'm not convinced that Leki Nunn drove the Serra team entirely by himself. I look at other teams such as St. Francis who lost Bennett Williams the WCAL MVP [though not in agreement he was the right choice over Nunn} along with Cyrus Habibi-Likio. 2 dynamic players that would IMO equal the presence of Leki Nunn for Serra to degree in importance to their team. Now before anyone jumps on the dual-threat of Leki Nunn which I'm not disputing, you must keep in mind that BOTH Bennett Williams and Habibi-Likio played both sides of the ball and both played well [Willaims as WR/DB & Habibi-Likio as RB/LB] or in short 4 positions for SF.

Serra is now more of a conventional offense and misses the scrambling & unpredictability of Nunn, similar to the Pittsburg QB who ran wild on Serra 2 weeks ago & was the difference in that game - Pitt's QB "ran at will" often and for large gains wearing down Serra's D [the Pitt QB which looked at times like the 2nd coming of Leki Nunn].

Is the 2017 Serra team a mere shadow of the team that won a school record 10-games straight in one season in 2016 enroute to a state bowl game or is there still any glimmer of hope still left? Lets look at the first 3 games of 2016 vs 2017 for a clue.

2016 Serra loses opener 63-35 to St. Mary's, drops 2nd game to DLS 47-13 and then Pitt 48-25 losing first 3 games by 85 points or an average loss by 28+ points per game. Serra then dropped its opener in league to VC by 35-28. Serra scored a total of 73 points in those 3 games or 24+ points per game.

2017 Serra loses opener 41-13 to St. Mary's, wins 2nd game 42-21 over Elk Grove and then loss to Pitt 35-28 losing 2 of first 3 games by an average loss of 17+ points per game and winning one game by 21 points. Serra scored a total of 83 points in those 3 games or 28 points per game.

Conclusion if there is one is that it is far too early to tell if this Serra team will struggle without a true double-threat QB as colhenry indicates may be the case. Yes DLS in the 2016 results does make a difference. Is St. Mary's as good as last season? Early on everyone thought St. Mary's was better than 2016 after their lopsided win over Serra. That quickly changed when a very strong Central Catholic team took down St. Mary's by 20-7. Now for another question: After last weeks 34-7 DLS loss to Bishop Gorman is DLS as good a team as 2016? The answer you'll get from most fans is a resounding "NO". This is a bit surprising as DLS vanquished St. Francis by 31-7 which was considered a "good showing" by the Lancer's, yet now does not appear to be that "respectable" of a loss after all. Its difficult at best to judge scores from opponents not common to both teams being reviewed as I'm the first to admit. First we'll have to see who is the team to beat from the winner of SF-VC this week. Serra-Riordan will also be an indicator as a few fans have expressed that Riordan could win over Serra and stranger things have happened. I do know that VC has no passing game, SF goes to the air when needed and not often with short-medium passes and Serra to date airs it out on a regular basis. Yes this is going to be interesting fans...
 
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Looking forward to seeing the Padres match up with the Crusaders this Saturday. This is the return to the scene of the most entertaining and highest scoring WCAL game between 2 teams I witnessed 2 years ago. Sad to hear that the Crusader soph QB may be done for the year after taking that vicious late targeted hit to the head. That CC player should miss the entire season too. Karma can be a b&@;h, tho. Let's hope for a competitive injury free game!
 
[QUOTE="colhenrylives, post: 173927, member: 968"]Serra's offense, though brimming with skill guys, has a problem: The lack of a true, multi-threat QB. Leki Nunn was all that and more. That's not news. But a lot of the stuff that Serra ran to such great effect in 2015 and 2016 with Nunn at the helm doesn't work now because the run threat simply isn't there. Nunn is gone. Defenses can cheat and load up on the pass now. Look for the Padres to alter their offensive approach as the WCAL part of the schedule looms. Serra remains a work in progress as a result.

That's a good assessment colhenry, but still early and I'm not convinced that Leki Nunn drove the Serra team entirely by himself. I look at other teams such as St. Francis who lost Bennett Williams the WCAL MVP [though not in agreement he was the right choice over Nunn} along with Cyrus Habibi-Likio. 2 dynamic players that would IMO equal the presence of Leki Nunn for Serra to degree in importance to their team. Now before anyone jumps on the dual-threat of Leki Nunn which I'm not disputing, you must keep in mind that BOTH Bennett Williams and Habibi-Likio played both sides of the ball and both played well [Willaims as WR/DB & Habibi-Likio as RB/LB] or in short 4 positions for SF.

Serra is now more of a conventional offense and misses the scrambling & unpredictability of Nunn, similar to the Pittsburg QB who ran wild on Serra 2 weeks ago & was the difference in that game - Pitt's QB "ran at will" often and for large gains wearing down Serra's D [the Pitt QB which looked at times like the 2nd coming of Leki Nunn].

Is the 2017 Serra team a mere shadow of the team that won a school record 10-games straight in one season in 2016 enroute to a state bowl game or is there still any glimmer of hope still left? Lets look at the first 3 games of 2016 vs 2017 for a clue.

2016 Serra loses opener 63-35 to St. Mary's, drops 2nd game to DLS 47-13 and then Pitt 48-25 losing first 3 games by 85 points or an average loss by 28+ points per game. Serra then dropped its opener in league to VC by 35-28. Serra scored a total of 73 points in those 3 games or 24+ points per game.

2017 Serra loses opener 41-13 to St. Mary's, wins 2nd game 42-21 over Elk Grove and then loss to Pitt 35-28 losing 2 of first 3 games by an average loss of 17+ points per game and winning one game by 21 points. Serra scored a total of 83 points in those 3 games or 28 points per game.

Conclusion if there is one is that it is far too early to tell if this Serra team will struggle without a true double-threat QB as colhenry indicates may be the case. Yes DLS in the 2016 results does make a difference. Is St. Mary's as good as last season? Early on everyone thought St. Mary's was better than 2016 after their lopsided win over Serra. That quickly changed when a very strong Central Catholic team took down St. Mary's by 20-7. Now for another question: After last weeks 34-7 DLS loss to Bishop Gorman is DLS as good a team as 2016? The answer you'll get from most fans is a resounding "NO". This is a bit surprising as DLS vanquished St. Francis by 31-7 which was considered a "good showing" by the Lancer's, yet now does not appear to be that "respectable" of a loss after all. Its difficult at best to judge scores from opponents not common to both teams being reviewed as I'm the first to admit. First we'll have to see who is the team to beat from the winner of SF-VC this week. Serra-Riordan will also be an indicator as a few fans have expressed that Riordan could win over Serra and stranger things have happened. I do know that VC has no passing game, SF goes to the air when needed and not often with short-medium passes and Serra to date airs it out on a regular basis. Yes this is going to be interesting fans...[/QUOTE]

Good work. Again.
 
However, with increasing respect for The Rambler, one more time: We continue to underestimate the Nunn Effect. He was Serra's best-ever combo runner, passer, kick-returner and leader/orchestrator _ other than (perhaps) Lynn Swann nearly 50 years ago. Nunn was a superb athlete you really could not prepare for, a gifted innovator who created havoc for opponents, both players and coaches alike. He made everyone around him so much better. He freed them up to perform to their potential. When Nunn graduated last spring, you could almost hear the collective sigh of relief emanating from coaches' offices throughout the WCAL and beyond. It's going to be a very long time before Serra sees another Leki Nunn.
 
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A modest prediction: Look for Serra to use a true fullback more frequently during most WCAL encounters this season. A bit more power running. More pass protection too. Just a prediction.
 
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Fortunately there was no Internet decades ago or there would have been years of hand- wringing over the graduation of the late Jesse Freitas Jr.
 
aka 'Drive by Way' Thats a classic post SFCFan! hahahahahaha not sure if this grouip wants to go back to the old school posts that thoroughly entertained everyone ;)

Its a driveway to you but you walk your way up to the Cathedral, just remember that.

I would be more concerned why Riordan has always been known as "Mission on tuition". Sfcityfan has proved that saying over and over again with his posts. ( Mission is a good school by the way, and they are free )
 
Fortunately there was no Internet decades ago or there would have been years of hand- wringing over the graduation of the late Jesse Freitas Jr.

Sorry. Jesse, may his tortured soul find peace at last, was strictly one-dimensional. He was predictable. Great pocket passer, Didn't roll out much at all. Only ran as a desperate after-thought. A pure pro-style guy. Without receivers like McGlennon, Swann, Scott, Caselli (the older brother who also passed away), Chiurco, Fegan and the rest, Freitas' Serra career would not have been nearly so spectacular.
 
The point is, Jesse Freitas graduated and people got over it. Same with Swann, Brady and hopefully Leki Nunn. I think it's time to turn the page.
 
Its a driveway to you but you walk your way up to the Cathedral, just remember that.

I would be more concerned why Riordan has always been known as "Mission on tuition". Sfcityfan has proved that saying over and over again with his posts. ( Mission is a good school by the way, and they are free )
Scott2138, every now and then you throw backhanded shade at Riordan as an inferior academic school compared to the other two SF schools. As this is a sports forum, this is a brief comparison and applies to student athletes at each school...
Let's go back only 2 seasons and we have Riordan kids who were class valedictorian, one attends Stanford, 4 kids sporting 4.0+ GPAs in a college prep curriculum and kids going D1 and D2. All kids of color growing up in the City's blue collar and under served districts - with some requiring financial assistance. Go back ten years and we have Crusader student-athletes going D1 and D2; 2 Stanford attendees (one on the Bill Gates Scholarship basically giving him full financial assistance) and one who got kicked out and came back to get his diploma. (He now runs Apple Music's Content group).
SHC should be concerned about its recent behavior issues/mass suspensions among its own team fighting with each other (one charged with battery) and making the local headlines, kids transferring out, not attracting incoming transfers, changing needs of young men growing up in the City. So please stop as your reference "Mission on Tuition" is old and tired. Keep it to sports.
 
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Jordan,

Very nice response to usual SHC drama when they want to pull themselves up prior to a city show down. It happens every year. This year will be the icing on cake when Riordan keeps them out of CCS.

The reference to "Drive by Way" is to when a star athlete parent goes out on Ellis to have a cigerettes is unable to return...."enough said".

My reference is made on the same attitude from the parents and fans. Two years ago it was said here their would be a Mass Exodus and now whe see it today.

I love the fact that Coach Barry is going to lead the players to a new attitude, dynamic and inclusion. The fan base and poster base will take longer...( this does not apply to Colehenry, as a student and now as a poster. He has been the exception)

Just my opinion...I could be wrong...
 
Fake news Jordan! The incident was a shove of a kid apparently over a girl. Yes, it should not have happened. And it was a very unfortunate incident. Luckily, the kid has recovered but can't play anymore. He is right there on the sideline everyday with his teammates. But it was not a team fighting each other. The other suspensions were simply for kids being there which they all owned up to. Three kids transferred out. Only two who were significant players. From what I heard kids transferred out of Riordan too. There is plenty I could say about Riordan but I won't go there. A little hypocritical to criticize Scott for dishing Riordan and then dishing SHC.
 
Fake news Jordan! The incident was a shove of a kid apparently over a girl. Yes, it should not have happened. And it was a very unfortunate incident. Luckily, the kid has recovered but can't play anymore. He is right there on the sideline everyday with his teammates. But it was not a team fighting each other. The other suspensions were simply for kids being there which they all owned up to. Three kids transferred out. Only two who were significant players. From what I heard kids transferred out of Riordan too. There is plenty I could say about Riordan but I won't go there. A little hypocritical to criticize Scott for dishing Riordan and then dishing SHC.
I've been posting for a while and I always keep it on a non-serious level as this is a fan forum, just seems some posters take it to the school-level (as in the demise/closing of a school, inferior academics, etc.) and personal issues of students. My focus was to the old and tired "Mission on Tuition" and stating pure facts of Riordan's student-athletes - ones that are not spoon-fed, but come from single parent homes, under served neighborhoods and have thrived on Phelan Ave. Yes, all schools have kids that transfer out for various reasons, my comment is the lack of incoming transfers to SHC as both SI and Riordan see both. All schools have skeletons in the closet of their own and I won't go there either. So it's not hypocritical as I was not the first one to throw shade. As far as fake news, so this is false? http://www.sfgate.com/crime/article/Punch-at-SF-high-school-party-in-Stern-Grove-10594500.php
 
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Its a driveway to you but you walk your way up to the Cathedral, just remember that.

I would be more concerned why Riordan has always been known as "Mission on tuition". Sfcityfan has proved that saying over and over again with his posts. ( Mission is a good school by the way, and they are free )
Mission WITH Tuition (not Mission on Tuition) is the old saying. Harkering back to the days of 70s-90s. The irony, Mission (nowadays) gets a higher percentage of their kids accepted in the UC system than students of the Unholy Trinity. You can look it up. The good parents of the Students of the Unholy Trinity pay $20 grand annually for a few more "Hail Marys" during the day, the right to display a school sticker on the rear window of their leased mini-van and their kids an extra 30 seconds to disperse from The Grove before a SFPD raid. And as far as I know, it does little to get you quicker through the Gate with St. Peter.

Still going with my scientific (not really) analysis of Irish football over S.I. every 5-6 years. Riordan and Serra? Too easy to pick Serra, but then again, Trump won. Stranger things have happened.
 
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I've been posting for a while and I always keep it on a non-serious level as this is a fan forum, just seems some posters take it to the school-level (as in the demise/closing of a school, inferior academics, etc.) and personal issues of students. My focus was to the old and tired "Mission on Tuition" and stating pure facts of Riordan's student-athletes - ones that are not spoon-fed, but come from single parent homes, under served neighborhoods and have thrived on Phelan Ave. Yes, all schools have kids that transfer out for various reasons, my comment is the lack of incoming transfers to SHC as both SI and Riordan see both. All schools have skeletons in the closet of their own and I won't go there either. So it's not hypocritical as I was not the first one to throw shade. As far as fake news, so this is false? http://www.sfgate.com/crime/article/Punch-at-SF-high-school-party-in-Stern-Grove-10594500.php

You take the comical word for gospel? You made a very wide generalization "among a team fighting with each other". That was the fake news.
 
You take the comical word for gospel? You made a very wide generalization "among a team fighting with each other". That was the fake news.[/
.
An unfortunate incident but a life lesson. Good luck this season.
 
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Let's digress for a while...... I would like the board's thoughts on the discrepancy in talent perceived in NorCal v So Cal this year. "Nor Cal, WCAL are down this year." I hate the transfer rules and really think it goes against everything that High School sports should represent - academic first then athletic achievement. With that said, there will never be an "equal playing field" when the transfer rules in the 2 regions are vastly different. IMO So Cal transfer rules are a joke! Purportedly, several dozen transfers INTO Mater Dei this year. I don't ever want to see this happen in the WCAL(or anywhere) but there will never be the same level of talent to compare to with current rules in place. DLS has the benefit of being the "only game in town" for several miles. If Bellarmine, Valley Christian, Mitty and St. Francis were just one school the talent concentration would be similar IMO.
 
I wish the best for Coach Barry this season.

I just see SI being the bump in the road if that is goal of a winning season.

Jordan,
The incident mentioned here is new news. The killing a of parent in the parking lot during a game is not fake news. Trying to muddy the field is a normal tactic for SHC. Throwing Mission HS comparison, is creating old Fake News vs. dealing with a culture of denial, none existentance of reality or the need to change.

"SFcity is out"
An unfortunate incident but a life lesson. Good luck this season.
 
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I wish the best for Coach Barry this season.

I just see SI being the bump in the road if that is goal of a winning season.

Jordan,
The incident mentioned here is new news. The killing a of parent in the parking lot during a game is not fake news. Trying to muddy the field is a normal tactic for SHC. Throwing Mission HS comparison, is creating old Fake News vs. dealing with a culture of denial, none existentance of reality or the need to change.

"SFcity is out"

So Derek Loville is fake news too, is that what you are saying, so the Principal viewing "adult material" with other kids is that fake news or old news...? Its not a normal tactic for SHC to muddy the waters, that shooting did unfortunately happen but it was girls' basketball and has no business in any forum be it football or basketball. Stern Grove incidents involved SI and SHC students and those students for the most part were eventually held accountable to change the "Sunset and school" cultures..EVERY kid is held accountable in all the Catholic schools for the most part. The only true denominator about all that is Stern Grove has been a party spot and has been going on for generations occasionally with Riordan folks too. There are smart kids in every school I can go with that and my comments were never about race to begin with or financial means, etc. Im purely speaking from an old timer with those intense rivalries. I have been in SF long enough to know all the stories and none of the schools have a clean slate, we are all sinners.
 
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Adding the Bruce-Mahoney Game - SI vs SHC tonight:
Bruce-Mahoney game (SI vs SHC) Fri night Kezar Stadium @ 7pm on the Cube:
https://thecube.com/event/sacred-heart-cathedral-preparatory-vs-st-ignatius--742057

Serra vs. Riordan (from CCSF) Sat at 1pm on the Cube:
https://thecube.com/event/football-archbishop-riordan-vs-junipero-serra-748283

Bellarmine vs. Mitty Fri SJCC @ 7pm
https://thecube.com/event/bellarmine-college-preparatory-vs-archbishop-mitty-748713
 
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S.I.-SHC 7-7 in the 3rd, Mitty-Bells 7-7 in 3rd.

Bell's offense is highly predictable with no passing. YOu know whats coming & just a matter of if the other team can stop it. Every once in awhile Bell's QB drips back to pass and Mitty with good pressure simply cannot contain the Bell's QB Devine who simply finds a lane & runs for the first down. Mitty has been their own worst enemy fumbling deep in Bell's red zone in first 1/2 and not executing well on offense. Not much difference separates these teams & if anything its simply the Bell's executing better. Mitty has not had great field position much of the night, but Mitty's RB James Thomas starting to take over and Bell's showing some wear.
MItty's RB Thomas the best player on the field right now.

MItty ties it 7-7 with 2 min. left in 3rd.
 
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From what I can see both SF & VC are on a different level than Mitty or Bell's. I'm surprised that VC's Defense actually looks better than SF's. VC's run game is impressive and SF's pass game is almost non-existent. Mitty's D has done a great job on Bell's in 2nd 1/2 but Mitty's play calling on offense has been basic to the point you can guess which of 3-4 plays its going to be. Mitty has an athletic QB but inconsistent & not very accurate - missed a wide open WR on a certain TD earlier.

Now 21-7 VC over SF in 3rd.
 
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