The Chron's Mitch Stephens is tough to beat but he is just part time and doesn't get a lot of space to write; his main job is with MaxPreps. I think most of the writers listed as contributing to BANG's all-area team are also part-time, but I could be wrong.
WCAL Football 2018 - San Jose Merc All Bay Area Team
- Thread starter Rmbr26
- Start date
Im telling you... DO NOT GET RID OF THE JOLLY RANCHER!
http://www.sfexaminer.com/sf-preps-...prawling-renovation-football-baseball-fields/
http://www.sfexaminer.com/sf-preps-...prawling-renovation-football-baseball-fields/
A new, talented, committed, well-funded coaching staff would also be helpful.
Most definitely as no successful program can sustain any stability with coaches changing every other year.
I've read that the coaching in any sport is more a factor at the lower levels such as HS. At the college level the rosters are larger and with more talented athletes the coaching is less impactful & at NFL level it really is simply about which team has the more important athletes/QB. Switch coaching staff's such as SF's or Serra's coaching staff's to Riordan and the entire program changes.
I've read that the coaching in any sport is more a factor at the lower levels such as HS. At the college level the rosters are larger and with more talented athletes the coaching is less impactful & at NFL level it really is simply about which team has the more important athletes/QB. Switch coaching staff's such as SF's or Serra's coaching staff's to Riordan and the entire program changes.
[B said:
When was the last time a Bellarmine football team went 2-8 for the season & 1-6 in league?
This was the weakest team in memory & seemingly devoid of any talent at any position.
Even with Coach Janda the Bells were simply not competitive.
It’s Almost March and Riordan still hasn’t hired a Coach? Kinda of late in the game to start finding assistants or ask out of town Coaches to move to expensive San Francisco
Famous Quote: "Having no plan is planning for failure."
Not good for a team that finished dead last & winless in WCAL last season [0-7 league & 1-9 overall].
A bit scary..
Ouch a repeat of the last 3 years! No Bueno! But they are a great Basketball and Wrestling school!
It’s been a long “rebuild” since the Crusaders let go of Blake after one season. Year after year it’s been the same excuse, “changing demographics”, “too expensive to attract quality coaching”. Riordan has had enough quality players walking the halls over the years to be competitive. One playing at Alabama, and one at WAZU as an example. The problem stems from within. Lack of a proper weight lifting/off-season program, coaches from other sports purging kids who should be two-sport athletes, and just an overall lack of player development. There are schools in close proximity that have less and do more. When will the excuses stop, when will the revolving door end. The kids deserve better.
I agree 100 percent that it’s within! They’ve had the athletes up there but could not keep them there either financial reasons or families realizing the Coaching Staff is not the right fight. The players you mentioned at WAZU and Alabama were not developed at Riordan they were developed at CCSF. They should of got rides straight out of Riordan as many other players up there! But the hiring of the good ol boy system and lack of support from the administration has hindered that program. I’ve seen it first hand!
A new field, a new staff, and new complex! Crusaders have been hearing this for years! That’s not the problem. The problem is kids don’t stay because of the losing and the functional financial department. They don’t have a solid booster club that helps the football program or the support from Alumni! Alumni is skeptical on giving money because of many reasons! It’s not just the non proven coaching staff it’s also the FINANCIAL department doesn’t help the students that really need help. In order for the “R” to be successful it starts with the Support of the President, the Principal and the Financial department. Without them it doesn’t matter who’s coaching families will not stay nor come to Riordan
That’s on the outside looking in! It starts with the administration and the financial department. Not enough support!
I am a Crusader alum and faithful. Yes. Long awaited project where I've assisted in efforts over the past years. The project is a go based on the formal announcement in December.
I would disagree with you regarding your perceived lack of support of the administration, financial department and booster club.
I would agree with you on the lack of execution as of today as you cannot argue with the results on the field over the past decade with the exception of 2015. It definitely has been disappointing with the carousel of coaches (some should have never been hired - Sweeney and Lee - some should have stayed-Blake). The Varsity Head Coach position has been taken off the school's website weeks ago.
Can you elaborate on the Financial side of things! A lot of us would like to know! The kid from Paul Matavao from Jefferson was a Crusader for 2 years who asked for more aid, he just signed a full scholarship to play at Baylor University, his best friend Isias Sierra at Pittsburgh HS is also a former crusader that ask led for additional help and did not receive it. We know of plenty other good students and good players that had to leave because Financial dept would not help as oppose to Serra HS who always figures a way to help those families out some how! In the last 20 years how many athletes have they lost! Just curious
Financial aid at most of the private schools are handled by a 3rd party service such as TADS (which I believe is what both Serra and Riordan uses). They determine how qualifies. Each school has their own pool of money that is allocated, but the 3rd party system is there to prevent athletes from receiving special benefits. My speculation is that Serra has a lot more money to allocate then Riordan, so maybe that is why?
Why would I know or care to know this? This is the student(s)/family business. This occurred 3 years ago, right when the new biz dev director started.
Yes. Schools like Serra, St. Francis and Bellarmine all have a more mature and higher funded endowment programs. Riordan is catching up, but never will be at that same level. Just fact.
The Riordan coaching staff and his teammates all congratulated both young men of their recent successes after leaving Riordan. So what is your point, other than throwing Riordan Football under the bus as you have only posted ten times?
As many kids leave, plenty have come in - including two students from a rival school in the Sunset...
I'll just leave it at that...If you want the facts, I suggest you contact the Riordan Business Development department as they just released their annual giving report which has increased year on year.
On a positive note: All successful programs (frosh to varsity) have a great strategy - coaching continuity, feeder programs, etc. You do see this model working currently in the basketball and wrestling programs. Baby steps - let's see how this model can be applied to the rest of Crusader athletics...
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Didn’t mean to ruffle your feathers it was just a question why the “R” keeps losing Ballers and they can’t keep any there. Thought you were a staff member there.
Riordan has feeder programs like the Bombers, the Niners, the Warriors and the Stars all for football. It’s just soooooooo frustrating why the “R” can not get it right. From what I’m told that 2015-16 class had 18 Warrior kids on that team. The “R” will hopefully one day get it right.
Riordan has feeder programs like the Bombers, the Niners, the Warriors and the Stars all for football. It’s just soooooooo frustrating why the “R” can not get it right. From what I’m told that 2015-16 class had 18 Warrior kids on that team. The “R” will hopefully one day get it right.
I believe the frustration from many that support the Crusaders is the same story being told
with no visual results. To say there have not been quality coaches at Riordan during this time is a farce. There have been plenty of quality coaches at Riordan, they were not given the tools or support necessary. The current Serra staff has plenty of coaches previously at Riordan.
The Crusader football team had a “feeder” program, and it appears that the administration did not support it fully. There is a mass exodus of City kids down to Serra, from such feeder programs that Riordan should have taken advantage of. Anxiously awaiting to see who this big hire is to see in which direction the football program is headed.
with no visual results. To say there have not been quality coaches at Riordan during this time is a farce. There have been plenty of quality coaches at Riordan, they were not given the tools or support necessary. The current Serra staff has plenty of coaches previously at Riordan.
The Crusader football team had a “feeder” program, and it appears that the administration did not support it fully. There is a mass exodus of City kids down to Serra, from such feeder programs that Riordan should have taken advantage of. Anxiously awaiting to see who this big hire is to see in which direction the football program is headed.
For decades, Serra football was mediocre. Only the occasional CCS appearance reduced the overall gloom on the San Mateo campus. The Padres tied for a WCAL title in 1972 during the Nixon Administration. Three full decades of lackluster results and utter league domination by St. Francis and Bellarmine later, they tied for another one. They have been a WCAL title factor most of the time since. Why? Simple. The arrival of Patrick Walsh. He turned the situation around so fast it made heads spin. It took just one year, from 2001 to 2002. That's all. Walsh's formula was multi-pronged. He had a vision. It went something like this:
Focus on admissions/financial aid.
Improve facilities/conditioning/weight training.
Understand changing Peninsula demographics (hello, Polynesian kids).
Institute year-round football emphasis.
Hire solid assistant coaches.
Tightly coordinate frosh, JV, varsity teams.
Make sure the administration bought in.
Stay at the school long-term.
Buttress salaries via a booming flag football program for youngsters (and related enterprises _ for Walsh, this is a full-time business, it's his life).
Argue for and support a regional school busing program.
Market football _ winning clearly helps in that regard.
None of this was easy. Money and administrative support were critical. Football became a priority, a device used to increase enrollment and alumni donations. The real question now is: What would happen if Walsh, a unique character out of the incredible DLS incubator for sure, were to leave (and he has had some lucrative officers? He is the architect of the whole football structure. Without him, who knows what might happen down on West 20th Avenue.
Duplicating the Serra setup at Riordan would appear to be almost impossible for any number of reasons. And the main one is the driven Walsh himself.
Focus on admissions/financial aid.
Improve facilities/conditioning/weight training.
Understand changing Peninsula demographics (hello, Polynesian kids).
Institute year-round football emphasis.
Hire solid assistant coaches.
Tightly coordinate frosh, JV, varsity teams.
Make sure the administration bought in.
Stay at the school long-term.
Buttress salaries via a booming flag football program for youngsters (and related enterprises _ for Walsh, this is a full-time business, it's his life).
Argue for and support a regional school busing program.
Market football _ winning clearly helps in that regard.
None of this was easy. Money and administrative support were critical. Football became a priority, a device used to increase enrollment and alumni donations. The real question now is: What would happen if Walsh, a unique character out of the incredible DLS incubator for sure, were to leave (and he has had some lucrative officers? He is the architect of the whole football structure. Without him, who knows what might happen down on West 20th Avenue.
Duplicating the Serra setup at Riordan would appear to be almost impossible for any number of reasons. And the main one is the driven Walsh himself.
One other note re Walsh and the WCAL. The addition of Valley Christian shortly after Walsh showed up in San Mateo changed the WCAL big-time as well. Those two schools have essentially ended the St. Francis-Bellarmine football stranglehold. Never under-estimate what VC and Coach Machado have brought to the papal table. The Walsh/Serra-Machado/VC combination has proven to be huge.
Essentially, if a school, any school, has issues, academic, athletic, whatever, it all starts at the top. The administration, board of trustees, etc. have to make a call: "Our enrollment, our fiscal future, our existence depend on marketing this place and showing success in a very public way to stimulate enrollment growth; football can be a key vehicle and that means we have to find ways to mimic what a place like Serra (really, very similar to Riordan in its history) provides, especially if we want to remain in the WCAL"
Let's be honest here, if you examine the entire Riordan athletic program, it is sadly lacking overall and not just varsity wins and losses. Football isn't the only worrisome entity. So there has to be a major commitment to athletics, with football at the top of the heap (assuming a desire to stay in the WCAL). That means money and a vision, a plan, a comprehensive approach.
It does appear that Riordan already knows this. But changes have been so slow, the few positive results just aren't obvious; they are barely visible and then it's one step forward, two steps back.
By the way, it's not a given that Riordan has to stay in the WCAL. The option to leave is always there. Or, perhaps the WCAL itself could look at football, which is a special case (especially for an inner city school), a bit differently and add some smaller schools for football-only _ like Palma, Sacred Heart Prep, King's Academy and Menlo School _ to create a two-tier setup with the big powers in Tier 1 and the others in Tier 2. Riordan, SI and SHC could be in the lower tier with SHP, Menlo and King's; Palma (smaller than Riordan, by the way), VC, Mitty, Serra, Bellarmine and St. Francis could be in Tier 1. But that's a discussion for another time, another place.
For Riordan today, the future of the football program hinges on money, commitment, facilities, a long-term, stable coaching staff and, by all means, a credible plan. It would also help if Riordan could find a football savior, a Walsh-like guy who could inspire, relate, promote, organize, prod and, in the end, win _ and stick around. But that's asking a lot. In the end, Riordan and its students, alumni and friends deserve better.
Man I like you! You say it how it is and not sugarcoat it! Everything you said is true! They’ve had a couple of good coaches there but were pushed out or seen the future of the program and left. Hopefully the Riordan curse will be lifted! But i can tell you it’s about to be March n no coaching staff! No Bueno......
Begining to think no one wants the Riordan job! Maybe someone with no HC experience might take it!
Patience SFB&R. Curious: Are you an Alum/Parent? The Crusader Brotherhood doesn't air out dirty laundry (true or untrue) or throw its school under the bus on Social Media. We can all agree, it's been a struggle with football and "tough love" conversations are brought up at Alumni events and/or games and seek positive dialogue with actionable outcomes including the Riordan Community digging into their wallets! Lol! This is what I am experiencing the past 3 years. Baby steps, but well-intentioned, thought out changes are occurring.
To be clear: It isn't just football. As you well know and appreciate (your constructive comments are always helpful, by the way), the overall Riordan athletic program could use a comprehensive, calculated upgrade _ or maybe even a whole new perspective as to its situation as an inner city school. Which sports should Riordan offer? Which sports should it drop? Is the WCAL really the right place for Riordan's athletic program in the next decade or two or three? And where does football fit in when all of this is taken into account? The answers are not clear. No doubt, the school and its authorities are looking at all of this as we speak. At least we surely do hope so. Hang in there.
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