WCAL Football 2019-20 - NCP's All NorCal Team + SF Chron All Metro & Merc Teams

[Rmbr26]

St. Francis players celebrate after defeating Serra 42-7 for the regular season finale at Serra High in San Mateo on Sat, November 2, 2018 [LiPo Ching – BANG]. Serra could have thrown the WCAL into a 3-way tie along with Valley Christian with a win, but SF left no doubt whatsoever in dominating from start to finish. St. Francis Lancers 2018 WCAL Champs!

Are You Ready for some Football? WCAL Football!

Coming up quickly on the start of a new season for the 8-team rugged West Catholic Athletic League. The 2018 season once again provided 2 very strong teams from the league in SF & VC who went deep into the playoffs. In an ironic twist the SF Lancers went unbeaten in WCAL league play at 7-0 only to lose to another WCAL team Valley Christian in the CCS Open II Championship game. So while the Lancers captured the league crown VC had a taste of sweet revenge by capturing the CCS Div II crown. The first meeting of the 2 teams had SF prevailing 7-3 while the rematch “slugfest” had VC coming out on top by 31-30 in double-overtime [so a combined 37-34 2 game score with differential of 3 points].

We may see a bit of a different landscape this season in the WCAL. Based upon pre-season rankings, graduated players and returning players the WCAL is expected to be down a bit in overall strength. There are some unanswered questions from last season that have me curious and we should have some clues soon upcoming. As we know the varsity teams are comprised of mostly juniors & seniors with a few talented soph’s thrown in the mix and therefore the talent pools among teams tend to run in 2-3 year cycles. The schools with fewer players tend to have more sophs on varsity along with 2-way players out of necessity. Those schools also have a higher degree of attrition due to injuries as the season plays out. In 2018 the 2 dominant teams were SF & VC with an unexpected gap between the 3rd team Serra. The Padres were not competitive with either suffering lopsided losses to VC and twice to SF. The 3 tiers of the league for 2018 was SF & VC at the top, Serra in the middle and then the other 5 teams who could not compete with the top 3. The SF Lancers were amazing last season losing first their 2017 All League leading rusher in Darrel Page who transferred & then losing their starting QB Jack Perry to injury early in the season. To overcome those player losses and still go undefeated in league speaks of the coaching & talent of the 2018 Lancer program. Going 11-3 SF suffered heartbreak 2 weeks in a row to end their season losing the 31-30 game to VC and then 14-13 to Del Oro in the sectional 2-AA playoff game – 2 losses by 2 points. VC also finishing 11-3 played well in the first ½, but could not stay with Liberty of Brentwood losing 33-21 in their 1-A state bowl game.

Let’s take a look at last season 2018’s varsity win-loss records to start:

SF 11-3 WCAL Champs
VC 11-3
Serra 7-5
SHC 6-6
Mitty 6-6
S.I. 3-8
Bells 2-8
ARHS 1-9

Junior Varsity
VC 7-2-1 WCAL Champs
Mitty 7-2
SF 7-2
ARHS 3-5-1
Bells 2-7
S.I. 1-6-2
Serra 0-7-1
SHC - No JV team for 2018

Freshman
Serra 8-1 WCAL Co-Champs
SF 8-1 WCAL Co-Champs
VC 8-1 WCAL Co-Champs
Mitty 2-6
SHC 4-5
Bells 4-5
ARHS 1-8
S.I. 0-9

Combined 3 Team School Win-Loss Records
SF 26-6
VC 26-6-1
Serra 15-13-1
Mitty 15-14
Bells 12-20
ARHS 5-22-1
S.I. 4-23-2
SHC 10-11

Knowing of the 2-3 year cycles of talent at each school and looking at the overall records above just how many of those 2018 varsity players are returning? Here’s a quick glimpse based upon last years’ roster:
Team Returning Varsity Players:
Valley Christian = 45
Mitty = 40
Serra = 37
SF = 36
Bells = 32
SHC = 27 * The Irish did not field a JV team in 2018 so 13 of 27 were sophs.
S.I. = 26
ARHS = 26

Of those returning varsity players here’s a quick glimpse at size differentials between teams:

* Players over 200 Lbs.
VC = 23
Serra = 17
SF = 14
Mitty = 12
Bells = 11
S.I. = 11
SHC = 11
ARHS = 8

* Of Same players those over 225 Lbs.
VC = 15
SF = 11
Serra = 8
Mitty = 5
ARHS = 4
Bells = 3
S.I. = 3
SHC = 3

* Of same players those over 250+
VC = 10
SF = 8
Serra = 7
Mitty = 4
Bells = 3
S.I. = 2
SHC = 2
ARHS = 2


Obviously the teams will get some “fresh beef” from last years’ JV & Frosh, however this is strictly to show the disparity in size of returning players with varsity experience. The 3 SF teams look to be in similar shape to other recent years’ with both lower roster numbers and lack of lineman size players. SHC in particular looks vulnerable as they had no JV team last year to draw from & therefore must rely on talent from a 4-5 Frosh team to bolster their varsity squad. From the information gathered so far it appears the WCAL league is separating into 2 tiers from what was previously 3. Roster numbers, returning players and size of linemen all favor VC, SF, Serra & Mitty while Bells and the 3 SF schools all suffer from low roster numbers, returning players and sheer physical size.


Factors of note which could alter the season: Mitty who was a bit of a disappointment last season may be poised for a run this season. The Monarchs return a large number of players including 3-year starter at QB Shamir Bey & their JV team were Co-Champs upon which to draw on this season. Serra while returning a large number of players had a last place JV team that went winless [yes 0-7-1]. This does not bode well for the Padres unless the Serra Frosh Co-Champs provide some very talented soph’s this season. Can the Padres recapture their position as an elite WCAL power? Or have coaching changes, a system which favors a weak JV team and few returning “impact players” signal a “football recession” so to speak for the Padres of San Mateo [before you say it can’t happen I will proceed with my comments regarding the “once powerhouse Bells’]. The Bells in a tailspin the last several seasons do not appear to have help on the way any time soon for similar reasons as the SF schools, despite that Bellarmine is the largest all male college preparatory high school in NorCal [puzzling?]. Low roster numbers from a large school, lack of talent for a once proud program and a “dated offense” which still features “3 yards and a cloud of dust” so to speak indicates changes are badly needed if a turn-around is to take place any time soon. While hard times have been discussed regarding the 3 SF schools the most difficult to explain is the St. Ignatius program. This program similar to the Bells has been in steady decline for the last ½ decade [at minimum]. Great facilities and coaching staffs only work with sufficient roster numbers that include talent is the dilemma. As some have speculated it would seem if you could combine the 3 SF schools teams you could then compete with the top tier teams of the WCAL. The differential between top teams and lower teams is substantial and the league is due for realignment of some type in the near future.

Current "Projected" ratings of teams:
1. Valley Christian
2. St. Francis
3. Mitty
4. Serra
5. St. Ignatius
6. Bells
7. SHC
8. ARHS

Next Up: Review of teams players who graduated & who returns..

 

[colhenrylives]

El Rambo: Only the best, he has no peer.

 

[colhenrylives]

El Rambo: Only the best, he has no peer.

One small addendum, however: Serra does have an attractive collection of quick playmakers. They will score in a variety of ways. Long kick returns will once again be not uncommon. The kicker, Lewis, is top-notch as well. Serra will put up numbers, although long, sustained drives could be problematic if the OL is less than dominant. Can the Padres physically handle the five (maybe six) top-tier teams on the schedule? Defense (turnover differential) and line play are the keys. Again. By the way, Mitty remains a question mark. It's not clear how strong the Monarchs will be. There is a tendency to over-rate them. VC, with fresh infusions of talent via three frosh championship teams in succession, seems to be the obvious favorite. VC is stockpiling gridiron gold like few others in CCS.

 

[colhenrylives]

St. Francis players celebrate after defeating Serra 42-7 for the regular season finale at Serra High in San Mateo on Sat, November 2, 2018 [LiPo Ching – BANG]. Serra could have thrown the WCAL into a 3-way tie along with Valley Christian with a win, but SF left no doubt whatsoever in dominating from start to finish.

Are You Ready for some Football? WCAL Football!

Coming up quickly on the start of a new season for the 8-team rugged West Catholic Athletic League. The 2018 season once again provided 2 very strong teams from the league in SF & VC who went deep into the playoffs. In an ironic twist the SF Lancers went unbeaten in WCAL league play at 7-0 only to lose to another WCAL team Valley Christian in the CCS Open II Championship game. So while the Lancers captured the league crown VC had a taste of sweet revenge by capturing the CCS Div II crown. The first meeting of the 2 teams had SF prevailing 7-3 while the rematch “slugfest” had VC coming out on top by 31-30 in double-overtime [so a combined 37-34 2 game score with differential of 3 points].

We may see a bit of a different landscape this season in the WCAL. Based upon pre-season rankings, graduated players and returning players the WCAL is expected to be down a bit in overall strength. There are some unanswered questions from last season that have me curious and we should have some clues soon upcoming. As we know the varsity teams are comprised of mostly juniors & seniors with a few talented soph’s thrown in the mix and therefore the talent pools among teams tend to run in 2-3 year cycles. The schools with fewer players tend to have more sophs on varsity along with 2-way players out of necessity. Those schools also have a higher degree of attrition due to injuries as the season plays out. In 2018 the 2 dominant teams were SF & VC with an unexpected gap between the 3rd team Serra. The Padres were not competitive with either suffering lopsided losses to VC and twice to SF. The 3 tiers of the league for 2018 was SF & VC at the top, Serra in the middle and then the other 5 teams who could not compete with the top 3. The SF Lancers were amazing last season losing first their 2017 All League leading rusher in Darrel Page who transferred & then losing their starting QB Jack Perry to injury early in the season. To overcome those player losses and still go undefeated in league speaks of the coaching & talent of the 2018 Lancer program. Going 11-3 SF suffered heartbreak 2 weeks in a row to end their season losing the 31-30 game to VC and then 14-13 to Del Oro in the sectional 2-AA playoff game – 2 losses by 2 points. VC also finishing 11-3 played well in the first ½, but could not stay with Liberty of Brentwood losing 33-21 in their 1-A state bowl game.

Let’s take a look at last season 2018’s varsity win-loss records to start:

SF 11-3 WCAL Champs
VC 11-3
Serra 7-5
SHC 6-6
Mitty 6-6
S.I. 3-8
Bells 2-8
ARHS 1-9

Junior Varsity
VC 7-2-1 WCAL Champs
Mitty 7-2
SF 7-2
ARHS 3-5-1
Bells 2-7
S.I. 1-6-2
Serra 0-7-1
SHC - No JV team for 2018

Freshman
Serra 8-1 WCAL Co-Champs
SF 8-1 WCAL Co-Champs
VC 8-1 WCAL Co-Champs
Mitty 2-6
SHC 4-5
Bells 4-5
ARHS 1-8
S.I. 0-9

Combined 3 Team School Win-Loss Records
SF 26-6
VC 26-6-1
Serra 15-13-1
Mitty 15-14
Bells 12-20
ARHS 5-22-1
S.I. 4-23-2
SHC 10-11

Knowing of the 2-3 year cycles of talent at each school and looking at the overall records above just how many of those 2018 varsity players are returning? Here’s a quick glimpse based upon last years’ roster:
Team Returning Varsity Players:
Valley Christian = 45
Mitty = 40
Serra = 37
SF = 36
Bells = 32
SHC = 27 * The Irish did not field a JV team in 2018 so 13 of 27 were sophs.
S.I. = 26
ARHS = 26

Of those returning varsity players here’s a quick glimpse at size differentials between teams:

* Players over 200 Lbs.
VC = 23
Serra = 17
SF = 14
Mitty = 12
Bells = 11
S.I. = 11
SHC = 11
ARHS = 8

* Of Same players those over 225 Lbs.
VC = 15
SF = 11
Serra = 8
Mitty = 5
ARHS = 4
Bells = 3
S.I. = 3
SHC = 3

* Of same players those over 250+
VC = 10
SF = 8
Serra = 7
Mitty = 4
Bells = 3
S.I. = 2
SHC = 2
ARHS = 2


Obviously the teams will get some “fresh beef” from last years’ JV & Frosh, however this is strictly to show the disparity in size of returning players with varsity experience. The 3 SF teams look to be in similar shape to other recent years’ with both lower roster numbers and lack of lineman size players. SHC in particular looks vulnerable as they had no JV team last year to draw from & therefore must rely on talent from a 4-5 Frosh team to bolster their varsity squad. From the information gathered so far it appears the WCAL league is separating into 2 tiers from what was previously 3. Roster numbers, returning players and size of linemen all favor VC, SF, Serra & Mitty while Bells and the 3 SF schools all suffer from low roster numbers, returning players and sheer physical size.


Factors of note which could alter the season: Mitty who was a bit of a disappointment last season may be poised for a run this season. The Monarchs return a large number of players including 3-year starter at QB Shamir Bey & their JV team were Co-Champs upon which to draw on this season. Serra while returning a large number of players had a last place JV team that went winless [yes 0-7-1]. This does not bode well for the Padres unless the Serra Frosh Co-Champs provide some very talented soph’s this season. Can the Padres recapture their position as an elite WCAL power? Or have coaching changes, a system which favors a weak JV team and few returning “impact players” signal a “football recession” so to speak for the Padres of San Mateo [before you say it can’t happen I will proceed with my comments regarding the “once powerhouse Bells’]. The Bells in a tailspin the last several seasons do not appear to have help on the way any time soon for similar reasons as the SF schools, despite that Bellarmine is the largest all male college preparatory high school in NorCal [puzzling?]. Low roster numbers from a large school, lack of talent for a once proud program and a “dated offense” which still features “3 yards and a cloud of dust” so to speak indicates changes are badly needed if a turn-around is to take place any time soon. While hard times have been discussed regarding the 3 SF schools the most difficult to explain is the St. Ignatius program. This program similar to the Bells has been in steady decline for the last ½ decade [at minimum]. Great facilities and coaching staffs only work with sufficient roster numbers that include talent is the dilemma. As some have speculated it would seem if you could combine the 3 SF schools teams you could then compete with the top tier teams of the WCAL. The differential between top teams and lower teams is substantial and the league is due for realignment of some type in the near future.

Current "Projected" ratings of teams:
1. Valley Christian
2. St. Francis
3. Mitty
4. Serra
5. St. Ignatius
6. Bells
7. SHC
8. ARHS

Next Up: Review of teams players who graduated & who returns..

Our favorite Mobile Messenger has alluded to WCAL realignment. Here's my personal pie in the sky favorite; two equity-based WCAL divisions (they could vary year to year):

Cardinal Division:

Palma, VC, Bellarmine, Mitty, SF, Serra.

Archbishop Division:

Menlo School, Sacred Heart Prep, SI, SHC, Riordan, Marin Catholic.

Can such an arrangement (for football only) occur? Sure. Will it? Probably not. Travel would be an immediate issue. So would adding Marin Catholic, a former member of the old CAL which moved to the MCAL (part of the NCS) 60 or so years ago. Menlo would not be thrilled as well. Not sure about SHP. Palma would balk at having to face WCAL powerhouses with far larger enrollments week after week. OK, this idea is almost assuredly a pipe dream. But, hey, a twit with way too much time on his hands can dream can't he?

 

[berdooman]

VC is collecting gridiron gold like few others in the CCS. What does that mean?

 

[colhenrylives]

VC is collecting gridiron gold like few others in the CCS. What does that mean?

Talent

 

[dcpanda]

I don’t see a scenario where Mitty is better than Serra this year. The Padres put a running clock on the Monarchs last season and I see Serra as much improved with all their returners (Sanchez, Malani, Lewis, etc.)

 

[pc2986]

Folks, this doesn't mean anything but watching Serra win the SJSU passing tourney(16 teams) against Liberty was impressive. Regarding the season, one man opinion - the preseason will be a major dictator of how the WCAL teams play in league.

 

[MJ2014]

Always a tough conference, especially the top half of the league.
Top four, VC, Serra, SF, Mitty.

 

[MC415]

I am interested to see if Marin Catholic can give Mitty a good game

 

[Rmbr26]

I am interested to see if Marin Catholic can give Mitty a good game

MC415 - you might need to reverse that quote to "if Mitty can give Marin Catholic a good game" as I believe Mitty will be the decided underdog in this game. Marin Catholic 10-4 last season with a 7-3 JV team returns 14 varsity starters including all their top skill players and is projected above Mitty in state pre-season rankings. The Monarchs should have their hands full come game day with the MC Wildcats.

 

[MC415]

MC415 - you might need to reverse that quote to "if Mitty can give Marin Catholic a good game" as I believe Mitty will be the decided underdog in this game. Marin Catholic 10-4 last season with a 7-3 JV team returns 14 varsity starters including all their top skill players and is projected above Mitty in state pre-season rankings. The Monarchs should have their hands full come game day with the MC Wildcats.

Yeah but even on MC best years SI would give them a tough 4 quarters of war, and Mitty is better then SI that’s why I’m not sold on MC beating Mitty. MC traditionally has problems with way bigger schools that have good athletes

 

[Rmbr26]

Yeah but even on MC best years SI would give them a tough 4 quarters of war, and Mitty is better then SI that’s why I’m not sold on MC beating Mitty. MC traditionally has problems with way bigger schools that have good athletes

Yes I'd agree that S.I. has usually been tough against Marin Catholic though the last game in '17 was MC 35-21 over St. Ignatius. In 2016 S.I. came back from a several score deficit in the 4th quarter to beat MC by 31-28 in a real barn-burner. Since 2004 S.I. and MC have played 14 times splitting the series with 7-wins/losses each.
I can't remember Mitty ever playing Marin Catholic previous unless I'm wrong[?]

 

[Rmbr26]

Last season's 2018 WCAL Player of the Year Evan Williams of St. Francis goes up for one of his 2 TD catches against none other than the De La Salle Spartans. While the Lancers fell to DLS Evan Williams proved to be one of the best players on the field catching 6 passes for 113 yards & 2 TD's against the highly regarded Spartan secondary [photo courtesy of BANG]

Here are the players of note who graduated from each team who will need to be replaced this season:

St. Francis:
Evan Williams – WR/DB WCAL Player of Year – instrumental in numerous wins -Top WCAL WR
Joshua Pakola – 6’4-255 was a presence on Defense
Nikko Pohahau – 6’5-260 large presence on O-Line
Anthony Landphere – 6’5-220 TE used mainly for blocking and occasional short pass
Dante Giusti – 6’2-255 DL mainstay at the tackle position
Justin Sinclair – 5’10-160 DB in one of WCAL’s best secondaries last season
Matthew Azzopardi – 2 way mainstay player on OL/DL
James Dineen – 6’4-240 All League TE/LB played well on both sides of the ball
Opeti Fangupo – 5’10-235 RB/LB Valuable 2-way player difficult to stop in short yardage situations scoring 15 TD’s
Tyler McCabe – solid player at ILB
Maurice Wimar – All League WR/DB solid 2 way player & shut-down DB with Evan Williams
* 10 very good players that will be difficult to replace. Having said that SF graduated just as many players in 2017 and exceeded my expectations in how well they reloaded.

Valley Christian
D’von Lang – 6’1-170 One of VC’s Top RB’s, 9.5 YPC Tops in WCAL, 2nd fastest player in WCAL
Zack Gieg – 6’2-285 WCAL Top Offensive Lineman in WCAL
Judea Moon – 6’0-240 premiere LB of WCAL will go on to play at next level
Skylar Loving Black – 6’4-220 TE was clutch receiver with 15 YPC & 7 TD’s
Justin DeWitt – 6’1-215 solid LB on tough Warrior D last season
Kyane Schmidt – 6’3-250 2-way OL/DL
* 6 good players to replace though the Warrior’s return a boatload of talent from last season.

Serra
Luke Bottari – 3-year QB who leaves as Serra’s All Time Passing Leader with numerous records
Malakai Rango – RB/DB/KR – exciting player & WCAL’s top kick returner impossible to contain
Ed Lahlouh – 6’0-200 RB/LB was a beast on defense the last 2 seasons
Vince Campana – 6’2-285 O-Lineman will be missed by Padres
Keelan O’Riordan – 6’2-290 Center last couple seasons was best in league at his position
Michael Churich – 6’6-240 TE provided blocking, big passing target and shared duty at DE
* 6 players of which Bottari & Rango will be difficult to replace. Like VC though Serra returns a lot of talent.

Mitty
Joseph Vaughn – WR was one of the most consistent in WCAL with 40 catches & 4 INT’s on D
Aaron Smith – 5’11-205 RB helped provide blocking for QB Shamir Bey
Jonah Advincula – SS was a consistent performer on D with 43 solo tackles
Derrick Smith – 6’2-215 Linebacker was solid on D
* While these 4 notable and a handful of others Mitty returns most of there “core” players including one Shamir Bey – 3 year starting QB and an exciting player to watch this season.

St. Ignatius
Mark Biggins – 5’10-190 RB was Wildcats top rusher and consistently good
Jack Dyke – 6’4 Lineman who could go both ways
Ethan Mann – 6’2-245 OL/DL as is Jack Dyke – the big fellas are at a premium among SF teams
Lance Sell – WR/DB Co-Capt with Mark Biggins & leadership will be missed
* 4 to replace – Biggins the best player last season for S.I., 2 of their biggest lineman & both Co-Captains. Not looking like much reinforcements from last seasons’ JV & Frosh.

Bellarmine
Tyson Garcia – RB/DB 2 year player for Bells varsity and one of their better players last season.
Hayden Laccabue – 6’3-250 OL/DL will be missed on a Bells’ team lacking size
Luke Splaine – 6’1-205 FB/LB solid player who could be used both ways as needed
Harry Mingrone – Bells QB will require inserting a new “director of operations” on offense
* 4 to replace on a Bells’ team desperately needing an infusion of talent.

Sacred Heart Cathedral
Anthony Heard – RB/DB “speedy & elusive”2-way player at WR/DB was SHC’s MVP in 2018
LeVar Watkins Jr. – WR/DB the counter-part to one Anthony Heard as an important contributor
* 2 players of note who could have impact on both sides of ball. Not being able to field a JV team in 2018 is most telling aspect bringing up soph’s and now only Frosh to reload with as soph’s again. The one saving grace for the Irish is their returning QB Cian Dowling who showed promise last season & we all know that returning QB’s of any caliber are at a premium in the WCAL [Dowling IS “The Hope OF The Irish”.

Riordan
The Crusaders lose a handful of important seniors although none were regarded as among the top of their positions in the league. Both JV & Frosh teams were not strong in 2018 and hopefully a refreshing coaching change will add some life to the Crusader program which is desperately needed.

Number of “impact players” to replace by team:
SF – 10
VC – 6
Serra – 6
Mitty - 4
S.I. – 4
Bells – 4
SHC – 2
ARHS – even/wash

Teams who return their starting QB from last season:
Mitty – Shamir Bey
SF – Ryan Daly
Riordan – Adham Abdelghani
VC – Cory Taylor
SHC – Cian Dowling

Bells, Serra & S.I. will all see a new QB over center.

Conclusion: SF, VC, Serra & Mitty in that order lose a lot of quality players, but also return a lot of starters and have reinforcements either JV or Frosh or both upcoming. Serra also reacquired a very good player in one Dylan Eaton who provides Serra with yet more speed and another weapon on offense [more on that to come]. Then comes Bells, S.I., SHC & Riordan with comparable size rosters to each other & no star caliber players to speak of that we know of at this time. Perhaps there will be some “sleeper” players from JV or Frosh teams or returning varsity players who gained 10-20 lbs over the summer. Some unknowns at this time such as Serra’s coaching along with Riordan’s. At the start of the season the 2 biggest question marks are Serra & Mitty. Both return many players and both teams finished below expectations last season. The projections have Mitty ahead of Serra pre-season based upon Mitty’s 3-year starter at QB returning “Shamir Bey”. Is this the Monarch’s year? Or is this Serra’s year to rebound and once again challenge VC & SF? One thing is for sure in that both VC & SF do not show much drop off from 2018.

Next Up: Players to watch for in 2019

 

[colhenrylives]

A modest note re JV football: It's not always a strong indicator of future program excellence. Many schools utilize their best sophs on the varsity (SHC, obviously, has to bring up all sophs due to the lack of a JV team). The best predictor of what's coming down the pike is freshman football. Which is a big reason why the 2019 VC varsity should be terrific. Three frosh league titles in a row should have a major impact this season.

 

[jordan24]

Last season's 2018 WCAL Player of the Year Evan Williams of St. Francis goes up for one of his 2 TD catches against none other than the De La Salle Spartans. While the Lancers fell to DLS Evan Williams proved to be one of the best players on the field catching 6 passes for 113 yards & 2 TD's against the highly regarded Spartan secondary [photo courtesy of BANG]

Here are the players of note who graduated from each team who will need to be replaced this season:

St. Francis:
Evan Williams – WR/DB WCAL Player of Year – instrumental in numerous wins -Top WCAL WR
Joshua Pakola – 6’4-255 was a presence on Defense
Nikko Pohahau – 6’5-260 large presence on O-Line
Anthony Landphere – 6’5-220 TE used mainly for blocking and occasional short pass
Dante Giusti – 6’2-255 DL mainstay at the tackle position
Justin Sinclair – 5’10-160 DB in one of WCAL’s best secondaries last season
Matthew Azzopardi – 2 way mainstay player on OL/DL
James Dineen – 6’4-240 All League TE/LB played well on both sides of the ball
Opeti Fangupo – 5’10-235 RB/LB Valuable 2-way player difficult to stop in short yardage situations scoring 15 TD’s
Tyler McCabe – solid player at ILB
Maurice Wimar – All League WR/DB solid 2 way player & shut-down DB with Evan Williams
* 10 very good players that will be difficult to replace. Having said that SF graduated just as many players in 2017 and exceeded my expectations in how well they reloaded.

Valley Christian
D’von Lang – 6’1-170 One of VC’s Top RB’s, 9.5 YPC Tops in WCAL, 2nd fastest player in WCAL
Zack Gieg – 6’2-285 WCAL Top Offensive Lineman in WCAL
Judea Moon – 6’0-240 premiere LB of WCAL will go on to play at next level
Skylar Loving Black – 6’4-220 TE was clutch receiver with 15 YPC & 7 TD’s
Justin DeWitt – 6’1-215 solid LB on tough Warrior D last season
Kyane Schmidt – 6’3-250 2-way OL/DL
* 6 good players to replace though the Warrior’s return a boatload of talent from last season.

Serra
Luke Bottari – 3-year QB who leaves as Serra’s All Time Passing Leader with numerous records
Malakai Rango – RB/DB/KR – exciting player & WCAL’s top kick returner impossible to contain
Ed Lahlouh – 6’0-200 RB/LB was a beast on defense the last 2 seasons
Vince Campana – 6’2-285 O-Lineman will be missed by Padres
Keelan O’Riordan – 6’2-290 Center last couple seasons was best in league at his position
Michael Churich – 6’6-240 TE provided blocking, big passing target and shared duty at DE
* 6 players of which Bottari & Rango will be difficult to replace. Like VC though Serra returns a lot of talent.

Mitty
Joseph Vaughn – WR was one of the most consistent in WCAL with 40 catches & 4 INT’s on D
Aaron Smith – 5’11-205 RB helped provide blocking for QB Shamir Bey
Jonah Advincula – SS was a consistent performer on D with 43 solo tackles
Derrick Smith – 6’2-215 Linebacker was solid on D
* While these 4 notable and a handful of others Mitty returns most of there “core” players including one Shamir Bey – 3 year starting QB and an exciting player to watch this season.

St. Ignatius
Mark Biggins – 5’10-190 RB was Wildcats top rusher and consistently good
Jack Dyke – 6’4 Lineman who could go both ways
Ethan Mann – 6’2-245 OL/DL as is Jack Dyke – the big fellas are at a premium among SF teams
Lance Sell – WR/DB Co-Capt with Mark Biggins & leadership will be missed
* 4 to replace – Biggins the best player last season for S.I., 2 of their biggest lineman & both Co-Captains. Not looking like much reinforcements from last seasons’ JV & Frosh.

Bellarmine
Tyson Garcia – RB/DB 2 year player for Bells varsity and one of their better players last season.
Hayden Laccabue – 6’3-250 OL/DL will be missed on a Bells’ team lacking size
Luke Splaine – 6’1-205 FB/LB solid player who could be used both ways as needed
Harry Mingrone – Bells QB will require inserting a new “director of operations” on offense
* 4 to replace on a Bells’ team desperately needing an infusion of talent.

Sacred Heart Cathedral
Anthony Heard – RB/DB “speedy & elusive”2-way player at WR/DB was SHC’s MVP in 2018
LeVar Watkins Jr. – WR/DB the counter-part to one Anthony Heard as an important contributor
* 2 players of note who could have impact on both sides of ball. Not being able to field a JV team in 2018 is most telling aspect bringing up soph’s and now only Frosh to reload with as soph’s again. The one saving grace for the Irish is their returning QB Cian Dowling who showed promise last season & we all know that returning QB’s of any caliber are at a premium in the WCAL [Dowling IS “The Hope OF The Irish”.

Riordan
The Crusaders lose a handful of important seniors although none were regarded as among the top of their positions in the league. Both JV & Frosh teams were not strong in 2018 and hopefully a refreshing coaching change will add some life to the Crusader program which is desperately needed.

Number of “impact players” to replace by team:
SF – 10
VC – 6
Serra – 6
Mitty - 4
S.I. – 4
Bells – 4
SHC – 2
ARHS – even/wash

Teams who return their starting QB from last season:
Mitty – Shamir Bey
SF – Ryan Daly
Riordan – Adham Abdelghani
VC – Cory Taylor
SHC – Cian Dowling

Bells, Serra & S.I. will all see a new QB over center.

Conclusion: SF, VC, Serra & Mitty in that order lose a lot of quality players, but also return a lot of starters and have reinforcements either JV or Frosh or both upcoming. Serra also reacquired a very good player in one Dylan Eaton who provides Serra with yet more speed and another weapon on offense [more on that to come]. Then comes Bells, S.I., SHC & Riordan with comparable size rosters to each other & no star caliber players to speak of that we know of at this time. Perhaps there will be some “sleeper” players from JV or Frosh teams or returning varsity players who gained 10-20 lbs over the summer. Some unknowns at this time such as Serra’s coaching along with Riordan’s. At the start of the season the 2 biggest question marks are Serra & Mitty. Both return many players and both teams finished below expectations last season. The projections have Mitty ahead of Serra pre-season based upon Mitty’s 3-year starter at QB returning “Shamir Bey”. Is this the Monarch’s year? Or is this Serra’s year to rebound and once again challenge VC & SF? One thing is for sure in that both VC & SF do not show much drop off from 2018.

Next Up: Players to watch for in 2019

SI has its QB returning in junior, 6-3, Taylor-Smith. He started the remainder of the 'Cats games and played very well after its Sr. QB went down to injury early in WCAL play.

 

[Joke Monkey]

A modest note re JV football: It's not always a strong indicator of future program excellence. Many schools utilize their best sophs on the varsity (SHC, obviously, has to bring up all sophs due to the lack of a JV team). The best predictor of what's coming down the pike is freshman football. Which is a big reason why the 2019 VC varsity should be terrific. Three frosh league titles in a row should have a major impact this season.

Per past Frosh results
Big drop off for SF.
Can the Serra 2022 class make up for their 2021 class
As you said VC is loaded and favorite to win WCAL
SI will be over hyped because of last year and will finish 7 or 8 in league
Riordan has the players and coaching to beat SI and SHC
SHC battles SI for bottom of league
Bells 2020 and 2021 classes both beat SF as Frosh. Bells had 8 Sophs play Varsity last season. Explains drop off from Strong 2021 Frosh team to 2-7 JV
Which proves your point Col

 

[iamgearyblvd]

A fun sight to see this year is a 3rd or 4th and short situation and Evan Branch-Haynes is lined up at fullback. Have fun stopping that. Reminds me another juggernaut in purple and gold Enrique Lara.

 

[WCAL75]

You stated that “per past frosh results. Big drop for SF” They went 8-1 last season. Or am I misreading your post?

 

[Joke Monkey]

You stated that “per past frosh results. Big drop for SF” They went 8-1 last season. Or am I misreading your post?

SF 2022 class is very strong
The frosh teams of 2020 and 2021 not so much. SF Varsity will not be as good as the last two years.

 

[colhenrylives]

Per past Frosh results
Big drop off for SF.
Can the Serra 2022 class make up for their 2021 class
As you said VC is loaded and favorite to win WCAL
SI will be over hyped because of last year and will finish 7 or 8 in league
Riordan has the players and coaching to beat SI and SHC
SHC battles SI for bottom of league
Bells 2020 and 2021 classes both beat SF as Frosh. Bells had 8 Sophs play Varsity last season. Explains drop off from Strong 2021 Frosh team to 2-7 JV
Which proves your point Col

Perhaps the Bells can rejuvenate themselves after all. Fingers remain crossed in the College Park neighborhood.

 

[NorCalSportsFan]

WCAL should be a battle this season. Maybe a tad less strong with exception of VC. Mitty will be better than last season. Bells will be better than last season and could challenge SF and Serra and Mitty. Serra and SF may be slightly not as good as last season. In general VC should have a shot at running the table, but tough to do. The other tier will be battling for second place, but there is a shot for one of the next tier after VC to upset and co-share a title.

VC usually always has talent but this seems like a year they will be the favorites with both classes strong as underclass. They should be good for at least the next couple seasons. VC will have talend for the next 3 seasons at least. They are unquestionably the favorite to start the season, but the WCAL is an unforgiving league and upsets are common. Warriors are the FAVORITE.

Mitty should challenge 2-4. Very strong seniors (maybe 2nd best talent wise, but will need to pull from average juniors and sophs). They will have senior leadership at QB and given coaching should be better than last season. Senior leadership could put them at #2.

SF seniors were not so strong as underclass. SF juniors were relatively strong and and sophs this season have strong class. SF will possibly need to move some sophs up from strong frosh team last season. SF may be in for a slight decline this season from last season or the youngsters will have to contribute. Some question marks and not favorite to win the WCAL. Could be pretty good playoff time though and should compete in the 2-5. SF always plays Serra tough so that should be a good game. Defense should be decent.

Serra looks like they have enough to reload with strong senior class and should be 2-5 although . Juniors as underclass were not very good and Serra should still be pretty good this season although may be in for steep decline next season if this last year frosh aren't very strong. They had a very strong frosh team last season and some will come up to make up for weak juniors. Offense should be decent, but defense a question.

Bells will improve and maybe be stronger than SF. Bells have decent senior and Junior classes. They should compete in the 2-5 although maybe little contributions from sophs. They could surprise this season and have upside to knock off some of the above teams. .

Riordan, Sacred Heart Cathedral, and SI will have a tough go this season in the WCAL and will battle for 5-8. SI vsrsus Marin Catholic should be a good game.

 

[Spartanwhoknows]

WCAL should be a battle this season. Maybe a tad less strong with exception of VC. Mitty will be better than last season. Bells will be better than last season and could challenge SF and Serra and Mitty. Serra and SF may be slightly not as good as last season. In general VC should have a shot at running the table, but tough to do. The other tier will be battling for second place, but there is a shot for one of the next tier after VC to upset and co-share a title.

VC usually always has talent but this seems like a year they will be the favorites with both classes strong as underclass. They should be good for at least the next couple seasons. VC will have talend for the next 3 seasons at least. They are unquestionably the favorite to start the season, but the WCAL is an unforgiving league and upsets are common. Warriors are the FAVORITE.

Mitty should challenge 2-4. Very strong seniors (maybe 2nd best talent wise, but will need to pull from average juniors and sophs). They will have senior leadership at QB and given coaching should be better than last season. Senior leadership could put them at #2.

SF seniors were not so strong as underclass. SF juniors were relatively strong and and sophs this season have strong class. SF will possibly need to move some sophs up from strong frosh team last season. SF may be in for a slight decline this season from last season or the youngsters will have to contribute. Some question marks and not favorite to win the WCAL. Could be pretty good playoff time though and should compete in the 2-5. SF always plays Serra tough so that should be a good game. Defense should be decent.

Serra looks like they have enough to reload with strong senior class and should be 2-5 although . Juniors as underclass were not very good and Serra should still be pretty good this season although may be in for steep decline next season if this last year frosh aren't very strong. They had a very strong frosh team last season and some will come up to make up for weak juniors. Offense should be decent, but defense a question.

Bells will improve and maybe be stronger than SF. Bells have decent senior and Junior classes. They should compete in the 2-5 although maybe little contributions from sophs. They could surprise this season and have upside to knock off some of the above teams. .

Riordan, Sacred Heart Cathedral, and SI will have a tough go this season in the WCAL and will battle for 5-8. SI vsrsus Marin Catholic should be a good game.

 

[Spartanwhoknows]

Not sure what all of the negative is around the Serra D. By my count they have 6 players on D that have College offers already and if Damon Lewis get an offer, which he should, they will have 7 of the 11 starters on D with offers. Some like Malani, Lataimua, Azzopardi, Eison and Loville will be going both ways. This will be more of a DLS type year with top players going both ways. In fact Daylin McClemore may also see some time on D in long yardage situations.

 

[colhenrylives]

Not sure what all of the negative is around the Serra D. By my count they have 6 players on D that have College offers already and if Damon Lewis get an offer, which he should, they will have 7 of the 11 starters on D with offers. Some like Malani, Lataimua, Azzopardi, Eison and Loville will be going both ways. This will be more of a DLS type year with top players going both ways. In fact Daylin McClemore may also see some time on D in long yardage situations.

Serra's loyal fans hope you are correct in your assessment. However, this is much the same core that allowed 203 points vs. the four top-tier teams the Padres played a year ago (St. Francis twice). In those five games, Serra's defense was simply overwhelmed physically. The Padres lost all five ballgames, allowing nearly 41 points per game. Serra's 2019 schedule isn't a whole lot different than the 2018 version. If anything, the non-league portion is tougher. So we'll see. Maybe some of those heralded sophs will make a difference. Good luck.

 

[Irish_Cheers]

Riordan has the players and coaching to beat SI and SHC
SHC battles SI for bottom of league.

That's a laugh.

 

[FBAddict]

Last season's 2018 WCAL Player of the Year Evan Williams of St. Francis goes up for one of his 2 TD catches against none other than the De La Salle Spartans. While the Lancers fell to DLS Evan Williams proved to be one of the best players on the field catching 6 passes for 113 yards & 2 TD's against the highly regarded Spartan secondary [photo courtesy of BANG]

Here are the players of note who graduated from each team who will need to be replaced this season:

St. Francis:
Evan Williams – WR/DB WCAL Player of Year – instrumental in numerous wins -Top WCAL WR
Joshua Pakola – 6’4-255 was a presence on Defense
Nikko Pohahau – 6’5-260 large presence on O-Line
Anthony Landphere – 6’5-220 TE used mainly for blocking and occasional short pass
Dante Giusti – 6’2-255 DL mainstay at the tackle position
Justin Sinclair – 5’10-160 DB in one of WCAL’s best secondaries last season
Matthew Azzopardi – 2 way mainstay player on OL/DL
James Dineen – 6’4-240 All League TE/LB played well on both sides of the ball
Opeti Fangupo – 5’10-235 RB/LB Valuable 2-way player difficult to stop in short yardage situations scoring 15 TD’s
Tyler McCabe – solid player at ILB
Maurice Wimar – All League WR/DB solid 2 way player & shut-down DB with Evan Williams
* 10 very good players that will be difficult to replace. Having said that SF graduated just as many players in 2017 and exceeded my expectations in how well they reloaded.

Valley Christian
D’von Lang – 6’1-170 One of VC’s Top RB’s, 9.5 YPC Tops in WCAL, 2nd fastest player in WCAL
Zack Gieg – 6’2-285 WCAL Top Offensive Lineman in WCAL
Judea Moon – 6’0-240 premiere LB of WCAL will go on to play at next level
Skylar Loving Black – 6’4-220 TE was clutch receiver with 15 YPC & 7 TD’s
Justin DeWitt – 6’1-215 solid LB on tough Warrior D last season
Kyane Schmidt – 6’3-250 2-way OL/DL
* 6 good players to replace though the Warrior’s return a boatload of talent from last season.

Serra
Luke Bottari – 3-year QB who leaves as Serra’s All Time Passing Leader with numerous records
Malakai Rango – RB/DB/KR – exciting player & WCAL’s top kick returner impossible to contain
Ed Lahlouh – 6’0-200 RB/LB was a beast on defense the last 2 seasons
Vince Campana – 6’2-285 O-Lineman will be missed by Padres
Keelan O’Riordan – 6’2-290 Center last couple seasons was best in league at his position
Michael Churich – 6’6-240 TE provided blocking, big passing target and shared duty at DE
* 6 players of which Bottari & Rango will be difficult to replace. Like VC though Serra returns a lot of talent.

Mitty
Joseph Vaughn – WR was one of the most consistent in WCAL with 40 catches & 4 INT’s on D
Aaron Smith – 5’11-205 RB helped provide blocking for QB Shamir Bey
Jonah Advincula – SS was a consistent performer on D with 43 solo tackles
Derrick Smith – 6’2-215 Linebacker was solid on D
* While these 4 notable and a handful of others Mitty returns most of there “core” players including one Shamir Bey – 3 year starting QB and an exciting player to watch this season.

St. Ignatius
Mark Biggins – 5’10-190 RB was Wildcats top rusher and consistently good
Jack Dyke – 6’4 Lineman who could go both ways
Ethan Mann – 6’2-245 OL/DL as is Jack Dyke – the big fellas are at a premium among SF teams
Lance Sell – WR/DB Co-Capt with Mark Biggins & leadership will be missed
* 4 to replace – Biggins the best player last season for S.I., 2 of their biggest lineman & both Co-Captains. Not looking like much reinforcements from last seasons’ JV & Frosh.

Bellarmine
Tyson Garcia – RB/DB 2 year player for Bells varsity and one of their better players last season.
Hayden Laccabue – 6’3-250 OL/DL will be missed on a Bells’ team lacking size
Luke Splaine – 6’1-205 FB/LB solid player who could be used both ways as needed
Harry Mingrone – Bells QB will require inserting a new “director of operations” on offense
* 4 to replace on a Bells’ team desperately needing an infusion of talent.

Sacred Heart Cathedral
Anthony Heard – RB/DB “speedy & elusive”2-way player at WR/DB was SHC’s MVP in 2018
LeVar Watkins Jr. – WR/DB the counter-part to one Anthony Heard as an important contributor
* 2 players of note who could have impact on both sides of ball. Not being able to field a JV team in 2018 is most telling aspect bringing up soph’s and now only Frosh to reload with as soph’s again. The one saving grace for the Irish is their returning QB Cian Dowling who showed promise last season & we all know that returning QB’s of any caliber are at a premium in the WCAL [Dowling IS “The Hope OF The Irish”.

Riordan
The Crusaders lose a handful of important seniors although none were regarded as among the top of their positions in the league. Both JV & Frosh teams were not strong in 2018 and hopefully a refreshing coaching change will add some life to the Crusader program which is desperately needed.

Number of “impact players” to replace by team:
SF – 10
VC – 6
Serra – 6
Mitty - 4
S.I. – 4
Bells – 4
SHC – 2
ARHS – even/wash

Teams who return their starting QB from last season:
Mitty – Shamir Bey
SF – Ryan Daly
Riordan – Adham Abdelghani
VC – Cory Taylor
SHC – Cian Dowling

Bells, Serra & S.I. will all see a new QB over center.

Conclusion: SF, VC, Serra & Mitty in that order lose a lot of quality players, but also return a lot of starters and have reinforcements either JV or Frosh or both upcoming. Serra also reacquired a very good player in one Dylan Eaton who provides Serra with yet more speed and another weapon on offense [more on that to come]. Then comes Bells, S.I., SHC & Riordan with comparable size rosters to each other & no star caliber players to speak of that we know of at this time. Perhaps there will be some “sleeper” players from JV or Frosh teams or returning varsity players who gained 10-20 lbs over the summer. Some unknowns at this time such as Serra’s coaching along with Riordan’s. At the start of the season the 2 biggest question marks are Serra & Mitty. Both return many players and both teams finished below expectations last season. The projections have Mitty ahead of Serra pre-season based upon Mitty’s 3-year starter at QB returning “Shamir Bey”. Is this the Monarch’s year? Or is this Serra’s year to rebound and once again challenge VC & SF? One thing is for sure in that both VC & SF do not show much drop off from 2018.

Next Up: Players to watch for in 2019

Your WCAL review gets deeper each year. Great stuff!!!!

 

[colhenrylives]

That's a laugh.

Let's get real. The uphill WCAL slog for Riordan begins this month. But a committed coaching staff (and administration) can make a big difference. Coach Modeste and his staff are starting from Zero. Give them three years to get things moving in the right direction toward three or four league wins.

 

[Irish_Cheers]

Let's get real. The uphill WCAL slog for Riordan begins this month. But a committed coaching staff (and administration) can make a big difference. Coach Modeste and his staff are starting from Zero. Give them three years to get things moving in the right direction toward three or four league wins.

That much I agree with but Riordan won't do much this season.

 

[pc2986]

WCAL should be a battle this season. Maybe a tad less strong with exception of VC. Mitty will be better than last season. Bells will be better than last season and could challenge SF and Serra and Mitty. Serra and SF may be slightly not as good as last season. In general VC should have a shot at running the table, but tough to do. The other tier will be battling for second place, but there is a shot for one of the next tier after VC to upset and co-share a title.

VC usually always has talent but this seems like a year they will be the favorites with both classes strong as underclass. They should be good for at least the next couple seasons. VC will have talend for the next 3 seasons at least. They are unquestionably the favorite to start the season, but the WCAL is an unforgiving league and upsets are common. Warriors are the FAVORITE.

Mitty should challenge 2-4. Very strong seniors (maybe 2nd best talent wise, but will need to pull from average juniors and sophs). They will have senior leadership at QB and given coaching should be better than last season. Senior leadership could put them at #2.

SF seniors were not so strong as underclass. SF juniors were relatively strong and and sophs this season have strong class. SF will possibly need to move some sophs up from strong frosh team last season. SF may be in for a slight decline this season from last season or the youngsters will have to contribute. Some question marks and not favorite to win the WCAL. Could be pretty good playoff time though and should compete in the 2-5. SF always plays Serra tough so that should be a good game. Defense should be decent.

Serra looks like they have enough to reload with strong senior class and should be 2-5 although . Juniors as underclass were not very good and Serra should still be pretty good this season although may be in for steep decline next season if this last year frosh aren't very strong. They had a very strong frosh team last season and some will come up to make up for weak juniors. Offense should be decent, but defense a question.

Bells will improve and maybe be stronger than SF. Bells have decent senior and Junior classes. They should compete in the 2-5 although maybe little contributions from sophs. They could surprise this season and have upside to knock off some of the above teams. .

Riordan, Sacred Heart Cathedral, and SI will have a tough go this season in the WCAL and will battle for 5-8. SI vsrsus Marin Catholic should be a good game.

I agree with 80% of this post. I can tell you Serra will have the largest line in the WCAL with 2-3 Soph averaging 6'4/300. Now yes they are Sophomores but 2 of them have played in the All American combine. Dana Mclemore has come a long way from his Frosh year and waited his turn behind Luke Bottari(Recently named the starting QB at CSM). VC & SF will be solid and Mitty is the caveat that can go either way. 2 of their stud players have decided to commit to hoops.

As I mentioned prior the preseason will dictate how successful each team will compete in the WCAL.

Grad your popcorn 11/02 for VC at Serra. Should be a barn burner.

 

[Rmbr26]

Valley Christian's Isaiah McElvane carries vs St. Francis on Oct. 15, 2018 in which SF edged out VC by 7-3 in a
terrific defensive battle. While SF went unbeaten in WCAL league play VC won the rematch of the 2 teams in defeating the Lancers by 31-30 in double O/T in the CCS Open II Championship Game on December 1, 2019 at Independence High. [photo courtesy BANG]

WCAL “Players of Impact” for 2019 season by team:

St. Francis
Afa Sant – 5’11-310 WCAL Defensive Lineman of the Year
Mose Vavao – 6’3-310 – OL/DL 1rst team all WCAL
Ryan Dale – 6’5-200 QB was 3rd best at his position last season behind Serra’s Bottari and Mitty’s Shamir Bey [ which is not bad company by any means]
* 2 massive OL/DL veterans & starting QB = 3 valuable starters returning.

Valley Christian
Isaiah McElvane – 6’0-185RB and WCAL’s leading rusher for 2018
Michael Corini – 5’11-205 FB – 6.0 APC & 9 TD’s last season on 104 carries – impressive FB!
Cory Tayler – 6’2-190 QB was most efficient in big games making big throws when it counted
Kavir Bains – 5’10-180 SS was voted best at his position in WCAL
Toni “JT” Reed – 6’3-295 OL/DT provides big presence on defensive line
Deven Vanderbilt – 5’10-160 WR/DB – FASTEST player in WCAL won 100 meters 10.94
Anthony Madrigal – 6’0-225 RB/DE was one of VC’s top players on defense last season
Lucas Ramirez – Kicker was Tops in WCAL last season with 6 of 6 on field goals
Moon Ashby - 6'5-190 WR/LB adds a tall target to the receiving corp
Dominic Oliver - 6'3-205 WR/DE wide receiver adds depth to a loaded offense
* QB returns, Top WCAL RB + FB, massive DT and Top SS in WCAL along with DB from last years’ very good secondary, 2 WR's for 10 players, 8 starters with 3 the best at their positions in WCAL last season.

Mitty
Shamir Bey – 6’3-200 Monarch’s 3-year starting QB was 2nd best in passing yardage in 2018 as well as WCAL’s leading rusher among QB’s.
Derrick Smith 6’2-215 All League OLB
Reymello Murphy – 6’1-170 WCAL Soph POY can play WR/RB/FS
Davis Salom 6’0-265 OL will help anchor the O-Line
Jaques Allard – OL, DT adds another big body on either side of the ball
James Thomas – RB/DB 6’0-180 another dual position player was regular at RB last season
* 6 starters including QB, 2 dual purpose RB’s/DB’s, 2 OL/DL and LB return.

Serra
Nate Sanchez – 5’11-180 RB was main ball carrier in ’18 & caught 27 passes for Padres - Also one of fastest players in WCAL behind VC’s Vanderbilt and Serra’s Dylan Eaton.
Dylan Eaton – 6’0-185 QB/RB/WR multi-purpose athlete is 2nd fastest player in WCAL and might be found anywhere on the field for the Padres.
Terrence Loville – 6’0 – 175 WR is athletic and may see action elsewhere for Padres, but should be their “big-play” WR this season, leading pass catcher last year for Serra
Jackson Lataimua – 5’11-195 RB/SS may see action at both positions as solid player
Daylin Mclemore – 6’3-190 QB from same mold as Shamir Bey, athletic player who waited for his chance behind Luke Bottari last season should perform well for Padres
Damon Lewis – 5’10-150 Kicker/DB 4-year varsity kicker and plays secondary as well. Kicks off, PAT’s, FG’s and punts as well & good secondary coverage on D
Vince Poni – 5’10-160 FS was fastest player in WCAL JV’s last season & adds more speed for Padres.
Matt Rolandi – 6’0-170 WR should expand his roll this season on Padre offense
Fauese Gaoteote – 6’1-200 MLB was consistent tackler in the middle last season
William Mauer – 6’1-190 DE split time last season at position with consistent play on D
Marcellus Eison – 6’0-260 DL played well & will see expanded roll this season
Nusi Malani – 6’5-250 DE will be a mainstay on Padre D – has numerous college offers to date
Nate Azzopardi - 6'3-240 OL/LB another returning starter adds to a better line for Padres
* 13 players incl 8 starters – QB, 5 skill players with plenty of speed, Kicker, 4 solid players return on D.

St. Ignatius
[Note: S.I. & Bells post no stats so info on both team’s somewhat limited]
Teddye Buchanan 6’3-215 QB took over mid-season as S.I. signal caller and performed well
Beau Gardner – 6’4-260 OL/DL will be counted on heavily this season
Zach Taylor-Smith – 6’3-215 QB/WR/DB multi-use utility type player should be main contributor
Siaki Hunkin - 5’10-190 RB will take place of graduated Biggins for Wildcats
Jahsai Shannon – 5’11-185 RB/DB should see action on both sides of ball
* 3 impact starters return inc. QB, top lineman, multi-use skill player & 2 RB’s who will see expanded rolls this season

Bellarmine
Aizon Henry – 6’2-180 RB/DB should be Bells main ball carrier this season
Marcus Mifsud – 6’0-260 OL/DL stud on line both sides
Nick Teresi -6’0-180 QB will need help from other skill positions, but will Janda let him pass?
* 3 players of note will need help from incoming fresh bodies from JV/Frosh. Bells roster has reduced to that similar of 3 SF teams [largest all male college prep in NorCal – puzzling??]

Sacred Heart Cathedral
Evan Branch-Haynes – 6’2-270 DL/DE will be mainstay of Irish D
Cian Dowling – 6’2-190 QB 2nd year starter as Junior in 2019 will need improved numbers if Irish are going to win this season
Danilo Ruiz Jr. –5’11-205RB/LB will see expanded roll this season
Cathal Coakely – 6’2-220 OL/DL should see action on both sides
Geoffrey Hester – 6’2-290 OL/DL another BIG piece of the OL/DL puzzle for Irish
Tucker Brown – 5’11-190 LB on D may also play some TE
Tyrice Ivery Jr. - 6'2-180 DB/WR athlete who can go both ways & experienced corner on D
* 7 players – all important QB, 3 important lineman, 2 LB’s incl RB, WR a question mark

Riordan
Ian Tupulua – 6’0-245 OL/DL should be solid player for Crusaders
Adham Abdelghani – Does QB from 2018 retain “the helm” or a youth movement at QB?
Lavaki Kefu – will see expanded roll as ball carrier this season
Raymond Russell -6’0-240 OL/DL another 2-way player for line size/stability
Azaan Ledbetter – QB does last years’ soph get his chance as season opening starter?
Zach Charlton – 5’11-160 WR/DB maybe needed as a 2-way
Tualatai Auimatagi – 5’9-160 SS may also see time at RB
* 7 players of which 2 are possible QB’s, 2 lineman who can play either side, RB/WR and 2 DB’s [note: Abdelghani played both QB & WR for Riordan last season so should play regardless of position].


Returning Players of Impact by Team
SF = 3
VC = 10
Mitty = 6
Serra = 13
S.I. = 3
Bells = 3
SHC = 7
ARHS = 7

Conclusion: in the initial WCAL posting I showed the number of possible returning players to each team. This post concentrates more on the quality of those returning as to starting roles last season and as past or upcoming “impact players”. These ARE the players to keep an eye on this coming season and will likely influence the success of their teams. The 4 top tier teams of SF, VC, Mitty & Serra all had a large number of returning players while the 2nd tier lower teams of S.I., Bells, SHC & Riordan had lower returning numbers of players and therefore fewer “impact players” returning to their teams. It appears now that VC & Serra would have the best groups of “core players” based upon number of players and their respective positions and past performances. VC looks solid with the fastest player in league who was also the league leading rusher last season and a total of 8 returning starters from a very good team. Serra has an abundance of talent & speed at the skill positions and the biggest question will be the new QB Daylin McLemore. Serra could not match up with VC or SF in line play last year, but has several new [and large] soph lineman who could make a difference this season. With 7 returning starters and 4 players who shared time Serra looks ready for a possible “rebound season”. Mitty is interesting and good core of players, but overall roster not as deep as the other 3 top teams. S.I. and Bells look to be at about same strength as last year dependent on any new surprise players coming up to varsity. Both SHC & Riordan appear to have slightly stronger rosters than last season and either or both could sneak up on S.I. and/or Bells.

Next Up: Review of teams 2018 season.

 

[Spartanwhoknows]

Valley Christian's Isaiah McElvane carries vs St. Francis on Oct. 15, 2018 in which SF edged out VC by 7-3 in a
terrific defensive battle. While SF went unbeaten in WCAL league play VC won the rematch of the 2 teams in defeating the Lancers by 31-30 in double O/T in the CCS Open II Championship Game on December 1, 2019 at Independence High. [photo courtesy BANG]

WCAL “Players of Impact” for 2019 season by team:

St. Francis
Afa Sant – 5’11-310 WCAL Defensive Lineman of the Year
Mose Vavao – 6’3-310 – OL/DL 1rst team all WCAL
Ryan Dale – 6’5-200 QB was 3rd best at his position last season behind Serra’s Bottari and Mitty’s Shamir Bey [ which is not bad company by any means]
Andre Bishop – 5’10-175 was the 2nd best Jr. RB last season and #5 in the WCAL
* 2 massive OL/DL veterans, your starting QB and top RB = 4 valuable starters returning.

Valley Christian
Isaiah McElvane – 6’0-185RB and WCAL’s leading rusher for 2018
Michael Corini – 5’11-205 FB – 6.0 APC & 9 TD’s last season on 104 carries – impressive FB!
Cory Tayler – 6’2-190 QB was most efficient in big games making big throws when it counted
Kavir Bains – 5’10-180 SS was voted best at his position in WCAL
Toni “JT” Reed – 6’3-295 OL/DT provides big presence on defensive line
Deven Vanderbilt – 5’10-160 WR/DB – FASTEST player in WCAL won 100 meters 10.94
Anthony Madrigal – 6’0-225 RB/DE was one of VC’s top players on defense last season
Lucas Ramirez – Kicker was Tops in WCAL last season with 6 of 6 on field goals
* QB returns, Top WCAL RB + FB, massive DT and Top SS in WCAL along with DB from last years’ very good secondary. 8 starters with 3 the best at their positions in WCAL last season.

Mitty
Shamir Bey – 6’3-200 Monarch’s 3-year starting QB was 2nd best in passing yardage in 2018 as well as WCAL’s leading rusher among QB’s.
Derrick Smith 6’2-215 All League OLB
Reymello Murphy – 6’1-170 WCAL Soph POY can play WR/RB/FS
Davis Salom 6’0-265 OL will help anchor the O-Line
Jaques Allard – OL, DT adds another big body on either side of the ball
James Thomas – RB/DB 6’0-180 another dual position player was regular at RB last season
* 6 starters including QB, 2 dual purpose RB’s/DB’s, 2 OL/DL and LB return.

Serra
Nate Sanchez – 5’11-180 RB was main ball carrier in ’18 & caught 27 passes for Padres - Also one of fastest players in WCAL behind VC’s Vanderbilt and Serra’s Dylan Eaton.
Dylan Eaton – 6’0-185 QB/RB/WR multi-purpose athlete is 2nd fastest player in WCAL and might be found anywhere on the field for the Padres.
Terrence Loville – 6’0 – 175 WR is athletic and may see action elsewhere for Padres, but should be their “big-play” WR this season, leading pass catcher last year for Serra
Jackson Lataimua – 5’11-195 RB/SS may see action at both positions as solid player
Daylin Mclemore – 6’3-190 QB from same mold as Shamir Bey, athletic player who waited for his chance behind Luke Bottari last season should perform well for Padres
Damon Lewis – 5’10-150 Kicker/DB 4-year varsity kicker and plays secondary as well. Kicks off, PAT’s, FG’s and punts as well & good secondary coverage on D
Vince Poni – 5’10-160 FS was fastest player in WCAL JV’s last season & adds more speed for Padres.
Matt Rolandi – 6’0-170 WR should expand his roll this season on Padre offense
Fauese Gaoteote – 6’1-200 MLB was consistent tackler in the middle last season
William Mauer – 6’1-190 DE split time last season at position with consistent play on D
Marcellus Eison – 6’0-260 DL played well & will see expanded roll this season
Nusi Malani – 6’5-250 DE will be a mainstay on Padre D – has numerous college offers to date
* 12 players incl 7 starters – QB, 5 skill players with plenty of speed, Kicker, 4 solid players return on D.

St. Ignatius
[Note: S.I. & Bells post no stats so info on both team’s somewhat limited]
Teddye Buchanan 6’3-215 QB took over mid-season as S.I. signal caller and performed well
Beau Gardner – 6’4-260 OL/DL will be counted on heavily this season
Zach Taylor-Smith – 6’3-215 QB/WR/DB multi-use utility type player should be main contributor
Siaki Hunkin - 5’10-190 RB will take place of graduated Biggins for Wildcats
Jahsai Shannon – 5’11-185 RB/DB should see action on both sides of ball
* 3 impact starters return inc. QB, top lineman, multi-use skill player & 2 RB’s who will see expanded rolls this season

Bellarmine
Aizon Henry – 6’2-180 RB/DB should be Bells main ball carrier this season
Marcus Mifsud – 6’0-260 OL/DL stud on line both sides
Nick Teresi -6’0-180 QB will need help from other skill positions, but will Janda let him pass?
* 3 players of note will need help from incoming fresh bodies from JV/Frosh. Bells roster has reduced to that similar of 3 SF teams [largest all male college prep in NorCal – puzzling??]

Sacred Heart Cathedral
Evan Branch-Haynes – 6’2-270 DL/DE will be mainstay of Irish D
Cian Dowling – 6’2-190 QB 2nd year starter as Junior in 2019 will need improved numbers if Irish are going to win this season
Danilo Ruiz Jr. –5’11-205RB/LB will see expanded roll this season
Cathal Coakely – 6’2-220 OL/DL should see action on both sides
Geoffrey Hester – 6’2-290 OL/DL another BIG piece of the OL/DL puzzle for Irish
Tucker Brown – 5’11-190 LB on D may also play some TE
* 6 players – all important QB, 3 important lineman, 2 LB’s incl RB, WR a question mark

Riordan
Ian Tupulua – 6’0-245 OL/DL should be solid player for Crusaders
Adham Abdelghani – Does QB from 2018 retain “the helm” or a youth movement at QB?
Lavaki Kefu – will see expanded roll as ball carrier this season
Raymond Russell -6’0-240 OL/DL another 2-way player for line size/stability
Azaan Ledbetter – QB does last years’ soph get his chance as season opening starter?
Zach Charlton – 5’11-160 WR/DB maybe needed as a 2-way
Tualatai Auimatagi – 5’9-160 SS may also see time at RB
* 7 players of which 2 are possible QB’s, 2 lineman who can play either side, RB/WR and 2 DB’s [note: Abdelghani played both QB & WR for Riordan last season so should play regardless of position].


Returning Players of Impact by Team
SF = 4
VC = 8
Mitty = 6
Serra = 12
S.I. = 3
Bells = 3
SHC = 6
ARHS = 7

Conclusion: in the initial WCAL posting I showed the number of possible returning players to each team. This post concentrates more on the quality of those returning as to starting roles last season and as past or upcoming “impact players”. These ARE the players to keep an eye on this coming season and will likely influence the success of their teams. The 4 top tier teams of SF, VC, Mitty & Serra all had a large number of returning players while the 2nd tier lower teams of S.I., Bells, SHC & Riordan had lower returning numbers of players and therefore fewer “impact players” returning to their teams. It appears now that VC & Serra would have the best groups of “core players” based upon number of players and their respective positions and past performances. VC looks solid with the fastest player in league who was also the league leading rusher last season and a total of 8 returning starters from a very good team. Serra has an abundance of talent & speed at the skill positions and the biggest question will be the new QB Daylin McLemore. Serra could not match up with VC or SF in line play last year, but has several new [and large] soph lineman who could make a difference this season. With 7 returning starters and 4 players who shared time Serra looks ready for a possible “rebound season”. Mitty is interesting and good core of players, but overall roster not as deep as the other 3 top teams. S.I. and Bells look to be at about same strength as last year dependent on any new surprise players coming up to varsity. Both SHC & Riordan appear to have slightly stronger rosters than last season and either or both could sneak up on S.I. and/or Bells.

Next Up: Review of teams 2018 season.

 

[Spartanwhoknows]

One key player left out of the Serra players returning is 6 ft 5 tight end. WR Chris Pederson. He will be a major target for Daylin McLemore. He played last season as a Sophomore but he and Terence Loville spent a lot of time in the powerhouse offseason 7 on 7 team that had many DLS Players.

 

[Rmbr26]

One key player left out of the Serra players returning is 6 ft 5 tight end. WR Chris Pederson. He will be a major target for Daylin McLemore. He played last season as a Sophomore but he and Terence Loville spent a lot of time in the powerhouse offseason 7 on 7 team that had many DLS Players.

Thanks for the heads-up Spartanwhoknows as unfamiliar with Pederson due to no stats available on him. Any idea of his playing time or any passes caught last season. Sounds like a replacement for Michael Churich who was also a HUGE target [now at UCLA correct?].

 

[colhenrylives]

Thanks for the heads-up Spartanwhoknows as unfamiliar with Pederson due to no stats available on him. Any idea of his playing time or any passes caught last season. Sounds like a replacement for Michael Churich who was also a HUGE target [now at UCLA correct?].

Pardon the interruption. Doesn't Riordan have a big, physical tackle who is being recruited? Thought I saw that info on another site. Could be incorrect. Age may be creeping up like a DB on third and short.

 

[dcpanda]

Serra also returns its starting left tackle in Nate Azzopardi. Very good player.

 

[Joke Monkey]

Valley Christian's Isaiah McElvane carries vs St. Francis on Oct. 15, 2018 in which SF edged out VC by 7-3 in a
terrific defensive battle. While SF went unbeaten in WCAL league play VC won the rematch of the 2 teams in defeating the Lancers by 31-30 in double O/T in the CCS Open II Championship Game on December 1, 2019 at Independence High. [photo courtesy BANG]

WCAL “Players of Impact” for 2019 season by team:

St. Francis
Afa Sant – 5’11-310 WCAL Defensive Lineman of the Year
Mose Vavao – 6’3-310 – OL/DL 1rst team all WCAL
Ryan Dale – 6’5-200 QB was 3rd best at his position last season behind Serra’s Bottari and Mitty’s Shamir Bey [ which is not bad company by any means]
Andre Bishop – 5’10-175 was the 2nd best Jr. RB last season and #5 in the WCAL
* 2 massive OL/DL veterans, your starting QB and top RB = 4 valuable starters returning.

Valley Christian
Isaiah McElvane – 6’0-185RB and WCAL’s leading rusher for 2018
Michael Corini – 5’11-205 FB – 6.0 APC & 9 TD’s last season on 104 carries – impressive FB!
Cory Tayler – 6’2-190 QB was most efficient in big games making big throws when it counted
Kavir Bains – 5’10-180 SS was voted best at his position in WCAL
Toni “JT” Reed – 6’3-295 OL/DT provides big presence on defensive line
Deven Vanderbilt – 5’10-160 WR/DB – FASTEST player in WCAL won 100 meters 10.94
Anthony Madrigal – 6’0-225 RB/DE was one of VC’s top players on defense last season
Lucas Ramirez – Kicker was Tops in WCAL last season with 6 of 6 on field goals
* QB returns, Top WCAL RB + FB, massive DT and Top SS in WCAL along with DB from last years’ very good secondary. 8 starters with 3 the best at their positions in WCAL last season.

Mitty
Shamir Bey – 6’3-200 Monarch’s 3-year starting QB was 2nd best in passing yardage in 2018 as well as WCAL’s leading rusher among QB’s.
Derrick Smith 6’2-215 All League OLB
Reymello Murphy – 6’1-170 WCAL Soph POY can play WR/RB/FS
Davis Salom 6’0-265 OL will help anchor the O-Line
Jaques Allard – OL, DT adds another big body on either side of the ball
James Thomas – RB/DB 6’0-180 another dual position player was regular at RB last season
* 6 starters including QB, 2 dual purpose RB’s/DB’s, 2 OL/DL and LB return.

Serra
Nate Sanchez – 5’11-180 RB was main ball carrier in ’18 & caught 27 passes for Padres - Also one of fastest players in WCAL behind VC’s Vanderbilt and Serra’s Dylan Eaton.
Dylan Eaton – 6’0-185 QB/RB/WR multi-purpose athlete is 2nd fastest player in WCAL and might be found anywhere on the field for the Padres.
Terrence Loville – 6’0 – 175 WR is athletic and may see action elsewhere for Padres, but should be their “big-play” WR this season, leading pass catcher last year for Serra
Jackson Lataimua – 5’11-195 RB/SS may see action at both positions as solid player
Daylin Mclemore – 6’3-190 QB from same mold as Shamir Bey, athletic player who waited for his chance behind Luke Bottari last season should perform well for Padres
Damon Lewis – 5’10-150 Kicker/DB 4-year varsity kicker and plays secondary as well. Kicks off, PAT’s, FG’s and punts as well & good secondary coverage on D
Vince Poni – 5’10-160 FS was fastest player in WCAL JV’s last season & adds more speed for Padres.
Matt Rolandi – 6’0-170 WR should expand his roll this season on Padre offense
Fauese Gaoteote – 6’1-200 MLB was consistent tackler in the middle last season
William Mauer – 6’1-190 DE split time last season at position with consistent play on D
Marcellus Eison – 6’0-260 DL played well & will see expanded roll this season
Nusi Malani – 6’5-250 DE will be a mainstay on Padre D – has numerous college offers to date
* 12 players incl 7 starters – QB, 5 skill players with plenty of speed, Kicker, 4 solid players return on D.

St. Ignatius
[Note: S.I. & Bells post no stats so info on both team’s somewhat limited]
Teddye Buchanan 6’3-215 QB took over mid-season as S.I. signal caller and performed well
Beau Gardner – 6’4-260 OL/DL will be counted on heavily this season
Zach Taylor-Smith – 6’3-215 QB/WR/DB multi-use utility type player should be main contributor
Siaki Hunkin - 5’10-190 RB will take place of graduated Biggins for Wildcats
Jahsai Shannon – 5’11-185 RB/DB should see action on both sides of ball
* 3 impact starters return inc. QB, top lineman, multi-use skill player & 2 RB’s who will see expanded rolls this season

Bellarmine
Aizon Henry – 6’2-180 RB/DB should be Bells main ball carrier this season
Marcus Mifsud – 6’0-260 OL/DL stud on line both sides
Nick Teresi -6’0-180 QB will need help from other skill positions, but will Janda let him pass?
* 3 players of note will need help from incoming fresh bodies from JV/Frosh. Bells roster has reduced to that similar of 3 SF teams [largest all male college prep in NorCal – puzzling??]

Sacred Heart Cathedral
Evan Branch-Haynes – 6’2-270 DL/DE will be mainstay of Irish D
Cian Dowling – 6’2-190 QB 2nd year starter as Junior in 2019 will need improved numbers if Irish are going to win this season
Danilo Ruiz Jr. –5’11-205RB/LB will see expanded roll this season
Cathal Coakely – 6’2-220 OL/DL should see action on both sides
Geoffrey Hester – 6’2-290 OL/DL another BIG piece of the OL/DL puzzle for Irish
Tucker Brown – 5’11-190 LB on D may also play some TE
* 6 players – all important QB, 3 important lineman, 2 LB’s incl RB, WR a question mark

Riordan
Ian Tupulua – 6’0-245 OL/DL should be solid player for Crusaders
Adham Abdelghani – Does QB from 2018 retain “the helm” or a youth movement at QB?
Lavaki Kefu – will see expanded roll as ball carrier this season
Raymond Russell -6’0-240 OL/DL another 2-way player for line size/stability
Azaan Ledbetter – QB does last years’ soph get his chance as season opening starter?
Zach Charlton – 5’11-160 WR/DB maybe needed as a 2-way
Tualatai Auimatagi – 5’9-160 SS may also see time at RB
* 7 players of which 2 are possible QB’s, 2 lineman who can play either side, RB/WR and 2 DB’s [note: Abdelghani played both QB & WR for Riordan last season so should play regardless of position].


Returning Players of Impact by Team
SF = 4
VC = 8
Mitty = 6
Serra = 12
S.I. = 3
Bells = 3
SHC = 6
ARHS = 7

Conclusion: in the initial WCAL posting I showed the number of possible returning players to each team. This post concentrates more on the quality of those returning as to starting roles last season and as past or upcoming “impact players”. These ARE the players to keep an eye on this coming season and will likely influence the success of their teams. The 4 top tier teams of SF, VC, Mitty & Serra all had a large number of returning players while the 2nd tier lower teams of S.I., Bells, SHC & Riordan had lower returning numbers of players and therefore fewer “impact players” returning to their teams. It appears now that VC & Serra would have the best groups of “core players” based upon number of players and their respective positions and past performances. VC looks solid with the fastest player in league who was also the league leading rusher last season and a total of 8 returning starters from a very good team. Serra has an abundance of talent & speed at the skill positions and the biggest question will be the new QB Daylin McLemore. Serra could not match up with VC or SF in line play last year, but has several new [and large] soph lineman who could make a difference this season. With 7 returning starters and 4 players who shared time Serra looks ready for a possible “rebound season”. Mitty is interesting and good core of players, but overall roster not as deep as the other 3 top teams. S.I. and Bells look to be at about same strength as last year dependent on any new surprise players coming up to varsity. Both SHC & Riordan appear to have slightly stronger rosters than last season and either or both could sneak up on S.I. and/or Bells.

Next Up: Review of teams 2018 season.

SF will not have Andre Bishop this fall. He transferred to MA

VC also has OLB's Moon Ashby and Dominic Oliver both with D1 offiers

 

[Rikfran]

RMBR26,

Another key player returning for SHC is junior cornerback, wide receiver Tyrice Ivey, Jr., 6-2, 180 who was a starting corner last year, and receiver also.

 

[Rmbr26]

Good to hear from you again Rikfran & hope all is well.

Thank you for the info re: SHC's Tyrice Ivey Jr. along with several other updates from recent posters on players.
I'll go ahead and add those players into the post & remove Bishop as well so it is accurate.

 

[The Heat Miser]

Serra will also have a transfer by the name of David Silk who played at Woodside last year. He is a pretty good player who I believe will make an impact on this padre team once he sits out the first 4 games. Another weapon once league starts.