WCAL Football 2019-20 - NCP's All NorCal Team + SF Chron All Metro & Merc Teams
- Thread starter Rmbr26
- Start date
Hopefully the starter recovers quickly and plays next week.
Thoughts re: VC vs SF is that these 2 teams looked eerily like last year and playing largely a defensive game - with VC nowhere near as good as I expected and SF looking far better than I expected. This alone with the report of Serra having trouble with Riordan in the first 1/2 of that game is worrisome at best for Padre fans. We know already that the Pitt team is sub-par and M-A is currently down 42-0 to Folsom and St. Mary's of Stockton has one of their worst teams in recent memory. So Serra may not be all that the first 3 games indicated such as the Padres were ready to take on DLS. I said it previous and one more time won't hurt - until Serra beats either VC or SF none of the other games matter..
The VC defense held SF scoreless. Their D looks solid. The offense was solid, not great but solid. I always hold my breath every time VC kicks off or punts though. It has always been a weak spot for the Warriors, tonight was no different.
Defense_Rules - please tell me if I'm wrong & I'll gladly accept your opinion as was watching 3 games same time.
To me VC's secondary pass defense resembled swiss cheese as SF's Ryan Daly was lobbing passes to somewhat wide open WR's who were catching the passes seemingly uncontested. After reports of Serra game tonite I have VC #1 with Serra/SF tied #2 until there is something to tell me otherwise..
First of all, this is one of the more impressive Serra teams. QB McLemore really stood out and OC Darius Bell really knows how to get his skill players in space with some nice screen action.
Riordan had its chances in the 1st quarter as the 3rd play from scrimmage was a 50+ yd run by jr. Aden Jackson that put Riordan deep in Padres territory. Penalties pushed them back and a broken play off a field goal kept the Crusaders off the board. Riordan's D was dialed in on Serra's first 2 series shutting down the vaunted Padre attack. Serra changed it up by going to the double wing rather than the spread and had better success moving the ball. Serra's first score came from a Riordan fumble on its own 20. A few plays later and Serra was on the board.
A team just cannot make mistakes against this talented Padre squad. Late 1st half with the score 20-0, Riordan was deep in Padre territory only to suffer from ill timed penalties forcing Riordan to eventually punt. Next play was a very nice screen for a Padre TD to make it 27-0. And the rest is history...
I saw last year's game at Serra and even though the score tonight was a blowout, Riordan definitely showed signs that it could move the ball within the 20's, but just shot itself in the foot in trying to finish. Defense is much improved with a good pass rush and solid pursuit and tackling overall.
Congrats to the Padres, as I still see them as a favorite along with VC for the WCAL title.
Looking forward to how the Crusaders regroup with a trip to Foothill College next Fri night against Mitty.
Riordan had its chances in the 1st quarter as the 3rd play from scrimmage was a 50+ yd run by jr. Aden Jackson that put Riordan deep in Padres territory. Penalties pushed them back and a broken play off a field goal kept the Crusaders off the board. Riordan's D was dialed in on Serra's first 2 series shutting down the vaunted Padre attack. Serra changed it up by going to the double wing rather than the spread and had better success moving the ball. Serra's first score came from a Riordan fumble on its own 20. A few plays later and Serra was on the board.
A team just cannot make mistakes against this talented Padre squad. Late 1st half with the score 20-0, Riordan was deep in Padre territory only to suffer from ill timed penalties forcing Riordan to eventually punt. Next play was a very nice screen for a Padre TD to make it 27-0. And the rest is history...
I saw last year's game at Serra and even though the score tonight was a blowout, Riordan definitely showed signs that it could move the ball within the 20's, but just shot itself in the foot in trying to finish. Defense is much improved with a good pass rush and solid pursuit and tackling overall.
Congrats to the Padres, as I still see them as a favorite along with VC for the WCAL title.
Looking forward to how the Crusaders regroup with a trip to Foothill College next Fri night against Mitty.
Riordan is much-improved. They should win a game or two or three in the WCAL this year. The league is not overwhelming by any means. The top two are very good. The rest are quite vulnerable. A 2-5 or 3-4 league mark is possible. That would represent a big step forward. This coaching staff knows its stuff. Their 2019 roster is limited but it's being maximized by the staff. There is much hope for the future if these guys remain at Riordan.
SF Examiner Story - Bruce-Mahoney Game. https://www.sfexaminer.com/sports/sf-preps-st-ignatius-wins-bruce-mahoney-for-first-time-since-2016/
Coach Modeste talks about last night's game - courtesy of the SF Examiner (Riordan soph fb/de, Atu Kefu pictured)
https://www.sfexaminer.com/sports/sf-preps-riordan-overwhelmed-against-serra-but-shows-progress/
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Mitty-Bellarmine game story courtesy of SJ Mercury:
https://www.mercurynews.com/2019/09/27/football-archbishop-mitty-dismantles-bellarmine/
https://www.mercurynews.com/2019/09/27/football-archbishop-mitty-dismantles-bellarmine/
Coach Modeste talks about last night's game - courtesy of the SF Examiner (Riordan soph fb/de, Atu Kefu pictured)
https://www.sfexaminer.com/sports/sf-preps-riordan-overwhelmed-against-serra-but-shows-progress/
This story sums things up well. It should be noted that the Riordan JV's and frosh were competitive with their Serra peers on Friday, although losing both games.
I have been able to see all the Lancer games this season including watching one from the stands. We moved to Walnut Creek last year and DLS is only about 20 minutes away. Saint Francis is a young team this year. They have 38 Junior and Sophomore kids on their roster this year and a number of them look pretty talented and are making contributions. Arquette who made the kick off return for a TD and played RB is a 6 foot 205 pd sophomore.
Cal 14 is right when he says that SF will try to bludgeon you with their run game. Its ironic that what won SF their state title was their passing game. Last year they went to the air when they needed to once Daly got comfortable with his receivers.
I have to give VC a lot of credit for winning last night but SF made it a closer game than the score indicated and losing your starting QB didn't help matters. Where do the Lancers sit in the league hierarchy? I don't know. Surely behind Serra and VC. A lot of it really depends on whether they can get Daly back and as the season moves along the younger kids start to get more experience under their belt.
Cal 14 is right when he says that SF will try to bludgeon you with their run game. Its ironic that what won SF their state title was their passing game. Last year they went to the air when they needed to once Daly got comfortable with his receivers.
I have to give VC a lot of credit for winning last night but SF made it a closer game than the score indicated and losing your starting QB didn't help matters. Where do the Lancers sit in the league hierarchy? I don't know. Surely behind Serra and VC. A lot of it really depends on whether they can get Daly back and as the season moves along the younger kids start to get more experience under their belt.
Maybe it's just a coincidence. But the Bellarmine Twitteratti have been touting their outstanding robotics team a lot today. Their football team, uh, not so much. There's a lesson there. By the way, when will the WCAL include video games and robotics? You know it's coming at some point. Again, shoot me.
Update: The Bells' Twitterverse is now promoting its standout roller hockey team. Where's my nurse?
Update: The Bells' Twitterverse is now promoting its standout roller hockey team. Where's my nurse?
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So promoting a beta heavy society of men, too afraid to get physical and rather play with toys like 6 year old........as someone who has young boy and lives in San José not going to send my son there to play with Legos and build safe spaces, incredible how they became such pussies in such a short time!!
As I was watching the first Serra offensive series, the Padres are absolutely loaded with talented seniors. Although it was frustrating to see the Crusaders commit numerous drive-killing penalties, it is worth noting that the Crusaders saw their returning starting QB, RB, WR and S either transfer or lost for the season due to injury. Riordan now has a jr QB, jr RB and Soph fb and jr receivers. Add a new coach continuing to implement his schemes and instilling confidence for this young team (34 Jrs and Sophs), there was definitely a different feeling on the sidelines...Looking forward to the rest of the season.
This is more grist for El Rambo's WCAL mill:
The Serra vs. Bellarmine rivalry is the oldest Catholic traditional on the Peninsula, beginning back in 1946 when Harry Truman was occupying the White House. The Bells have a definite all-time edge in the series. But, lately, it's been an entirely different ballgame. From 2013 to 2018, Serra has posted a 6-1 record vs. the San Jose Jesuits. The last three games have seen a combined score of 139-13 in Serra's happy favor. The Padres are heavy favorites to win again this week as the school observes its 75th anniversary year. From a historical standpoint, the current Serra run vs. the Bells is its best ever. For those legions of Serra alums who had to endure years of frustration (3-17) at the hands of Bellarmine through the 1980s and 1990s, this new situation is balm for the papal soul.
The Serra vs. Bellarmine rivalry is the oldest Catholic traditional on the Peninsula, beginning back in 1946 when Harry Truman was occupying the White House. The Bells have a definite all-time edge in the series. But, lately, it's been an entirely different ballgame. From 2013 to 2018, Serra has posted a 6-1 record vs. the San Jose Jesuits. The last three games have seen a combined score of 139-13 in Serra's happy favor. The Padres are heavy favorites to win again this week as the school observes its 75th anniversary year. From a historical standpoint, the current Serra run vs. the Bells is its best ever. For those legions of Serra alums who had to endure years of frustration (3-17) at the hands of Bellarmine through the 1980s and 1990s, this new situation is balm for the papal soul.
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The theme for the Crusaders from here on out should be "Riordan Rising." Of course, some WCAL W's would be helpful to bolster that thought.
Riordan is taking very powerful strides toward rebuilding the program and they are making Huge steps. One big one is the new field they are installing currently. This will help with attracting players to stay in city and not move elsewhere.
Played golf last Friday with 3 Bell Alumni and kids currently at school playing football. They refuse to donate $1 since the Kneeling incident and won't until Janda is gone. Their words not mine....
So if I understand correctly the alumni mentioned won't donate anything additional [besides tuition] to the school where their own kids are going? Isn't that punishing their own kids and others who had nothing to do with the incident?
That entire issue struck a lot of nerves and for different reasons. Anytime you introduce politics to sports you can expect a backlash of some sort, kinda like my dad telling me when young "don't ever bring up politics or religion up at a party or anywhere people are having drinks as it'll only result in trouble" [it was good advice I've always followed it].
For sure Riordan is on the up and up. You dont pour in resources into their facilities and expect those programs to be perennially awful. I will gladly root for one of our city teams (except SI) to be able to challenge the south teams. After last weekends games, its still a ways away for either SH or Riordan be in the same ballpark as VC, SF or Serra.
Well, it was interesting for the first 20 minutes...lol! Serra is really good! Arguably #2 or #3 in NorCal. The Crusaders can claim they shut out the Padres in the first quarter. Serra also averaged 51 points scored in its first 3 games against perennial powers Pitt, M-A and St. Mary's. Though I am sure the Padres substituted freely sometime in the second half. Cut down the penalties and Riordan should be competitive in every game this season.
I un
I understand that 8 juniors were brought down to fill the Padre JV roster and 2 Frosh were promoted to the Riordan JV roster...You definitely saw the physicality the Padre kids brought to the field.
WCAL Football 2019-20 - This Weeks Upcoming Games:
Friday Nite Games 10/4:
Mitty vs Riordan at Foothill College 7:00PM
Serra vs Bellarmine at San Jose City College 7:00PM
Sacred Heart Cathedral at St. Francis 7:00PM
Saturday 10/5:
Valley Christian at St. Ignatius 2:00pm
Teams Records after 4 Games:
1. Serra 4-0
2. VC 4-0
3. S.I. 3-1
4. Mitty 3-1
5. Riordan 2-2
6. SF 1-3
7. Bells 1-3
8. SHC 0-4
Team Rankings after 4 Games:
1. Serra
2. VC
3. SF
4. Mitty
5. S.I.
6. Bells
7. Riordan
8. SHC
Strength of Schedule Ratings through 4 Games:
1. SF - 44.6
2. VC - 22.2
3. Bells - 20.3
4. Serra - 19.6
5. SHC - 12.6
6. S.I. - 10.2
6. Riordan - 10.2
8. Mitty - 8.5
WCAL Teams Opponents Win/Loss Records:
1. SF = 16-3
2. Riordan = 15-4
3. Bells = 13-5
4. SHC = 11-7
5. Mitty = 10-8-1
6. S.I. = 9-8
7. Serra = 9-10
8. VC = 9-11
CCS Ranking Currently:
Serra #1
VC #2
SF #3
Mitty #7
S.I. #9
Bells #21
Riordan #22
SHC #36
What to Expect of this Weeks' Games:
Mitty 3-1 vs Riordan 2-2: Mitty cruised by the Bells 34-7 while Riordan fell to Serra 41-0. After the Bells won over Vintage of Napa it appeared the Mitty-Bells game might be closer, especially taking into account how horrendous Mitty looked in their 35-9 loss to Marin Catholic. While MC is a good team at 5-1 they did not look to be 4 TD's better than the Monarchs based on their other wins and loss to Mack by 19-7. It appears that Mitty simply is a level above the bottom 3 WCAL teams and on par with S.I. currently with SF a notch or 2 above those 2 teams and Serra-VC at the top. Mitty without a doubt is favored and should win against the Crusaders. Having said that it will be interesting
to see how Riordan plays Mitty in comparison to the Bells. Riordan played a relatively good game vs Serra in the first 1/2 last week which is promising for their fans. Riordan has some good players, good coaching and play-calling is improved. If Riordan can eliminate some of the penalties and mental mistakes and get their ground game rolling they may just hang in there with Mitty into the 2nd 1/2. I would lean more towards Riordan had they scored vs Serra, though I do think Riordan is capable of scoring some TD's this week. Shamir Bey played very well vs the Bells and the Crusaders' must contain Bey to some extent.
Prediction: Mitty 35-14
Serra 4-0 vs Bells 1-3: It doesn't get any easier for the Bells this week and may not get any easier than this for the Padres who should feast on the weak Bells D. The Bells have difficulty scoring and their D is simply on the field too long. Being a young team and lean on talent the Bells D will not be able to contain the Serra offense too far into this game. Look for Serra skill players to be shut down after the first 1/2 as goal is to avoid any injuries.
Projection: Serra 49-7
Sacred Heart 0-4 vs SF 1-3: In another mismatch game the Irish will face a Lancer team anxious to get back on the winning track. I had VC winning over SF by 10-14 and the margin was 21 - the largest margin in the last 12 games between the 2 teams. SF still has a very good defense while the Lancer offense is not up to par with the last several years' teams. Against VC the Lancers were able to move the ball at times, but were kept out of the end zone except for the opening kick-off return. The Lancers Ryan Daly also left the game with an injury and was out approx. 1/2 the game which def hurt the SF offense. The 3-year QB for SF was replaced by one of the WR's and coming in cold was simply not effective. With a week to practice the offense will be better prepared for the Irish regardless of who the QB is for the Lancers. As for the Irish they will face the best defense to date of the teams they've played and moving the ball at all will be a challenge. Regardless of the QB this week SF will score more than the 1 TD vs VC. If and I say IF the Irish can score against the Lancers they will have to show some defense against the run or the game will get away early from any hope of staying close.
Projection: SF 35-7
VC 4-0 vs S.I. 3-1: S.I. has played well to date except for a bit of a let-down vs SHP which cost the Wildcats a game they could have won. S.I.'s rotating QB's has proven successful and their rushing game has shown improvement. The S.I. defense is also improved and has 2 QB's which can go both ways, one of which is Teddye Buchanan who has performed impressively both as a dual-threat QB as well as LB. VC is as we expected from the start of this thread: loads of talent on both sides of the ball and the WCAL's top defense. VC has all the tools on offense with an efficient returning QB to direct the offense, the league's leading RB from last season and a host of large talented linemen.
If S.I. has any hope to staying close to VC the Wildcats will have to contain VC's ground game - which is easier said than done. VC rushed for 283 yards against a goof SF defense while passing for another 159. Since VC completes approx. 50% of the few passes they attempt and averages almost 7 YPC rushing the Wildcat defensive scheme has got to be centered on the VC run game - in stacking the center of the line while having containment on the outside. Again with the size of the VC O/L and the speed of the Warrior's this will be a tough challenge for S.I.
Projection: VC 38-14
* Rmbr26 is 22 of 28 on projected winners to date of WCAL teams. In looking at the 4 games above its difficult to think of any possible "upsets" in this weeks games.
Friday Nite Games 10/4:
Mitty vs Riordan at Foothill College 7:00PM
Serra vs Bellarmine at San Jose City College 7:00PM
Sacred Heart Cathedral at St. Francis 7:00PM
Saturday 10/5:
Valley Christian at St. Ignatius 2:00pm
Teams Records after 4 Games:
1. Serra 4-0
2. VC 4-0
3. S.I. 3-1
4. Mitty 3-1
5. Riordan 2-2
6. SF 1-3
7. Bells 1-3
8. SHC 0-4
Team Rankings after 4 Games:
1. Serra
2. VC
3. SF
4. Mitty
5. S.I.
6. Bells
7. Riordan
8. SHC
Strength of Schedule Ratings through 4 Games:
1. SF - 44.6
2. VC - 22.2
3. Bells - 20.3
4. Serra - 19.6
5. SHC - 12.6
6. S.I. - 10.2
6. Riordan - 10.2
8. Mitty - 8.5
WCAL Teams Opponents Win/Loss Records:
1. SF = 16-3
2. Riordan = 15-4
3. Bells = 13-5
4. SHC = 11-7
5. Mitty = 10-8-1
6. S.I. = 9-8
7. Serra = 9-10
8. VC = 9-11
CCS Ranking Currently:
Serra #1
VC #2
SF #3
Mitty #7
S.I. #9
Bells #21
Riordan #22
SHC #36
What to Expect of this Weeks' Games:
Mitty 3-1 vs Riordan 2-2: Mitty cruised by the Bells 34-7 while Riordan fell to Serra 41-0. After the Bells won over Vintage of Napa it appeared the Mitty-Bells game might be closer, especially taking into account how horrendous Mitty looked in their 35-9 loss to Marin Catholic. While MC is a good team at 5-1 they did not look to be 4 TD's better than the Monarchs based on their other wins and loss to Mack by 19-7. It appears that Mitty simply is a level above the bottom 3 WCAL teams and on par with S.I. currently with SF a notch or 2 above those 2 teams and Serra-VC at the top. Mitty without a doubt is favored and should win against the Crusaders. Having said that it will be interesting
to see how Riordan plays Mitty in comparison to the Bells. Riordan played a relatively good game vs Serra in the first 1/2 last week which is promising for their fans. Riordan has some good players, good coaching and play-calling is improved. If Riordan can eliminate some of the penalties and mental mistakes and get their ground game rolling they may just hang in there with Mitty into the 2nd 1/2. I would lean more towards Riordan had they scored vs Serra, though I do think Riordan is capable of scoring some TD's this week. Shamir Bey played very well vs the Bells and the Crusaders' must contain Bey to some extent.
Prediction: Mitty 35-14
Serra 4-0 vs Bells 1-3: It doesn't get any easier for the Bells this week and may not get any easier than this for the Padres who should feast on the weak Bells D. The Bells have difficulty scoring and their D is simply on the field too long. Being a young team and lean on talent the Bells D will not be able to contain the Serra offense too far into this game. Look for Serra skill players to be shut down after the first 1/2 as goal is to avoid any injuries.
Projection: Serra 49-7
Sacred Heart 0-4 vs SF 1-3: In another mismatch game the Irish will face a Lancer team anxious to get back on the winning track. I had VC winning over SF by 10-14 and the margin was 21 - the largest margin in the last 12 games between the 2 teams. SF still has a very good defense while the Lancer offense is not up to par with the last several years' teams. Against VC the Lancers were able to move the ball at times, but were kept out of the end zone except for the opening kick-off return. The Lancers Ryan Daly also left the game with an injury and was out approx. 1/2 the game which def hurt the SF offense. The 3-year QB for SF was replaced by one of the WR's and coming in cold was simply not effective. With a week to practice the offense will be better prepared for the Irish regardless of who the QB is for the Lancers. As for the Irish they will face the best defense to date of the teams they've played and moving the ball at all will be a challenge. Regardless of the QB this week SF will score more than the 1 TD vs VC. If and I say IF the Irish can score against the Lancers they will have to show some defense against the run or the game will get away early from any hope of staying close.
Projection: SF 35-7
VC 4-0 vs S.I. 3-1: S.I. has played well to date except for a bit of a let-down vs SHP which cost the Wildcats a game they could have won. S.I.'s rotating QB's has proven successful and their rushing game has shown improvement. The S.I. defense is also improved and has 2 QB's which can go both ways, one of which is Teddye Buchanan who has performed impressively both as a dual-threat QB as well as LB. VC is as we expected from the start of this thread: loads of talent on both sides of the ball and the WCAL's top defense. VC has all the tools on offense with an efficient returning QB to direct the offense, the league's leading RB from last season and a host of large talented linemen.
If S.I. has any hope to staying close to VC the Wildcats will have to contain VC's ground game - which is easier said than done. VC rushed for 283 yards against a goof SF defense while passing for another 159. Since VC completes approx. 50% of the few passes they attempt and averages almost 7 YPC rushing the Wildcat defensive scheme has got to be centered on the VC run game - in stacking the center of the line while having containment on the outside. Again with the size of the VC O/L and the speed of the Warrior's this will be a tough challenge for S.I.
Projection: VC 38-14
* Rmbr26 is 22 of 28 on projected winners to date of WCAL teams. In looking at the 4 games above its difficult to think of any possible "upsets" in this weeks games.
Berdooman, those are some big boys! Lol! Riordan Frosh roster at 45; JV roster has 31 players including 2 Frosh and 1 jr. Varsity @ 50 players with 4 sophs.
Beautiful story....Love the WCAL Brotherhood & Sisterhood
