SHC doesn't have a football team?!? What do you know!!! Lol! It's on! Can't wait for the season to start!"Riordan doesn't have a football field". What do you know?
WCAL FOOTBALL : Omission of WCAL's MVP from NorCal Top 50 list [??]
- Thread starter Rmbr26
- Start date
NorCalSportsFan - good info on Palma as usual and find that very interesting about your nephew. So Palma has one of the best RB's in CCS who runs a 11.15 [100 Meters], and Kevin Telford who's been clocked at 11.16 AND Norcal's nephew who is faster than either Martinez or Telford and will likely return punts/KO's. That gives Palma the most speed in CCS with the exception of Bellarmine. That makes the St. Francis - Palma game coming up much more interesting and should be a good one.
Didn't mean it as a rip, Jordan. It's just ironic with all the "You don't have a football field" talk I've heard since Nixon.... I don't want to see players get injured on a bad field either.
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I hear ya Cheers. On top of the sprinkler problems, drainage is problematic and there are underground wells/streams under the field that flow down from Mt. Davidson during rainy season making the field a virtual swamp. I'm glad the AD is addressing the issue before it becomes a problem during the season. Long term - I hope funding for the field renovation finally gets done. I understand that is one of the priorities for the new Development Director. I've certainly donated a substantial amount towards the effort.
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WCAL 2015 Pre-Season Preview - Sneak Peek at SHP of the PAL Bay League
While SHP is not part of the WCAL the Gator's won the CCS Open last season by defeating Bellarmine 14-0. SHP was undefeated & was a relevant part of many conversations on this board. Therefore I'll take a look at SHP to see how they stack up against the WCAL teams along with Palma as likely we'll see both these teams in the CCS playoffs this season. In pre-season SHP hosts Riordan on Sept. 11th Friday night while St. Francis hosts Palma down the road in Mt. View the same night.
2015 Team Preview: Sacred Heart Prep "Gators"
SHP Varsity 2014 Varsity Record = Overall 13-0 Undefeated
Junior Varsity 2014 record = 3-7
Frosh 2014 record = 1-6
First off the records of the JV & Frosh for SHP may be a bit deceiving to those that think their records will have a drastically negative effect on this year's varsity. SHP has a very small student body of just 550 co-ed compared to Riordan's 630 all male student body and Valley Christian's 780 co-ed [the 2 smallest WCAL schools]. The size of SHP's student body alone makes their CCS Open Championship that much more impressive an accomplishment.
OK back to the JV & Frosh records. SHP's roster for last season lists 75 players or larger than any WCAL roster. Looking at the roster there are 35 Frosh & Soph's listed. Whether these players were on varsity all season or some brought up for post season is a question perhaps a SHP fan could answer [as the 2015 roster currently shows 29 players who are all junior's & senior's]. Otherwise it would appear like several WCAL schools the best underclassmen are brought up to varsity for experience and limited playing time at that level to learn the team's system. What is unusual is that few soph's on WCAL roster's actually play and there are no more than 5 soph's on any WCAL roster last season and no freshman were listed on any WCAL roster [while SHP's listed 10 Frosh]. So for this season's team I'll focus on the players we do know will be playing.
The center piece for SHP is returning QB Mason Randall 6'2-185 an excellent all around athlete who also plays basketball. Randall stats were impressive last season attempting almost 200 passes & completing 64% with only 3 INT's for over 2,000 yards with a sky-high season QB rating of 120. Returning also is RB Lapitu Mahoni 5'11-190 who rushed for 700 yards with a 5.2 APC. SHP's returns its 2 top WR's in Nick O'Donnell 6'4-190 [36/622 -17.3 APC] along with Andrew Daschbach 6'3-215 TE/LB [32/622 - 21.1 APC]. On defense returns Milan Baldini 6'3-210 O/DL and Cameron Dulsky 6'2-210 DE [Baldini & Dulsky accounted for 12 QB sacks between them]. SHP returns a number of other varsity players on defense who saw regular playing time as well.
A total of 9 starter's returns and SHP is projected to go 10-0 based upon its regular season schedule. Being in the PAL Bay League SHP has a softer schedule than any WCAL team and its 3 highest rated opponents include Palma, MA & Riordan. The Gators are rated slightly under last season's CCS highest rating which is likely due to the loss of Ben Burr-Kirven their highly rated RB/LB. While SHP loses Burr-Kirven they return many of the players that made last season's team special along with one of the CCS now recognized best coaches in Pete Lavorato.
SHP is rated significantly higher than Palma who will be the best team they face this season in what should be a great game.
Pre-Season: SHP travels to Leland of San Jose for its first game with Leland coming off a 6-6 season. Game 2 will match SHP hosting Riordan who gave SHP its toughest game of 2014 in a 14-7 loss to SHP. The 3rd game against Palma at home should generate quite a bit of fan interest, but is highly dependent on the results of the Palma vs St. Francis game the week prior. If Palma is able to defeat SF or keep the game close then the SHP game should be highly entertaining. Palma is favored to win at SF and SHP is favored over Palma at home.
Conclusion: The big question is just how important was Ben Burr-Kirven to SHP last season? In the close win over Riordan by 14-7 some fans pointed to the fact Burr-Kirven was injured and would have made a substantial difference in that game. With BBK returning to SHP last season the Gator's rolled in the playoffs as the underdog in 2 of the 3 playoff games [most fans favored Los Gatos & Bellarmine in the final playoff games]. It does appear SHP returns a very good core of players including many of the skill players and their very good QB Randall who is the highest rated returning QB in CCS along with 2 very good WR's. Showing a slight downgrade from last season SHP is rated just below the Bells & Serra and is by no means in a "reload year" as some fans commented early on [without BBK]. The Gator's should be the real-deal again this season, but likely will not take any teams by surprise this time around. As the CCS Open Champs every team they face will be motivated to play their best game.
While SHP is not part of the WCAL the Gator's won the CCS Open last season by defeating Bellarmine 14-0. SHP was undefeated & was a relevant part of many conversations on this board. Therefore I'll take a look at SHP to see how they stack up against the WCAL teams along with Palma as likely we'll see both these teams in the CCS playoffs this season. In pre-season SHP hosts Riordan on Sept. 11th Friday night while St. Francis hosts Palma down the road in Mt. View the same night.
2015 Team Preview: Sacred Heart Prep "Gators"
SHP Varsity 2014 Varsity Record = Overall 13-0 Undefeated
Junior Varsity 2014 record = 3-7
Frosh 2014 record = 1-6
First off the records of the JV & Frosh for SHP may be a bit deceiving to those that think their records will have a drastically negative effect on this year's varsity. SHP has a very small student body of just 550 co-ed compared to Riordan's 630 all male student body and Valley Christian's 780 co-ed [the 2 smallest WCAL schools]. The size of SHP's student body alone makes their CCS Open Championship that much more impressive an accomplishment.
OK back to the JV & Frosh records. SHP's roster for last season lists 75 players or larger than any WCAL roster. Looking at the roster there are 35 Frosh & Soph's listed. Whether these players were on varsity all season or some brought up for post season is a question perhaps a SHP fan could answer [as the 2015 roster currently shows 29 players who are all junior's & senior's]. Otherwise it would appear like several WCAL schools the best underclassmen are brought up to varsity for experience and limited playing time at that level to learn the team's system. What is unusual is that few soph's on WCAL roster's actually play and there are no more than 5 soph's on any WCAL roster last season and no freshman were listed on any WCAL roster [while SHP's listed 10 Frosh]. So for this season's team I'll focus on the players we do know will be playing.
The center piece for SHP is returning QB Mason Randall 6'2-185 an excellent all around athlete who also plays basketball. Randall stats were impressive last season attempting almost 200 passes & completing 64% with only 3 INT's for over 2,000 yards with a sky-high season QB rating of 120. Returning also is RB Lapitu Mahoni 5'11-190 who rushed for 700 yards with a 5.2 APC. SHP's returns its 2 top WR's in Nick O'Donnell 6'4-190 [36/622 -17.3 APC] along with Andrew Daschbach 6'3-215 TE/LB [32/622 - 21.1 APC]. On defense returns Milan Baldini 6'3-210 O/DL and Cameron Dulsky 6'2-210 DE [Baldini & Dulsky accounted for 12 QB sacks between them]. SHP returns a number of other varsity players on defense who saw regular playing time as well.
A total of 9 starter's returns and SHP is projected to go 10-0 based upon its regular season schedule. Being in the PAL Bay League SHP has a softer schedule than any WCAL team and its 3 highest rated opponents include Palma, MA & Riordan. The Gators are rated slightly under last season's CCS highest rating which is likely due to the loss of Ben Burr-Kirven their highly rated RB/LB. While SHP loses Burr-Kirven they return many of the players that made last season's team special along with one of the CCS now recognized best coaches in Pete Lavorato.
SHP is rated significantly higher than Palma who will be the best team they face this season in what should be a great game.
Pre-Season: SHP travels to Leland of San Jose for its first game with Leland coming off a 6-6 season. Game 2 will match SHP hosting Riordan who gave SHP its toughest game of 2014 in a 14-7 loss to SHP. The 3rd game against Palma at home should generate quite a bit of fan interest, but is highly dependent on the results of the Palma vs St. Francis game the week prior. If Palma is able to defeat SF or keep the game close then the SHP game should be highly entertaining. Palma is favored to win at SF and SHP is favored over Palma at home.
Conclusion: The big question is just how important was Ben Burr-Kirven to SHP last season? In the close win over Riordan by 14-7 some fans pointed to the fact Burr-Kirven was injured and would have made a substantial difference in that game. With BBK returning to SHP last season the Gator's rolled in the playoffs as the underdog in 2 of the 3 playoff games [most fans favored Los Gatos & Bellarmine in the final playoff games]. It does appear SHP returns a very good core of players including many of the skill players and their very good QB Randall who is the highest rated returning QB in CCS along with 2 very good WR's. Showing a slight downgrade from last season SHP is rated just below the Bells & Serra and is by no means in a "reload year" as some fans commented early on [without BBK]. The Gator's should be the real-deal again this season, but likely will not take any teams by surprise this time around. As the CCS Open Champs every team they face will be motivated to play their best game.
Great preview Rmbr26!
Agree that offense should be very good (although missing all section player Burr-Kirvin). However, Randall at QB, one of the top in the section, and tall athletic receivers and another year experience makes their passing attack formidable. Randall ran the best two minute offense I have seen in many years without Ben Burr-Kirvin in win over Salinas (Salinas could have won that game though until they fell apart at end - although SHP play had a big part). Tall receivers are match up problem for many teams and they will have some good ones that are athletic. Fly offense and decent RBs (less speed than Burrr-Kirvin, but good runners) will keep defenses honest although RB attack won't be as explosive. Although a little undersized on line on defense and offense (but return some starters) and missing top player in section that made them a nightmare on both sides of the ball, SHP will still be an around good team and among the CCS top 10. If defense steps up, they could be very formidable. Probably not as strong as last season, but very good and should run league. In early season, Palma and Riordan games (and possibly Carmel) could be very good ones (Palma won last time or only time they have played 34-7 in 2011). SHP could face any of these teams in the playoffs as well. Question mark will be line (which does bring back some but on defense) and team speed. Should be in the hunt for the CCS D3 bowl eligible playoffs.
As mentioned above - key players
Mason Randall, QB, 6-2, 180, #12, 3 year starter, excellent QB (124/193 2,077 yards, 18 TDs, 2 INTs, 120.3 QBR, 64.2% completions), not a gun of an arm but extremely accuarate, nice spin and throws to spots well (one of the top QBs in the section), Andrew Daschbach, Sr., 6-3, 210, #20, TE/LB/DE, top skill player on team and three year starter; Justin Harmon, Sr, OL, 6-4, 240, Sr, CalHiSports second team all state offense; Adrien Beaulieu, Sr., RB/SS, 5-11, 180; Cameron Dulsky, Sr, DE/ TE, 6-2, 200; Nick O'Donnell, Sr., #13, 6-4, 180, WR/DB; Brian O'Kelly, Sr, #51, FB/DT/NG; Wyatt Welch, Sr, #50, OG/DL, 6-0, 210, returning starter; Lapitu Mahoni, Sr, RB, 5-11, 185, rushes 134, yards 700, average 5.2 Y/G 53.8 Long 58 TDs 5- good RB. Not speedster, but strong runner.
Agree that offense should be very good (although missing all section player Burr-Kirvin). However, Randall at QB, one of the top in the section, and tall athletic receivers and another year experience makes their passing attack formidable. Randall ran the best two minute offense I have seen in many years without Ben Burr-Kirvin in win over Salinas (Salinas could have won that game though until they fell apart at end - although SHP play had a big part). Tall receivers are match up problem for many teams and they will have some good ones that are athletic. Fly offense and decent RBs (less speed than Burrr-Kirvin, but good runners) will keep defenses honest although RB attack won't be as explosive. Although a little undersized on line on defense and offense (but return some starters) and missing top player in section that made them a nightmare on both sides of the ball, SHP will still be an around good team and among the CCS top 10. If defense steps up, they could be very formidable. Probably not as strong as last season, but very good and should run league. In early season, Palma and Riordan games (and possibly Carmel) could be very good ones (Palma won last time or only time they have played 34-7 in 2011). SHP could face any of these teams in the playoffs as well. Question mark will be line (which does bring back some but on defense) and team speed. Should be in the hunt for the CCS D3 bowl eligible playoffs.
As mentioned above - key players
Mason Randall, QB, 6-2, 180, #12, 3 year starter, excellent QB (124/193 2,077 yards, 18 TDs, 2 INTs, 120.3 QBR, 64.2% completions), not a gun of an arm but extremely accuarate, nice spin and throws to spots well (one of the top QBs in the section), Andrew Daschbach, Sr., 6-3, 210, #20, TE/LB/DE, top skill player on team and three year starter; Justin Harmon, Sr, OL, 6-4, 240, Sr, CalHiSports second team all state offense; Adrien Beaulieu, Sr., RB/SS, 5-11, 180; Cameron Dulsky, Sr, DE/ TE, 6-2, 200; Nick O'Donnell, Sr., #13, 6-4, 180, WR/DB; Brian O'Kelly, Sr, #51, FB/DT/NG; Wyatt Welch, Sr, #50, OG/DL, 6-0, 210, returning starter; Lapitu Mahoni, Sr, RB, 5-11, 185, rushes 134, yards 700, average 5.2 Y/G 53.8 Long 58 TDs 5- good RB. Not speedster, but strong runner.
This season will mark the end of SHP's recent surge. The 2014 JV and frosh teams were pretty bad. Rebuilding is on the horizon after 2015. And, yes, Burr-Kirven was special. He made everyone better on both sides of the ball. One or two key injuries would derail the Gators this season. Their depth is minimal. Their schedule is no picnic. The PAL Bay is appropriate for them. A repeat of their amazing 2014 run would be utterly astounding. This is not intended as a knock. What SHP has accomplished is laudable.
2 years ago SHP was in the State Div.IV title game. Last season they went undefeated and took the Open. Certainly Burr-Kirven was a special player, but SHP won games without him when injured. This season they return a lot of good players including most of their top skill players [QB, WR's & RB]. The projected ratings show SHP as the #3 team in the entire CCS behind only Bells & Serra. I agree with Colhenry that SHP may not be quite as good as last season, but I think they will still be very good [projected to win all 10 regular season games].
No doubt SHP will be a good D4 type team but competitive with WCaL top teams a different story. This year yes, but probably not after this year for at least a couple years. As far as calpreps. Projections, the data is incomplete as many teams don''t respond. SHP should definitely be top 10. CCS team this year but probably not as good as last season without Burr Kirvin.
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Just Private Henry making sure Riordan gets no credit if they upset the defending Open champs.
Irish Cheers, you are a constant reminder of the quality of graduate shCathedral puts out on a yearly basis.
Not true. A Riordan W vs. SHP in 2015 would be terrific for the Phelan Avenue Phenoms. And, to be honest, it's not entirely out of the question. RIordan will not be anyone's pushover, especially early on.
Rmbr and Colhenry, are pretty much spot-on for any assessment they make on a WCAL team with an objective view. Their posts always have the WCAL in the best of interests.
Sacred Heart Prep had a 39 player Varsity roster when they played Riordan last season.
There were 2 Sophomores on Varsity, at that time, Soa Moimoi (RB/DB) and Kyle Stalder (OL/TE).
There were 20 Juniors on Varsity, at that time.
There were 2 Sophomores on Varsity, at that time, Soa Moimoi (RB/DB) and Kyle Stalder (OL/TE).
There were 20 Juniors on Varsity, at that time.
All three of those palma kids suffered hamstring injuries during track. Emilio is the only one that will have an impact on offense. Telford still isnt 100%. He hurt his hammy two times during track season hard to imagine him having much of an impact this year. Even if Telford was healthy he wouldnt get on the field much because Emilio is getting 200+ carries. Fratangelo will have problems getting on the field on offense but he could have an impact on special teams and defense. Palma has 3-4 seniors who will get majority of the reps at WR. TE Liam Mcmillin will be their top receiving threat.
Agree thehookup55
and Sr Yepez should be an impact player at WR as well and worked with QB Richardon alot during off season . It looks like Sr Johnson is 6-3 - did he grow a couple inches. He looks like he is as tall or taller than McMillin. Agree Juniors probably not a lot of plays at WR early on but may see time increase if seniors don't deliver and will get lots of time in games they are up by alot. I think Jrs Blanco has a high upside at WR as well as Wahl. Do you know if Soph Taylor is up on varsity...he looks like he is going to be a very good Wr. Backup RBs back include - Sr Villareal who averaged over 5 yards a carry against Mitty in playoff game a couple years ago as a soph. I know Sr Torculas will be on defense, but he also was a great RB JV year...one of the better JV RBs at Palma who is strong and shifty, and probably would have competed at least in the beginning of last year to start versus Emilio. They also return pretty good fullbacks. O-line is looking like it should be pretty good and they return 2 MLB starters and another part time OLB starter. Defense should be pretty good on line and DBs has some good candidates. Corners last year were very good (as far as run support) and they have good candidates that will need to step up. Corner run support is my only question mark. I think they have good players (some that rotated in last season and some talented juniors), but will find out soon when season starts. Agree about Telford - probably came back too early from first hamstring issue and pulled it again and taking it slow during summer and before he gets back. He probably won't be in a position to make an impact until later in season. He is a very good defender as well. Luckily the team has depth at skill positions and defense.
and Sr Yepez should be an impact player at WR as well and worked with QB Richardon alot during off season . It looks like Sr Johnson is 6-3 - did he grow a couple inches. He looks like he is as tall or taller than McMillin. Agree Juniors probably not a lot of plays at WR early on but may see time increase if seniors don't deliver and will get lots of time in games they are up by alot. I think Jrs Blanco has a high upside at WR as well as Wahl. Do you know if Soph Taylor is up on varsity...he looks like he is going to be a very good Wr. Backup RBs back include - Sr Villareal who averaged over 5 yards a carry against Mitty in playoff game a couple years ago as a soph. I know Sr Torculas will be on defense, but he also was a great RB JV year...one of the better JV RBs at Palma who is strong and shifty, and probably would have competed at least in the beginning of last year to start versus Emilio. They also return pretty good fullbacks. O-line is looking like it should be pretty good and they return 2 MLB starters and another part time OLB starter. Defense should be pretty good on line and DBs has some good candidates. Corners last year were very good (as far as run support) and they have good candidates that will need to step up. Corner run support is my only question mark. I think they have good players (some that rotated in last season and some talented juniors), but will find out soon when season starts. Agree about Telford - probably came back too early from first hamstring issue and pulled it again and taking it slow during summer and before he gets back. He probably won't be in a position to make an impact until later in season. He is a very good defender as well. Luckily the team has depth at skill positions and defense.
I agree about Yepez. He has been working hard this off season hopefully it pays off. Johnson is slightly shorter then Mcmillin. Still a big target. He didnt step up last year like they wanted him too but I think he should be good this year. Keselica should have a bigger impact this year. Was brought up as a Soph. Didnt do much his junior year. He put in some time this off season as well. Blanco will probably be in the mix with the seniors. He runs nice routes and has good hands. Was top WR on JV last year. Wahl could have an impact at DB. IDK if they did bring up Taylor but no reason to bring him up IMO. Palma usually only brings up Sophs if they will play and I dont see Taylor being able to touch the field.
This could be the most balanced offense palma has had since 2008.
This could be the most balanced offense palma has had since 2008.
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Cheers, rumors were that Lee was going back to SHC. Any truth to that?
Also, any insight on who will be the signal-caller for the Irish this season?
New Crusader varsity staff include former all-state, ccs d3 champ and wcal qb of the year and UCLA grad, Darius Bell, along with teammates Danny Curtin (DC) and SJ State grad Ryan Jones (OL). Based on Fordon's interview, the offense will be fast tempo and will take advantage of getting skill players in space. Appears Coach Fordon is making the necessary changes throughout all the levels of the football program.
No, not on varsity. I saw Dom Dizon's name and Paul Bugler listed on the JV's crew. I think Bugler was a graduate but I'm not sure about Dizon.
I double-checked with an alumni directory and I didn't see them listed. So there aren't any green guys coaching any purple people.
Too bad Steve Herrera left.
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I asked about John Lee but that's a definite no-go. As for QB on the varsity, it probably will be George Stefko or Pete St. Geme, both seniors. It's really up for grabs. I'm guessing Ken Peralta will run more passing plays than usual before he decides on a starter.
WCAL 2015 Pre-Season Preview
Sneak Peek at Palma of the Monterey Bay-Gabilan League.
While Palma like SHP is not part of the WCAL both school's play WCAL schools in pre-season games and are projected in the top 10 teams of the CCS this season. Palma finished rated 10th in CCS in 2014 and in pre-season has moved up to 7th in the projected rankings. Palma had a solid team last season winning against St. Francis in pre-season by 21-12, losing a close game to a good San Benito squad by 17-13 and falling to Valley Christian in a close game of the CCS Open by 14-7. I'll point out some of the highlights & players and let NorCalSportsFan fill in the blanks I leave out. For those of you unknowing NorCal has a wealth of knowledge on the Monterey Bay-Gabilan League and helps keep the board up to date on what takes place in that league.
2015 Team Preview: Palma Chieftain's
Palma Varsity 2014 Varsity Record = Overall 10-2
Junior Varsity 2014 record = 9-1
Frosh 2014 record = 4-5
Best Game: 21-12 early season win over St. Francis on Palma's home turf. This game sets the stage for the Sept. 11th Friday night game on the Lancer's turf in Mt. View. While an early season "pre-season" game this game has tons of importance for both teams in setting the tone for the rest of their seasons. Palma is actually rated higher and favored in this game, which by pre-season projections we now know means absolutely nothing. On SF's home turf before a loud overflow crowd this game is rated even.
Worst Loss: 17-13 league loss to San Benito who is league favorite this season. Last season's game was close and this season's meeting will likely be the same.
Most Important: loss in first round of CCS Open playoffs 14-7 to Valley Christian. A close game, but tough loss any time losing to a WCAL rival in the playoffs. Palma's goal's of course this season would to win against SF first and defeat any WCAL school encountered in the playoffs [to at least make it to the 2nd round].
Palma looks to have a very similar team as last season and is rated about the same. Palma returns 10 starters with most of those on offense. For league play Palma will have its hands full with San Benito who is projected to win their league this season and returns a solid core of players.Palma does return a very good QB and one of the best RB's in CCS though which will make them a tough assignment for any team they play.
Pre-Season: Palma opens at home against Sutter from the central valley near Yuba City. The Sutter Huskies went 13-1 in 2014 but lost all their important skill players and appear to be in a reload season. While Sutter was 13-1 last season their record does not reflect just how soft their schedule was [partially due to their geographic location and their local competition]. This season has Sutter playing a similar schedule and Palma will be the highest rated team they will face all season. Palma if the team meets expectations should take control of this game and win by 7-10 its first time out.
Next up is a significantly tougher test against St. Francis who will surely remember last season's 21-12 loss to the Chieftain's at Palma.
SF has a good core of returning players including their own very good QB, their top RB and a host of defensive players. The Lancer's return the key piece of the offense in QB Kamalii Akina [5'11- 165] along with their top RB Lutoviko Ahoia [5'9 - 195], Darious Thomas - WR [6'1-160] their deep threat from last season, Kevin Glajchen - TE/LB [6'2-220] who is their best returning defensive player,
Bennett Williams - DB [5'11-180] a soph last season who will be worth watching. SF returns 15 players over 200 of which 5 are 230 or larger and looks to have a very athletic team. QB Akina was outstanding once you look at his numbers and was possibly the most efficient QB in the WCAL game to game throughout the season. Akina was 71/127 passing with a completion rate of 56% for 1246 yards, 11 TD's and only 5 INT's with an 18 YPC avg. While Palma is favored in this game it looks likely like a toss-up on paper with SF having an edge on D while Palma has the decided edge on offense with Martinez. Game 3 of pre-season is the big one vs SHP after St. Francis. In rankings/ratings the 3 teams in order are SHP, Palma & SF. If Palma loses to St. Francis this game loses a lot of its fan interest, but either way should be a good one.
Lastly is Aptos in game 4 in which Palma gets a bit of a breather, though not much. Aptos while having a 12-1 season in '14 reloads all of its skill players this season while returning 11 starters with 7 on D & 4 on offense. Ranked close to last season Aptos appears to have dropped lower than projected having lost their important skill players with their biggest win by a 3 point margin over St. Ignatius. For 2015 the Bells & Palma will be their toughest opponents. According to the projected ratings this should be a close game, however based upon returning players it points to a 7-10 point win by Palma.
Conclusion: Palma is highly ranked in the CCS pre-season projections in the top 10 and should be better than last season '14. St. Francis is ranked about the same just below Palma and SHP is rated down slightly above Palma. All 3 teams have very good QB's returning & all 3 have a returning high production RB. In comparing QB's possibly SHP's Randall is a slim margin ahead of Palma's Richardson while Akina of SF throws less but can scramble and is also very efficient - so there is no large gap between the 3 team leaders on offense. In regards to the WR's then SHP has the advantage returning 2 very good ones with Palma & SF next. As for RB Palma has the advantage over both SF & SHP with Emilio Martinez [end of that discussion]. Defense is also a tough question as all 3 teams lose important starters, but return many players with experience from last season. Comparing team stats & returning players the edge on Defense shifts to St. Francis. So Palma looks good overall & in comparison should be able to stay with any CCS team in the Top 10. Palma with the combination of Richardson & Martinez should have a decided edge over most teams if they have a few possession WR's. Palma's big question will come on Defense and in particular the D-Line. If Palma can contain the run and has a competitive secondary they should rank among the top 5-10 teams in CCS at end of season.
Sneak Peek at Palma of the Monterey Bay-Gabilan League.
While Palma like SHP is not part of the WCAL both school's play WCAL schools in pre-season games and are projected in the top 10 teams of the CCS this season. Palma finished rated 10th in CCS in 2014 and in pre-season has moved up to 7th in the projected rankings. Palma had a solid team last season winning against St. Francis in pre-season by 21-12, losing a close game to a good San Benito squad by 17-13 and falling to Valley Christian in a close game of the CCS Open by 14-7. I'll point out some of the highlights & players and let NorCalSportsFan fill in the blanks I leave out. For those of you unknowing NorCal has a wealth of knowledge on the Monterey Bay-Gabilan League and helps keep the board up to date on what takes place in that league.
2015 Team Preview: Palma Chieftain's
Palma Varsity 2014 Varsity Record = Overall 10-2
Junior Varsity 2014 record = 9-1
Frosh 2014 record = 4-5
Best Game: 21-12 early season win over St. Francis on Palma's home turf. This game sets the stage for the Sept. 11th Friday night game on the Lancer's turf in Mt. View. While an early season "pre-season" game this game has tons of importance for both teams in setting the tone for the rest of their seasons. Palma is actually rated higher and favored in this game, which by pre-season projections we now know means absolutely nothing. On SF's home turf before a loud overflow crowd this game is rated even.
Worst Loss: 17-13 league loss to San Benito who is league favorite this season. Last season's game was close and this season's meeting will likely be the same.
Most Important: loss in first round of CCS Open playoffs 14-7 to Valley Christian. A close game, but tough loss any time losing to a WCAL rival in the playoffs. Palma's goal's of course this season would to win against SF first and defeat any WCAL school encountered in the playoffs [to at least make it to the 2nd round].
Palma looks to have a very similar team as last season and is rated about the same. Palma returns 10 starters with most of those on offense. For league play Palma will have its hands full with San Benito who is projected to win their league this season and returns a solid core of players.Palma does return a very good QB and one of the best RB's in CCS though which will make them a tough assignment for any team they play.
Pre-Season: Palma opens at home against Sutter from the central valley near Yuba City. The Sutter Huskies went 13-1 in 2014 but lost all their important skill players and appear to be in a reload season. While Sutter was 13-1 last season their record does not reflect just how soft their schedule was [partially due to their geographic location and their local competition]. This season has Sutter playing a similar schedule and Palma will be the highest rated team they will face all season. Palma if the team meets expectations should take control of this game and win by 7-10 its first time out.
Next up is a significantly tougher test against St. Francis who will surely remember last season's 21-12 loss to the Chieftain's at Palma.
SF has a good core of returning players including their own very good QB, their top RB and a host of defensive players. The Lancer's return the key piece of the offense in QB Kamalii Akina [5'11- 165] along with their top RB Lutoviko Ahoia [5'9 - 195], Darious Thomas - WR [6'1-160] their deep threat from last season, Kevin Glajchen - TE/LB [6'2-220] who is their best returning defensive player,
Bennett Williams - DB [5'11-180] a soph last season who will be worth watching. SF returns 15 players over 200 of which 5 are 230 or larger and looks to have a very athletic team. QB Akina was outstanding once you look at his numbers and was possibly the most efficient QB in the WCAL game to game throughout the season. Akina was 71/127 passing with a completion rate of 56% for 1246 yards, 11 TD's and only 5 INT's with an 18 YPC avg. While Palma is favored in this game it looks likely like a toss-up on paper with SF having an edge on D while Palma has the decided edge on offense with Martinez. Game 3 of pre-season is the big one vs SHP after St. Francis. In rankings/ratings the 3 teams in order are SHP, Palma & SF. If Palma loses to St. Francis this game loses a lot of its fan interest, but either way should be a good one.
Lastly is Aptos in game 4 in which Palma gets a bit of a breather, though not much. Aptos while having a 12-1 season in '14 reloads all of its skill players this season while returning 11 starters with 7 on D & 4 on offense. Ranked close to last season Aptos appears to have dropped lower than projected having lost their important skill players with their biggest win by a 3 point margin over St. Ignatius. For 2015 the Bells & Palma will be their toughest opponents. According to the projected ratings this should be a close game, however based upon returning players it points to a 7-10 point win by Palma.
Conclusion: Palma is highly ranked in the CCS pre-season projections in the top 10 and should be better than last season '14. St. Francis is ranked about the same just below Palma and SHP is rated down slightly above Palma. All 3 teams have very good QB's returning & all 3 have a returning high production RB. In comparing QB's possibly SHP's Randall is a slim margin ahead of Palma's Richardson while Akina of SF throws less but can scramble and is also very efficient - so there is no large gap between the 3 team leaders on offense. In regards to the WR's then SHP has the advantage returning 2 very good ones with Palma & SF next. As for RB Palma has the advantage over both SF & SHP with Emilio Martinez [end of that discussion]. Defense is also a tough question as all 3 teams lose important starters, but return many players with experience from last season. Comparing team stats & returning players the edge on Defense shifts to St. Francis. So Palma looks good overall & in comparison should be able to stay with any CCS team in the Top 10. Palma with the combination of Richardson & Martinez should have a decided edge over most teams if they have a few possession WR's. Palma's big question will come on Defense and in particular the D-Line. If Palma can contain the run and has a competitive secondary they should rank among the top 5-10 teams in CCS at end of season.
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It looks like the starting qb will be George Stefko. St. Geme is a junior and no longer at SHC. Transferred to SI.
Palma's key players this season include:
Jack Richardson, Sr., QB, 6-4, 207, passed for 1,947 yards, 19 TDs, 7 INTs last season (3rd All Time single season passing record at Palma) and has garnered interest from several D1 FBS programs (Pac 12 through IVY league); Emilio Martinez, Jr, RB, 5-9, 180, last season as a Soph rushed for 1,501 yards and 21 TDs (24 overall TDs) and 3rd All Time Palma single season rushing record, is a strong , quick, and fast slashing rusher already garnering D1FBS interest; Liam McMillin, Sr, TE/DE, 6-3, 220, returning starter (injured early last season), a strong run blocker and very athletic with excellent hands with big play potential (has garnered some FBS/FCS interest); Zach Ralston, Sr, 6-4, 283, OT/DT, strong with good technique, and a FBS prospect and quick for his size on defense; Drew Dahlman, Jr, OT/DT, 6-3, 250+, will be one of the top linemen in CCS – a natural D1FBS prospect at center , strong and very good technique with interest from several D1 programs this summer (father Palma o-line coach and former SF 49er center and Stanford and SF 49er and Atlanta Falcons NFL o-line coach); and Angel Maldonado, Jr, DE/OG, 6-1, 215, returning starter quick and good technique against bigger line (gets low and leverage), all MBL Gab.
While the Cheiftains return only 3 on defense per Calpreps - it is not reflective since many players rotated in throughout the games. Defense should reload with good line, strong core of returning LBs and a good group of DBs. Overall this years teams is also physically stronger than last season on both sides of the ball. This year the San Benito - Hollister game is at Palma's home field which should make Palma the favorite. Strange things seem to happen when the Chieftains play at Hollister, but this year they will be the favorite. Locals in the know will tell you that Palma will be the favorite this season. Their offense should be more balanced this year as far as weapons. As far as early non-league season Palma will be favorerd over a young Sutter, and Aptos but either could be a trap game, and St Francis away and Sacred Heart Prep away should be battles (Palma has done pretty good playing St Francis at their home field). I could see Palma winning all of these next season or splitting them. In league Hollister should be a tough game, but Palma should take the game this year. Overall Palma probably will go anywhere from 10-0 to 8-2 before playoffs unless upset in league which could always happen especially given having to play well every game without a bad game. The MBL Gab should be a two horse race between Palma and Hollister next season.
San Benito-Hollister:
Hollister should improve over next season as well especially early in the season. They actually lost 3 league games and lost to Los Gatos in the early season and didn't peak until late which is usually the case with Hollister. Hollister plays Hilmar, Palo Alto, Los Gatos and Wilcox in the ealry season and they probably will go at least 3-1 and may be competitive with Los Gatos this year. Hollister lost to Los Gatos 34-7 last season, but this team will be much better early season than last year. They didn't peak until later in season. Hollister should finish at least 8-2 (and possibly 9-1) before playoffs if no upsets before playoffs. Calpreps has them ranked ahead of Palma, but most in the know favor Palma this year.
Key Players:
RJ Clark,#8, Sr, QB, 5-11, 170, returning starter. Lefty with nice spin on pass, mobile (quick and shifty), 4.78 40; Andrew Sotelo, Sr, 5'11" 172, WR/SS/punt returner, all MBL Gab and also college recruited baseball player; Tyler Biersdorf, Sr, 5-11, 175, MLB, all MBL Gab; Will Gularte, Sr, 6-1, 240, RT/TE/DE, benches 325 lbs, all league o-line; Richard Justo, Jr, 6-3, 290,DT; Hunter Nye, Jr, RB (FB); Kyle Cameron, Sr, RB; Abram Pasillas, Jr, WR; Tristan Medina, Sr, OG, all MBL Gab; Daniel Diaz-Hopkins, Sr, WR/backup-QB, 5-10, 160, Isaac Regalado, Jr, DB/WR, returning starting DB, top 110 hurdle track time in MBL Gab; Diego Fisher, Jr, DB/Punter, one of the top punters in the section; Ezzie Lovato, Sr, RB; Victor Perez, Jr, WR; Shraee Harrison, Sr, WR, CCS 200M champ
Other Gab teams -
Next tier of the MBL Gab (3-5) - in order (Salinas and Christopher will probably battle for 3rd in the Gab)
Salinas HS will not be as strong as last season, but will have a good QB and should have a good defense. Key Players: Kevin Crosby, Sr, 6-0, 170, WR/Slot/FS, returning starter; Matt Castenada, Sr., QB, backup last year. Decent passer and mobile; Kyle Martorella, Sr, LB/FB, 5-10, 185, all league and all county; Adrian Villalobos, Sr., DL, 6-0, 220; Drew Schuler, So, MLB, 6-1, 205, going to be very good player; Jacob River, WR,
Christopher HS moves up to the Gabelan from the MBL Pacific division and should be competitive at the next tier. Key players: Matt Adamkiewicz, 5-10, 180, QB/FS, mobile (4.7 40) and accurate passer who threw for 3,279 yards along with 34 TDs/ 15 INTs last year. MBL-Pacific Most Valuable Offensive Player of the Year; PJ Reichert, Sr, WR, 6-3, 170, nice routes and deceptively fast with 39 receptions, 601 yards and 5 TDs last season; Joe Criado, Sr, OT/DT, 6-1, 275, strong; Jared Huddleston, Sr, OT/NG, 6-4, 270,all MBL Pacific MVP O-linemen; Brendon Lerman, Jr, 6-0, 215, LB, all league
Monte Vista Christian - returns the bulk of their offense and lots of defense. Key Players: D’Shawn Hopkins, Sr, 5-11, 192, rushed for 992 yards and 15 touchdowns on 127 carries. Ryan Sphon, Sr., QB, threw for 1,238 yards with 13 touchdowns and 13 interceptions last season; defense - Christian Rebottaro, 6-1, 291, NG/OG, Sr all-MBL Pacific first-team, MVP defense; Ryan De Los Santos, WR/QB; Kawilah Johsens, DL/WR, 6-2, 200; Parker Noonan, WR/DL, Sr, 6-5, 215, 4.74 40, very good receiver and a mismatch for defenders; Seth Fletscher, WR/SS, Sr., 6-0, 180, good defender; Lucas Oligiati, Sr, 6-1, 185, DB/TE, good run defender.
Next tier (6-7)
Monterey HS - lost QB Carter Aldrete whi is focusing on baseball (an AZ State commit), but has a D1 caliber player Akili Jones, Sr, 6-1, 195, RB/OLB, fast and athletic. D1 caliber player. Overall the team will have a few very good players but lacks depth. New head coach Dan Brown takes over from coaching Wilcox previously. They could surprise some teams in the above tier, but not against Palma or Hollister.
Everett Alvarez HS could surprise. While losing a last years QB, they return very fast RB and big line. They could surprise some teams in the above tier, but not against Palma or Hollister. Key Players: Brandon Yasay,Sr, RB, 5-7, 150, fast 4.5 40; Josiah Garcia, Sr, QB,6-0, 170; John Robinson, Sr, 6-2, 310, DE/OT; Aldo Flores 6-3, 280, Sr, OL/DL 5.3; Alan Llamas 6-3, 230, Jr, TE/DE 4.7 40, good player on both sides of ball.
Jack Richardson, Sr., QB, 6-4, 207, passed for 1,947 yards, 19 TDs, 7 INTs last season (3rd All Time single season passing record at Palma) and has garnered interest from several D1 FBS programs (Pac 12 through IVY league); Emilio Martinez, Jr, RB, 5-9, 180, last season as a Soph rushed for 1,501 yards and 21 TDs (24 overall TDs) and 3rd All Time Palma single season rushing record, is a strong , quick, and fast slashing rusher already garnering D1FBS interest; Liam McMillin, Sr, TE/DE, 6-3, 220, returning starter (injured early last season), a strong run blocker and very athletic with excellent hands with big play potential (has garnered some FBS/FCS interest); Zach Ralston, Sr, 6-4, 283, OT/DT, strong with good technique, and a FBS prospect and quick for his size on defense; Drew Dahlman, Jr, OT/DT, 6-3, 250+, will be one of the top linemen in CCS – a natural D1FBS prospect at center , strong and very good technique with interest from several D1 programs this summer (father Palma o-line coach and former SF 49er center and Stanford and SF 49er and Atlanta Falcons NFL o-line coach); and Angel Maldonado, Jr, DE/OG, 6-1, 215, returning starter quick and good technique against bigger line (gets low and leverage), all MBL Gab.
While the Cheiftains return only 3 on defense per Calpreps - it is not reflective since many players rotated in throughout the games. Defense should reload with good line, strong core of returning LBs and a good group of DBs. Overall this years teams is also physically stronger than last season on both sides of the ball. This year the San Benito - Hollister game is at Palma's home field which should make Palma the favorite. Strange things seem to happen when the Chieftains play at Hollister, but this year they will be the favorite. Locals in the know will tell you that Palma will be the favorite this season. Their offense should be more balanced this year as far as weapons. As far as early non-league season Palma will be favorerd over a young Sutter, and Aptos but either could be a trap game, and St Francis away and Sacred Heart Prep away should be battles (Palma has done pretty good playing St Francis at their home field). I could see Palma winning all of these next season or splitting them. In league Hollister should be a tough game, but Palma should take the game this year. Overall Palma probably will go anywhere from 10-0 to 8-2 before playoffs unless upset in league which could always happen especially given having to play well every game without a bad game. The MBL Gab should be a two horse race between Palma and Hollister next season.
San Benito-Hollister:
Hollister should improve over next season as well especially early in the season. They actually lost 3 league games and lost to Los Gatos in the early season and didn't peak until late which is usually the case with Hollister. Hollister plays Hilmar, Palo Alto, Los Gatos and Wilcox in the ealry season and they probably will go at least 3-1 and may be competitive with Los Gatos this year. Hollister lost to Los Gatos 34-7 last season, but this team will be much better early season than last year. They didn't peak until later in season. Hollister should finish at least 8-2 (and possibly 9-1) before playoffs if no upsets before playoffs. Calpreps has them ranked ahead of Palma, but most in the know favor Palma this year.
Key Players:
RJ Clark,#8, Sr, QB, 5-11, 170, returning starter. Lefty with nice spin on pass, mobile (quick and shifty), 4.78 40; Andrew Sotelo, Sr, 5'11" 172, WR/SS/punt returner, all MBL Gab and also college recruited baseball player; Tyler Biersdorf, Sr, 5-11, 175, MLB, all MBL Gab; Will Gularte, Sr, 6-1, 240, RT/TE/DE, benches 325 lbs, all league o-line; Richard Justo, Jr, 6-3, 290,DT; Hunter Nye, Jr, RB (FB); Kyle Cameron, Sr, RB; Abram Pasillas, Jr, WR; Tristan Medina, Sr, OG, all MBL Gab; Daniel Diaz-Hopkins, Sr, WR/backup-QB, 5-10, 160, Isaac Regalado, Jr, DB/WR, returning starting DB, top 110 hurdle track time in MBL Gab; Diego Fisher, Jr, DB/Punter, one of the top punters in the section; Ezzie Lovato, Sr, RB; Victor Perez, Jr, WR; Shraee Harrison, Sr, WR, CCS 200M champ
Other Gab teams -
Next tier of the MBL Gab (3-5) - in order (Salinas and Christopher will probably battle for 3rd in the Gab)
Salinas HS will not be as strong as last season, but will have a good QB and should have a good defense. Key Players: Kevin Crosby, Sr, 6-0, 170, WR/Slot/FS, returning starter; Matt Castenada, Sr., QB, backup last year. Decent passer and mobile; Kyle Martorella, Sr, LB/FB, 5-10, 185, all league and all county; Adrian Villalobos, Sr., DL, 6-0, 220; Drew Schuler, So, MLB, 6-1, 205, going to be very good player; Jacob River, WR,
Christopher HS moves up to the Gabelan from the MBL Pacific division and should be competitive at the next tier. Key players: Matt Adamkiewicz, 5-10, 180, QB/FS, mobile (4.7 40) and accurate passer who threw for 3,279 yards along with 34 TDs/ 15 INTs last year. MBL-Pacific Most Valuable Offensive Player of the Year; PJ Reichert, Sr, WR, 6-3, 170, nice routes and deceptively fast with 39 receptions, 601 yards and 5 TDs last season; Joe Criado, Sr, OT/DT, 6-1, 275, strong; Jared Huddleston, Sr, OT/NG, 6-4, 270,all MBL Pacific MVP O-linemen; Brendon Lerman, Jr, 6-0, 215, LB, all league
Monte Vista Christian - returns the bulk of their offense and lots of defense. Key Players: D’Shawn Hopkins, Sr, 5-11, 192, rushed for 992 yards and 15 touchdowns on 127 carries. Ryan Sphon, Sr., QB, threw for 1,238 yards with 13 touchdowns and 13 interceptions last season; defense - Christian Rebottaro, 6-1, 291, NG/OG, Sr all-MBL Pacific first-team, MVP defense; Ryan De Los Santos, WR/QB; Kawilah Johsens, DL/WR, 6-2, 200; Parker Noonan, WR/DL, Sr, 6-5, 215, 4.74 40, very good receiver and a mismatch for defenders; Seth Fletscher, WR/SS, Sr., 6-0, 180, good defender; Lucas Oligiati, Sr, 6-1, 185, DB/TE, good run defender.
Next tier (6-7)
Monterey HS - lost QB Carter Aldrete whi is focusing on baseball (an AZ State commit), but has a D1 caliber player Akili Jones, Sr, 6-1, 195, RB/OLB, fast and athletic. D1 caliber player. Overall the team will have a few very good players but lacks depth. New head coach Dan Brown takes over from coaching Wilcox previously. They could surprise some teams in the above tier, but not against Palma or Hollister.
Everett Alvarez HS could surprise. While losing a last years QB, they return very fast RB and big line. They could surprise some teams in the above tier, but not against Palma or Hollister. Key Players: Brandon Yasay,Sr, RB, 5-7, 150, fast 4.5 40; Josiah Garcia, Sr, QB,6-0, 170; John Robinson, Sr, 6-2, 310, DE/OT; Aldo Flores 6-3, 280, Sr, OL/DL 5.3; Alan Llamas 6-3, 230, Jr, TE/DE 4.7 40, good player on both sides of ball.
I think St. Geme was more of a Lacrosse Player...and if that is true, he probably wanted to go to SI because they are a powerhouse for that. It's ok SH gets some SI dudes occasionally too.
Say...you're still not upset about that November night at PacBell Park back in 2011, are you?
At least those Cherries of the Sunset go somewhere (playoffs) every year for the past few seasons...They never cease to amaze me.
Then again...I'm truly amazed at a lowly public program like Aptos for beating a WCAL team in the championships.
I go back a lot farther than that but it was a disaster. It was also in December.
...and thanks, Aptos.
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Thanks for great info NorCal on Palma, San Benito and rest of the Gabilan teams. That's quite interesting that Richardson & Martinez for Palma had the 3rd best season's in Palma's history at QB & RB last season. If they show any improvement at all this season the team should be very successful.
In talking WCAL and SHP, Palma QB's its interesting to look at the stats in comparison to who is returning veteran QB's and how they performed last season. Clearly the 2 best coming into the 2015 season are SHP's Mason Randle & Palma's Jack Richardson. Here are last season's passing stats:
Mason Randle, SHP - 124/193 for 2077 yards, 64% completions, 14-TD's, 2-Int's, QB Rating 120.3
Jack Richardson, Palma - 116/207 for 1947 yards, 62% completions, 20-TD's, 5-Int's, QB Rating 117.2
Kamali Akina, St. Francis - 69/121 for 1246 yards, 57% completions, 11-TD's, 5-Int's, QB Rating 105.6
Hunter Bishop, Serra - 92/161 for 1002 yards, 57% completions, 4-TD's, 12-Int's, QB Rating 52.9
Sitaleki Nunn, Serra - 52/104 for 528 yards, 50% completions, 3-TD's, 10-Int's, QB Rating 34.9
Jack Luavasa, Riordan - 66/149 for 742 yards, 44% completions, 2-TD's, 13-Int's, QB Rating 27.9
Couple quick notes as its obvious the WCAL does not have a plethora of high quality passing QB's returning to league this season with the exception of Bellarmine's Troy Martig. Bellarmine for some strange reason does not report or make available their team stats at any time in the past, with the only plausible reason being to keep other teams in the dark regarding their style of play & players [during the season I report Bell's stats game to game]. Martig is definitely the fastest QB in CCS and an accurate passer as well. Since the Bells are primarily a running game we likely will not see Martig airing it out much [which is unfortunate].
As for the above stats clearly there are Randle & Richardson & then everyone else. SF should take advantage of Akina & develop their passing game to more than 9 pass attempts per game which equates to 4-5 completions per game. For Serra soph Sitaleki Nunn played the first 5 games before giving way to Hunter Bishop who played the remaining 6 games. While the 2 QB's numbers are similar [except for yardage] Serra will go back to Nunn at QB while Bishop is moved to WR this season.
Riordan had their troubles on offense last season and should show improvement this season with one of the few veteran QB's returning who can run well also. Rikfan posted that the possible QB for SHC will be George Stefko [5'11-180]. I'd mentioned in the previews several teams in WCAL which had soph or junior back-up QB's last year gave their back-ups virtually no game experience at the position [?]. Its surprising that the coaches, knowing their QB is a senior would not expose thier back-ups to real game experience at the position. SHC as an example went 3-7 last season. In WCAL they had 3 losses of 21 points or more & in pre-season [SHC's 3 wins] they had wins of 51-6 over Galileo & 38-7 over Saratoga. So in 5 games with point spreads over 21 points and 10 games total the new QB Stefko attempted 1-pass. Possibly there is more to it and situations I'm not aware of, but the lack of experience at the most important position on the team does not bode well for SHC this season [IMO]. Of the WCAL teams SF, Bells, Serra & Riordan would appear to have the big advantage at the QB position this season.
In talking WCAL and SHP, Palma QB's its interesting to look at the stats in comparison to who is returning veteran QB's and how they performed last season. Clearly the 2 best coming into the 2015 season are SHP's Mason Randle & Palma's Jack Richardson. Here are last season's passing stats:
Mason Randle, SHP - 124/193 for 2077 yards, 64% completions, 14-TD's, 2-Int's, QB Rating 120.3
Jack Richardson, Palma - 116/207 for 1947 yards, 62% completions, 20-TD's, 5-Int's, QB Rating 117.2
Kamali Akina, St. Francis - 69/121 for 1246 yards, 57% completions, 11-TD's, 5-Int's, QB Rating 105.6
Hunter Bishop, Serra - 92/161 for 1002 yards, 57% completions, 4-TD's, 12-Int's, QB Rating 52.9
Sitaleki Nunn, Serra - 52/104 for 528 yards, 50% completions, 3-TD's, 10-Int's, QB Rating 34.9
Jack Luavasa, Riordan - 66/149 for 742 yards, 44% completions, 2-TD's, 13-Int's, QB Rating 27.9
Couple quick notes as its obvious the WCAL does not have a plethora of high quality passing QB's returning to league this season with the exception of Bellarmine's Troy Martig. Bellarmine for some strange reason does not report or make available their team stats at any time in the past, with the only plausible reason being to keep other teams in the dark regarding their style of play & players [during the season I report Bell's stats game to game]. Martig is definitely the fastest QB in CCS and an accurate passer as well. Since the Bells are primarily a running game we likely will not see Martig airing it out much [which is unfortunate].
As for the above stats clearly there are Randle & Richardson & then everyone else. SF should take advantage of Akina & develop their passing game to more than 9 pass attempts per game which equates to 4-5 completions per game. For Serra soph Sitaleki Nunn played the first 5 games before giving way to Hunter Bishop who played the remaining 6 games. While the 2 QB's numbers are similar [except for yardage] Serra will go back to Nunn at QB while Bishop is moved to WR this season.
Riordan had their troubles on offense last season and should show improvement this season with one of the few veteran QB's returning who can run well also. Rikfan posted that the possible QB for SHC will be George Stefko [5'11-180]. I'd mentioned in the previews several teams in WCAL which had soph or junior back-up QB's last year gave their back-ups virtually no game experience at the position [?]. Its surprising that the coaches, knowing their QB is a senior would not expose thier back-ups to real game experience at the position. SHC as an example went 3-7 last season. In WCAL they had 3 losses of 21 points or more & in pre-season [SHC's 3 wins] they had wins of 51-6 over Galileo & 38-7 over Saratoga. So in 5 games with point spreads over 21 points and 10 games total the new QB Stefko attempted 1-pass. Possibly there is more to it and situations I'm not aware of, but the lack of experience at the most important position on the team does not bode well for SHC this season [IMO]. Of the WCAL teams SF, Bells, Serra & Riordan would appear to have the big advantage at the QB position this season.
The only way to know is to watch some games and see what happens. Maybe there's somebody ready to go that we don't know about yet.
Rmbr26. We need you on the nationalhsfootball message board. You have such a grasp on the WCAL and most people around the nation only think of DLS in Norcal and nobody else being good. With your knowledge you could help educate of some the masses. Including our fellow socal posters on the board. Just a thought.
"...Of the WCAL teams SF, Bells, Serra & Riordan would appear to have the big advantage at the QB position this season.[/QUOTE]
Mitty hosts Riordan in their WCAL opener on their home field. This could also be the WCAL debut of the Monarchs' Jr. transfer - Philip Tran if he earns the starting qb spot. Appears to have talent and put up good numbers as a soph starter @ Fremont-Sunnyvale. Competition will be much stronger this season,though, and it will be up to the Mitty coaching staff to further develop him. I am looking forward to seeing him play.
Mitty hosts Riordan in their WCAL opener on their home field. This could also be the WCAL debut of the Monarchs' Jr. transfer - Philip Tran if he earns the starting qb spot. Appears to have talent and put up good numbers as a soph starter @ Fremont-Sunnyvale. Competition will be much stronger this season,though, and it will be up to the Mitty coaching staff to further develop him. I am looking forward to seeing him play.
aztecpadre - thank you for your kind compliment. The less teams you follow the better you get to know them naturally. While I like to follow most of NorCal, it is the WCAL I have the most interest in along with the better CCS teams year to year. Its a fun hobby & predicting is always a challenge.
jordan24 - good point about the Mitty transfer Philip Tran. I touched on Tran and his stats as a soph last year at Fremont in the Mitty preview. I neglected him in the WCAL QB comparison as not sure he was a done deal for Mitty & confirmed as a starter if so. Tran put up big numbers last season although to say Fremonts schedule was soft is an under-statement [but even so still impressive passing numbers]. Here's how Tran compares with above QB's:
Philip Tran - Mitty, 150/258 for 2256 yards, 58% completions, 25-TD's, 3-Int's, QB Rating 114.4
Mason Randle, SHP - 124/193 for 2077 yards, 64% completions, 14-TD's, 2-Int's, QB Rating 120.3
Jack Richardson, Palma - 116/207 for 1947 yards, 62% completions, 20-TD's, 5-Int's, QB Rating 117.2
Kamali Akina, St. Francis - 69/121 for 1246 yards, 57% completions, 11-TD's, 5-Int's, QB Rating 105.6
Hunter Bishop, Serra - 92/161 for 1002 yards, 57% completions, 4-TD's, 12-Int's, QB Rating 52.9
Sitaleki Nunn, Serra - 52/104 for 528 yards, 50% completions, 3-TD's, 10-Int's, QB Rating 34.9
Jack Luavasa, Riordan - 66/149 for 742 yards, 44% completions, 2-TD's, 13-Int's, QB Rating 27.9
jordan24 - good point about the Mitty transfer Philip Tran. I touched on Tran and his stats as a soph last year at Fremont in the Mitty preview. I neglected him in the WCAL QB comparison as not sure he was a done deal for Mitty & confirmed as a starter if so. Tran put up big numbers last season although to say Fremonts schedule was soft is an under-statement [but even so still impressive passing numbers]. Here's how Tran compares with above QB's:
Philip Tran - Mitty, 150/258 for 2256 yards, 58% completions, 25-TD's, 3-Int's, QB Rating 114.4
Mason Randle, SHP - 124/193 for 2077 yards, 64% completions, 14-TD's, 2-Int's, QB Rating 120.3
Jack Richardson, Palma - 116/207 for 1947 yards, 62% completions, 20-TD's, 5-Int's, QB Rating 117.2
Kamali Akina, St. Francis - 69/121 for 1246 yards, 57% completions, 11-TD's, 5-Int's, QB Rating 105.6
Hunter Bishop, Serra - 92/161 for 1002 yards, 57% completions, 4-TD's, 12-Int's, QB Rating 52.9
Sitaleki Nunn, Serra - 52/104 for 528 yards, 50% completions, 3-TD's, 10-Int's, QB Rating 34.9
Jack Luavasa, Riordan - 66/149 for 742 yards, 44% completions, 2-TD's, 13-Int's, QB Rating 27.9
Luavasa, like Serra's Nunn, did not play a full season @ qb last year. Luavasa was grossly underutilized as Lee went with a senior to play qb. He stubbornly stuck the sr. though he was unproductive and made many ill-timed turnovers that led to points throughout non-league and in the WCAL opener @ St. Francis. Luavasa actually led the team after halftime against M-A and SHP and put the Crusaders in a position to win in both of those games. Against SF, Luavasa came in either late 2nd quarter or 2nd half after being down 17 points - 10 of those points coming from turnovers deep in Lancer territory and brought the team to an actual lead in the game late, but eventually the Crusaders coming up short.
Here's the link to Riordan's session at the recent MaxPreps Media Day @ Levi's Stadium. Coach Fordon says the roster will be 45-50 players.
http://www.maxpreps.com/high-school...rusaders-(san-francisco,ca)/football/home.htm
Here's the link to Riordan's session at the recent MaxPreps Media Day @ Levi's Stadium. Coach Fordon says the roster will be 45-50 players.
http://www.maxpreps.com/high-school...rusaders-(san-francisco,ca)/football/home.htm
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jordan - looking at the 2 QB's stats their QB rating was almost identical. Luavasa was the better runner picking up 313 yards with a 3.7 APC for 35 YPG, while Callero had 25 runs for -41 yards. Luavasa had the edge in YPC also at 11+yards to Callero's 8+ YPC. The one glaring stat for Luavasa is the TD to INT ratio having thrown 13 INT's against just 2 TD's.
If Luavase has improved in his field vision and learns when not to throw along with Riordan having a few good WR's this season then things should be looking up. Any idea why Lee went with Callero in the WCAL opener vs SF before pulling him for Luavasa well into the game down by 17?
Luavasa, Riordan - 66/149 for 742 yards, 44% completions, 2-TD's, 13-Int's, QB Rating 27.9
Callero, Riordan - 25/60 for 211 yards, 42% completions, 2-TD's, 2-Int's, QB Rating 27.8
If Luavase has improved in his field vision and learns when not to throw along with Riordan having a few good WR's this season then things should be looking up. Any idea why Lee went with Callero in the WCAL opener vs SF before pulling him for Luavasa well into the game down by 17?
Luavasa, Riordan - 66/149 for 742 yards, 44% completions, 2-TD's, 13-Int's, QB Rating 27.9
Callero, Riordan - 25/60 for 211 yards, 42% completions, 2-TD's, 2-Int's, QB Rating 27.8
[QUOTE="Rmbr26, post: 35802, member: 404"Any idea why Lee went with Callero in the WCAL opener vs SF before pulling him for Luavasa well into the game down by 17?
Luavasa, Riordan - 66/149 for 742 yards, 44% completions, 2-TD's, 13-Int's, QB Rating 27.9
Callero, Riordan - 25/60 for 211 yards, 42% completions, 2-TD's, 2-Int's, QB Rating 27.8[/QUOTE]
Rmbr, Luavasa was unfairly thrown into obvious passing situations by 1) Trying to salvage/get back in a game taking over from Callero and when behind (I.e. Milpitas, SHP, M-A and SF); 2) The putrid offensive scheme of Gen. Lee basically handing off to a rb up the middle for 2 straight downs, then throwing on obvious passing situations. EVERYBODY in the stands could telegraph the plays that Lee called. Lol!
Luavasa also scored using his feet as I believe he scored at least two tds. One was a beautiful 65yd+ read option run as he outran the entire SI Wildcat defense.
Case in point, when Riordan went ahead late against SHC last season...there was an SHC alum that knew Lee and Riordan parents behind me calling the plays that Lee did. Basically, he went ultra conservative and called for "vanilla" run plays up the middle. smh.
Luavasa, Riordan - 66/149 for 742 yards, 44% completions, 2-TD's, 13-Int's, QB Rating 27.9
Callero, Riordan - 25/60 for 211 yards, 42% completions, 2-TD's, 2-Int's, QB Rating 27.8[/QUOTE]
Rmbr, Luavasa was unfairly thrown into obvious passing situations by 1) Trying to salvage/get back in a game taking over from Callero and when behind (I.e. Milpitas, SHP, M-A and SF); 2) The putrid offensive scheme of Gen. Lee basically handing off to a rb up the middle for 2 straight downs, then throwing on obvious passing situations. EVERYBODY in the stands could telegraph the plays that Lee called. Lol!
Luavasa also scored using his feet as I believe he scored at least two tds. One was a beautiful 65yd+ read option run as he outran the entire SI Wildcat defense.
Case in point, when Riordan went ahead late against SHC last season...there was an SHC alum that knew Lee and Riordan parents behind me calling the plays that Lee did. Basically, he went ultra conservative and called for "vanilla" run plays up the middle. smh.
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Correct me if I am wrong but Tran will probably have to sit out a few contests since he was a varsity player for Fremont last year. The transfer rules are murky but unless he had a change of address or had a hardship waiver he will most likely face a sit out period.
Yes. Tran would appear he would have to sit out a few games. Anyone know how many games he will need to sit out? Probably, similar to Hunter Bishop's transfer from SF to Serra.
If I remember correctly Hunter Bishop transferring from St. Francis to Serra had to sit out 5 games, which is when he was inserted into the starting rotation at QB in the St. Ignatius game where Nunn was then moved to RB and gained over 200 yards & 3-TD's in the game. If Mitty is in the same situation depending on Trans "hardships" & eleigibility then that will be a difficult adjustment for Mitty to make 2-3 games into WCAL league play.
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