WCAL needs to be relevant

[NCSF]

I've given fans a of the WCAL a bad time about their football teams. The fact is that they are the best all-sports league in Northern California. Part of the criticism is tongue in cheek but most of it is true. I've always been of the belief that in order to be the best possible, your top teams need to be great. Baseball was at its best when the Yankees dominated. The Lakers in hoops and the 49ers, Cowboys, Steelers, and Raiders in their heyday for the NFL.

Northern California football is best when the WCAL has some dominant teams. That hasn't been the case at the NorCal regional or state level for awhile. The athletes are there but I truly believe they need to evolve. They have always been able to out-athlete teams in their area and relied on defense and a run-control game. That works until you come up against a team of similar athletic ability and they put 8-9 guys in the box.

Do they need to change? How do they to change? If you don't think need to change, why do you believe that?

 

[NorCalSportsFan]

NCSF league and team strength goes in cycles (unless you are DLS and even they have more elite teams in some years than others). Every team in the WCAL has had down years in the past and other programs outside of the WCAL in CCS have stepped up - (Sacred Heart Prep, Oak Grove, Palma, etc.). The WCAL has had a nice run in the last cycle.

 

[NCSF]

They shouldn't be down though. They get the majority of the top athletes in the Peninsula and Southbay. The talent is there IMO. Let me put it this way- Besides Palo Alto fours years ago, there's not another program outside of the WCAL that is capable of being in the top 4-5 teams in the whole state. The WCAL needs to be great for the sake of the CCS.

 

[Dooer]

I actually think that Milpitas in some years, if they ever actually put it together, could be a top team in the state. They are kind of like Grant, big, fast and somewhat undisciplined. Alas, they have never put it all together. This year may have been the closest, until they ran into that buzzsaw Bellarmine. JK.

 

[NCSF]

Dooer- Bellarmine is the prime example of having three QB's in the last 7-8 seasons that could really throw and they never utilized their personnel. Put eight people in the box, attack the A and B gaps, and blow up that bunch ball offense.

Milpitas has the demographics and population to be special if they can develop a true program. I'll never forget Deltha O'Neil who was a Milpitas product. He was a star on offense and defense at Cal and was an all pro DB with the Broncos. Plenty of talent that needs to be cultivated.

 

[Irish_Cheers]

"WCAL needs to be relevant"

This has to be the stupidest subject line I've ever read. That's like saying "DLS has to learn how to win". Sheer idiocy.

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This post was edited on 1/11 10:56 AM by Irish_Cheers

 

[NCSF]

Cheers- Let me dumb it down for you. The WCAL should have a team or two that should be playing for the Northern California finals games and going to state with the talent they have and it's not happening. They used to be the power of Northern California and they have not been- but should be. Why aren't they performing better? They do in all the other sports. And I don't believe it's cyclical. It's became a pattern.

 

[NorCalSportsFan]

There was talent this year, but seems lots of talent with injuries. This year seemed like a year where there were an uncommon amount of injuries to top players. Also, seems the WCAL line play wasn't real strong. In general, I think the WCAL rise also had some to do with down cycle in outside of WCAL. This year seemed to be more parity of top programs.

Milpitas has had some very good teams in the past and seems to always field a few top athletes and some big linemen.

 

[FUBO]

NCSF, you have legitimate points. Irish Cheers is, let us say, challenged. His team has went 0 for everything in league the last two years and next year will probably be the same so he is a little sensitive.

 

[Irish_Cheers]

Originally posted by [NotClearlySaneFreak]:
Cheers- Let me dumb it down for you [easy for you to do, genius].

Well let me "dumber" it down for you, you condescending, lip-flapping idiot. You can't expect every team to re-load to powerhouse status every year. Every school's had their bad teams. Even Bellarmine. Expect the Irish to improve, whether you or your FU-BO--buddy likes it or not. They had a good Frosh year (Clobbered doormat, pathetic Riordan; swamped SI 41-8) and they will build on it. Expect FUBO to be in even worse form next season when he gripes about Riordan's players, the coaching, the field, and zero wins the next five years in a row... unless they close first. Maybe they should go 8-man and play Stuart Hall and Anchor Point instead....

You also could have emphasized that you were talking about the southern schools instead of being a complete jerk about it like your FU-bo buddy who wouldn't know a brain cell if he saw one. But that's too much to ask of someone with the IQ of a pencil eraser (with apologies to pencil erasers).







This post was edited on 4/4 9:09 AM by Irish_Cheers

 

[NCSF]

Let me make it even simpler for you-Your school is not who I'm banking on. Neither is Riordan or SI. Bellarmine, Serra, Valley Christian, St. Francis or Mitty are who I'm addressing. ONE of those programs should be able to do something each year. They have all the pieces in place and I just don't understand why they are so adverse to change.

The one program I see making moves to change is Serra. I look for them to be the dominant program going forward unless a program from the southern part of the league evolves.

 

[Hatchball]

Keep in mind that St Francis/Mitty/Bellarmine/VC are all within 20 miles of one another, and all are schools football players would want to attend, so you'll see some thinning of quality players. Every year each school will get some good players, but rarely will you see one team with a stacked roster.

 

[Irish_Cheers]

It's obvious he worries too much. The least concern I have is about how strong the southern schools are.


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This post was edited on 4/9 6:17 PM by Irish_Cheers

 

[WCAL75]

Originally posted by Hatchball:
Keep in mind that St Francis/Mitty/Bellarmine/VC are all within 20 miles of one another, and all are schools football players would want to attend, so you'll see some thinning of quality players. Every year each school will get some good players, but rarely will you see one team with a stacked roster.

This

The lay of the land has changed along with shifts in demographics. Saint Francis used to have a wider area to draw from but now Saint Francis and Mitty are fiercely competing for players and not just in football. Bellarmine is a different animal with the number of students they have and the continuity of their legacy factor. VC does their own thing and is set up differently. Serra is on the right track. I like how Walsh has tapped in to the Samoan pipeline and brought in a good offensive coordinator(who likes to pass) and a good defensive coordinator. The San Francisco schools do their own thing just like VC.

I do agree that the WCAL needs to take a hard look at its self and to decide what changes it needs to make to get to the regional play in game and then to SBG's. Passing alone will not do it as it is more complex than that. When I have more time I will try to revisit this topic.

 

[NCSF]

75- you always have great insight and would like to hear you elaborate. I do think they need to evolve and develop a semblance of a passing game. I'm not saying run a spread offense but adjust and take advantage of the talent they have ie the Carta-Samuels brothers. Good insight of the competitive nature of the schools vying for student-athletes. I really see it in Baseball.

 

[thegeorgebrettstory]

That is a great point about the proximity of these schools. I truly believe if the mighty De La Salle Spartens were located in that region of the bay they would not have as much success as they do in the NCS. Only because they wouldn't have the monopoly as they do in Concord as far as private schools go. Not as many to choose from. Still a GREAT program but not the national/norcal records the have now.

 

[Hatchball]

Also, when St. Francis and Bellarmine dominated WCAL football from the early 90's and prior, they were the only two WCAL schools that had the history/program strength to be attractive football schools. Mitty didn't become a strong program until the mid-90's, VC didn't join the WCAL until the early 2000's. Serra was mediocre until the mid-2000's. Now Mitty and VC are attractive options right in the heart of the South Bay, and, Serra is now an attractive option on the Peninsula, taking players that may have gone to St. Francis (23 miles away).

Bellarmine in some ways adopted to the situation by switching over to their double wing, which allows them to compete year after year with inconsistent talent/undersized players. Once every few years you'll find a WCAL team with the talent/depth to compete at the state level, but I think what you see now is what will be the norm in the near future - 4-5 above average teams that will beat most CCS competition, but will struggle at the regional and state level against the top tier teams.

 

[jordan24]

Don't forget there is a little school in Atherton (SHP) that is an attractive option if a player is deciding on a Peninsula school to play football...Of course that student will need to afford $38K/year or seek financial assistance...

Originally posted by Hatchball:
Also, when St. Francis and Bellarmine dominated WCAL football from the early 90's and prior, they were the only two WCAL schools that had the history/program strength to be attractive football schools. Mitty didn't become a strong program until the mid-90's, VC didn't join the WCAL until the early 2000's. Serra was mediocre until the mid-2000's. Now Mitty and VC are attractive options right in the heart of the South Bay, and, Serra is now an attractive option on the Peninsula, taking players that may have gone to St. Francis (23 miles away).

Bellarmine in some ways adopted to the situation by switching over to their double wing, which allows them to compete year after year with inconsistent talent/undersized players. Once every few years you'll find a WCAL team with the talent/depth to compete at the state level, but I think what you see now is what will be the norm in the near future - 4-5 above average teams that will beat most CCS competition, but will struggle at the regional and state level against the top tier teams.

 

[Hatchball]

Originally posted by jordan24:
Don't forget there is a little school in Atherton (SHP) that is an attractive option if a player is deciding on a Peninsula school to play football...Of course that student will need to afford $38K/year or seek financial assistance...

This is true but I'm not completely sold on them being a consistent year-over-year power, yet. The PAL in general is a weak league and has never fared well in sectional playoffs so it's hard to gauge how strong their teams are in any given year. I'm still leaning towards SHP's success the past couple of years as an aberration, but if I'm wrong and they can become something of a Palma on the Peninsula, it would just dilute the talent further.

This post was edited on 1/6 1:03 PM by Hatchball

 

[HSS75]

I believe one of the characteristics of a great WCAL football team is continuity. Its a 4 year commitment (all year long). You get great turnout during Freshman season. But when you start to lose good/great football athletes so they can concentrate on others sports like basketball and baseball the following years, then it hurts the program. I seen it all too often. And last season was no exception. It's a competitive league but it's even more competitive between internal coaches vying for an athletes time during the on/off-season.

 

[FUBO]

I think Riordan just made a coaching change that jibes with your WCAL analysis.

 

[NCSF]

Coaches that are dynamic keep players ingratiated.

 

[PAL95]

I just think WCAL teams need to open up the playbook a little more. Conservative is an understatement for some of these offenses. I love defense, but when its a 90% run and 10% pass league it does get kinda of boring and not only that, kids that could be getting looks at WR are left out to dry. The RB takes all the credit. Besides Carta Samuels, who was the last D1 qb in the WCAL? If this is supposed to be one of the top leagues in Calfornia it needs to start putting points on the board! The WCAL usually dominates the CCS because of line play and defense. Thats fine, but when it comes to playing a team up North in a regional game, they will have no chance being one dimentional. If teams spread it out more with all the athletes being utilized, the WCAL will be a force to be reckoned with.