Bay Area high school football

C

consumerman

New member
Many articles soon to come or already published

First some general top 5's

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/08/20/SPPL12DSAU.DTL

Top 5 questions

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1. Can De La Salle beat East Coast power Don Bosco Prep?


-- The Spartans (No. 3 in the nation, ESPN) have to be favored at home in Sept. 28 matchup against the Ironmen from Ramsey, N.J. (No. 6) - a squad riding a 24-game winning streak.

2. Which team will win the WCAL?


-- It appears defending champion Bellarmine and Valley Christian are the definitive early favorites. An Oct. 17 meeting at Valley Christian could be the best matchup of area powers.

3. Which player will have the most impact?
-- San Ramon Valley quarterback Joe Southwick is the Metro Area's prep answer to Brett Favre. The senior can beat you with his feet and the long ball.

4. Can Lincoln make history?


-- The Turkey Day champions will try to become the first San Francisco school since the now-closed Polytechnic (1947-50) to win four straight titles.

5. How will the EBAL and WCAL deal with the entries of De La Salle and Sacred Heart Cathedral, respectively?

-- The Spartans most certainly won't lose, and they could beat up teams for the following week. The Irish will provide another physical game for each team in an already smash-mouth league.

Top 5 non-league games
Note: Not including inter-region games or DLS/Don Bosco game.

1. Novato at Valley Christian

7:30 p.m. Sept. 6

-- Last year's Division II state bowl-game entry from the north travels to one of this year's D-II contenders.

2. California at Las Lomas

7 p.m. Sept. 12

-- Two NCS finalists from last year in a game that will pit Cal's tough defense against Diante Jackson-led Las Lomas offense.

3. Marin Catholic at St. Patrick/St. Vincent

7:30 p.m. Sept. 5

-- A matchup of hard-nosed running backs with MC's Nico Dumont and St. Pat's Mike Meekins.

4. San Leandro vs. San Ramon Valley

7 p.m. Sept. 21, Burrell Field

-- Matchup with defending NCS champs is one of three tough non-league games for San Leandro, which returns 14 starters.

5. Los Gatos at St. Francis

7:30 p.m. Sept. 19

-- Will it be another defensive display after last year's 3-3 tie?

Top 5 breakout players
1. George Atkinson III, Athlete

Granada-Livermore6-2, 170So.

-- With his twin brother, Josh, the son of the former Raiders defensive back brings a mature body and speed that made him one of the fastest freshman sprinters in the state.

2. Tyler Anderson, RB/DB

De La Salle5-11, 190Jr.

-- Coaching staff has plans for him on offense and defense.

3. Brett Schweiger, TE

Valley Christian6-5, 185Sr.

-- After not playing last year, this college baseball prospect will be an important option in a Warriors passing game that graduated three quality receivers.

4. Wendell Taiese, OL

McClymonds-Oakland6-4, 310So.

-- The next great Mack lineman played varsity as a freshman and hit the weight room over the summer.

5. Eric Beverly, RB

Lincoln5-7, 175Jr.

-- Shifty back teams with senior Deshon Marman in the backfield after the graduation of David Henderson. .
 
 
Top 5 players by position

Wednesday, August 20, 2008


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(08-19) 20:27 PDT --



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Quarterback
1. Joe Southwick - San Ramon Valley 6-2, 180 Sr.
-- Boise State recruit had 332 total yards in NCS title win over Cardinal Newman.
2. Austyn Carta-Samuels - Bellarmine 6-0, 205 Sr.
-- WCAL junior of the year headed for San Jose State doesn't make many mistakes.
3. Blake Wayne - De La Salle 5-10, 170 Sr.
-- Speed and decision-making in the veer offense complement an accurate arm.
4. Cody Jackson - Serra 5-11, 180 Jr.
-- A dual-threat who has started since sophomore year.
5. Matt O'Brien - Casa Grande 6-0, 170 Sr.
-- Improved footwork and arm strength after a solid junior year.
5 more (alphabetical): Will Brandin (Palo Alto), John Brown (Encinal), Max Carmona (Tennyson), Jeff Stephens (Novato), Tommy Stephens (Campolindo)

Running Back
1. Dasarte Yarnway - Sacred Heart Cathedral 6-0, 215 Sr.
-- Bruising back with numerous Pac-10 offers ran for 1,408 yards and 19 touchdowns as a junior.
2. Kylan Butler - De La Salle 5-8, 180 Sr.
-- Shifty runner already committed to Arizona will be the go-to guy for the Spartans.
3. Cameron Marshall - Valley Christian 5-10, 200 Sr.
-- WCAL back of the year has speed and toughness to get the extra yard.
4. Nico Dumont - Marin Catholic 6-0, 205 Sr.
-- Ran for more than 1,600 yards as team struggled.
5. Patrone Wood - Ygnacio Valley 5-11, 260 Jr.
-- Defenses don't like getting in the way of this physical runner.
5 more: Bryce Flowers (Pittsburg), Leroy Green (California), Johnny Greene (Riordan), Therman McGowan (Santa Rosa), Che'Rod Simpson (Bishop O'Dowd)

Receiver/TE
1. Diante Jackson - Las Lomas 6-3, 188 Sr.
-- Strength, speed and length make him one of the top receivers in the state.
2. C.J. Porter - Concord 6-0, 180 Sr.
-- Utah-bound speedster had 48 receptions as a junior.
3. Zach Ertz - Monte Vista 6-6, 230 Sr.
-- Stanford recruit has the size and athleticism to dominate a game.
4. Delton Edwards Jr. - Pinole Valley 6-5, 210 Sr.
-- Son of Oakland Tech coach is a big target.
5. Sam Knapp - Menlo-Atherton 6-3, 200 Sr.
-- Caught 40 passes as a junior.
5 more: Marcus Aldridge (Oakland), Taylor Brewster (Monte Vista), Jake Davis (Novato), Mitch Haniger (Mitty), Jerry Rice Jr. (Menlo School)

Offensive line
1. Kevin Danser - Bellarmine 6-6, 295 Sr.
-- Pac-10 offers are rolling in for lineman with two older brothers blocking in college.
2. Tyler Worthley - Dublin 6-4, 300 Sr.
-- Three-sport athlete is the class of the East Bay.
3. Jacob Gowan - Cardinal Newman 6-3, 273 Sr.
-- Athletic rugby player who can block with pads, too.
4. Chris Tozer - Valley Christian 6-5, 295 Sr.
-- Will open holes for Warriors' potent running attack.
5. Demetrius Moore - Berkeley 6-4, 275 Sr.
-- All ACCAL first-teamer in his first year of prep football.
5 more: Jeff Ferrier (California), Spencer Havens (Los Gatos), Charles Leno (San Leandro) Adam Murray (Rancho Cotate), Ricky Ohlsson (Lincoln)

Defensive line
1. Justin Clayton - Justin Siena 6-4, 245 Sr.
-- Washington State recruit has speed and work ethic to continue to develop.
2. Kevin Greene - S.H. Cathedral 6-4, 230 Sr.
-- Oregon and ASU among schools that have recruited second-year player.
3. William Hodgman - O'Dowd 6-4, 321 Sr.
-- Defensive end gained Pac-10 interest with some impressive combines.
4. Sekope Kaufusi - Woodside 6-4, 235 Sr.
-- Agile for his size and a force on offense and defense.
5. Magdelano Meraz - San Leandro 5-8, 280 Sr
-- All-HAAL on defense and second team on offense as a junior.
5 more: Eric Banford (Newark Memorial), Doug Caldwell (Serra), Loni Fa (Ygnacio Valley), Travis Johnson (King's Academy), Matt Nilmeyer (Valley Christian)

Linebacker
1. Michael Clay - Bellarmine 5-11, 205 Sr.
-- WCAL Linebacker of the Year in 2007 already has two Pac-10 offers.
2. Steven Fanua - Milpitas 6-1, 205 Sr.
-- DeAnza Defensive Player of the Year as a sophomore and junior.
3. Chris Martin - O'Dowd 6-4, 224 Jr.
-- Already has offers from USC and Notre Dame. 108 tackles as a junior.
4. Logan Edwards - Novato 5-11, 185 Sr.
-- Undersized, but as athletic and as tough as they come in a great program.
5. Emeka Williams - Pittsburg 5-11, 195 Sr.
-- 102 tackles as a junior, a standout at spring combines.
5 more: Ricky Alifua (San Leandro), Dan Camporeale (Acalanes), Garrison Goodman (San Ramon Valley), Michael Mulas (Sonoma Valley), Ryan O'Holleran (Menlo School)


Defensive back
1. Usua Amanam - Bellarmine 5-8, 174 Sr.
-- Agile, returning WCAL Player of the Year headed for Stanford had six interceptions to go with more than 1,600 yards rushing.
2. Avery Patterson - Pittsburg 5-9, 163 Sr.
-- Future Oregon Duck ran 40 meters in 4.34 seconds and plays with a swagger.
3. Noah Perio - De La Salle 5-10, 170 Sr.
-- Three interceptions in the NCS 4A title game. Also a dangerous receiver.
4. Blair Wishom - De La Salle 5-11, 190 Sr.
-- His interception secured the state bowl-game victory for the Spartans.
5. Matt Nadolski - Casa Grande 6-2, 195 Sr.
-- A promising baseball player who is the toughest DB to beat in the North Bay.
5 more: Kenny Cavness (Sacred Heart Cathedral), Kevin Cooper (Bishop O'Dowd), Will Holder (Palo Alto), Russell Perkins (Menlo-Atherton), Tyler Rittenour (Campolindo)
 
note: this year DLS leaves the Bay Valley league and joins the EBAL which has San Ramon, Monte Vista, Foothill, California and generally is a better league than the Bay Valley league. However, DLS will no longer play 5 "league" games which did not count in the league standings (in a 10 team league) but will now play I believe 7 league games which all count in an 8 team league.

If it was not for Palma pulling out of this year's game, DLS would not have been able to schedule DBP.

I believe the 3 non league games are Serra, Loyola (LA) and Don Bosco.

The WCAL a league that at one point last year was 27-2-1 in non-league games, which included a 3-3 tie to an undefeated team, a loss to De La Salle, and a 20-14 loss to a 9-1 team, are adding Sacred Heart back to the football league. The WCAL also features SF teams St Ignatius and Riordan, Serra of San Mateo (Lynn Swann, Tom Brady, Barry Bonds, Gregg Jefferies), St Francis (Mt View), and Valley Christian, Mitty and Bellarmine all from San Jose. Add Sacred Heart to make 8.

A player from Sacred Heart got the feature article in the SF Chronicle's lead prep story for this year
 
De La Salle Preview

HIGH SCHOOLS
New Challenge For De La Salle
Spartans looking for cohesion in debut in always-tough EBAL
Will McCulloch, Chronicle Staff Writer

Wednesday, September 3, 2008


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(09-02) 20:57 PDT -- Eight months after capping an undefeated season with a state bowl-game victory, De La Salle High seniors Blake Wayne and Kylan Butler don't sound like two guys with championship rings in their lockers.


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The two primary offensive options were not dishing out the-season-looks-bright cliches Saturday, four weeks before the Spartans host New Jersey power Don Bosco Prep in a matchup of nationally ranked teams.

"We try to use Don Bosco as motivation," said Wayne, the starting quarterback, "but the way we've been practicing, the coaches are kind of saying, 'There's no way you can compete with Don Bosco with the way you're practicing.' We need to focus on ourselves first. Because we can't even beat ourselves in practice sometimes. We're just really struggling."

Butler, a 5-foot-7 running back, verbally has committed to Arizona, but doesn't spend much time patting himself on the back.

"I need to get back to where I was running last year, where I was trying to run tough and get the yards I can get," Butler said after a 20-minute, post-practice team meeting, "as opposed to this year where I'm trying to do much."

These critical self-evaluations don't represent new territory for Spartans players. As one local coach said, "Fear and anger have always been a staple of motivation for the Spartans."

A year ago, De La Salle entered the 2007 season with the nagging memory of a loss in its first state bowl game. Then the senior-laden Spartans plowed through the regular season and North Coast Section playoffs before knocking off Centennial-Corona 37-31 in a Division I state bowl game for the ages.

This season, as the Spartans join the already-tough East Bay Athletic League, there are lingering questions despite their place in numerous national rankings. Sure, they return a dual-threat quarterback in Wayne, a tough runner in Butler and two other seniors in Noah Perio and Blair Wishom who can snag passes on offense and intercept them on defense. But the entire offensive and defensive lines from last season's squad graduated, leaving some uncertainty and the need for quick cohesion.

"It's all about trust and right now we don't really have a lot of it on our team," said Wayne, who shared time with Mike MacGillivray last season. "... Not a lot of linemen have stepped up, and they're missing blocks, so running backs can't trust which way to run or where to go. So people need to start stepping up and we'll be able to trust each other and get better acquainted with each other. And we'll be better as a team."

Perio is optimistic that the Spartans will find their way.

"We have that trust and that brotherhood within us," said Perio, who caught the winning touchdown pass in the state bowl-game victory. "We know each person is going to do (his) job."

In addition to the chance to play in the first-ever open division state bowl game, De La Salle will attempt to win its first title in a new league in Bob Ladouceur's 30th season as head coach.

The Concord school's move to the EBAL is something that most opposing coaches seem to be embracing.

"The league was already a great, competitive league," Amador Valley-Pleasanton coach Rick Sira said. "When you add De La Salle and its success, it will make the league even better."

Monte Vista-Danville coach Craig Bergman said De La Salle's arrival makes an already tough "grind" even more difficult.

"I think it's a positive," Bergman said. "Our kids are used to them. They're the pre-eminent program in the country and to win it, you have to go through them."

Butler thinks the EBAL will only help the Spartans.

"I think the EBAL teams are more disciplined and better coached," Butler said. "And as far as getting ready, there is more preparation."


Spartans' standard
2007 dominance: 13-0, 608 points scored, 150 points allowed.

Traditional power: 332-20-3 record, since coach Bob Ladouceur became coach; 44 straight NCS playoff victories; 16 straight NCS titles; current 13-game winning streak

Season opener: Sept. 13, at Serra, 1 p.m.

Football previews
Aug. 20: Top players

Aug. 23: AAA and OAL

Aug. 27: WCAL, PAL and SCVAL

Aug. 30: East Bay, Contra Costa and Tri-Valley

Today: De La Salle and EBAL, North Bay

Preps on SFGate.com
 
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