Six years after the Grant/DLS debate, we find common ground
T
he seeds of this issue’s cover story, which I and the rest of the SportStars staff is quite proud of, were first planted back in 2008. That was the first year the California Interscholastic Federation expanded its State Football Bowl games setup. After two years of playing three games (Div. I, II and III), the CIF added two more games to the mix — a Small School (now known as Div. IV) and an Open Division game that it hoped would essentially serve as the unofficial state title game, pitting the top Northern and Southern California teams regardless of division. This obviously created a sufficient amount of buzz among prep pundits throughout the state. But no more so than the Sunday after section championships had concluded and the 10 section commissioners of the CIF held their closed-door meeting to choose the bowl participants. In a bold and controversial choice, the selection committee chose Grant-Sacramento to represent NorCal in the first Open Division game — a spot most assumed was reserved for De La Salle-Concord, which was instead slotted to play in the Division I Bowl that year. The resumés of both teams were endlessly scrutinized during the week leading up to the bowl games. Grant was 13-0 with out-of-state wins against Idaho and Utah state champs (which many debated the strength of), while De La Salle was 12-1 with its only loss to nationally-ranked Don Bosco Prep (N.J.). I fully admit to being skeptical of the CIF’s choice at the time. Ben Enos, who makes his SportStars debut with this cover story, was a colleague of mine at the Contra Costa Times during that season. We were co-creators of an online weekly video series named “Two Geeks and a Pigskin.” As part of our CIF Bowl preview episode, we heavily mocked the Grant decision. Shoes were thrown. And we were wrong. As were many others. Grant showed they belonged. The Pacers upset Long Beach Poly 25-20 in a thrilling inaugural Open Division Bowl the day after De La Salle lost the Div. I bowl 21-16 to a CentennialCorona team which some thought could have represented SoCal in the Open game. The Grant victory was a huge breakthrough for a region that had spent several years wanting to prove itself outside the Bay Area and beyond. And in the years following, more intersectional battles have begun to play out during the regular season. It’s become very clear that the Sac-Joaquin Section is on equal footing with Bay Area football. When Enos and I began talking about what his first project would be with the magazine, we thought it would be fun to look back at the last five years and see just how close these two regions have become. You may or may not be surprised at what we found. And depending on which region you represent and pull for, everyone can agree that NorCal football is in very good shape. ✪
ABOUT OUR COVER PLAYERS
Malik Hutchings, LB/DE, Deer ValleyAntioch: With a 6-0 record through Oct. 11, the Wolverines are off to their best start since 2009. They feature plenty of offensive weapons, but the defense is fueled by Hutchings. The senior leads the team with 66 tackles (40 solo) and has added 2 fumble recoveries, 1.5 sacks and an interception. And it’s just his first season of football. Tyler Meteer, LB/TE, Del Oro-Loomis: The senior impacts both sides of the ball for the 4-2 Golden Eagles, having already recorded 22 receptions for 300 yards and 6 TDs. On defense, he’s made 65 tackles, recorded 3 sacks, and recovered one fumble. As a junior, Meteer caught 47 passes for 652 yards and 6 TDs while making 74 tackles. The 6-foot-3, 205-pound prospect has not yet committed to a college, but is receiving increased attention from Division I schools.
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