in the SPOTLIGHT
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Middle man: LB Lyonel LOUIS leads EC defense
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The adage that defense wins championships has become one of the most overused sayings in sports. However, in the Alameda Contra Costa County Athletic League, any team with hopes of bringing home a league title must be able play hard-nosed defense, and in particular, stop the run. For El Cerrito and coach Kenny Kahn, this theory suits his team just fine. “To put it a simple way, we want to play with reckless abandon,” said Kahn, whose 2009 squad was co-league champs, and advanced to the North Coast Section Division III playoffs. “Our defense wants 3-and-out’s. We want to defend the run, and if you want to try to throw the ball, we’ll make you pay.” El Cerrito will look to contend again with a 4-3 defense that returns six starters, and is led by standout linebacker Lyonel Louis. Louis, a 6-foot-3, 204-pound senior, who has offers from Arizona and Utah State, has started for two years, and will be the focal point of a defense that will face strong ground attacks from Berkeley and Alameda. “Lyonel wants to control the interior run, and wreck shop,” Kahn said. “You have to respect him as an offense.” Louis, who is big enough to take on interior linemen, and fast enough to pursue from sideline to sideline, will line up at middle linebacker. While Louis controls the middle of the unit, juniors Trevor Kroll and Chaquil Coutee round out the group at outside linebacker. The pair was called up midseason last year, so they enter 2010 with varsity game experience. To claim another banner, the Gauchos will have to outlast the usual suspects: Alameda, Berkeley and a much-improved Pinole Valley. Khan knows the linebackers can’t do it alone, but they might not need to. Defensive tackles Charles Conner and Jamarrio Harris fortify the El Cerrito front seven. “They want a loss of yardage on every play,” Kahn said of Conner and Harris. “They (won’t) wait around for Lyonel to make a play.” SportStars™
August 26, 2010
How they'll finish 1. Berkeley 2. El Cerrito 3. Alameda 4. Pinole Valley 5. Hercules 6. Richmond 7. De Anza
Best of the ACCAL
Top Offensive Player: Mike Cunningham, RB, Alameda Top Defensive Player: Lyonel Lewis, LB, El Cerrito Old-School Fullback: Keir Abrams, FB, Berkeley Coolest Under Pressure: Byron Thomas, QB, El Cerrito Defensive Hybrid: Travis Feeney, LB/S, Pinole Valley Tough as Nails: Tom Ruckman, QB, Alameda Fastest to the Quarterback: Antione Davis, DE, Pinole Valley Road-Grading Lineman: Zack Gilmore, Pinole Valley Friday Night Atmosphere: Thompson Field, Alameda Picking up the Load: Michael Ned, RB, Berkeley Shutdown Corner: Chris Jackson, El Cerrito Top College Prospect: Isaiah Henderson, OL, Berkeley Special Teams Ace: Maxwell Naterman, K, Pinole Valley Keep an eye on: Kevin Fortich, QB, Hercules
TOP5 GAMES 1. Berkeley @ Marin Catholic-Kentfield, Sept. 18 2. Alameda vs. Encinal (@ Thompson Field, Alameda), Sept. 24 3. Berkeley @ Pittsburg, Sept. 24 4. El Cerrito @ Pinole Valley, Nov. 5 5. Alameda @ El Cerrito, Nov. 12
coaches'take
Lyonel LOUIS
On facing Lyonel Lewis and El Cerrito’s 4-3 defense Alameda coach Steve Rochlin’s first recollection of the Hornets’ 28-21 loss to El Cerrito a year ago? “They drove down the field in the final 25 seconds, and we lost it in the last four.” This season’s match-up should be no different — Rochlin has a strong offense returning but it will need to solve EC’s 4-3 defense and linebacker Lyonel Lewis. “In high school, you’ve got to be careful of a true collegiate kid,” Rochlin said. “If he’s in the middle of the field, he will be hard to avoid. We’ll look at their scheme, and try not to run straight at him.” Upload photos and team stats! www.SportStarsMag.com