NorCal Issue 137, Aug. 24, 2017

FREE

VOL. 8 ISSUE 137 AUGUST 24, 2017 NORCAL EDITION

access

ALL

8

Several teams on the cusp of something great

Bishop O’Dowd isn’t just a hoops school, plus NCS medium schools preview

10 19

North Coast Section: Small Schools Preview

in the magazine

20

THEY’RE

NUMBER 1 It’s football time, which means De La Salle is back on its familiar perch at the top of the NorCal Top 20. Who else made the cut? Don’t wait, go find out. Pg. 14

Oakland Section Preview

24

EXCLUSIVE: Preseason All-NorCal team. Only the best made this list

26

Inderkum has a stud in WR Isaah Crocker, plus SJS medium schools preview

30

Granite Bay is ready to rebound, plus SJS large schools preview

34

Capital Christian running on Diesel Fuel, plus SJS small schools preview

36

Galileo finds its footing, plus City section preview

38

Bracy Brothers have Milpitas seeing double this season

42

WCAL won’t be for the faint of heart

a look at the biggest stories from the Cal-Hi SportStars Network

in the network

SportStarsMag.com

4

SportStars™

August 24, 2017

Our first new NorCal Top 20 Football Rankings release Tuesday, Aug. 29. How many drop out? How many move up?

CalHiSports.com

SportStarsMag.com

Our first NorCal Top 20 Girls New State Top 25 football Volleyball rankings debut Sept. rankings every Monday.

6, followed by our in-depth Get a Gold Club Membership volleyball preview on Sept. 14. for commentary on each team.

Subscribe to our Digital Edition at SportStarsMag.com Follow us on Twitter & Instagram, and like us on Facebook!

s u o i r o l g the

N O R I RID G A las, it’s here. Our labor of love, and admittedly my favorite issue to work on every year.

This is the eighth edition of our Football Preview, and I feel like it gets better each time we do it.

This year we added our newest wrinkle, adding a Southern California edition that will be available at SportStarsOnline.com the same day that the NorCal issue releases in print and online. We leaned heavily on the help of Cal-Hi Sports editor and co-founder Mark Tennis. If you’re gonna lean on somebody, it may as well be one of the most respected names in California high school reporting over the last three decades.

This will be the first full academic year of our effort to cover SoCal schools. Our first SoCal edition didn’t come until late November of 2016. Tennis will be helping us spearhead our coverage down there, and we’re hoping we can continue to grow that issue.

As for the SoCal Football Preview, look for a feature on Mission Hills-San Marcos receiver Chris Olave — set to be a go-to target for 4-star QB Jack Tuttle after sitting out a year due to a transfer rule that no longer exists — as well as stories on Mission Viejo standout Olaijah Griffin, and the impact of the CIF L.A. City Section creating an Open Division. It will also feature a Preseason All-SoCal team and Preseason SoCal Top 20 team rankings.

As for the NorCal issue, we’ve got it chock full of gridiron goodness. The North Coast Section and Sac-Joaquin Section each have three stories in here, the Central Coast Section has two, and one each for the Oakland and San Francisco sections. There’s the Preseason All-NorCal team and our NorCal Top 20 rankings.

Throughout the issue you’ll also see our players to watch breakouts for small, medium and large schools for certain sections. And finally, keep an eye out for our Flash 5 — the five NorCal players we believe will help fill the highlight-reel void left by last year’s Football Preview cover kid, Antioch’s Najee Harris.

What we don’t have in here are section and state championship predictions. With the way many sections are using Open Divisions and competitive equity-based playoff bracketing now, we thought there was just a little too much guesswork involved.

But it feels as though a preview issue like this should have SOME sort of out-on-a-limb offering. So I’ll throw out a few of my own personal blind stabs to lead you into the issue. Here goes nothing.

A few predicted champs from some top NorCal leagues: BAY VALLEY (NCS): Pittsburg DELTA (SJS): Jesuit-Carmichael EAST BAY (NCS): San Ramon Valley-Danville SIERRA FOOTHILL (SJS): Folsom WEST CATHOLIC (CCS): St. Francis-Mountain View Also, here’s a couple more random predictions. ›› The North Coast Section will finally land a second large school in a CIF State Bowl final — While Pittsburg, San Ramon Valley, Freedom-Oakley, Clayton Valley Charter-Concord or any other school is unlikely to take down De La Salle in the NCS Open Division, whoever gets a shot at the regional bowl will break through to join the Spartans at Sac State. ›› At season’s end, our NorCal Player of the Year will be a junior — Between De La Salle’s Isaiah Foskey and Henry To’oto’o, Pittsburg’s Jacob Bandes, Bishop O’Dowd’s Austin Jones (see cover) and St. Francis’ Josh Pakola, the amount of Class of 2019 talent is impressive this season.

Jump into the preview and feel free to holler back with your own predictions on any of our social media channels.

And lastly, Hooray Football. ✪ Chris Olave

JOIN OUR TEAM PHONE 925.566.8500 FAX 925.566.8507 EDITORIAL Editor@SportStarsMag.com Editor Chace Bryson • Chace@SportStarsMag.com Assistant Editor Mike Wood Staff Writer Jim McCue • JimMcCue16@gmail.com Contributors Bill Kolb, Matt Smith, Clay Kallam, Dave Kiefer, Tim Rudd, Trevor Horn, Mark Tennis, James G. Kane, Harold Abend, Jill Daniels, Anthony Trucks, Erika Westhoff Copy Editor Bill Kruissink Photography James K. Leash, Phillip Walton, Doug Guler, Berry Evans III, Samuel Stringer, Jim Johnson, Dennis Lee Interns Joshua Howser, Krishna Gomatam Marketing/Events Ryan Arter CREATIVE DEPARTMENT Art@SportStarsMag.com Production Manager Mike DeCicco • MikeD@SportStarsMag.com PUBLISHER/PRESIDENT Mike Calamusa • Mike@SportStarsMag.com ADVERTISING Sales@SportStarsMag.com, 925.566.8500 Account Executives Camps & Clinics: Ryan Arter • Camps@SportStarsMag.com Alameda County: Berry Evans • Berry@foto-pros.com READER RESOURCES/ADMINISTRATION Subscription, Calendar, Credit Services Info@SportStarsMag.com INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY John Bonilla CFO Sharon Calamusa • Sharon@SportStarsMag.com COMMUNITY SPORTSTARS™ MAGAZINE A division of Caliente! Communications, LLC 5356 Clayton Rd., Ste. 222 • Concord, CA 94521 • info@SportStarsMag.com www.SportStarsMag.com

Caliente!

LLC

PRINTED ON RECYCLED PAPER IN USA

YOUR TICKET TO CALIFORNIA SPORTS ADMIT ONE; RAIN OR SHINE This Vol. #8, August 24, 2017 Whole No. 137 is published by Caliente!

Communications, LLC, 5356 Clayton Rd, Ste. 222, Concord, CA 94521.

SportStars™© 2010-2014 by Caliente! Communications, LLC. All rights reserved. Subscription rates: 16 issues, U.S. 3rd class $35 (allow 3 weeks for delivery). 1st class $55. To receive sample issues, please send $3 per copy, or $6 total for bulk. Back issues are $4 each. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission of Publisher is strictly prohibited. The staff and management, including Board of Directors, of SportStars™© does not advocate or encourage the use of any product or service advertised herein for illegal purposes. Editorial contributions, photos and letters to the editor are welcome and should be addressed to the Editor. All material should be typed, double-spaced on disk or email and will be handled with reasonable care. For materials return, please enclose a stamped, self-addressed envelope. SportStars™© and STARS!™© Clinics are registered trademarks of Caliente! Communications, LLC.

Read Me. Recycle Me. 6

SportStars™

August 24, 2017

Subscribe to our Digital Edition at SportStarsMag.com

Follow us on Twitter & Instagram, and like us on Facebook!

Best. Season. Ever.

A Handful Of Schools Capable Of History-Making Seasons

F

or a feature story in this issue of SportStars, the question was asked if this 2017 edition of the Bishop O’Dowd-Oakland football team might be the best in school history? The Dragons, after all, seem to be even more loaded than last year when they went 15-1 and won the CIF Division V-AA state title.

The bigger question is that now with the CIF going to year three of conducting state playoffs in 13 competitive equity-based divisions and with more schools, including O’Dowd, in general playing stronger schedules, how many teams in Northern California have a chance to have their best teams in school history?

It’s actually a long list, if one considers all the possibilities.

Even mighty De La Salle, the rulers of the North in California since 1992, has a chance to have its best team ever. That would take going unbeaten and winning the CIF Open Division state title, but the schedule this year includes two out-of-state powerhouse teams (including Bishop Gorman-Las Vegas) and what if DLS were to win that last game this year over an opponent that very easily could be unbeaten itself and ranked even higher?

It’s hard to say, but both Mater Dei-Santa Ana and St. John Bosco-Bellflower seem to have rosters comparable to Long Beach Poly’s famed 2001 team — that had 28 Div. I scholarship players and five Parade Magazine All-Americans — that DLS defeated with perhaps its greatest team ever. One of those two certainly could be unbeaten and No. 1 in the nation coming into the CIF Open Division state final.

In O’Dowd’s case, it is taking on DLS in a nonleague game this season. The Dragons don’t have to win to have their best team in school history, but hope to do better than they did when they played NCS Open Division runner-up Freedom-Oakley last year. Freedom won that game 43-13. A decent showing against the Spartans also may help boost O’Dowd into a higher CIF divisional bowl game this season. A matchup against last year’s D3-AA state champ, Paraclete-Lancaster, would be a great one. Paraclete actually didn’t move up that far in its CIF Southern Section playoff division and looks like a favorite to win another section title and become bowl eligible.

But the list of schools possibly having the chance to have their best football teams in school history is actually quite longer.

Also in the CIF North Coast Section, Pittsburg has even more returning speed and talent in the skill positions and at linebacker than usual, and is opening up against 10-time CIF Southern Section champion Centennial-Corona. If Pitt or any other school were to finally end the DLS domination of the NCS and in the Open Division, best team in school history could be a term heard loud and proud from its fans.

Both Manteca and Oakdale in the Sac-Joaquin Section are expected to have squads similar to or better than last season, and both are taking on challenging opponents early on. The Buffaloes are playing CCS power Valley Christian-San Jose while the Mustangs are hosting Folsom. You know, Folsom? The school that had won four straight SJS Div. I titles before losing to St. Mary’s-Stockton last year? Both Manteca and Oakdale also should be in higher section playoff divisions this year, and you’d assume if Oakdale gets back onto the CIF bowl board, it would be in a tougher group than the one it played last season.

Valley Christian-San Jose could parlay a first-week win over Manteca into a great season. That’s always a possibility for teams Bishop O’Dowd coach and former Raider from the West Catholic Athletic League. Serra-San Mateo is again playing one of the toughest schedules in the state, and this year Napoleon Kaufman.

St. Francis-Mountain View is going to resume a series with De La Salle.

You never know how all of the CCS Open Divisions are going to work themselves out, but a team winning a WCAL title, a CCS Open Division title and a CIF state title (something that both VC and Serra didn’t do last year) has not happened before. When a team does do that, a best in school history claim can definitely be made, too.

Milpitas isn’t from the WCAL, but may have the most talented team in the CCS. The Trojans look likely go 10-0 in the regular season based on their schedule and then would have a chance to finish unbeaten overall with a CIF state title that likely would be in one of two divisions that Valley Christian and Serra competed in last season.

Odds are that one of these schools, maybe more, is going to be able to say best team in school history. Whether one of those is O’Dowd, we’ll just have to see. ✪ 8

SportStars™

August 24, 2017

Subscribe to our Digital Edition at SportStarsMag.com

Follow us on Twitter & Instagram, and like us on Facebook!

PRESEASON CALIFORNIA FOOTBALL STATE TOP 20 (Listed with 2016 final record) 1. Mater Dei-Santa Ana 13-1 There are 10 returning starters for the Monarchs on offense and three could be All-Americans — WR Amon-Ra St. Brown, junior QB J.T. Daniels and OL Tommy Brown. Daniels passed for 4,849 yards and 67 TDs as a sophomore. The defense faces numerous graduation losses, but three transfers may make that a moot point, including All-American candidate LB Solomon Tuliaupupu.

2. St. John Bosco-Bellflower 13-2 For the last six years, including this one, the Braves have had teams as powerful as any over six years in state history. That’s including any six straight years De La Salle-Concord has ever had.

The secondary, led by Ohio State commit Jaiden Woodbey, and the return of QB Re-al Mitchell on offense gives Bosco a great chance for the CIF Open Division repeat.

3. Centennial-Corona 11-2 The Huskies are playing IMG Academy of Florida at the Honor Bowl and have their leaders returning. QB Tanner McKee, an AllAmerican candidate, passed for 3,522 yards, 36 TDs last season.

On defense, Cameron Pitcher is an up-and-coming linebacker.

4. De La Salle-Concord 11-2 The gap between the Spartans and the top two or three in SoCal last year was quite wide, but should narrow with the return of 17 starters. Will it be enough? Their game at Bishop GormanLas Vegas on Sept. 16 may provide some of the answer. Kairee Robinson, who rushed for 2,012 yards last year, and USC-bound DT Tuli Letuligasenoa (6-2, 320) are the top veterans.

5. Mission Viejo 11-1 The Diablos, who already opened with a win over Baldwin of Hawaii, have two big-time receivers in Olaijah Griffin and Austin Osborne. Griffin also is an elite DB. Many other top starters also are back.

6. Narbonne-Harbor City 14-1 Head coach Manny Douglas’ squad is going for a sixth L.A. City Section title in seven years and should get it despite the new Open Division format. QB Jalen Chatman (passed for 3,926 yards and 52 TDs) and LB Raymond Scott (USC commit) are the best in a strong corps of returnees.

7. Chaminade-West Hills 8-4 This would have been the No. 5 team based on returning players after last season, but transfers have hurt. We still are ranking the Eagles in front of Long Beach Poly due to their 50-14 win in last year’s playoffs. QB Ryan Stevens, RB Andrew Van Buren and WR Michael Wilson are all elite.

8. Long Beach Poly-Long Beach 7-4 The Jackrabbits have been a big beneficiary of the crazy SoCal transfer scene. They already were going to be much improved in 2017, but may be closer to an elite level with QB Matt Corral, WR Jalen Hall and DB Aashari Crosswell all coming into the program since last season.

9. Serra-Gardena 7-4 The Cavaliers face No. 6 Narbonne in their opener and play other teams during the season to maybe get them up to a No. 4 seed for the CIFSS Div. I playoffs. WR Kobe Smith, LB Merlin Robertson and WR/DB Bryan Addison are all getting major college offers.

10. Rancho Cucamonga 12-2 QB Nick Acosta passed for 2,288 yards and 27 TDs last season and headlines a squad that we don’t think should be too affected by heavy graduation losses. Watch out for junior RB Sean Dollars, who had 1,193 yards as a sophomore.

Follow us on Twitter & Instagram, and like us on Facebook!

11. Pittsburg 9-2 Twelve returning starters are back for head coach Vic Galli. Four first team all-league defenders are among that group while the offense should feature junior RB/WR Willie Harts III and senior WR Ajae Boyd. The Pirates aren’t playing De La Salle this year, unless they meet in the CIF North Coast Section Open Division.

12. Helix-La Mesa 10-3 The Highlanders and Cathedral Catholic-San Diego have traded off being the top team in the CIF San Diego Section the past two years. This year, with 13 returning starters plus the addition of top transfer Isaac Taylor-Stuart, Helix may get back to the No. 1 position. Taylor-Stuart was the fastest player in the nation at Nike’s The Opening in Beaverton, Ore. 13. Murrieta Valley-Murrieta 11-3 Junior QB Hank Bachmeier and senior WR Marquis Spiker comprise one of the best pass-catch duos in the state. Bachmeier threw for 3,862 yards with 46 TDs last season. Spiker latched on to 90 receptions measuring more than 1,700 yards and 26 TD grabs.

14. Cathedral Catholic-San Diego 15-0 Only six starters are back, but Cathedral Catholic has players coming up from a dominant 10-0 JV team and plenty of others from a squad that won the CIF Division 1-AA State Bowl title.

One of those returnees is LB Jake Lynch, the son of recently hired SF 49ers GM John Lynch.

15. St. Mary’s-Stockton 14-2 Despite the loss of key seniors such as QB Jake Dunniway (4,000 yds passing), the Rams have enough back to be considered the team to beat in the Sac-Joaquin Section. RB Dusty Frampton rushed for 2,345 yards and 42 TDs while Marcus Aponte and Tre Jenkins are among top two-way players in the section.

16. Calabasas 14-1 Based on returning players and transfers coming in, the Coyotes are almost as strong as Mater Dei and St. John Bosco in the skill positions, but need a QB to replace graduated standout Tristan Gebbia. Calabasas will be jumping from CIFSS Div. V to Div. II. 17. Oak Ridge-El Dorado Hills 10-3 The Trojans have the most returning starters among all of the top teams from a year ago in the CIF Sac-Joaquin Section. While they haven’t been able to actually beat Folsom in several years, the loss last year was by one point so ranking them higher than the Bulldogs isn’t something out of left field.

18. Bishop Amat-La Puente 7-4 This is another top squad from the Mission League in the CIFSS (same one as Chaminade and Serra-Gardena). The Lancers return junior QB Blake Archuleta, leading rusher Dominic Barrrera, top lineman Aaron Maldonado (UCLA commit) and junior WR Jaden Allen.

19. Valencia 10This could be a huge year for the Vikings, who look like one of the top CIFSS teams in Div. II along with Calabasas, and therefore would be a major contender for a CIF State Bowl title. Fifteen returning starters will be complemented by newcomers from a 10-0 JV squad.

20. Folsom 12-2 This is actually a low preseason ranking for the Bulldogs in the last few years, but it is coming after their streak of winning CIF SJS titles was snapped at four by St. Mary’s-Stockton. There are heavy graduation losses, but that’s been overcome before by head coach Kris Richardson and staff.

Support Your Advertisers — Say You Found Them in SportStars!

August 24, 2017

SportStars™

9

STORY BY PHIL JENSEN PHOTOS BY BERRY EVANS III

Austin Jones (left) and Jevon Holland 10

SportStarsâ„¢

August 24, 2017

Subscribe to our Digital Edition at SportStarsMag.com

Follow us on Twitter & Instagram, and like us on Facebook!

NORTH COAST SECTION

MEDIUM SCHOOLS

Napoleon Kaufman’s Keen Eye For Bishop O’Dowd’s Potential Pays Dividends

B

ishop O’Dowd High School-Oakland football coach Napoleon Kaufman had a premonition when he became the Dragons’ coach.

“I looked those kids in the eye the first day and said ‘We are going to win a state championship.’ That’s our goal. And that will always be our goal,” said the fourth-year Dragons coach.

The freshmen that year are seniors now, and many of them were part of the Dragons squad which won the CIF Division 5-AA state title last year. It marked the first state football championship for a school known for its collection of trophies on the hardwood.

And the horizon is considerably bright. This year’s squad already has five players with NCAA Division I offers and two who have already committed to Pac-12 schools. It also has more than six starters returning on both sides of the ball, Kaufman said.

Besides its North Coast Section Division III championship last year, Bishop O’Dowd has won three other NCS football titles in the past 20 years: a 2A East Bay title in 2004, a 3A East Bay crown in 1998 and a 1997 3A championship.

For years, Bishop O’Dowd has been known as a basketball powerhouse. The Dragons have 17 NCS boys basketball championships since 1978, more than any other NCS boys program. They won the CIF Open Division state boys championship in 2015, the Division I title in 1981 and played in eight other state title games, as well as earning 17 North Coast Section titles since 1978.

Follow us on Twitter & Instagram, and like us on Facebook!

Support Your Advertisers — Say You Found Them in SportStars!

Names to know and teams to watch from schools considered to be in the Division II and III enrollment group.

PLAYERS TOP OFFENSIVE THREAT: Austin Jones, RB, Bishop O’Dowd-Oakland, Jr. TOP DEFENSIVE TALENT: Elias Rantissi, LB, Rancho Cotate-Rohnert Park, Jr. BEST ARM (QB): Spencer Petras, Marin Catholic-Kentfield, Sr. BEST BACK (RB): Jones, Bishop O’Dowd BEST DEEP THREAT (WR): Jaelen Ward, Rancho Cotate, Sr. TOP ROAD GRADER (OL): Miles Owens, Bishop O’Dowd, Sr. TOP RETURN THREAT: Jevon Holland, DB/WR, Bishop O’Dowd, Sr. BIGGEST LEG (PK): Seppi Ortman, Campolindo-Moraga, Sr. TOP PASS RUSHER: Bas Osborn, DE, Windsor, Sr. TOP BALLHAWK (DB): John Torchio, Campolindo-Moraga, Sr. (pictured above) TOP OFFENSIVE NEWCOMER: Asi Bailey, WR/DB, Mt. Eden-Hayward, So. TOP DEFENSIVE NEWCOMER: Kenneth Fitzgerald, LB/DB, Casa Grande-Petaluma, Sr.

TEAMS BIGGEST TITLE FAVORITE: Bishop O’Dowd TOUGHEST SCHEDULE: Campolindo BEST CHANCE TO SURPRISE: El Cerrito

August 24, 2017

SportStars™

11

Could last year’s state football championship be changing the notion of O’Dowd as primarily a basketball school?

“I really don’t look at it that way,” Kaufman said. “I do think we want to show the level of consistency our basketball team showed.”

He later said, “That’s our hope, that we’re always in the discussion … for state championships.”

Could it possibly be, on paper, the best O’Dowd football team in school history?

Mark Tennis, editor/publisher of CalHiSports.com, is taking a wait-and-see attitude about that statement.

“They have a chance to be that good, but I’d never make any historical statements about a team that hasn’t played a game yet,” Tennis wrote in an email exchange. “They did get beat pretty easily last year by Freedom. We’ll have to see how they do in similar games this season.”

That 43-13 loss to Freedom-Oakley on Sept. 23 was the only one the Dragons suffered last season. They proceeded to win 12 games in a row, with 10 of those victories coming by double digits, to finish at 15-1.

Bishop O’Dowd sure hasn’t scheduled an easy lineup leading into its West Alameda County Conference-Foothill Division opener on Oct. 6. The Dragons will have a rematch with Freedom on Sept. 22 before facing De La Salle-Concord on Sept. 29. Both games are on the road.

Austin Jones, the team’s star running back who has been selected as a second-team 2019 (graduating class) preseason All-American by MaxPreps.com, is excited about facing the fabled De La Salle Spartans.

“I can’t wait. It’s going to be a bunch of top performers, top of the nation, going against each other, so it’s going to be a really fun game,” Jones said.

Jones, who rushed for 1,967 yards and 27 touchdowns

12

SportStars™

August 24, 2017

Miles Owens last year as a sophomore, is highly coveted. The 5-foot-10, 190-pound running back has received offers from a majority of the Pac-12 schools, including Washington, Colorado, UCLA, Oregon and Cal. To underscore the recruiting deluge, just look at the Dragons’ secondary, where three senior athletes have received Division I offers: Jevon Holland, a 6-1, 180-pound safety, has made a verbal commitment to Oregon. He is a four-star safety according to scout.com. Last season, Holland had 43 solo tackles and three interceptions with 100 yards in returns. He also plays wide receiver for the Dragons, and caught 12 passes for 381 yards and eight touchdowns last season.

Quinn Brinnon, a 6-0, 185-pound defensive back, committed to Colorado State. He is a three-star safety according to scout.com. Brinnon had 65 solo tackles, two interceptions and eight passes defensed last season. Like Holland, Brinnon also plays wide receiver, and he caught 28 passes for 518 yards and

Subscribe to our Digital Edition at SportStarsMag.com

six touchdowns in 2016.

Kenyan Branscomb Jr., a 5-10, 184-pound safety, has received an offer from the University of San Diego. He had 69 total tackles last year, nine tackles for loss, five sacks and four interceptions last season.

The team’s other NCAA Division I athlete is senior lineman Miles Owens, who has committed to Cal. The 6-7, 320-pound Owens, who moves to left tackle after playing right tackle last year, is starting only his second year of football at any level.

Owens, a three-star offensive tackle, played basketball and was a shot putter in track and field before playing football and said he would participate in all those sports this school year.

In fact, Kaufman encourages sports diversification in his players.

“We are encouraging playing multi-sports,” said Kaufman, who was a California state champion sprinter in track at Lompoc High as well as a star running back. “We want them to develop from a muscle standpoint, a competitive standpoint.”

The Dragons will be young at quarterback, as juniors Alec Elliott and Moe Flynn are battling for the starting position.

But O’Dowd has plenty of offensive firepower, including 6-3 sophomore tight end Sterling Stokes, whose route running and hands are impressive.

Understandably, Kaufman likes what he’s seen from his team in the preseason. ”We’re two steps ahead of where we were at this point last year,” said the former Raiders star. “These guys have the experience that the other guys didn’t have. … Technique-wise, all those things. Things that we used to have to teach all the time, now they’ve got it. … I think our culture here is set.”

Holland also noticed a difference in the preseason this time.

“A lot more energy this year, a lot more angst to get in pads and hit,” he said. “I’m really excited for this year.” ✪

Follow us on Twitter & Instagram, and like us on Facebook!

POSITION: Defensive Back/Wide Receiver HEIGHT: 6’1” WEIGHT: 180 RECRUIT POSITION RANKING: 14 (national) by ESPN.com COLLEGE COMMITMENT: Oregon NOTABLE SCHOLARSHIP OFFERS: Notre Dame, Nebraska, Louisville, Illinois, UCLA, Washington, Arizona, Arizona State, Washington State, Oregon State, Utah, Boise State and Cal. 2016 STATS: Made impacts in all three facets of the game. He caught 12 passes for 381 yards (31.8 yards/catch) and eight TDs. He also had more than 600 yards in the return game, returning five punts for TDs. On defense, he had 35 tackles (32 solo), three interceptions and three forced fumbles.

RECRUIT CLASSIFICATION: FAVORITE NFL TEAM/PLAYER: Cardinals / Tyrann Mathieu FAVORITE PREGAME SONG: “Damien I, II, III” by DMX FAVORITE MOVIE: “Undercover Brother” XBOX OR PLAYSTATION: PlayStation TWITTER OR INSTAGRAM: Twitter (@HollandJevon) STEPH OR LEBRON: LeBron GAMEDAY SUPERSTITION: Has to listen to DMX before a game WISHES HE WAS BETTER AT: Singing HIS DJ NAME WOULD BE: DJ Ducky Fresh FAVORITE MOMENT ON A FOOTBALL FIELD (SO FAR): With Capital ChristianSacramento attempting a game-tying drive late in the CIF 5-AA Regional Bowl, he stuffed Cougars QB Jacob Norville right at the first down marker on a 4th-and-5 and forced a fumble recovered by O’Dowd.

Follow us on Twitter & Instagram, and like us on Facebook!

Support Your Advertisers — Say You Found Them in SportStars!

August 24, 2017

SportStars™

13

NorCal P No. 10. VALLEY CHRISTIAN-SAN JOSE

Elk Grove’s Davon Frazier

The First 10 Find in-depth breakdowns on Nos. 20-11 right now at SportStarsMag.com/Rankings 20. Foothill-Pleasanton 19. Oakdale 18. Capital Christian-Sacramento 17. Campolindo-Moraga 16. Marin Catholic-Kentfield 15. Elk Grove 14. Clayton Valley Charter-Concord 13. Manteca 12. San Ramon Valley-Danville 11. Freedom-Oakley

2016 REVIEW: 13-2 and No. 6 in our final rankings COACH: Mike Machado, 21st season WHY THEY’RE HERE: Grasping a high bar of success each year, the Warriors come in after nearly shattering the ceiling last December, almost winning their first CIF State Bowl title (2-AA). They have the talent to follow up last season’s Central Coast Section Open Div. III championship campaign and continue beyond.

NEXT UP: Gone are QB Miles Kendrick, WCAL Most Valuable Lineman Dylan McCreery, WR Anthony Flores and 1,000-yard running backs Javon Sturns and Isaiah Rodriguez. Machado said Juan Turner looks prepared to step in at QB. Alton Julian looms as a force at WR, and the running game should keep producing backs with four-digit yardage numbers.

DEFENSE WON’T REST: Having eight defensive starters back certainly bodes well. Leading the way are bruising DE RJ Stone and strong safety D’Angelo McKenzie, both on college recruiting radars. The defensive vets will face lofty standards: In the nine games leading up to their state title game, the Warriors never gave up more than 10 points in any game.

NAME TO NOTE: Charlie Bostic, RB/DB, Sr. — After earning a couple of Div. I offers as a cog in the Warriors’ vaunted secondary, the speedy Bostic steps into the backfield spotlight in the Warriors’ prolific run game.

LAST WORD: Defense wins championships, and the Warriors certainly have one.

No. 9 BISHOP O’DOWD-OAKLAND 2016 REVIEW: 15-1 and No. 14 in our final rankings COACH: Napoleon Kaufman, fourth season WHY THEY’RE HERE: The program may have never been more loaded than it is right now. That statement includes last year when the Dragons won their first CIF State Bowl championship (5-AA).

HOLLAND DAYS: Of the slew of NCAA Div. I recruits on the roster, none would seem more vital or versatile than 6-1, 180 pound, Jevon Holland. The 4-star safety committed to Oregon in May, but he’s way more than a ball-hawking, receiver-smashing defensive back. In stints at WR in 2016, he caught 12 passes and eight went for TDs. He also returned five punts for scores.

DREAM JOB: Whomever wins the training camp competition for the QB role — a battle between juniors Alec Elliott and Moe Flynn — will be taking their first varsity snap on Sept. 1. However, the first-year starter will be getting a collection of surrounding talent that some three-year starters never get. Holland, junior RB Austin Jones and senior WR Quinn Brinnon can make any QB look good.

NAME TO NOTE: Colton Vardell, WR/DB, So. — Vardell, the son of former Stanford star and NFL veteran “Touchdown” Tommy Vardell, won’t stay out of the spotlight long. He could potentially be a legit two-way star by season’s end.

LAST WORD: Something would have had to go terribly wrong if O’Dowd isn’t playing deep into December.

No. 8 FOLSOM

A new Top 20 drops every Tuesday at

SportStars Mag.com 14

SportStars™

August 24, 2017

2016 REVIEW: 12-2 and No. 9 in our final rankings COACH: Kris Richardson, 13th season WHY THEY’RE HERE: Despite having their streak of four consecutive Sac-Joaquin Section championships halted by St. Mary’s-Stockton in the SJS Div. I final, the Bulldogs still hold the title of top ‘Dogs in Sacramento until someone else lays claim to the crown.

‘DOGS DYNASTY: Outside of De La Salle-Concord, no program has equaled the success of Folsom since 2010. The Bulldogs have won seven straight league titles, claimed five SJS championships and earned a pair of CIF State Bowl victories.

NEXT IN LINE: Folsom has boasted numerous successful QBs through the years. Dano Graves, Tanner Trosin, Jake Browning, Jake Jeffrey and Joe Curry all led teams to SJS finals while posting gaudy statistics.

The latest to step into the role is Kaiden Bennett. Appearing in five games as a sophomore, he connected on 11 of 13 passes for 227 yards, two TDs and no interceptions.

NAME TO NOTE: Joe Ngata, WR, Jr. — Ngata will assume the No. 1 WR role and look to improve upon his 41 receptions, 633 yards and seven TDs as a sophomore. Already with several Pac-12 offers, the 6-foot-3 target will see lots of attention from defenses and recruiters.

LAST WORD: If Bennett steps up as the next great Folsom QB, Richardson’s streak of successful seasons could continue.

Subscribe to our Digital Edition at SportStarsMag.com

No. 7 MILPITAS 2016 REVIEW: 10-4 and unranked in our final rankings COACH: Kelly King, 28th season WHY THEY’RE HERE: There is returning talent all over the field, and it may amount to the most the program has had in quite some time — which says something since the Trojans have reached CIF regional bowl championships each of the past two seasons.

TWIN ENGINE: QB TyRee Bracy and RB/WR/DB Tariq Bracy are both back for their third and final season with Milpitas. Each brother has the ability to take over games through their sheer athleticism. Their efforts will greatly impact both sides of the ball, and only make the players around them better.

NO FLY ZONE: The Trojans defense will return four players who logged at least 100 tackles a season ago, but its greatest strength will be its pass defense. Milpitas returns seven players who accounted for 17 of the team’s 24 interceptions in 2016, including teamleader Tai Nguyen (six, pictured above) and Tariq Bracy (five).

NAME TO NOTE: Justin Scrempos, OL, Jr. — At 6-foot-7, 300 pounds, Scrempos will stand out on a football field. And he’ll move some dudes around on one, too. Just a junior, Scrempos (whose older brother Jason plays at Washington) will start picking up more offers as scouts show up to see the Bracy brothers benefitting from running lanes he’s providing.

LAST WORD: Barring injury, this team is set up be a legitimate CCS Open Div. threat and to finally break through its CIF regional road block.

Follow us on Twitter & Instagram, and like us on Facebook!

Preseason Top 20 NO. 6 OAK RIDGE

NO. 3 ST. MARY’S-STOCKTON

2016 REVIEW: 10-3 and No. 12 in our final rankings COACH: Eric Cavaliere, 11th season WHY THEY’RE HERE: The Trojans have been on the brink of league and section titles, only to be denied by league neighbor Folsom. With returning talent everywhere, this could be a breakthrough year.

DUAL THREAT: There’s no doubt QB Marco Baldacchino had large shoes to fill in replacing three-year starter Ian Book last year, but he responded with 1,841 yards passing, 991 yards rushing and 39 combined TDs. The senior now has a full season of experience and should enter his final season with confidence.

PAVING THE WAY: Senior lineman Bryan Catchings recently committed to UNLV, but the 6-foot3, 280-pounder will be focused on protecting Baldacchino and opening holes for his offensive backfield. His blocking on the OL brought the most attention from recruiters..

NAME TO NOTE: Justin Poerio, WR/DB/P, Sr. — As a junior, the versatile Poerio led the Trojans with 558 yards receiving and five interceptions, and added pinpoint punting to go with a 41.4yard average.

LAST WORD: If Baldacchino continues to improve and mature under center, Oak Ridge will be a dangerous and battle-tested team in the postseason.

2016 REVIEW: 14-2 and No. 2 in our final rankings COACH: Tony Franks, 16th season WHY THEY’RE HERE: With workhorse RB Dusty Frampton, right, leading a group of returners that won the SJS Div. I title and reached the CIF Div. I-AA State Bowl, the Rams deserve to get the section’s highest ranking.

RAM TOUGH: How will St. Mary’s prepare for another postseason run? By playing what may be the strongest nonleague schedule of any SJS team. The Rams open against Serra-San Mateo and play rival Central Catholic-Modesto before ending their nonleague slate with MaxPreps’ national preseason No. 1 Mater Dei-Santa Ana. THREE-WAY TRE: All-purpose star Tre Jenkins built up his recruiting stock while making an impact on both sides of the ball as a junior. He totaled more than 1,000 all-purpose yards in the passing and return game. But he was most effective in the defensive secondary with 93 tackles, six INTs, and four fumble recoveries.

NAME TO NOTE: Marcus Aponte, WR/QB, Sr. — He was one of three Rams to reach 1,000 yards receiving in 2016. But the senior may be called upon to play QB this season, replacing two-year starter Jake Dunniway.

LAST WORD: If Dusty Frampton can carry the load long enough to allow for the offense to jell and gain more balance, then St. Mary’s will be a legitimate contender to repeat its 2016 performance.

No. 5 SERRA-SAN MATEO 2016 REVIEW: 10-5 and No. 8 in our final rankings COACH: Patrick Walsh, 17th season WHY THEY’RE HERE: Because there are no secondary storylines for the Padres in 2017. All the sanctions talk from 2014-15 is long gone. They just get to show up and play football from Day 1, and that’s something they’re typically quite good at.

TURN LUKE LOOSE: Do-It-All QB Leki Nunn is now at San Jose State, and the reins of Walsh’s offense go to junior Luke Bottari. But Bottari won’t be some starry-eyed first-year starter. He got close to 140 attempts last season and threw for 1,123 yards, 14 TDs and just four interceptions.

He’ll have legit targets too in Patrick Nunn and Shane Villaroman.

T.C. TALK: The West Catholic Athletic League’s Most Valuable Linebacker, T.C. Lavulo, has graduated. With most of the returning talent residing on offense, finding the linchpins to their defense will be a key storyline early for Serra.

NAME TO NOTE: Isiah Kendrick, RB/DB, Sr. — With Leki Nunn gone, Kendrick is likely to step into the role of the player who can take over a game at any time, and in many different ways. He posted close to 1,800 yards from scrimmage a year ago, scoring 13 rushing TDs and added six more TD catches.

LAST WORD: The schedule will be daunting, but Serra proved last year that it’s a program built to be a threat as long as it survives its first 10 games.

No. 4 ST. FRANCIS-MOUNTAIN VIEW 2016 REVIEW: 10-2 and No. 11 in our final rankings COACH: Greg Calcagno, 6th season WHY THEY’RE HERE: Unlike fellow WCAL ranked teams Valley Christian and Serra, who have most of their top talent returning on just one side of the ball, the Friars have a more balanced group returning players. And perhaps that means a faster learning curve.

BIG MANOA ON CAMPUS: At 6-5, 295 pounds, senior Tyler Manoa will undoubtedly play an impacting role on both lines for St. Francis. His presence will make it easier for the Friars running game to replace departed star Cyrus Habibi-Likio.

GOTTA CATCH ‘EM ALL, PAKOLA!: Four-star defensive end/outside linebacker Josh Pakola enters the year as an early favorite in the WCAL Defensive Player of the Year race. The junior holds several major offers after posting 57 tackles, seven sacks and two interceptions last season.

NAME TO NOTE: Opeti Fangupo, RB, Jr. — He was the team’s third leading rusher as a sophomore, averaging six yards/carry and scoring 4 TDs. He should take on a much larger role in his junior campaign.

LAST WORD: Experience and confidence on both sides of the football should have the Friars prepared for another run at WCAL and CCS glory.

Follow us on Twitter & Instagram, and like us on Facebook!

No. 2 PITTSBURG 2016 REVIEW: 9-2 and No. 7 in our final rankings COACH: Victor Galli, 16th season WHY THEY’RE HERE: They’re all grown up. So many of the Pirates key players in 2016 were sophomores and juniors — and they still went 9-2 and reached the fourteam NCS Open Div. field. All signs point to a stronger, more experienced team this season.

STRIKE UP THE BANDES: No Pirates player seemingly had a better summer than 6-2, 275-pound junior lineman Jacob Bandes. He went from spot duty on defense as a sophomore to being the No. 3-ranked Class of 2019 defensive tackle in the country by some recruiting sites. He’ll go both ways this year and play a major role on each side.

WR WEAPONS: Pittsburg’s spread offense will be breaking in new running backs, but it will feature a wealth of returning talent at receiver, including seniors A’jae Boyd (above right), Donovan Crosse and Jalen Mitchell, as well as juniors Willie Harts III and Justin Boyd.

NAME TO NOTE: Justin Boyd, WR/DB/QB/RS, Jr. — Plain and simple, Boyd — the younger brother of WR A’jae Boyd — is a weapon. The original plan was to use the former JV quarterback’s versatility in a variety of roles, but that plan may have changed when projected starting QB Trey Turner suffered an injury in a preseason scrimmage.

LAST WORD: Plenty of talent, experience and athleticism is typically a formula that Pittsburg turns into big seasons. Perhaps this year will feature the team’s first CIF Bowl bid.

Support Your Advertisers — Say You Found Them in SportStars!

August 24, 2017

SportStars™

15

NorCal Pres No. 1 De La Salle-Concord

Henry To’oto’o

16

SportStars™

August 24, 2017

Kairee Robinson

It’s 5 o’clock on a Monday afternoon, the seventh day of official in-season practice for De La Salle. Justin Alumbaugh and his coaching staff are presiding over 11-on-11. The offense is working on pace. The defense is working on reads. Both sides are working on attitude.

It boils over.

A spirited block turns into a skirmish, a rarity to witness during a Spartans practice.

Everything is broken up quickly, and the team falls right back into work.

The full-steam aggression isn’t anything new to De La Salle workouts. The program constantly aims to practice how it plays — a giant reason for its current 281-game unbeaten streak against Northern California opponents. However, the degree to which it had reached

by Day 7 of full team workouts still says something.

It says the Spartans have an axe to grind. And they’re grinding away.

It’s easy to point to De La Salle’s 56-33 CIF Open Div. State Bowl defeat to St. John Bosco-Bellflower last December as the flashpoint. After all, it was the most points surrendered by a De La Salle team since legendary former coach Bob Ladouceur took over the program in 1979.

But there’s more to the chip on the shoulder of this year’s Spartans team. It goes back to the first game of the 2016 season against Amador Valley-Pleasanton, a 42-7 win that didn’t feel as good as the score would indicate. De La Salle hits the road to play the Dons in an Aug. 25 season opener.

“We started watching the film of the first game last year. We weren’t physical,” said Alumbaugh, who begins his fifth season after replacing Ladouceur. “In a lot ways, those guys outhit us. That set the stage for a lot of the year for us. We had a lot of uphill sledding

Subscribe to our Digital Edition at SportStarsMag.com

Follow us on Twitter & Instagram, and like us on Facebook!

NORTH COAST SECTION

season Top 20 to take care of.”

After two relatively easy wins, it caught up to the Spartans and they endured a four-game stretch that featured a 23-21 loss to East-Salt Lake City and three close-shave victories against Servite-Anaheim (28-27), Antioch (28-21) and San Ramon Valley-Danville (28-27). The buzz that the NorCal unbeaten streak was vulnerable was louder than it had been in several years.

De La Salle got back on track to win its 25th straight NCS crown, combining to outscore Open Division opponents Clayton Valley Charter-Concord and Freedom-Oakley 72-7, but then St. John Bosco happened. “They were just going up and down the field on us,” Alumbaugh said. “It still bugs me. It’s something that’s tough to erase.”

The Spartans, who open the year at No. 4 in Cal-Hi Sports’ Preseason State Rankings behind No. 1 Mater Dei-Santa Ana, No. 2 St. John Bosco and No. 3 Centennial-Corona, may get a chance at facing one of those teams in a state bowl game. But it’s obvious they don’t plan on taking the same path to get there.

“I feel like we have more leadership and a lot more fire coming into the year,” senior running back Kairee Robinson said.

Robinson is one of 17 returning starters, and one of NorCal’s top returning ball-carriers after amassing 2,012 rushing yards

and 25 touchdowns as a junior.

Robinson will be key to an offense that also returns most of its offensive line and both tight ends, including junior Isaiah Foskey, who recently picked up an offer from Alabama. The defense is almost entirely back and features junior linebacker Henry To’oto’o, considered one of the top two linebackers nationally in the Class of 2019 (also holding an Alabama offer, among many others), and senior USC-commit Tuli Letuligasenoa — a top 15 defensive tackle for the Class of 2018.

Quarterback is among the few question marks the Spartans face prior to the season. Two juniors were competing for the starting role, last year’s varsity backup Andrew Jones and the 2016 JV quarterback Erich Storti.

After Amador Valley, De La Salle’s physicality will be put to the test with home games against St. John’s-Washington D.C. and St. Francis-Mountain View before a trip to the desert for a Sept. 16 matchup with defending mythical national champion Bishop Gorman-Las Vegas.

Foskey summed up the Spartans plan of attack.

“Stay focused and do our job,” he said. “Do our job and be physical with it. Just play De La Salle Spartan football” ✪ — Chace Bryson

Follow us on Twitter & Instagram, and like us on Facebook!

LARGE SCHOOLS Names to know and teams to watch from schools considered to be in the Division I enrollment group.

PLAYERS TOP OFFENSIVE THREAT: Kairee Robinson, RB, De La Salle-Concord, Sr. TOP DEFENSIVE TALENT: Henry To’oto’o, LB, De La Salle, Jr. BEST ARM (QB): Clark Baker, San Ramon Valley-Danville, Sr. BEST BACK (RB): Robinson, De La Salle, Sr. BEST DEEP THREAT (WR): Baylei Coston, Freedom-Oakley, Sr. TOP ROAD GRADER (OL): Blake McDonald, San Ramon Valley, Sr. TOP PASS PROTECTOR: Brandon Mello, Clayton Valley-Concord, Sr. TOP RETURN THREAT: Jermaine Jackson, RB/DB, San Leandro, Sr. BIGGEST LEG (K): Ryan Redman, Deer Valley-Antioch, Sr. TOP PASS RUSHER: Michael Pryor, DE, Pittsburg, Sr. TOP BALLHAWK (DB): Jaelyn Thomas, FS, Freedom, Sr. TOP OFFENSIVE NEWCOMER: Justin Boyd, WR/QB, Pittsburg, Jr. TOP DEFENSIVE NEWCOMER: Shamar Garrett, DB/RB, De La Salle, So.

TEAMS BIGGEST TITLE FAVORITE: De La Salle TOUGHEST SCHEDULE: De La Salle BEST CHANCE TO SURPRISE: Antioch

Support Your Advertisers — Say You Found Them in SportStars!

August 24, 2017

SportStars™

17

POSITION: Tight End/Defensive End HEIGHT: 6’5” WEIGHT: 225 RECRUIT POSITION RANKING: 2 (national, class of 2019) by ESPN.com COLLEGE COMMITMENT: Undecided NOTABLE SCHOLARSHIP OFFERS: Alabama, Michigan, Notre Dame, Nebraska, Miami, USC, UCLA, Utah, Fresno State and BYU. 2016 STATS: Used primarily as a blocker in his sophomore season, Foskey still managed to flash his major upside as a passing target. He caught nine passes for 194 yards and three TDs — including a 43-yard strike in the CIF Open Division State Bowl Championship.

RECRUIT CLASSIFICATION: FAVORITE NFL TEAM/PLAYER: Chiefs/Travis Kelce FAVORITE PREGAME SONG: Prefers to watch college hype videos instead.

FAVORITE MOVIE: “I Am Legend” XBOX OR PLAYSTATION: PlayStation TWITTER OR INSTAGRAM: Instagram (@Isaiah.Foskey) STEPH OR LEBRON: LeBron GAMEDAY SUPERSTITION: Usually prays 30 minutes before game WISHES HE WAS BETTER AT: Video games HIS DJ NAME WOULD BE: DJ Cash Foskey FAVORITE MOMENT ON A FOOTBALL FIELD (SO FAR): Catching the touchdown pass in the CIF Open State Bowl game to help lead a comeback effort against St. John Bosco-Bellflower.

18

SportStars™

August 24, 2017

Subscribe to our Digital Edition at SportStarsMag.com

Follow us on Twitter & Instagram, and like us on Facebook!

From left, Jason Harper, Kailon Johnson-Loud, Akil Edwards and Marshel Martin

Back To BUSINESS St. Patrick-St. Vincent Dwelling On The Present After Historic Season

A

ll these months later, St. Patrick-St. Vincent High School coach Lane Hawkins really doesn’t get overwhelmed by the significance of his last team’s achievement. Nor does he seem to get caught up in the natural inclination or pressure to do it again.

He’s quite old school that way.

“I say this with sincerity, I really do,” Hawkins said. “But football is really just a vehicle I’m using to try to build good, productive men. I’m more interested in making sure they have the skills they’ll need to succeed in life. But if we develop those skills in the context of football, we’ll succeed, no matter the number of victories on the scoreboard we may achieve.”

A year ago, St. Patrick-St. Vincent achieved more than any of its teams in recent memory. The Bruins (13-3) won their first six en route to the North Coast Section playoffs. Then came four straight NCS playoff victories, the last a 49-35 victory over Fort Bragg that brought the school its first section title since 2006.

And finally, there was Gabriel Fuentes’ 19-yard field goal that beat Strathmore 29-28 for the Bruins’ first California Interscholastic Federation crown.

That it all came on the heels of a 2-8 disaster in 2015 — not to mention only three years after head coach Chris Cerbone was fired amid reports of hazing between teammates — made for an afterglow that’s still casting light.

Follow us on Twitter & Instagram, and like us on Facebook!

Hawkins calls that something the Bruins “may have to overcome.”

“This year, our approach is not to lean on that,” he says. “That team is a dinosaur. That trophy is a fossil. We haven’t won one game in 2017. This team has to gain its own identity.”

The Bruins again will lean heavily on running backs Marshel Martin and Kailon Johnson-Loud, both of whom return for their senior year. Martin ran for a team-best 788 yards and 20 touchdowns last season. Johnson-Loud averaged 8.8 yards on his 17 carries last season and also averaged 16.2 yards on his 35 receptions. Only the now-graduated Marquel Johnson (48) caught more balls for the Bruins than Johnson-Loud.

Juniors Jason Harper and Akil Edwards will battle to be the starting quarterback. Only Edwards has previous experience at the position for St. Patrick-St. Vincent; he played five games and completed 15 of 28 passes for 143 yards and a touchdown last season.

The key, Hawkins says, will be the team’s offensive line, an undersized inexperienced lot that must come together quickly, and a defense that figures to have some points to work with.

Those units must succeed if any semblance of light left over from 2016 gives a glow this year.

“It’ll be quite the challenge,” Hawkins said. “That’s for sure.” ✪ — James G. Kane

NORTH COAST SECTION

SMALL SCHOOLS Names to know and teams to watch from schools considered to be in the Division IV and V enrollment group.

PLAYERS TOP OFFENSIVE THREAT: Marshel Martin, St. PatrickSt. Vincent-Vallejo, Sr. TOP DEFENSIVE TALENT: Isaac Hodgins, DL, Berean Christian-Walnut Creek, Sr. BEST ARM (QB): Micah Barnes, Kennedy-Richmond, Sr. BEST BACK (RB): Martin, St. Patrick-St. Vincent, Sr. BEST DEEP THREAT (WR): Micha Fontenot-Cornely, St. Bernard’s-Eureka, Sr. TOP ROAD GRADER (OL): Wiley Geiger, RedwoodLarkspur, Jr. TOP RETURN THREAT: Larry Washington Jr., WR/DB, Kennedy-Richmond, Sr. BIGGEST LEG (K): Payam Ravanfar, San Marin-Novato, Sr. TOP PASS RUSHER: Hodgins, Berean Christian, Sr. TOP BALLHAWK (DB): Emany Johnson, Hercules, Sr. TOP OFFENSIVE NEWCOMER: Fresh Ison, RB, Moreau Catholic-Hayward, So. TOP DEFENSIVE NEWCOMER: Gianni Galaviz, LB, Albany, Jr.

TEAMS BIGGEST TITLE FAVORITE: St. Patrick-St. Vincent TOUGHEST SCHEDULE: St. Mary’s-Berkeley BEST CHANCE TO SURPRISE: San Marin

Support Your Advertisers — Say You Found Them in SportStars!

August 24, 2017

SportStars™

19

Silver To GOLD McClymonds’ 5-A Bowl Championship Milestone Boosts Turnout

W

ith ownership of the Oakland Section firmly in place, McClymonds football coach Michael Peters always had a carrot to dangle for his team to chase: A state bowl championship.

Now that Mack gobbled that up with last year’s 20-17 win over La Jolla Country Day in the CIF 5-A State Bowl game, the natural question is, now what?

McClymonds (13-1) won its seventh straight Oakland Athletic League/Oakland Section/Silver Bowl title last season, and followed with its first regional and state bowl crowns. The Warriors defeated East Nicolaus 45-26 at Chabot College to win their initial NorCal title.

“Our motivation is simply get another one (state title),” Peters said. “It always feels good to get that first one. But it feels even better to get more.”

Along with the first state title came a lot of attention and fanfare. Mack, which traveled nearly 500 miles to San Diego to claim the ultimate prize, arrived home to television coverage, a city proclamation, along with a rally and mini parade.

“It was all very, very nice,” Peters said. “It was a dream season. But now it’s back to work.”

The glimmer of the season also brought attention from others than media and politicians.

Suddenly, kids — even some from other regions than West Oakland — have taken notice.

Peters, an assistant at Mack for more than 20 years before taking over the head coaching reigns in 2013, said the program has 80 players between two teams and 37 on the varsity. By the time school starts, he thinks that total number may reach 100.

In a school of less than 400 students — approximately 200 boys — that’s a healthy and record turnout. The school doesn’t have enough practice gear or game jerseys and has actually started raising money to help out.

The good news is that Peters has received more coaching support too. He now has a record 14 assistants in the program.

“Sure, I think the attention from winning state has a lot to do with it,” Peters said. “It’s a good problem to have, but it’s also more to manage.”

Peters, the father of Kansas City Chiefs Pro Bowl cornerback Marcus Peters, said the Warriors only have five returning starters back, yet this might be one of his most talented teams.

A pair of transfers will help: Running back Jamar Julien (Oak Grove-San Jose) and linebacker Javanz Dornners (Moreau Catholic-Hayward).

Julien is a 5-10, 217-pound downhill runner who Peters describes as a “violent runner. He seems to feed on contact.”

Dornners is a fast sideline-to-sideline linebacker who had 53 tackles last season at Moreau.

“He’s very talented,” Peters said. “He has a lot of upside. He’s definitely a Division I athlete.”

Mack has plenty of those, beginning at quarterback, where Emoreea Fountain starts for the third season.

The 6-foot-1 dual threat had a superb junior campaign, but is just now getting into shape. “He was about 237 (pounds) a few weeks ago,” Peters laughed. “We got him down to 219. He’s getting there quick.”

Other returners getting college attention include receiver/ cornerback Charles Alberty (5-11, 180), strong safety Dwayne Washington (5-11, 200) and receiver/cornerback Day’marr

20

SportStars™

August 24, 2017

Subscribe to our Digital Edition at SportStarsMag.com

McClymonds’ Emoreea Fountain

BEST OF OAKLAND

HOW THEY’LL FINISH 1. McClymonds 2. Fremont 3. Oakland Tech 4. Castlemont 5. Skyline 6. Oakland

BEST OF OAKLAND Top MVP Candidate: QB Emoreea Fountain, McClymonds Top Offensive Player: RB Naseme Colvin, Skyline Top OL: Amani Trigg-Wright, McClymonds Top DL: Jonathan Latu, Fremont Top LB: Antonio Faaeteete, Fremont Top DB: Charles Alberty, McClymonds Top Breakout Performance: Jamar Julien, McClymonds

Johnson (5-9, 160).

The biggest recruit, literally, is 6-5, 305-pound tackle Amani Trigg-Wright. “He’s got 4-5 offers,” Peters said. “He’s a quiet kid.

A real jokester. But he’s turning into a very good leader.”

Ramone Sanders (6-2, 215) returns to hold down the center spot. He can play anywhere on the field, but moved to where Peters needed him most. He has an offer from Wyoming.

Peters said the junior class is stout, led by K’aun Green (6-3, 215), who will play defensive end and backup at quarterback.

Outside linebacker Islee Cassidy (6-1, 205) has also been impressive.

Though Julien is very impressive, the starting tailback early will be sophomore Gary Alexander Jr., a shifty, strong 5-10, 195-pounder. “He’s looking real good,” Peters said.

So is Fremont, which is led by 6-3, 290-pound Jonathan Latu, a four-year starter who has an offer from Hawaii and is being recruited by several others, including Cal. Hayward transfer Odale Hickman is a physical linebacker who will also see time at running back, as will Antonio Faaeteete. Other key returners are defensive back Gregory McFarland, third-year starter Omeli Fili, a fullback, linebacker and defensive tackle.

“We’re looking to rebound from last year,” said Fremont coach Terry Hendrix. “We lost last year to Oakland Tech and rival Castlemont. That won’t happen again.” ✪ — Stephen Scott Follow us on Twitter & Instagram, and like us on Facebook!

W

Coaches Of Fabled Sport Contrast Rugby With Football

hen people think of rugby, the first thing that usually comes to mind is football without the pads. While yes, rugby players do not wear pads, the ins and outs of the games are vastly different, while keeping some of the same skills, i.e. evading defense, open running, and tackling.

Rugby players make amazing football players, and football players make phenomenal rugby players due to the similarities of the games. Where football players really shine is in ball carrying since everyone on a rugby field is able to carry the ball and make a difference. If you didn’t know, football actually came from rugby, where in order to score points, you must touch the ball down to the ground for a “try.” Where do you think football got the term “touchdown?”

Rugby NorCal, the governing body of all youth and high school rugby in Northern California, is one of the largest regions in the country for youth rugby, and many of our winter sport rugby coaches also coach football during the fall. We interviewed these coaches and superintendents who support the sport of rugby to determine the similarities and differences between rugby and football, why they coach both sports, what they see from players who play both sports, and why rugby is an important part of their communities.

Interviewed are Ray Lehner, rugby and football coach at Bishop O’Dowd High-Oakland, Alan Petty, rugby and football coach at Elsie Allen High-Santa Rosa, Bob Ericksen, rugby and football coach for Mother Lode Rugby Club-Folsom and Casa Robles High-Orangevale and Jordan Reeves, superintendent of the Gridley Unified School District. Here’s some of what they had to say: What are the key similarities and differences between Rugby and Football?

LEHNER: The physical requirements to be successful are the same; quick feet, explosive power, speed endurance, toughness and physicality. I always view the biggest difference as: football is a collision sport; rugby is a contact sport. The stop-start nature of football allows for larger athletes and far bigger collisions. Rugby’s continuous game requires a speed endurance motor that most football players have not developed or even explored.

PETTY: Rugby encourages open-field running. When a football runner breaks into the open field, the methods of choosing routes to attack the defense are wide open, as it is relatively rare, not a lot of time is spent on this in practices. This situation is very common in rugby so players get a lot of time practicing running in space and acquire muscle memory in evasion methods. In football, fitness is not really a key component. In the modern rugby game, aerobic fitness is a must for all players. It is not unusual for offensive linemen to shed 30-40 pounds of fat in a rugby season, while retaining most or all of their muscle mass.

ERICKSEN: The scoring is also similar where in rugby a try is worth five points and the conversion after is worth two whereas in football a touchdown is worth six points and the conversion is worth one point. The main difference between the two is rugby is continuous where football stops after each play. Another key difference is in rugby the coach has very little influence on the game once play begins. The players control the flow, tempo and strategy on their own. In football the coaches set the plan for each play and await the result of each five-second set of plays. Rugby allows the players to use their skill to probe the opponent’s weak points and exploit the those by moving the ball to different locations on the field and angles to find holes.

REEVES: There is a clearly a place for both sports. Since rugby and football are played in different seasons, our players are not forced to make a choice between the two sports. They can participate in both.

What would you tell to a football player who wants to play rugby?

LEHNER: Play both; crossover athletes are the very best, same goes for wrestling, water polo even basketball players. Once playing rugby, the quicker you figure out how to manage your energy to be productive in an 80-minute match, the better off you will be. Most first-time football players in rugby “blow up” after 15 minutes from sprinting to every ruck (as they would in football).

PETTY: For most football players playing ANY other sport in the offseason is better than just specializing in one. If rugby looks like fun, they should try it. Especially linemen who get a chance to actually run a ball.

ERICKSEN: I tell the players who aren’t 6-foot-4 and 260 pounds that there are positions you can play in rugby into college and beyond. Rugby is not like football is, where if you don’t fit a particular height, weight and speed, you can’t play in college. Rugby loves the “tweeners” who play with guts and determination but may not have the prototype physique. ✪ — All copy and photos provided by Rugby NorCal

Follow us on Twitter & Instagram, and like us on Facebook!

SPORTSTARSMAG.COM/RUGBY See more questions and responses from this interview online now!

Bishop O’Dowd’s Chris Lucas is a star in both football and rugby.

Support Your Advertisers — Say You Found Them in SportStars!

August 24, 2017

SportStars™

23

Offense QB — JAKE SIMMONS, Rancho Cotate-Rohnert Park, 6-1/190, Sr. | What more is in store for Simmons after tossing 43 TD passes as a junior?

QB — SPENCER PETRAS, Marin Catholic-Kentfield, 6-5/215, Sr. | Oregon State commit topped 3,000 yards passing, 40 total TDs in ‘16.

RB — DUSTY FRAMPTON, St. Mary’s-Stockton, 5-11/215, Sr. | Breakout year with 2,345 yards and 42 TDs led Rams to CIF State Bowl game.

RB — KAIREE ROBINSON, De La Salle-Concord, 5-7/180, Sr. | Robinson will be in Spartan’s spotlight again after 2,000-yard junior season.

RB — AUSTIN JONES, Bishop O’Dowd-Oakland, 5-11/190, Jr. | Eyes are on Jones after almost 2,000 yards, 27 TDs as a sophomore sensation.

RB — CHASE HOFMANN, Half Moon Bay, 6-0/180, Sr. | Ran for 2,070 yards, 29 TDs last year as Cougars won CCS Div. 5 title.

WR — ISAAH CROCKER, Inderkum-Sacramento, 6-1/175, Sr. | Exceptional hands and big play ability has offers pouring in after leading the Tigers with 746 yards receiving and 10 TDs. WR — BAYLEI COSTON, Freedom-Oakley, 5-10/165, Sr. | Topped 1,300-yards in receptions for juggernaut that finished 2016 ranked third in NorCal. WR — JOE NGATA, Folsom, 6-3/205, Jr. | Big target is fielding offers after catching 41 passes for 633 yards and seven TDS as a sophomore in the Bulldogs’ high-powered aerial attack.

TE — SPENCER WEBB, Christian Brothers-Sacramento, 6-6/235, Sr. | Committed to Oregon, he hauled in 41 catches for 633 yards and seven scores to help the Falcons advance to the SJS Div. IV final.

TE — ISAIAH FOSKEY, De La Salle-Concord, 6-4/220, Jr. | Four-star TE hitting double-digits in offers.

OL — BLAKE MCDONALD, San Ramon Valley-Danville, 6-4/295, Sr. | A force behind Wolves’ potent offense, McDonald is bound for UCLA. OL — JUSTIN SCREMPOS, Milpitas, 6-8/310, Jr. | Blocking machine for offense that averaged 363 yards/game in ‘16.

OL — MILES OWENS, Bishop O’Dowd-Oakland, 6-7/310, Sr. | Tackle who helped Dragons to 5,000-plus yards of offense and state bowl title is heading to Cal. OL —MAX BARTH, St. Mary’s-Stockton, 6-6/280, Sr. | Oregon commit is priRobinson mary blocker returning for the SJS Div. I champion Rams.

OL — WILL CRAIG, Granite Bay, 6-5/275, Sr. | Grizzlies’ captain boosted his recruiting stock after a solid junior season and an impressive showing at Nike’s The Opening Oakland Regional this summer.

K — CONOR CALVERT, Del Oro-Loomis, 6-2/165, Sr. | Made 49 of 52 PATs and seven field goals during the Golden Eagles’ run to a second consecutive CIF State Bowl game.

Petras

Webb

Coston

Barth

Jones 24

SportStars™

Foskey August 24, 2017

Subscribe to our Digital Edition at SportStarsMag.com

Follow us on Twitter & Instagram, and like us on Facebook!

Harris

Tevis

Defense DL — NITI LIU, Grant-Sacramento, 6-2/310, Sr. | Latest Pacers defensive stopper recorded 83 tackles and two sacks from the trenches, and has committed to UCLA. DL — TULI LETULIGASENOA, De La Salle-Concord, 6-2/295, Sr. | Strong, quick four-star lineman will head to USC after again anchoring Jenkins the DLS defensive front.

DL — TYLER MANOA, St. Francis-Mountain View, 6-5/294, Sr. | Several Pac12 schools in mix for Lancers’ formidable two-way lineman.

DL — JACOB BANDES, Pittsburg, 6-3/285, Jr. | ESPN ranks Bandes as No. 3 DT in country for 2019 recruiting class.

DL — JH TEVIS, Menlo School-Atherton, 6-5/227, Sr. | Cal commit had 100 solo tackles, 22.5 sacks in 2016 for Knights.

DL/LB — RJ STONE, Valley Christian-San Jose, 6-3/210, Sr. | Fast, athletic standout with NFL bloodlines getting Pac-12 teams’ attention.

LB — HENRY TO’OTO’O, De La Salle-Concord, 6-2/205, Jr. | To’oto’o has earned spot on MaxPreps Preseason Junior All-American team.

LB — OMARI HARRIS, Antioch, 6-0/215, Sr. | Hard-hitting Harris to take his game to Cal after finishing impressive prep career.

LB — EVAN TATTERSALL, Granite Bay, 6-2/220, Sr. | Athletic multisport star was a force at OLB for a Grizzlies’ Rutherford defense that made strides down the stretch.

DB — TYLER GREEN, Christian Brothers-Sacramento, 6-0/175, Jr. | Led SJS with 12 interceptions, including five in the Falcons’ historic postseason run to their first section final.

DB — TRE JENKINS, St. Mary’s-Stockton, 6-1/200, Sr. | Ball-hawking safety had a team-high six INTs and added four fumble recovGreen eries for the Rams’ opportunistic defense.

DB — JEVON HOLLAND, Bishop O’Dowd-Oakland, 6-2, 185, Sr. | Versatile four-star athlete headed to Oregon helped Dragons to first state title.

DB — D’ANGELO MCKENZIE, Valley Christian-San Jose, 5-11/175, Sr. | Athletic, physical McKenzie drawing slew of high-profile offers.

AP — TARIQ BRACY, Milpitas, 6-0/180, Sr. | Versatile Bracy has 11 D-1 offers after nearly 2,600 all-purpose yards, five INTs in ‘16.

AP — ISAIAH RUTHERFORD, Jesuit-Carmichael, 6-2/170, Jr. | Burst onto the scene as a sophomore with more than 1,000 all-purpose yards and 12 TDs, but colleges see him as a prized DB. AP — D’MARCUS ROSS, Capital Christian-Sacramento, 5-11/215, Jr. | Super soph did it all with 1,421 yards rushing and 25 TDs to go along with 87 tackles, 4.5 sacks, and four INTs as an imposing LB.

Letuligasenoa

Stone

Stone

Follow us on Twitter & Instagram, and like us on Facebook!

Support Your Advertisers — Say You Found Them in SportStars!

August 24, 2017

SportStars™

25

Story by Jim McCue | Photos by James K. Leash

Four-Star Receiver Isaah Crocker Is Newest Inderkum Tiger To Embrace Task Of Leading Sacramento Program To Its First SJS Title

A

t Inderkum High School, there are expectations. High expectations year in and year out.

That’s what winning at least 10 games per year for more than a decade, and sending one or two players to Division I football programs on scholarship each year brings.

Those expectations also bring responsibility. A responsibility for the latest crop of senior stars to claim the team as its own and lead the Tigers into the postseason with an eye on claiming the program’s first Sac-Joaquin Section championship.

Senior wide receiver Isaah Crocker, a third-year varsity player, has taken the reins as a team captain by commanding respect and attention from teammates and notice from college recruiters.

“I told him after the section championship that this team wasn’t mine anymore, and it was going to be his and a couple of other junior impact players’ team,” said Trajon Cotton from Oregon State, where he just began his collegiate athletic and academic career.

“I think he took that to heart and is going to do amazing things this year.”

If the end of Crocker’s junior year is any indication, amazing things can definitely be achieved by the speedy 6-foot-1, 180-pound pass catcher. In just nine games, Crocker caught 31 passes for 746 yards and 10 touchdowns, including an eye-opening postseason in which he had 15 receptions and six TDs. His biggest statistical game was the Division II championship against Del Oro-Loomis, where he had a season-high six catches for 100 yards, but Inderkum suffered a 35-13 loss to the defending section and state champions.

The loss was the Tigers’ fourth in a section title game, but it was not discouraging for Crocker and the rest of the players who’d be returning for 2017. Those plalyers have their sights squarely set on ending the streak of close calls, which also include numerous semifinal appearances.

“We’re there, but we have to fully grasp the prize,” Crocker said of Inderkum getting close year after year. “My main goal this year is to lead our team to be the best that we can be, and be the first Inderkum team to win a section championship.”

Although the Tigers sent Cotton, who played quarterback and defensive back, and tight end/defensive end Josh Falo to Oregon State and USC, respectively, coach Terry Stark still has plenty of talent and the program’s signature speed to take another run at the elusive title.

The Tigers’ wing-T offense will likely be led by senior ball carriers Destynd Lewis and Leevi Lafaele, who combined for 220 carries and nearly 1,700 yards.

Lafaele’s speed was on full display at the annual Nike NorCal football event earlier this year where he boosted his recruiting stock as a linebacker with the

26

SportStars™

August 24, 2017

Subscribe to our Digital Edition at SportStarsMag.com

Follow us on Twitter & Instagram, and like us on Facebook!

Follow us on Twitter & Instagram, and like us on Facebook!

Support Your Advertisers — Say You Found Them in SportStars!

August 24, 2017

SportStars™

27

SAC-JOAQUIN SECTION

MEDIUM SCHOOLS Names to know and teams to watch from schools considered to be in the Division II and III enrollment groups.

PLAYERS TOP OFFENSIVE THREAT: Isaah Crocker, WR, Inderkum-Sacramento, Sr. TOP DEFENSIVE TALENT: Niti Liu, DL, GrantSacramento, Sr. BEST ARM (QB): Tyler Dimino, Del Campo-Fair Oaks, Sr. BEST BACK (RB): Greg Cabral, Del Campo, Sr. BEST DEEP THREAT (WR): Justin Kraft, WhitneyRocklin, Sr. TOP ROAD GRADER (OL): Nico Sarale, Oakdale, Sr. TOP RETURN THREAT: Raymond Fite, CordovaRancho Cordova, Jr. BIGGEST LEG (K): Conor Calvert, Del Oro-Loomis, Sr. TOP PASS RUSHER: Kelechi Njoku, DE, Cordova, Sr. TOP BALLHAWK (DB): Tyler Green, Christian BrothersSacramento, Jr. TOP OFFENSIVE NEWCOMER: Nathan Lucero, QB, Antelope, Jr. TOP DEFENSIVE NEWCOMER: Logan Benoit, LB, Inderkum, Jr.

TEAMS BIGGEST TITLE FAVORITE: Inderkum TOUGHEST SCHEDULE: Central Catholic-Modesto BEST CHANCE TO SURPRISE: Del Campo

28

SportStars™

August 24, 2017

capability to chase down opposing runners from sideline to sideline. Joining Crocker at receiver is close friend and fellow senior Davion Ross, who will also lead a solid defensive secondary after leading the team with nine interceptions in 2016.

“Our strengths are definitely speed and our defense,” Ross said of the Tigers. “We always talk about swarming on defense and getting 11 heads on the football. Everyone has to be on the ball and get there to make the play.”

Ross has high expectations for the Tigers in his final season, and understands that a lot will be expected of him and Crocker. As the team’s top defensive back, he matches up against Crocker regularly and knows all too well the big-play ability of his friend and possibly most difficult cover assignment he will face all season long.

“He can make very tough catches and his jumping ability is a big strength,” Ross said.

The daily showdowns between Crocker and Ross have shown the rest of the Tigers how to compete in practice and make each other better. Their examples of hard work and determination have also elevated the seniors to leadership roles that they embrace.

Crocker credits Falo, Cotton, and other past players during his two years on varsity with demonstrating how to lead the team. He communicates regularly with Cotton, whom he considers a mentor and brother, to continue to pick his friend’s mind about leading the team both on and off the field. Crocker and Cotton said they probably talk or text every single day despite being in different states now, and benefit greatly from the enduring relationship.

“He and Josh would always push the team and other guys at their position,” Crocker said. “Trajon would have the DBs do extra work after practice was done, and encourage everyone to do more work even after the coaches were done.”

Subscribe to our Digital Edition at SportStarsMag.com

Crocker’s desire to help others extends beyond the football field and has become a goal for him in his life and potentially for his future career.

“I’m a team player and always try to do my best to lead and represent the team, school, and community,” he said. “I want to help others and want to give back.”

Because he lost his mother at a young age, Isaah has a desire to help others, especially kids in need.

“I want to have a long-term effect,” he said. “I am thinking about four years in college, so that I can do as much as I can and give back.”

On the field, Crocker’s focus will be on giving his team full effort and plenty of points as one of Northern California’s top wide receivers. His high-flying talent has brought offers from big-time college programs from across the nation, from which he has narrowed his choices to a final five of Alabama, UCLA, Nebraska, Oregon, and Oregon State. Isaah expects to make a commitment after the high school season is over, but is clear that he will make his decision based on what he feels is the best fit for him, including academics, coaching staff and the feel of the campus.

Crocker says that he will visit each school and will listen to friends and past teammates to help make an informed decision when the time comes. The list of potential consultants include Najee Harris (Alabama), Lamar Jackson (Nebraska), and Cotton (Oregon State).

But the first order of business for Crocker is each Inderkum game, starting with its Aug. 25 opener at Elk Grove.

“The recruiting process has been a blessing and crazy,” Crocker said, “but I can’t wait to play Elk Grove and get the season started.”

Exactly what is expected from one of Inderkum’s team leaders. ✪

Follow us on Twitter & Instagram, and like us on Facebook!

POSITION: Wide Receiver HEIGHT: 6’1” WEIGHT: 175 RECRUIT POSITION RANKING: 25 (nation), 16 (state) by Rivals.com COLLEGE COMMITMENT: Undecided NOTABLE SCHOLARSHIP OFFERS: Alabama, Oregon, Nebraska, USC, UCLA, Notre Dame, Oregon State, Arizona, Arizona State, Utah and Cal. 2016 STATS: In just nine games, Crocker caught 31 passes for 746 yards (an average of 24.1 yards per catch) for 10 TDs.

RECRUIT CLASSIFICATION: FAVORITE NFL TEAM/PLAYER: Raiders / Calvin Johnson (now Odell Beckham Jr. since Megatron retired) FAVORITE PREGAME SONG: “Dear Mama” by Tupac FAVORITE MOVIE: “Monsters, Inc.” XBOX OR PLAYSTATION: XBox TWITTER OR INSTAGRAM: Twitter (@zaayc) STEPH OR LEBRON: LeBron GAMEDAY SUPERSTITION: Eats Subway before every game WISHES HE WAS BETTER AT: Basketball HIS DJ NAME WOULD BE: DJ Crock FAVORITE MOMENT ON A FOOTBALL FIELD (SO FAR): Scoring a touchdown (generally, every time is his new favorite moment)

Follow us on Twitter & Instagram, and like us on Facebook!

Support Your Advertisers — Say You Found Them in SportStars!

August 24, 2017

SportStars™

29

SAC-JOAQUIN SECTION

LARGE SCHOOLS Names to know and teams to watch from schools considered to be in the Division I enrollment group.

PLAYERS TOP OFFENSIVE THREAT: Dusty Frampton, RB, St. Mary’s-Stockton, Sr. TOP DEFENSIVE TALENT: Nate Otto, LB/RB, Oak Ridge-El Dorado Hills, Sr. BEST ARM (QB): Marco Baldacchino, Oak Ridge, Sr. BEST BACK (RB): Frampton/Lorenzo Burkes, JesuitCarmichael, Sr. BEST DEEP THREAT (WR): Joe Ngata, Folsom, Jr. TOP ROAD GRADER (OL): Will Craig, Granite Bay, Sr./Max Barth, St. Mary’s, Sr. TOP RETURN THREAT: Aaron “Tre” Jenkins III, FS/ WR, St. Mary’s, Sr. BIGGEST LEG (K): Brennan Holt, K, Granite Bay, Sr. TOP PASS RUSHER: Jamie Cousey, OLB, Sacramento, Sr. TOP BALLHAWK (DB): Isaiah Rutherford, CB, Jesuit, Sr. TOP OFFENSIVE NEWCOMER: Kaiden Bennett, QB, Folsom, Jr. TOP DEFENSIVE NEWCOMER: Javon Felton, DB, Sacramento, Jr.

TEAMS BIGGEST TITLE FAVORITE: St. Mary’s-Stockton TOUGHEST SCHEDULE: Folsom BEST CHANCE TO SURPRISE: Sacramento

30

SportStars™

August 24, 2017

Will Craig

Subscribe to our Digital Edition at SportStarsMag.com

Evan Tattersall

Follow us on Twitter & Instagram, and like us on Facebook!

GRIZZLIES2BEARS GRANITE BAY LOOKS TO REBOUND FROM 4-7 SEASON BEHIND TWO CAL COMMITS

W

hen Granite Bay High’s football team started 1-6 last year, all eyes turned to second-year coach Jeff Evans.

Outside criticisms and rumblings in the community didn’t last long, as the Grizzlies overcame tremendous adversity to win three straight games and reach the playoffs for the 18th straight season.

“We gave it everything we had last year,” Evans admitted. “That’s the great thing about football — at the end of the year, you get to look back and prove what you were, and we were a 4-7 team. But that can be a little distorted when you look at the types of teams we played, the competition we played, we just didn’t have enough to win some of those games. But if you take that Granite Bay team and put them in a different league in the area and you probably don’t have a 4-7 team.”

The Grizzlies lost games to Jesuit and Whitney prior to a big road win over Oak Grove-San Jose. They then fell to Vacaville, Del Oro-Loomis, Folsom and Oak Ridge-El Dorado Hills before bouncing back and beating Nevada UnionGrass Valley, Woodcreek-Roseville and Rocklin to finish fourth in the ultracompetitive Sierra Foothill League — a good finish, but not one the coaches would be satisfied with come this year.

“We want to be at the highest level,” Evans added. “We won some big games, and we battled through a lot of injuries — you could make a bunch of excuses, but we try not to do that around here … but the great thing about that team that won a bunch of games at the end was that we played a lot of juniors, and those guys are scattered in with this year’s team, so they’re battle-tested.”

Two of those big-time returners recently announced commitments to Cal to

Follow us on Twitter & Instagram, and like us on Facebook!

play Div. 1 football next fall.

Offensive and defensive lineman Will Craig and his close friend, Evan Tattersall, whom might play running back or linebacker at the next level, will head off to the Bears’ program next season together, and they each announced it on the same day via Twitter — something they talked about, but didn’t necessarily plan out.

“We definitely talked about recruiting a lot,” Craig said. “We were texting back and forth, we both talked to our parents and talked to our coaches and then decided we were happy with Cal.” Craig, who’s the team’s starting left tackle, participated in Nike’s ‘The Opening’ this offseason and finished sixth among offensive linemen. He exhibited great punch with his hands off the line and displayed a quick first step. His size (6-6, 275) also gives him an advantage against smaller D-linemen and he showed a glimpse of that over the summer.

“That was a great opportunity,” Craig said of his trip to Oregon. “You get to play against the best, and that’s rare. It’s not often you’re competing against that caliber of talent.”

Craig and Tattersall will carry a lot of responsibility as the Grizzlies look to rebound from their worst finish in school history, but the team has a tough schedule. Besides their bye week, the team won’t get any ‘weeks off.’

“We’ll load up behind those two guys any day of the week, and this area’s going to get a face full of those guys this year,” Evans stated. “The Green Machine’s lining up behind those two studs.” ✪ — Steven J. Wilson

Support Your Advertisers — Say You Found Them in SportStars!

August 24, 2017

SportStars™

31

POSITION: Defensive Back/Running Back/Wide Receiver HEIGHT: 6’1” WEIGHT: 165 RECRUIT POSITION RANKING: 45 (national, class of 2019) by 247Sports.com COLLEGE COMMITMENT: Undecided NOTABLE SCHOLARSHIP OFFERS: Alabama and Oregon State.

2016 STATS: Contributed plenty as a sophomore, including 663 yards on 121 carries with nine touchdowns. He also caught 25 passes for 318 yards and three more TDs. He had one interception on defense — a number which should rise significantly this season.

RECRUIT CLASSIFICATION: FAVORITE NFL TEAM/PLAYER: 49ers / Julio Jones FAVORITE PREGAME SONG: Any SOB X RBE song FAVORITE MOVIE: “War For The Planet Of The Apes” XBOX OR PLAYSTATION: XBox TWITTER OR INSTAGRAM: Twitter (@zay_rutherford) STEPH OR LEBRON: Steph GAMEDAY SUPERSTITION: None WISHES HE WAS BETTER AT: Staying off his phone HIS DJ NAME WOULD BE: DJ ZAY FAVORITE MOMENT ON A FOOTBALL FIELD (SO FAR): Probably running out of the (Hughes Stadium, Sacramento City College) locker room and seeing all the fans at the Holy Bowl (rivalry game vs. Christian Brothers-Sacramento).

32

SportStars™

August 24, 2017

Subscribe to our Digital Edition at SportStarsMag.com

Follow us on Twitter & Instagram, and like us on Facebook!

istian ital Chr er p a C t a moth ards is own rpose y h u t p a h ll t a h uc reer ,000 ca ld, so m uchbreak 8 th football fie to e prep to c a 0 u p 5 o n y is o e h s h f t wa 0o s Ross nace on cored 3 d ’Marcu as a me en he s h w r a core, an efore D amento, he w ame “Diesel.” e e last y ant to s r n c w k m a a I ic S n e n s h e e Hig ecau h th to th way. tality b him wit lived up el’ men em out of my s slapped arsity starter ie ‘D t a h t h v t t r e e a g v e -y “I ha es to an 11-3 The two oniker. er it tak e upon v v m o te e r a h p h t f im ow id o looks to ave to d downs. tuck,” Ross sa me, I h hristian s f C o t l s t a n ju it o p It “ as Ca . ts in fr st choice.”

Tayerence earance r body ge h Casey he c a if some ff-arm is my fi e the diff ional final app o k c a r m ed yea g uld “The sti nnounc nd firstarm co ision 5-AA Re ty stiffalent, a son when he a t s iv a r D n fe ’ F s s I s n Ro and a C matter. emblage of tra line this offsea in 2016 old faces that opportu ss ad record e hen the ro, but ith an a n football he ars. h t w w t d s d n e ju a d t , o a g lO ars It’s no an is lo -Joaquin Secti oach the Cou e at De st 10 ye Christi c c er the la “I loved my tim v o l Capital the biggest Sa ro-Loomis to a it ap d. me to C aylor explaine Del O vered lor deli e state power T exposed ” , t g a h in t k v k a in or t me th would le one a lot of w eally go “I had d in January, it r e up nity cam

B

34

SportStars™

August 24, 2017

Subscribe to our Digital Edition at SportStarsMag.com

Follow us on Twitter & Instagram, and like us on Facebook!

I was given an opportunity to go somewhere and be a program-builder, a visionary.

“It was a new challenge to take a small program and turn it into something bigger.”

Taylor brings immediate state-bowl prestige to the Sacramento campus. Despite playing an often-criticized gauntlet schedule that included games in Nevada, Idaho and Washington and against nationally ranked juggernauts from Hawaii, Southern California and Concord (De La Salle), Taylor’s Golden Eagles won 93 of 116 games over the last eight years. Across that span, the team won five section titles, reached four state bowl games and bagged the first state championship in school history by beating Camarillo in 2015.

“The biggest transition from Del Oro is the numbers,” Taylor said. “This school is close to 450, 500 kids and we will have two teams (varsity and JV) of 30, instead of 50.

“But we don’t see this as a Division V team, we see ourselves on the same level as Del Oro.” They sure scheduled like it.

Taylor can’t control his league schedule, and Capital Christian will depart for a stout Division III conference when realignment kicks in next year, but his 2017 preseason is ambitious.

Capital Christian hosts 2016 Alaska state semifinalist Service (Anchorage) in an Aug. 25 season opener. The Cougars also host Div. II SJS power Grant-Sacramento Sept. 8, travel to Coeur d’Alene (ranked No. 2 in Idaho by Maxpreps.com) Sept. 29 and host Bishop Manogue-Reno Oct. 6.

Capital Christian has the talent to win these matchups, and the action will centralize around Ross and returning senior Christian Simmons (5-11, 215), who combined for nearly 3,000 all-purpose yards and 45 touchdowns last year. They accounted for all three touchdowns in the Cougars’ 24-21 loss to eventual state champion Bishop O’Dowd-Oakland in the CIF 5-AA regional bowl.

Taylor said both runners are legitimate NCAA Division I prospects, hype shared by Folsom transfers Evan Bennett (lineman) and Maurice Gaines (defensive back/receiver). At Folsom, Bennett (6-3, 290) started as a freshman alongside eventual Alabama star tackle Jonah Williams in 2015. He sat out the 2016 season and returns to SJS trenches with an even larger frame as a junior.

According to ESPN, Bennett has entertained offers from San Jose State, Fresno State and San Diego State. For Gaines (6-2, 185), the offers have rolled in from Nevada, Oregon State, San Jose State, UCLA and Wyoming.

Transfers Jake Cruz (Whitney-Rocklin) or D.J. Malott (Elk Grove) could emerge as Capital Christian’s starting quarterback in Taylor’s multiple-set pistol offense, but Malott will sit 30 days before he’s eligible and Cruz’s transfer could hit some snags.

Malott (6-1, 185) was a standout on Elk Grove’s JV team last year. Cruz passed for 2,684 yards with 26 touchdowns for Whitney’s varsity team.

Taylor brought along Del Oro assistant coach Mike Kravich to lead a stout group of two-way players on defense.

“The talent level is phenomenal,” Taylor said. “We feel that if we take care of the process, the outcome will take care of itself.” ✪ — Ike Dodson

Follow us on Twitter & Instagram, and like us on Facebook!

SAC-JOAQUIN SECTION

SMALL SCHOOLS Names to know and teams to watch from schools considered to be in the Division IV and V enrollment groups.

PLAYERS TOP OFFENSIVE THREAT: D’Marcus Ross, RB, Capital Christian-Sac., Jr. TOP DEFENSIVE TALENT: Kane Rogers, DB, Sonora, Sr. BEST ARM (QB): Gino Campiotti, QB, Manteca, Sr. BEST BACK (RB): Anthony Kerrigan, RB, Placer-Auburn, Sr. BEST DEEP THREAT (WR): Jacob Peterson, SierraManteca, Sr. TOP ROAD GRADER (OL): Evan Bennett, OL, Capital Christian, Jr. TOP RETURN THREAT: Reuben Lee, ATH, Brookside Christian-Stockton, Sr. BIGGEST LEG (K): Juan Herrera, K, Amador-Sutter, Sr. TOP PASS RUSHER: Justin Kakala, DL, Manteca, Sr. TOP BALLHAWK (DB): Maurice Gaines, DB, Capital Christian, Sr. TOP OFFENSIVE NEWCOMER: D.J. Malott, QB, Capital Christian, Jr. TOP DEFENSIVE NEWCOMER: Justin Rentfro, LB, Hilmar, Jr.

TEAMS BIGGEST TITLE FAVORITE: Capital Christian TOUGHEST SCHEDULE: Manteca BEST CHANCE TO SURPRISE: Placer

Support Your Advertisers — Say You Found Them in SportStars!

August 24, 2017

SportStars™

35

Galileo’s Young Hope RB Smith Seeks Encore After Outstanding Freshman Debut

C

oaching football in the Academic Athletic Association — the lone league of the San Francisco Section — is an arduous and sometimes deflating task.

There are no feeder programs from youth leagues or middle schools. Enrollments are dwindling. Families simply can’t afford to live in San Francisco. According to Business Insider, the average cost of a one-bedroom apartment is $3,460 and the cost of living in San Francisco is 62.6 percent higher than the U.S. average.

The kids who play for Galileo coach Mark Huynh face many more issues and obstacles than suburban students.

All of it leads to low numbers — most rosters range from 20-25 — filled with raw players who have trouble committing 100 percent during the season, let alone year-round like most elite Bay Area programs.

“It can be tough at times,” Huynh said. “But someone has to believe and push these kids.”

Huynh is starting his ninth season for the Lions, who won SFS titles in 2009 and 2013. Besides the championships and satisfaction of improving young lives, Huynh gets a different kind of reward. A kid like Yarvell Smith.

The 5-foot-10, 215-pound sophomore running back was the AAA’s Back of the Year as a freshman. He rushed for approximately 1,500 yards and 20 touchdowns for the very young 4-7 Lions.

“He’s an even-keel, quiet kid who runs with a mean streak,” Huynh said. “He’s a tough, angry runner who enjoys and unleashes contact. We sometimes have to slow him down at practice before he does any more damage.”

Add in Smith’s breakaway speed, and Huynh might have been paid back for all his saintly work.

“He’s got a chance to be very, very special,” Huynh said. “He’s the first legitimate Division I player I’ve seen in this league and we have him three more years.”

Huynh arrived just after Lincoln’s David Henderson, considered the most accomplished AAA back ever. He led the Mustangs to three straight San Francisco Section/Turkey Day game victories, the last a 49-0 win over Washington when he rushed for 242 yards and three touchdowns.

Lincoln coach Phil Ferrigno doesn’t see the comparison between Henderson and Smith yet — Henderson was a 10.5-second 100-meter sprinter — but admits “the kid (Smith) is a physical presence. He’s a load.”

Henderson finished with 5,596 rushing yards and 67 touchdowns in his prep career, before being murdered in the streets where he was raised, the Bayview. He was shot in the back several times during a robbery attempt. Henderson was only 21.

Huynh is confident Smith will get numerous college offers and leave San Francisco if he continues on his current path.

But there’s a long way to go.

What will help is if the Lions can get back to championship form. Galileo has quarterback Adrian Poot and top target Jackie Guo returning. All-around athlete Ronald Fox can play about anywhere on either side of the ball. The defense is led by linebackers Antonio McBride and Jimmie Edwards, and ends Johan Lacayo and Jeremiah Horne.

All of it revolves around Smith, who will also see time at linebacker. But it might not be enough to overtake defending champion Lincoln, which lost The Chronicle’s San Francisco

36

SportStars™

August 24, 2017

Subscribe to our Digital Edition at SportStarsMag.com

Yarvell Smith

BEST OF THE CITY

HOW THEY’LL FINISH 1. Lincoln 2. Galileo 3. Mission 4. Balboa 5. Burton 6. Lowell 7. Washington

BEST OF THE CITY Top MVP Candidate: RB/LB Yarvell Smith, Galileo Top Offensive Player: RB Josiah Calvo-Martinez, Lincoln Top TE: Robert Lee, Mission Top OL: U’Jay Pratt, Mission Top DL: Johan Lacayo, Galileo Top LB: Hamilton Darwin, Burton Top DB: Jackson Walker, Lincoln Top Breakout Performance: RB/LB Cheeko Wells, Mission

Player of the Year, two-year AAA Lineman of the Year Ronald Phelps, to graduation.

But the Mustangs have running Josiah Calvo-Martinez, defensive back Jackson Walker and kicker Lucky Fenton, all returning first-team All-AAA players. Calvo-Martinez rushed 171 times for 934 yards and five touchdowns last year. He’ll be more of a workhorse in 2017.

Ferrigno praises new quarterback Rocky Marania and the all-around play of Desean Crawford, Jack Gaughan and Jovon Baker, but the strength once again for Lincoln is up front. Albert Moore (6-0, 225), Ming Hung Lee (6-0, 200) and Carlos Leiva (5-10, 175) lead the boys in the trenches, but there are many.

Mission, which missed a three-peat last year, lost many top players to graduation. Among them was two-time AAA Player of the Year, Niamey Harris. But second-year head coach Greg Hill returns some talent, including running back/cornerback I’Jah Pratt, linemen U’Jay Pratt and Marvin Pusang-Zita and running back/linebacker Cheeko Wells. ✪ — Stephen Scott Follow us on Twitter & Instagram, and like us on Facebook!

STORY BY JAMES G. KANE PHOTOS BY SAMUEL STRINGER

Tariq Bracy (left) and TyRee Bracy 38

SportStarsâ„¢

August 24, 2017

Subscribe to our Digital Edition at SportStarsMag.com

Follow us on Twitter & Instagram, and like us on Facebook!

T

Justin Scrempos, left, is a 3-star recruit at offensive tackle

Follow us on Twitter & Instagram, and like us on Facebook!

yRee and Tariq Bracy can’t think of a single thing they don’t have in common. And why would they? The Milpitas High School seniors have been hanging out, experiencing the world in much the same way since ...

Well, since they were born.

“It’s all similar,” Tariq, the first-team All-NorCal cornerback, says of his personality and that of his fraternal twin, TyRee, the quarterback who led the Trojans to the California Interscholastic Federation North Regional 4-A championship game. “We see things mostly the same way.”

For that reason, it is not to be taken lightly when each offers without hesitation and with force — similar to how they play — their opinion on the factor they think will move the Trojans toward success.

“Defense,” they say simultaneously.

“Our front seven is going to be a force to be reckoned with,” Tariq says. “And we have a pretty good secondary, too. We’re fired up.”

Why wouldn’t they be? The future for both of them individually is as bright as it gets. TyRee, a 5-foot-11, 185-pound shifty, quick athlete is about to enter his third varsity season and second as the team’s starting quarterback. He threw for 2,600 yards and 24 touchdowns in the Trojans’ 10-4 campaign. He ran for five more.

Tariq, at 6-0, 185 pounds, is one of the Central Coast Section’s best running backs and a shutdown cornerback, so accomplished already that he has received 11 Division I scholarship offers. One came from Cal, another from Notre Dame.

“They’re both great players,” Milpitas coach Kelly King says.

“Special talents.”

The Trojans have plenty of other talent, as well, and much of it comes with at least a year of varsity experience. That’s

Support Your Advertisers — Say You Found Them in SportStars!

August 24, 2017

SportStars™

39

good news for a team that is suiting up 42 players, down from 60 a season ago.

“We’ve got a lot of really good players,” King says. “You could have 60 players and not have as many great ones as this team does. Most of them are battle-tested and ready to play.”

The Bracys answer to that description, obviously, but both insist the Trojans’ success is far more than just the sum of their two parts. They each point to the defense as often as they point to each other.

Thing is, it’s a pretty good point they make.

Start with Tariq, who is deceptively strong for his listed weight of 180 pounds, and helps make the field smaller for opposing quarterbacks. He intercepted five passes a season ago.

It did not lead the team.

40

SportStars™

August 24, 2017

That honor went to 6-1, 180-pound Tai Nguyen, now a senior, who swiped six passes a season ago. In two varsity seasons, he has nine interceptions, two fumble recoveries and a blocked punt while playing all 28 games.

Nguyen is complemented by senior Donoven Moore (6-1, 170), who had three pickoffs, and 6-3, 210-pound senior safety Tuni Faletau Fifita, whom King calls “explosive, big, physical and dominant.”

The secondary is helped by a defensive line that Tariq Bracy calls “big and strong,” and features 235-pound senior defensive tackle Bryle Canlas, 260-pound junior Mozes Gurrola, among others. Mykah Gurrola, a 6-4, 270-pound sophomore, and 6-1, 265-pound freshman Toa Fifita also could contribute.

Add it up, and the Trojans — who also are deep at line-

Subscribe to our Digital Edition at SportStarsMag.com

backer — may be better defensively than they were a season ago. In 2016, Milpitas produced 51 sacks, caused 31 turnovers and outscored their De Anza Division opponents 203-75 in six games (two of them losses).

The Trojans also allowed only 116 points in their 10 victories.

“A lot of these kids played as juniors and some as sophomores,” King says. “It just kind of jelled, and we got better and did some really good things.”

Milpitas’ continuity on offense also stands out.

TyRee Bracy, a raw talent as a freshman, has refined some of his skills during three varsity seasons. He has improved so much, King says, that the coach now allows Bracy some freedom to dictate the play call at the line.

“He’s been in the same system for three years now,” King says. “He’s making good reads now, making good decisions.

You have to be smart to play quarterback in this system, and he’s gotten better at going through his progressions and better at making the right decisions.”

It didn’t take long for TyRee Bracy to introduce his talents.

Against Antioch on Sept. 2, in last season’s second game, he threw five touchdowns, all of them to a different receiver and one a perfectly thrown ball to his brother. He also ran for a sixth score.

The performance proved enough to earn Bracy a selection as the San Francisco 49ers’ Week 2 Prep Player of the Week.

He never really slowed down the rest of the season.

“The experience is great, but it’s just one play at a time when it comes to game time,” Bracy says. “And I’m just trying to hone in on my craft. The speed of the game has definitely slowed down, but I still need to read defenses better and do better with my decision-making.”

One decision that rarely goes wrong is when TyRee gets the ball to his brother, no matter by pass or handoff.

Tariq Bracy scored 24 touchdowns a season ago and amassed 2,213 yards of total offense. He caught 52 passes for 1,036 yards and 11 scores. He ran for 1,177 yards and 13 more, averaging almost 9 yards every time somebody handed him the the ball.

He covered another 365 yards on kick and punt returns.

“He’s just a real special player,” King says. “He has lots of speed, runs inside and outside real well.”

The Bracy’s aren’t entirely alone on offense. Faletau Fifita caught 33 passes and scored on six of them last season, and he’s better than ever, King says. The offensive line will be big, with Justin Scrempos (6-8, 310) and Gurrola standing out.

In other words, all the pieces appear to be there as the Trojans eye a state crown.

Yet King, as coaches tend to do, is not assuming anything.

He said limited preseason practice time mandated by the CIF — Milpitas played a scrimmage on Aug. 18 and opens the campaign Aug. 25 at home against American — is a concern, as is the loaded league schedule the Trojans play annually.

“The time limit makes it difficult,” King says. “Everything is so crammed that you can’t get everything in and limits the time you spend coaching. But because TyRee has three years in the system, and we have so much of our team back, we’ve had a chance to move a little faster on things.”

All of it points to a season that has the potential to be as electric as any in King’s 28-year reign as the team’s coach, especially if the twins activate their mighty powers.

“Because we’re twins, we feed off each other,” TyRee Bracy says. “We feed off that energy and the helps us to perform better on the field, and hopefully it helps our whole team, too.”

The Trojans are counting on it. ✪ Follow us on Twitter & Instagram, and like us on Facebook!

Today’s Extreme Competition for Team Spots and Scholarships Creates Lucrative New Career Opportunity

POSITION: Running Back/Wide Receiver/Defensive Back HEIGHT: 6’0” WEIGHT: 170 RECRUIT POSITION RANKING: 59 (nation) as 2018 Athlete by 247Sports.com COLLEGE COMMITMENT: Undecided NOTABLE SCHOLARSHIP OFFERS: Notre Dame, Cal, Boise State, Fresno State, Utah, San Diego State, Washington State 2016 STATS: A legit two-way player, it’s no surprise colleges aren’t sure what position he’d play. As a junior he eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark both rushing (1,177, 11 TDs) and receiving (1,036, 13 TDs). Defensively, he posted 46 tackles and five interceptions.

RECRUIT CLASSIFICATION:

Jason is a high school junior struggling to get a playing spot on defense of the varsity football team. (This story could easily be about a girl). His dad played Div. 1 football and does everything he can to support Jason, and recognized years ago Jason is seriously talented and fast.

Jason is one of the hardest working kids out there. But, for some reason, his potential never shows up on the field when it counts.

Jason and his dad had gone through countless books and speeches on mental toughness and building confidence, but this invisible problem was hanging over Jason like a dark cloud.

As a junior, the clock is winding down on his opportunities to secure a scholarship — it’s do-or-die time as the fall season is about to start.

In desperation, Jason’s dad brought him to me. To shorten the story, we went deep and cleared some serious mental baggage and uncovered his inner fearless competitor through my proprietary system. Jason went on to have an amazing breakout season, destroying two team records and was offered a full scholarship to a Div. II college before starting his senior year.

Jason and his dad literally called me up in tears telling me the good news, thanking me for all the work we did and how it completely changed his life.

The coach of Jason’s team, and other coaches from that school, continued to send me more players over the years as my practice of helping young athletes flourished. I was picked up by local TV and newspapers, who ran features on my work. I was still in shock over how many parents of kids with mental blocks and confidence kept coming to me.

Let’s face it: the sports world today is brutal. If you can’t hack it, there’s always another player ready, willing, and able to take your place. Nobody has the time or the answers to help that 20 percent of kids who struggle with their confidence or are stuck on performance blocks. They just wash out.

Over the course of working with hundreds of kids, I’ve developed a system and I’m teaching others to become mental toughness trainers.

When I was doing this fulltime, I was seeing an more than 15 clients per week at $175 per session with four weeks of vacation. You can do the math. I started from scratch, not knowing anyone in a brand new city.

The respect of coaches and and parents and personal satisfaction you gain from doing this work is beyond amazing.

I am a mental toughness trainer.

If doing this kind of work is your calling, visit: MentalToughnessTrainer.net and I will teach you everything I know.

Let’s do this!

Craig Sigl

Turn Your Passion For Youth Sports Into A Full or Part Time Career!

FAVORITE NFL TEAM: Saints FAVORITE PREGAME SONG: “Family Feud” by Jay-Z FAVORITE MOVIE: “Friday” XBOX OR PLAYSTATION: XBox TWITTER OR INSTAGRAM: Instagram (@tariqb20) STEPH OR LEBRON: LeBron GAME DAY SUPERSTITION: Whenever it’s an away game, he won’t let himself fall asleep on the bus: “Every time I’ve done that we’ve lost. So I make sure I stay awake.”

WISHES HE WAS BETTER AT: Basketball HIS DJ NAME WOULD BE: DJ Riq FAVORITE MOMENT ON A FOOTBALL FIELD (SO FAR): Coming back against San Benito-Hollister to win last season’s CCS semifinal.

Follow us on Twitter & Instagram, and like us on Facebook!

Support Your Advertisers — Say You Found Them in SportStars!

August 24, 2017

SportStars™

41

New Year, Same NIGHTMARE Life In the West Catholic Athletic League Won’t Get Any Easier

F

or 20 years, Mike Machado has endured the strain of coaching football in the Central Coast Section’s grueling West Catholic Athletic League.

When Machado speaks about the 2017 season, he sounds less like the head coach of a team coming off a 13-2 season and a CIF 2-AA State Bowl appearance, and more like a man bracing for the next impact.

An impact the Valley Christian-San Jose coach knows is inevitable.

“I see it shaping up to be the same nightmare WCAL it is every year,” Machado said of his coming 21st season coaching in 1. St. Francis-MtnView 5. Bellarmin-SJ the WCAL. “That is the 2. Serra-San Mateo 6. St. Ignatius-SF most accurate depiction 3. Valley Christian-SJ 7. Sacred Heart Cathedral-SF I can make in describ4. Archbishop Mitty-SJ 8. Archbishop Riordan-SF ing this league.”

The Warriors’ 13 overall wins were the most of any of the eight West Catholic teams in 2016, but they still finished in a threeway tie for first place with St. Francis-Mountain View and Serra-San Mateo. All three teams were 6-1 in league play. And truly how close were the teams? ›› Serra’s lone WCAL defeat was a 35-28 loss at Valley Christian on Sept. 23. (The Padres would begin a 10-game winning streak the following week.) ›› St. Francis was dealt its sole defeat in a 41-40 overtime road loss at Serra on Oct. 8. The Padres would defeat the Lancers again (31-17) in the CCS Open Div. II

HOW THEY’LL FINISH

St. Francis’ Josh Pakola

42

SportStars™

August 24, 2017

Subscribe to our Digital Edition at SportStarsMag.com

Follow us on Twitter & Instagram, and like us on Facebook!

Serra’s Isiah Kendrick semifinals on Nov. 18. ›› Valley Christian was the lone WCAL team to get the best of St. Francis when the Warriors earned a 13-10 overtime triumph in Mountain View on Oct. 28.

Valley Christian and Serra would each reach CIF State Bowls, but both finished as runnersup. The Padres fell 42-40 to Sierra Canyon-Chatsworth in the 2-A Bowl, and the Warriors were on the short end of a 21-17 result with Madison-San Diego in the 2-AA game. Those losses brought the league’s state bowl record to 0-6 and the section’s record to just 1-9. The only CCS program with a state bowl crown is Palo Alto from 2010.

The league’s bowl misfortune has a very real chance to end this year. The same three schools who were so closely matched a season ago have all reloaded and appear on another collision course at the top of the standings.

Valley Christian may boast the best defense in the league behind eight returning starters, two of which — DB/LB D’Angelo McKenzie and DE/OLB RJ Stone — were named to the SportStars Preseason AllNorCal team. McKenzie logged 54 tackles, two interceptions and two fumble recoveries a year ago. Stone, whose dad Ron played 13 NFL seasons and whose older sister Ronika is a volleyball standout at Oregon, had 88 tackles (21.5) for loss and 13.5 sacks in 2016.

Serra brings perhaps the most experienced offense to the table with junior QB Luke Bottari, senior RB Isiah Kendrick and a senior WR trio Shane Villaroman, Patrick Nunn and Chris Park.

St. Francis offers a healthy balance of reValley Christian’s RJ Stone turning experience and talent. The Lancers have QB Reed Vettel back behind center to run the offense. On defense, senior two-way lineman Tyler Manoa is expected to be a force, as is outside linebacker Josh Pakola.

Meanwhile, there’s plenty of other talent across the WCAL. Archbishop Mitty-San Jose returns junior safety Joseph Vaughn and senior lineman Gabriel Meza. Together, the two combined for 184 tackles in 12 games. Meza had nine sacks and Vaughn had two interceptions. Cal-commit Nick Alftin also returns at defensive end.

Bellarmine-San Jose brings back senior defensive end Cade Hall for his third varsity season, and RB/LB Austin Ajiake will also begin his third year for the Bells. ✪ — Chace Bryson Follow us on Twitter & Instagram, and like us on Facebook!

Support Your Advertisers — Say You Found Them in SportStars!

August 24, 2017

SportStars™

43

44

SportStars™

August 24, 2017

Subscribe to our Digital Edition at SportStarsMag.com

Follow us on Twitter & Instagram, and like us on Facebook!

QUOTABLE “He’s always trying to dominate me. Every time we do 1-on-1’s he’s lining up against me. So it’s just making me stronger.”

— De La Salle junior tight end, Isaiah Foskey (above), talking about senior teammate, USCbound defensive tackle Tuli Letuligasenoa.

Milestone watch St. Mary’s-Stockton running back Dusty Frampton enters his third varsity season with 3,055 career rushing yards. It’s never easy to post back-to-back 2,000-yard seasons — and doing so against the Rams’ 2017 schedule will be especially daunting — but doing it would put Frampton in reach of becoming one of NorCal’s most productive all-time backs, according to the Cal-Hi Sports State Record Book. With 2,163 yards this season, he would surpass Tyreese Knox (Jefferson-Daly City ’83) to take over No. 15 all-time among NorCal backs. With 2,525 yards, he could reach No. 10 by passing David Henderson (Lincoln-S.F. ’07)

Milestone watch II A pair of NorCal coaches have a chance to move up the all-time wins list this season. Bellarmine-San Jose coach Mike Janda, right, begins the season 15th on the list with 276 victories. He’s three wins behind current Hart-Newhall coach Mike Herrington. Both should surpass former Norco coach Gary Campbell, whom Herrington is tied with at 279. An 11-win season for Janda would also move him past former Carson coach Gene Vollnogle (289). Former Woodlake coach Leo Robinson sits at No. 11 all-time with 290 wins. FoothillPleasanton’s Matt Sweeney begins the year at No. 29 on the list with 257 wins. He could conceivably crack the Top 25 with a nine-win season.

46

SportStars™

August 24, 2017

Subscribe to our Digital Edition at SportStarsMag.com

Follow us on Twitter & Instagram, and like us on Facebook!