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SAN RAMON VALLEY: ON TO DE LA SALLE
After earning a hard-fought win against rival California on Friday night, the only thing on San Ramon Valley’s mind is its next game.
The Wolves will travel to De La Salle next week in what will be one of the most anticipated games of the season.
SRV is more than up for the challenge.
“De La Salle is on our list,” said SRV left tackle Jason Doyle. “They’re a great team, we’re a great team, so it’ll be a great matchup next week.”
In two games against De La Salle last season, the Wolves lost in heartbreaking fashion. The first came in the regular season when SRV lost in overtime at home. The other came in the North Coast Section Open Division championship when De La Salle stormed back in the fourth quarter to keep their 33-year winning streak against North Coast Section opponents alive.
Breaking that streak won’t be any easier than it was last year. De La Salle is undefeated with wins over Serra, St. Francis, El Cerrito and most recently the NFL Academy in a game played last week in London.
For SRV, the key to beating De La Salle is to keep the game simple.
“We just have to play fundamentally sound football,” said SRV linebacker Marco Jones. “Last year, we had a lot of penalties against them that cost us. … The more we can eliminate the penalties and the more we can eliminate the mental mistakes, I think the better of a game we’ll play and the higher chance we’ll have.”
Friday’s win over California gave SRV a much needed momentum boost going into a game against De La Salle where it will be an underdog.
“It’s another layer of confidence that we’re continuing to do the right things,” said SRV head coach Aaron Becker. “Hopefully, we’re ready to take on that challenge.”
– Nathan Canilao
San Ramon Valley’s Marco Jones (23) sacks California quarterback Arjun Banerjee (9) in the fourth quarter of their game at San Ramon Valley High School in Danville, Calif., on Friday, Oct. 11, 2024. San Ramon Valley defeated California 38-26.(Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)
SACRED HEART CATHEDRAL: MATER DEI TRANSFER SPARKS CRAZY VICTORY
Sacred Heart Cathedral sophomore wideout Zion Secrease has great hands, smooth route-running ability and elite speed, all traits that were on full display when he caught the game-winning 28-yard touchdown in SHC’s 35-28 come-from-behind victory against Archbishop Mitty.
Those physical tools got him a spot on Mater Dei last season, but it is his intangibles that coach Antoine Evans says have been perhaps even more valuable since Secrease transferred from the Santa Ana superpower. Secrease has 400 receiving yards and five touchdown catches so far.
“He’s brought professionalism,” Evans said. “He’s been around all of these five-star athletes and he knows how they practice and bring the energy. He saw the top tier of football, the best on a national stage, and he’s brought that to us.”
The super sophomore isn’t the only reason SHC has improved. Junior QB Michael Sargent and fellow third-year runner Legend Williams are holdovers from last season, talented playmakers who took their lumps in an 0-10 season.
After winning their third game of the season, with the CCS playoffs a reasonable possibility, excitement is sky-high at the San Francisco program.
“This win just shows that things are headed in the right direction,” Evans said. “We have kids who believe in the program, and believe in what we’re trying to do.” – Joseph Dycus
CHRISTOPHER: ADAM HAZEL’S OREGON TRAIL TO GILROY
Adam Hazel was on the ground floor of the Oregon Ducks becoming a national powerhouse.
The Christopher coach walked on as a quarterback during the initial years of Oregon rising to a national power and watched as San Leandro High alumnus Dennis Dixon led the Ducks to national prominence during his tenure.
“I grew up in Oregon, and I was a walk-on there,” Hazel said. “I never played. But Kellen Clemens was a year ahead of me, who played in the NFL, and then Dennis Dixon was a year younger than me.
“And when Dennis came in, I was like, ‘OK, that’s what God intended a quarterback to look like, and I ain’t it.’ So I transferred to Menlo College. Played my last couple years at Menlo, had a great experience. But yeah, I got to hang around the football team, got to be a scout-team quarterback for a couple years.”
Today, Oregon is one of the best programs in the country, most recently coming off a thrilling 32-31 win over then-No. 2 Ohio State in Eugene. Christopher is the finest team in the Blossom Valley Athletic League Mt. Hamilton Division.
Hazel may be building the Cougars program into a regional power, mirroring the way Oregon has gained respect nationally.
– Christian Babcock
ARCHBISHOP RIORDAN: MIKE MITCHELL JR.’S VIEW OF ALABAMA-VANDERBILT UPSET
Archbishop Riordan quarterback Michael Mitchell Jr. is committed to Vanderbilt (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)
Riordan junior quarterback Mike Mitchell Jr. committed to Vanderbilt on Sept. 21.
Since then, the Commodores have become a national story. On Oct. 5, they upset No. 1 Alabama 40-35 in Nashville. It was the first top-five win in Vanderbilt school history.
Mitchell Jr. took in the game in an unusual fashion on that fateful Saturday.
“His brother is a freshman, so he had a game,” said Riordan coach Adhir Ravipati. “So Mike was following the game from there. Obviously, it’s exciting. Vanderbilt’s doing a great job. Mike’s going to have a great career there. I’m super excited for him.”
The once-moribund Vandy program has been revitalized by coach Clark Lea and undersized quarterback Diego Pavia, an electrifying transfer from New Mexico State. In a few years, Mitchell Jr., who stands at 5-foot-11, could be the next short king in the line of succession for the Commodores.
“I think that some of the stereotypes around quarterbacks have started to disappear a little bit,” Ravipati said. “And Mike’s a great player, so he’ll do great.”
– Christian Babcock
HERCULES: TITANS HAVE BASKETBALL BALLHAWK
Erique Broussard-Wilson’s first love is basketball, but the Hercules dual-sport standout might be even better at football. In just his first season of high school football, the junior safety has four interceptions.
This includes a 76-yard pick-six that was called back in a victory over San Lorenzo. While coach Corey Meshack said that the hoops aficionado is still learning how to train like a football player, that Broussard-Wiilson “doesn’t take shortcuts” in the weight room.
“Very smart kid, well-spoken and mature,” Meshack said. “Just yesterday, I gave them lunch off, and he asked to study in my classroom. He’s starting to see his potential.” – Joseph Dycus
ST. FRANCIS: 74-YARD CHALK TALK
Saint Francis’ Kingston Keanaaina has been on a tear this season (Karl Mondon/Bay Area News Group)
St. Francis coach Greg Calcagno usually wants his running backs to stick to the game plan, follow the play design and hit their designated hole.
But for the uber-talented Kingston Keanaaina, he makes an exception.
“On that power run play, he can hit the A, B or C (gaps) and he can bounce it, depending on what he sees,” Calcagno said.
Ironically, his most explosive run of the night, a 75-yard jaunt, came when Keanaaina stuck to the script.
“That play was ‘96 whopper extra,’” the senior BYU commit said. “Coach told me to be more patient, and it’s going to be there vertically. And that’s exactly what I did, trusting the coaches.” – Joseph Dycus
ARROYO: DONS CLOSE TO FIRST WINNING SEASON IN OVER A DECADE
The last time Arroyo had a winning season, Barack Obama was in his first term as President. But this season’s team looks destined to change the East Bay school’s recent history.
After beating Mt. Eden by 35 in their MVAL/WACC Shoreline Opener, the Dons have improved to 5-1 and are in the middle of having their most successful season since 2011.
“This was the plan all along,” said coach Jeffery Pride. “We just wanted to fine tune everything and make sure that what we wanted to do was consistent with what we could do. It’s working out perfectly right now.”
Arroyo showed flashes of what it could do last season when the Dons ended 2023 winning its final four games. This year’s team started the season with impressive wins over Antioch, Washington-Fremont and St. Mary’s-Berkeley.
Led by a three-headed rushing attack of Joseph Estes, Owen Thomason and Willie Johnson, Arroyo’s offense is averaging 32 points per game.
“Winning changes everything,” Pride said. “They understand what we’re trying to accomplish now. It’s a way we’re trying to win football games. They understand the details and are understanding to just concentrate on the game.” — Nathan Canilao
PEEK AHEAD TO WEEK 8
Friday
No. 3 San Ramon Valley at No. 1 De La Salle, 7 p.m.: SRV almost ended De La Salle’s three-decade long NCS winning streak twice last season. De La Salle came back in the second half to win both thrillers.
No. 5 St. Francis (5-1) at No. 4 St. Ignatius (5-1), 7 p.m.: Winner of this game will gain the inside track to capturing the WCAL title.
No. 15 Wilcox (4-2) at Palo Alto (5-1), 7 p.m.: After winning its first game in the PAL Bay Division, can Palo Alto take down traditional powerhouse Wilcox?
Sacred Heart Cathedral (3-3) at No. 10 Valley Christian (4-2), 7 p.m.: Coming off a wild upset of Mitty, can Sacred Heart Cathedral keep pace with red-hot Valley Christian?
San Leandro (4-2) at Moreau Catholic (3-3), 7 p.m.: Should be a high-scoring game between teams with MVAL/WACC Foothill Division title hopes.
No. 20 Monte Vista (5-1) at No. 11 California (6-1), 7 p.m.: Cal’s Jhadis Luckey and Monte Vista’s Julian McMahan puts the spotlight on the running backs in this EBAL matchup.
No. 17 Acalanes (5-2) at No. 13 Clayton Valley Charter (4-2), 7 p.m.: CVC’s second game back in the DAL pits the Ugly Eagles against the defending state champions.