I don't know much about biology, as Sam Cooke once sang, but I do know this:
LEVI'S A GOOD FIT: This weekend's four-game, two-day Friday Night Lights prep football event from all accounts, was a success.
There were an estimated 12,000 fans at Friday's evening game between valley rivals Santa Clara and Wilcox at Levi's Stadium, reported the San Jose Mercury. Elk Grove played Jesuit-Carmichael in Friday's nightcap, with Oakdale vs. Manteca and De La Salle vs. Logan comprising Saturday's twin bill.
Said Wilcox coach Dan Brown to Prep2Prep's Jack Duffy following his team's 67-20 win: “What a great feeling -- such a tremendous opportunity, just a tremendous win for us, just a great feeling for the Wilcox fans, and the community of Santa Clara.”
It was Brown who last August told Prep2Prep almost matter-of-factly his team might be playing at Levi's this year if a few things fell into place. The Chargers were originally scheduled to play Manteca on August 29 at Levi's, but would need a waiver from CCS to play a week before the CCS's first allowable contest.
Brown didn't want the beans spilled on this, but when informed the waiver info would have to be on the CCS board agenda, he agreed the information was already out there. We knew it was big news and published the story the following day, drawing 38,000 hits -- one of the most widely read stories in the history of this start-up web site.
A prep team playing at a $1.3 billion football palace is big stuff. As it should be.
Well, the original Levi's twin bill was scratched due to Levi's turf problems, but this weekend's four-game extravaganza was a more-than-worthy replacement.
Wilcox's league brethren unanimously supported the Chargers' bid for a waiver and so we'd like to see another SCVAL school or two get a crack at playing at Levi's next year. Or really a berth in the event for any local school(s) would be cool. It's great for the schools, great for the community.
PERSEVERANCE PAYS OFF: Riordan didn't play badly through the first four games of 2014, losing to formidable teams in Milpitas (27-0), Sacred Heart Prep (14-7), Menlo-Atherton (21-20) and St. Francis (25-23).
Friday night at Sacred Heart Cathedral's temporary home, Terra Nova, Riordan's determination paid off. The Crusaders won the Stanfel Cup for the second consecutive season, defeating the Fightin' Irish 14-7.
Senior defensive back Jake Cochrane intercepted a pass on SHC's last possession to preserve the win. Jake's father, Mike, went to St. Ignatius and was a star receiver at College of San Mateo. He's now a San Francisco firefighter, just like his father Bill before him. The late fire captain Bill had a cameo in the 1970s disaster film "Towering Inferno."
Friday night Jake and his teammates doused SHC which got a monster performance (300-plus yards) by Irish back Jamar Williams-Sheppard in the loss to Mitty. Down in misty and cold Pacifica, the Crusader D limited Williams-Sheppard to a 7-yard TD run. It's called persistence.
MONTEREY AIDED BY SORCERY: Now it can be revealed. Monterey has employed by magic, wizardry and spells in conjuring up a 5-0 record.
Or maybe it was just Carter Aldrete and his resilient teammates.
Losing to visiting San Benito by one point with one timeout, 35.7 seconds left and the ball on its own 24 yard line, Monterey's hopes looked as dark as a graveyard. Then Aldrete went to work.
The son of the former Cal baseball star led Monterey to pay-turf in five plays, the last being a 35-yard toss to Matthew Wright with 7.2 seconds left. That spiraled the home crowd into delirium.
Monterey hasn't seen that kind of magic since Jimi Hendrix lit a guitar on fire.
“In my head I knew we were in it the whole time,” Aldrete told Prep2Prep's Ryan Silapan. “I never lost hope for one second I knew that with my squad we were getting in the end zone no matter what."
PADRES' NUNN IS SPECIAL: Serra coach Patrick Walsh must think highly of sophomore Leki Nunn. He started the sophomore at quarterback to start the season -- against nationally ranked De La Salle, no less.
Nunn, in his first three games at QB, Nunn showed flashes of brilliance, but also threw nine interceptions. Then, with transfer QB Hunter Bishop from St. Francis not eligible until Week 5, Walsh kept the precocious soph behind center and he sparkled against Valley Christian, rushing for a team-high 90 yards and completing 5-of-6 passes in a 24-10 Padre upset victory.
Then came Week 4 against St. Ignatius and Walsh dispatched Nunn to running back where he sizzled, rushing for 205 yards and three touchdowns. The last TD, a 75-yard burst, not only led Serra to a 32-20 win but made Walsh look like some sort of mad alchemist.
Nunn is even good with the press, telling Prep2Prep's Ethan Fore: "This game doesn't define us. It's the WCAL and every team is good, so we just gotta focus on getting ourselves better."
PIONEER, SILVA ON A ROLL: Pioneer and Willow Glen were tied heading into the fourth quarter of their game Friday night until the Mustangs managed to out-point the Rams 16-15 in the final stanza for a 45-44 win. Whew.
Mustang QB Zach Silva had a hand in all of Pioneer's scores, tossing TD passes of 27 yards and 24 yards to Lou Columbe, 27 yards to Gulizia and 43 yards to Barragan. He also showed his nimbleness afoot with TD runs of 4 and 8 yards. Zach seems like a decent bet for this week's Prep2Prep honor roll.
Since losing 55-0 in its opener o Valley Christian, Pioneer has outscored opponents by a combined 200 to 120.
LANCERS TURN BACK CLOCK: Beginning in 1972 when Ron Calcagno took over the St. Francis football program, the foundation was laid for one of the section's best football programs.
Calcagno's teams at first didn't have the greatest talent, but they executed like nobody's business, didn't make mistakes and won with a bruising ground game and stellar defense. Sound familiar?
Ron's son, Greg Calcagno, is in his second year as the St. Francis coach and the Lancers are having similar success. Friday they beat Mitty for the first time in eight years when a late, 48-yard field goal attempt by the Monarchs missed.
Back Daniel Hurtado S.F. with 189 yards on 22 carries. The Lancer defense also shined.
"Our defense is pretty darn good," Greg Calcagno told the Palo Alto Daily News.
Next up: Serra. Get there early.
John Murphy is the Web Content Manager at Prep2Prep. He may be reached at jmurphy@prep2prep.com
