Riordan has not had a winning football record since 2007 when coach Mike Langridge led the Crusaders to a 9-3-1 mark and a CCS Medium Schools title.
That team defeated Serra 20-3 and tied St. Francis 21-21 that season.
Outside of 2007, Riordan has not won more than four games in a season in the last 10 years. It had five coaches during that span.
Enter new coach Kevin Fordon, 33, who has replaced John Lee as coach. He hopes to improve Crusader fortunes and return the glory to Riordan football which won WCAL titles in 1971, '72 and 2000.
Longtime Crusader fans might recall such Riordan stars as Dan Hayes, Darius Bell, Daniel Cannon, Marty Storti, Eric Wright, Carl Braboy, Ralph Lamar, Mike Carey, Frank and Steve Jordan and Jeremy Konaris. That's just a sampling. Riordan has always had individual talent.
"There's great excitement and we have a younger coaching staff and we want to bring the success back and be the powerhouse we can be," said Fordon, who was a two-way starter at juggernaut De La Salle for coach Bob Ladouceur. "We've had great numbers for workouts and it's nice to see a buy-in from the players."
More than 50 players are taking part in weightlifting and conditioning and that doesn't count the incoming freshman class. The Crusaders won just one game last season (14-7 against Sacred Heart Cathedral), but have some ability and heft returning.
Riordan's entire offensive line of Tony Orlando, Mario Giusto, Sam Tofi, Mavaega Maga and Phil Kaulave returns.
Other players to watch include linebacker/running back Jamarion Caston, LB Payton Ilialio, RB running back Raymone Sanders, quarterback Jackie Lavasa, LB/defensive lineman Rocco Russell, WR/LB Isaiah Davis, WR/LB Cedric McAfee and WR/LB Stanton Thomas and WR Aidan Verba-Hamilton.
The new coach called Lavasa "a stud, who can run and throw and has attracted some interest from colleges." He said Sanders is a "running back with great vision who has speed and is explosive." Verba-Hamilton can flat-out fly.
Fordon has numerous alumni on his staff to help mold the Crusaders. They are Jay'sen Morris, Ryan Jones, Darius Bell and Danny Curtin. Bell holds several Riordan passing records.
"They're all about putting Riordan back on the map in the prep football world," Fordon said. "We had some close games last year that we were not able to finish off. I think with our skill set we'll be able to put some points on the board and we have the makings of a tough defense."
Riordan begins its season Sept. 11 at defending Open Division champion Sacred Heart Prep.
SARATOGA TURF DEBATE: The plans involving Measure E funds to make the Saratoga High softball field all synthetic turf have been scrutinized and criticized by some, but it's going to happen said Falcons' athletic director Tim Lugo.
"There's been a backlash from everyone in the softball community," said rising senior softball standout Eleni Spirakis. "Softball is not played on turf, it's played on dirt. We've spoken to the school board, but they've ignored us."
Spirakis said there were plans to make the Los Gatos softball field all synthetic turf, but they were scratched when the softball people protested. She thinks the wishes of the Saratoga softball community should be similarly honored.
"The turf gives (all) genuine bounces and that's not what softball is," Spirakis said. "It's going to put us at a disadvantage because we're going to get used to easy bounces off the turf and won't be used to bad hops (when playing away)."
The player's father, Greg Spirakis, recently addressed the school board and also provided information to the administration in October on why making the field all synthetic turf would not be prudent. Said his letter in part: "The proposal to replace the current SHS softball field with 100 percent synthetic does little to solve any real problem and does so at great expense while degrading the softball game experience for the players. Overwhelmingly other high schools in our league faced with a similar decision went with dirt infields. Except for one case, those that chose synthetic turf only did so in the outfield and only in cases where multi-use was the goal."
Lugo said the decision boils down to a Title IX consideration. Title IX is a portion of the United States Education Amendments of 1972 that guarantees equality to all in education for programs receiving federal financial assistance. As an example, if a high school baseball field has a scoreboard, then the softball field must have one too.
Said Lugo: "I understand their concerns, but at some point they won't be a part of the program and two summers from now the baseball field will become all turf and if the softball field is grass and dirt we're going to have Title IX complaints. Then it's going to cost us a lot more if it's done later."
The Falcon AD also said the space needs to become more than a softball field -- that softball will be getting a retractable fence and the softball field in the future will also become an area where soccer practices can be held.
One bit of good news for the softball folks is the field is getting a new backstop, dugouts and bleachers.
ALDRETE LEAVING VOLS: Former Santa Catalina star softball catcher Annie Aldrete is leaving the University of Tennessee, reports the Monterey County Herald's John Devine.
“The last few months have been emotionally challenging for me as I have coped with the passing of my best friend,’’ Aldrete wrote on the Volunteers' softball twitter account. “I have decided to move to a school closer to my home and family.’’
Aldrete, the daughter of former Cal baseball star Rich Aldrete and niece of former big league player Mike Aldrete, was referring to the passing of her former Santa Catalina teammate Fatima Larios.
Tennessee will only release Aldrete to four California schools -- Cal, Fresno State, San Jose State and Cal Poly San Luis Obispo -- otherwise she will lose a year of eligibility, reports Devine.
SPARTANS PICK HOOPS COACH: Former De La Salle star A.J. Kuhle has been named the new basketball coach at his old school, De La Salle has has announced. He replaces Frank Allocco who has taken the associate head basketball job at USF.
Kuhle has been an assistant at the University of Denver for eight years. He was also an assistant coach at Air Force for three years. Before that he played for Air Force for four years, starting for three and was the team MVP his senior year.
STILL SHINING: Numerous college players from area high schools made the Louisville Slugger Freshman All-American baseball team. They are: John Gavin of Cal State Fullerton (St. Francis High), Matt Landrech of California (Campolindo), Mitch Hart of USC (Granite Bay), Brett Cumberland of Cal (Turlock), Luke Rasmussen of Long Beach State (Mitty), Bryson Brigman of San Diego (Valley Christian of San Jose), Cal Stevenson of Nevada (Kennedy-Fremont) and Sean Watkins of Loyola Marymount (Serra).
WHEN MCENROE SHOOK UP BURLINGAME: I've been watching John McEnroe announce the French Open. Am I dating myself to say I saw McEnroe as a teen play a doubles match in the USTA National Junior Hardcourt Championships at the Peninsula Tennis Club in Burlingame? Must have been 1974 or so. McEnroe caused a disturbance, too, buy arguing with an elderly umpire. Also notable was Johnny Mac's doubles partner kept hitting kill shots that bounced over the tall cyclone fence and into the swimming pool.
Briefly: According to CCS rule, the ejections of Los Gatos baseball coach Nate Anderson and his assistant from the section Open title game will mean they will have to sit out the first league game of next season, confirmed CCS assistant commissioner Steve Filios ... San Francisco State is seeking both a head varsity baseball coach and a head varsity softball coach ... The CIF-State track and field meet is Friday and Saturday at Clovis' Buchanan High ... Mitty is 17th in the MaxPrep's national softball rankings and St. Francis-Mountain View is 18th in the MaxPreps national baseball ratings.
John Murphy is the Web Content Manager for Prep2Prep. Contact him at jmurphy@Prep2Prep.com. Follow him on Twitter @PrepCat
