There seems to a high level of agreement among coaches in the BVAL-Mt. Hamilton that defending champion Oak Grove should stay atop the division this season, with Pioneer and Piedmont Hills as the most likely challengers. One new variable is the addition of Live Oak, which tied with Westmont for the league title last year in the BVAL-Santa Teresa, otherwise known as the "B" league.
The Mt. Hamilton continued to do well in post-season play last year, as Oak Grove was selected for the Open Division, losing to eventual champion Sacred Heart Prep, while Pioneer, Piedmont Hills, and Leland all won first-round games."
“Oak Grove is probably the top team coming into this season,” said Santa Teresa High coach Nick Alfano. “Pioneer and Piedmont Hills are probably right behind them, with it being anyone’s game after that. Pioneer has some real tough kids, and Oak Grove has both the size and talent.”
Pioneer coach Eric Perry agreed.
“Oak Grove is the class of the field, and Piedmont Hills will be pretty good as well,” Perry said. “If we can get through the non-league schedule, and our first two league games healthy, then we should be OK after that.”
Despite being the newcomer in the division, a strong returning offensive backfield and key returners at the linebacker position have Live Oak coach Mike Gemo hopeful heading into the 2015 season.
“We should be competitive in the league,” Gemo said. “We definitely have hopes of making the playoffs.”
LEIGH (2-8, 1-6): After finishing last in the division a year ago, the Longhorns have nearly every skill player back, plus a number of defensive leaders, giving this program the look of a contender.
Quarterback and team captain Jared King (6-0, 170) returns for his junior season after throwing for 1,247 yards and 15 touchdowns last year. And King will also have the benefit of nearly every target back this year. Senior Greg Le (5-11, 175), the other co-captain on the team, returns after leading the team with 40 catches for 588 yards and nine touchdowns last year. Other top returners in the passing game include seniors Grant McGee (6-0, 170) and Aidan McErlean (6-0, 175). McGee had 33 catches for 304 yards and a pair of scores last year, while McEarlean had 20 catches for 145 yards.
King also ran for four touchdowns last season, along with 224 yards on the ground, and will be joined again in the backfield by junior Michael Brohn (5-7, 200). Brohn had 282 yards rushing last year, while senior Cole Doty (5-11, 190) also carried the ball at times last season, finishing with 106 yards and a touchdown.
Defensively, Leigh will benefit from two-way lineman, senior Zach Holt, who had 41 tackles and two tackles for a loss last season. Senior Cullen Williams (6-7, 225) also returns at offensive tackle and defensive end after registering 39 tackles from his end spot last year. Meanwhile, Brohn should anchor the defense from his middle linebacker position, and Doty will be at another linebacker spot. The two combined for nearly 80 tackles last year.
Senior Mason Pekarthy (6-1, 175) and Le return in the secondary for the Longhorns. Le had 49 tackles and three tackles for a loss last year.
Leigh opens with Branham, Westmont, and Independence before starting divisional play.
LELAND (6-6, 4-3): On paper, this could be a rebuilding year for the Chargers, who return just six starters and had a win-less junior varsity team last season.
Leland graduated two 1,000-yard rushers from last year, including dual-threat quarterback Kevin Cance. Cance’s shoes could possibly be filled by returning free safety Collin Petrow (5-11, 170). Petrow had 40 tackles and an interception playing in the secondary last year, and is being looked at as a two-way starter in 2015.
Two returners who gained experience last season are running back Matt Kakeuchi (5-9, 150) and receiver Sam McCash (5-10, 170). Takeuchi had 14 catches for 264 yards and three scores last year playing receiver, and is also a weapon returning kicks, having averaged nearly 26 yards per return last season. McCash, meanwhile, had 20 catches for 239 yards and two touchdowns, and is also the team’s leading returning rusher with 103 yards and a touchdown on the ground last year.
Two-way lineman Bryce Anderson (6-3, 240) will be a mainstay. On defense, Leland has the benefit of returning outside linebacker Emery Doss (5-5, 170), who despite his stature, forced two fumbles last season to go with his 32 tackles.
The Chargers have a difficult home opener against Sacred Heart Prep before playing at Burlingame and Homestead prior to league play.
LIVE OAK (7-4, 6-1): The Acorns step up a division this season after being one of the dominant programs in the Santa Teresa division. Despite the increased degree of difficulty this season, Live Oak appears to be in good shape with a number of key returners.
Senior quarterback and team captain Erik Ornduff (6-3, 195) threw for 1,374 yards and 13 touchdowns last year, and is joined in the backfield again by co-captain Paul Lomanto (6-1, 200). Lomanto ran for 1,379 yards and 10 scores, plus added another 31 catches for 385 yards and two touchdowns out of the backfield. Lomanto also brings a breakaway threat to the field, having scored on both a 91-yard run and an 80-yard reception last year.
Isaac Nfon (6-1, 180) is another returner with experience catching the ball offensively, with 127 yards and touchdown last year, while co-captain Jacob Locsin can also serve as a blocking and running threat at fullback.
The offensive line figures to be solid for the Acorns, especially with the return of offensive tackle Ryan Quadros (5-11, 230) and center Anthony Ditta (5-9, 235).
Defensively, Quadros anchors the defense from his linebacker spot after racking up 148 tackles, with four tackles for a loss and two sacks last season. Locsin is another top returner defensively alongside Quadros, after having 92 tackles last year.
Nfon returns in the secondary for Live Oak, and is joined again by Jacob Ryder (5-8, 165) and Elvis Bernal (5-6, 140). The trio combined for over 100 tackles last year, with Bernal also snagging an interception.
Overall, Live Oak returns 11 starters from last year’s team, plus has an influx of talent from a junior varsity team that went 7-3. The Acorns open the season with Gilroy, Christopher, and Sobrato before starting play in their new division.
OAK GROVE (7-4, 7-0): The defending division champion Eagles are the favorites, and two-way standout Anu Tuiono (5-10, 195) is a big reason. The reigning division player of the year is surrounded by 14 returning starters, seemingly creating a gap between Oak Grove and the rest of the contenders in the division.
Playing strong safety defensively, Tuiono should be free to wreak havoc across the field this season after having 112 tackles and 14 tackles for a loss last year. Offensively, Tuiono is back again with Rasaan Fontenette (5-8, 170), after the duo combined for 1,068 yards and 14 touchdowns on the ground last year.
Paving the way for the offense, which plans to utilize a two-quarterback system this year, will be returning junior two-way lineman Dillan Misaalefua (6-5, 270). Joining Misaalefua on the defensive line is senior Jelani Brown (6-3, 240), who had four sacks and three tackles for a loss last year.
Grady Ryan (6-2, 210) and Taimane Ashby (6-2, 190) are two tight end/linebacker combination athletes who showed potential last season as sophomores on the varsity. Ryan had 26 tackles and two sacks defensively, while Ashby had three tackles for a loss and an interception.
After going win-less in non-league action last year, the Eagles will continue to challenge themselves as they prepare for Mt. Hamilton play. Oak Grove opens at home against St. Francis before traveling to both Valley Christian and Palo Alto.
PIEDMONT HILLS (7-5, 4-3): Senior quarterback Marcus Romero (6-0, 175) was the leading passer in the Mt. Hamilton league last year with 2,654 yards and 27 touchdowns, and will have one of his favorite targets from a year ago, junior receiver Richard Fedelin (6-0, 170), who had 46 catches for 477 yards and three touchdowns last year.
A question mark will be who will replace the lost production in the backfield, where Romero is the leading returner after gaining 324 yards on the ground last season. Junior Donovan Taylor did see carries last year as a sophomore, running for 135 yards.
The offensive line will be bolstered by the return of senior Joe Cevallos (5-11, 235), the team’s top OL last year.
Fedelin should be a two-way impact player again for the Pirates, after recording a pair of sacks and interceptions from his outside linebacker position last year. Taylor plays opposite Fedelin, and recorded 30 tackles with a tackle for a loss. Junior Justin Cevallos should help anchor the middle of the defense at inside linebacker after having 37 tackles there last year.
Alberto Vargas is another returner for the defense, and had 34 tackles, three tackles for a loss, and a sack last season.
The Pirates play Independence, Saratoga, and Gilroy before league play, having dropped Bellarmine off the schedule from last season.
PIONEER (9-3, 6-1): The Mustangs lost a number of key players on the defensive side of the ball from last year’s team that beat Saratoga in the first round of the Division III playoffs, but should remain competitive thanks to good skill players that return for the offense.
That includes last year’s Mt. Hamilton junior player of the year, Louis Coulombe (6-0, 180), who had 53 catches for 784 yards and 12 touchdowns playing in the slot receiver position. Opposite Coulombe again this year is senior receiver Elijah Roberts (5-8, 160), who had 43 catches for 757 yards and seven scores last season. The pair will be nice targets for incoming quarterback Jarrod Turner (5-10, 175), who started on the frosh-soph level for the past two years.
“We did graduate a lot on defense, and need to rebuild there,” Perry said. “But we have a number of good skill players back on offense, which should help the defense early in the season.”
That early season schedule includes another match-up with Valley Christian, which defeated Pioneer 55-0 to open the 2014 season.
Perry is also excited about his backfield, which includes last season’s division sophomore of the year, running back Raul Villa Letuligasenoa. Letuligasenoa ran for 680 yards and eight scores last year. Letuligasenoa is joined again by junior fullback Nathan Polanco (5-9, 200).
The Mustangs’ offensive line should also be a strength, as junior left tackle Jacob Guerra (6-1, 205) returns after starting as a sophomore, and the right side should be solid with returning senior Zack Matar (6-3, 245) at guard and junior Brandon Dick (6-2, 210) up from the frosh-soph at tackle.
The defense, while rebuilding, will be led by middle linebacker David Gonzalez (5-10, 185), who had 82 tackles last year. Roberts and Coulombe will also play in the secondary, where Roberts had three interceptions last season.
SANTA TERESA (5-6, 3-4): A formidable defensive line should help the Saints be competitive in 2015, led by two returning seniors.
Seniors Phillip Vitek (5-11, 195) and Eddie McCartney (6-1, 270) will anchor Santa Teresa up front on defense after both started last season. They are joined by sophomore defensive end Andrew Schulthies (6-2, 190), who played on the varsity for the final three games last year, and junior transfer Trevor Schiebley (6-2, 215), who moved from Colorado. That is in contrast to the offensive line, which does feature many returning starters.
“We are thin on the offensive line in terms of experience, with maybe three guys have seen action there,” Alfano said. “I think our defense will be fine, and we are still putting together the pieces offensively.”
That includes a battle at the quarterback position that was still undecided, with two players who Alfano described as similar options vying for playing time. Returning in the offensive backfield will be senior running back and linebacker Troy Sanchez (5-10, 200), while the passing game should be bolstered by an incoming talent in freshman wideout Ethan Janto (6-2, 175).
WILLOW GLEN (5-6, 3-4): Returning all-league seniors Caleb Vander Esch (6-0, 175) and Clay Wilson (5-11, 160) highlight a cast of receivers that Rams coach Oscar Caballero terms as “an exciting group.”
Vander Esch and Wilson are joined at the receiver position by seniors Anthony Navarro (6-0, 174) and Justin Perea (6-0, 168) to form a highly experienced group to aide with the early development of incoming junior quarterback Tyler Warren (5-8, 145). Perea led the team in receiving last year with 27 catches for 297 yards and two scores.
To get the ball to the receivers, however, Willow Glen will need to see early development among its offensive line.
“We are looking to quickly rebuild up front on both sides of the line, having lost quite a few starters,” Caballero said. “We are also excited about our group of receivers, which should lead us offensively.”
Helping the cause up front will be a handful of seniors who saw playing time last season. That includes Jacob Baldovinos (5-10, 258), Joey Fagundes (5-11, 180), Jordan Garcia (5-10, 255), Renato Oyarzun (5-8, 198), Eduardo Pedroza (5-11, 203), and Isaac Ramirez (6-2, 188).
The Rams’ offensive line will need to play well with an inexperienced backfield, after graduating two 1000-yard rushers from last season. Ramirez was also the team’s leading tackler last year, while Wilson returns in the secondary.
