Year two of the realigned Diablo Athletic League – Foothill Division likely will not be a lot different than the first year when Clayton Valley came over from the old DVAL along with Concord and joined former DFAL members Acalanes, Campolindo, Las Lomas and Miramonte, and then proceeded to go 5-0 to win the league with 4-1 Campolindo finishing second. One difference this season is former Las Lomas coach Doug Longero is back at the Knights' helm after a four-year hiatus.
CLAYTON VALLEY CHARTER (9-2, 5-0)
The Ugly Eagles reward for running roughshod through the DAL – Foothill by outscoring opponents 233-49 combined was a ticket to the new North Coast Section Open Division, and as the fourth seed that meant going to the mountain right off the bat and a 28-0 defeat at De La Salle.
Going all the way and conceivably beating De La Salle this year would be the ultimate goal, but it would seem a reasonable goal would be to get a higher seed so they could possibly meet De La Salle in the title game, and win or lose they could then advance to a regional bowl game. In the way the system works, they could replace the Division I champion and be placed in a Northern Regional Bowl Game even if they lost to the Spartans or anyone else in the NCS Open championship.
To get a seed higher than No. 4 the Ugly Eagles will need to be undefeated, unlike last season when they had a loss to Helix-La Mesa. What that means is they will not only need go 5-0 in league again, but they will also need to win their non-league road games at Nevada Reed-Sparks and Nevada Canyon Springs-North Las Vegas, whom they beat at home last season, and also beat defending Hawaii Division I state champion Mililani when they host the Trojans on September 1, and that combination will not be an easy task.
Since coach Tim Murphy took the helm in 2012, the Ugly Eagles are 60-9 overall and 25-0 in Diablo Athletic League action, with two losses overall in four of the five seasons, and one loss in 2014 when their 15-1 season ended in a heartbreaking 34-33 defeat at the hands of Redlands East Valley in the CIF Division II Bowl Game state championship.
Along the way Murphy and his boys have won NCS Division II titles in 2012, 2014 and 2015, and CIF Northern Regional Division II Bowl Game titles in 2014 and 2015, with a NorCal D2 runner-up finish in 2012.
Murphy loses seven All-DAL – Foothill First Team selections, including Defensive MVP Koti Vaisima, and four Second Team selections, but he returns three Second Team honorees and all three will be important to the running game.
This year’s Cal-Hi Sports preseason No. 28-ranked Ugly Eagles will have some new twists, but still depend on that patented running game Murphy has employed since his days at Clovis East, when the 2006 team was 12-1 and on the board for a CIF Bowl Game berth but wasn’t chosen.
Senior 6-7, 295-pound all league returner and Cal-committed Brandon Mello is back to anchor the offensive line that will block for all league returning running backs James Teofilo and junior Thomas “Junior” Alatini, and 6-0, 190-pound senior dual-threat quarterback Kenny “KJ” Gardner, Jr.
With Gardner looking sharp and a slew of wide receivers, Murphy seems ready to get a little out of the box and throw the ball, and that would be a complete turnaround from last season. In his five seasons Clayton Valley has passed for a total of 5,574 yards, with a high of 1,274 in Murphy’s first year to a low of 788 yards in the air last season.
“KJ is literally getting better every day and part of the reason is we’re practicing passing a lot,” Murphy said. “When things go wrong I go to the run but I see us throwing the ball 30 to 40 percent of the time.”
“It boosts my confidence to know Coach Murphy has confidence in me,” Gardner said at the Pittsburg 7-on-7 in July when asked about more passing in the Ugly Eagles arsenal.
After playing true slot last year and rushing for 337 yards and six touchdowns, and leading the team in receiving with 13 catches for 329 yards and four more scores, 6-0, 215-pound junior Andre White will move from slot to receiver but will see some time at fullback.
White will be joined by two newcomers at wideout, although one has experience as a receiver. They are Sacred Heart Cathedral transfer Jamal Lavallier and 6-0, 185-pound senior Milan Mijanovich. Lavallier, a 5-8, 170-pound senior that Murphy says is extremely quick and will also play cornerback, started last year for the Irish before breaking his ankle in the first game. Mijanovich, who looked good at the Pittsburg 7-on-7, previously played both baseball and basketball at Clayton Valley and has now found a home on the gridiron.
With a roster of almost 70 players that has lots of underclassmen that will start, Murphy was rattling off names almost as fast as a stopwatch.
“This is the youngest team I’ve ever started at Clayton Valley,” Murphy remarked. “We’ll start seven or eight juniors on defense and five or six on offense.
Another wide receiver is 6-0, 185-pound sophomore Maki Gervai. The only true two-way starter acceding to Murphy is 6-2, 205-pound tight end/middle linebacker Cade Carter.
Joining Mello on the offensive line are 6-2,200-pound senior guard Dylan Chrisco, 6-3, 295-pound junior center Jacob Faleafine, 6-1, 220-pound junior guard Jacob Sartorio, and 6-2, 285-pound junior tackle Jason Cannedy.
The defensive line has 6-2, 218-pound senior defensive end Dwayne Alatini, 6-0, 240-pound tackle Kitione Tau, who will also play on the offensive line, 6-3, 205-pound junior defensive end Dusty Mitchell, 6-0, 205-pound junior defensive end Jackson Trimble and 6-1, 275-pound senior tackle Mathew Huffaker.
Besides Carter at linebacker, Murphy mentioned 6-0, 175-pound senior Ryan Wilson and 5-10, 185-pound junior Kyle Sparks.
Joining Lavallier in the secondary are senior cornerback Gabriel Dobbins, junior safety Parker Allen, senior safety Dylan Bodrug, junior safety Parker Allen, junior safety Christian Seeley and junior safety Pauaea Aumua.
A player Murphy wanted to be sure and mention is 5-11, 190-pound senior fullback, team leader and captain Ben Acebo.
A player Murphy says will play wide receiver, running back and defensive back is senior Garrett Ganguet. A player Murphy thinks could break out this season is junior wide receiver Kegan Martin.
Murphy certainly has the numbers and a lot of size and speed, but a lot of youth in a tweaked system.
“That’s the tough part,” Murphy reflected. “It’s going to be a learning curve. Between the new offense and the youth it will be a challenge. We want to win the first three games but we also want to experiment and learn about this team.
The experiment begins in Northern Nevada at Reed, then at home to face Mililani, and then in Southern Nevada against Canyon Springs before the Ugly Eagles fly into Antioch. The final non-league game is as host to Deer Valley before beginning DAL – Foothill play at home against Miramonte.
CAMPOLINDO (12-3, 4-1)
The Cougars may have lost to Clayton Valley and two of their first four games to Valley Christian and Oakdale, but when the chips were down they won the games they needed to and it resulted in a CIF Division 4-AA Bowl Game state championship after coach Kevin Macy and his boys went south and came home with a 31-7 victory at Bakersfield Christian.
It was the second state title in three years for Campolindo after the 2014 team won the Division III Bowl Game championship. The 2015 team won the CIF Northern Regional Division III-AA championship with a win over Milpitas before losing in the state title game at La Mirada. That means the 2017 team comes into the season having won three straight CIF Northern Regional Bowl Game titles.
Macy, who enters his 38th season overall coaching and 22nd season at Campolindo after starting his head coaching career with a six-year stint at Oakland Tech, has had Campo at or near the top of the heap since the Cougars made their first appearance in a CIF state Bowl Game, where they lost 21-16 to Washington Union-Fresno in the 2011 D3 Bowl Game.
Since 2011, Campo is 77-9 overall and 34-1 in league with the only loss to Clayton Valley last season. Besides the CIF state hardware, the Cougars have now won three straight NCS titles and four in the last six years to go with a 1986 NCS 2A championship prior to Macy’s arrival.
Macy loses six All-DAL – Foothill First Team and two Second Team selections but he returns two Second Team honorees in seniors John Torchio and Vince Mossotti.
Torchio, who was the second leading receiver last season (43 catches, 664 yards and seven TDs), was also the backup quarterback to All-DAL – Foothill First Team quarterback Jacob Westphal, and was All-League at defensive back where he had seven interceptions, will move into the starting quarterback job and he looked sharp at the Pittsburg 7-on-7 in July.
Now, instead of lining up alongside Mossotti at wide receiver, Torchio will now throw to Mossotti, who was last year’s leading receiver with 53 receptions for 1,240 yards and nine touchdowns.
Torchio will also continue to handle the punting duties, return punts, and will be a big part of the defensive secondary as well.
“He’ll see a lot of time in the secondary. We have to keep him out there because that’s where he’s so good,” Macy said. “We told him if you’re going to try quarterback we still need you on defense.”
After losing his two top running back Macy will look to 5-9, 175-pound senior Shun Ishida as his primary running back. Last season he was third on the team with 334 yards rushing with five touchdowns.
“We’re hoping junior Kaleo Nelson will develop but other than Ishida we don’t really have another tailback option,” Macy remarked.
With Torchio moving to quarterback it leaves the receiving corps a little light as well. Parker Windatt, a 6-2, 175-pound senior will take Torchio’s place but according to Macy he “needs to blossom.” Lucas Allen, a 6-2, 185-pound junior up from JV will be another starting wide receiver but Macy says he “need to grow into the position.” Justin Ehrenberger, a 6-0, 210-pound senior will play tight end and also some defensive line but Macy says he’s “still learning to catch the ball and is there for blocking purposes right now.”
Don’t be surprised if Torchio does not finish the season at quarterback. Grant Harper, a 6-1, 175-pound sophomore lefthander up from the JV looked very good at the Pittsburg 7-on-7, and if things unravel he may become the signal-caller with Torchio moving back to receiver.
“Grant is one of our better insurance policies since we don’t usually have depth at quarterback,” Macy said. “Who knows where things will end up this year if we don’t have anyone to catch the ball or a running game. Torchio’s survival at quarterback is less about him but more about our running backs and receivers. They will determine Torchio’s success at quarterback.”
The offensive line and defensive line has two two-way anchors, 6-2, 200-pound senior Cole Berzins and 5-9, 210-pound senior Chris Brahney. Berzins is a returning starter and Brahney would have been a starter last year but broke his ankle before the season started. Another two-way lineman that Macy thinks can bring some stability to the line is 5-10, 200-pound center/defensive lineman Travis Brainerd.
The linebacking corps has two anchors as well, 6-1, 210-pound senior Grant Larsen and 5-8, 207-pound senior Kyle Leuteneker. Larsen is a returning starter and Leuteneker would have seen time last year but suffered a knee injury. Two other linebackers Macy is looking to for production are seniors Aaron Moranville and Jake Finegold.
Regardless of where things end up on offense Torchio will be the leader of the defensive secondary. Seniors Ryan Reagan and Ryan McNally return with some experience from last season but after that Macy says there are still questions.
Even though the cupboard looks a little bare like it has in some recent past years Macy seems to get the most out of the players he has and this year likely will be no different.
The Cougars will find out right away where they’re at when they open at a Marin Catholic team that has a lot of size. From there they host St. Ignatius, El Cerrito and Rancho Cotate before going to Hayward. Macy and his boys then have a week off before opening DAL – Foothill play at Las Lomas.
MIRAMONTE (9-3, 3-2)
Seventh-year Coach Jack Schram loses one of the Bay Area’s top quarterbacks and the DAL – Foothill Offensive MVP last year in Tim Tague, but on the bright side he has just as many All-DAL – Foothill returners as Clayton Valley, including a First Team selection.
Another positive is Miramonte returns eight starters on both offense and defense but a negative is the numbers are a bit down.
“We won’t have a JV program this year, so we brought a handful of sophomores up to varsity,” Schram remarked. “We’re low on numbers so a key is we’ve got to stay healthy.”
Since Schram took the helm six years ago the Matadors have only had one losing season and sport a 52-22 record overall and a 24-11 record in league. The 2013 team is his best so far after going 12-2, and although they captured the North Coast Section Division II title they were not selected for a Bowl Game under the old system. Last season they moved to Division III, where they made it to the quarterfinals before bowing out in a close 20-18 loss to Marin Catholic.
Obviously, the biggest question is how does Schram replace Tague, and the answer is 5-10, 165-pound senior Xavier Clark. He saw limited action last season under center and also played on special teams. He’s looked excellent up until now and Schram has high expectations for him.
“He did a great job two years ago on the JV team and threw for 40 touchdowns, and he looked great in our scrimmage,” Schram said. “Last year he was behind Tim and we had a chance to get him some looks and that helped. He’ll do fine.”
“Plus, we have a good supporting cast,” continued Schram, who is in his 30th year coaching overall after 18 years at Encinal, with 16 as the head coach, and five years assisting at Miramonte before assuming the helm.
One of those in the supporting cast and a big advantage for Clark is his top target will be All-DAL – Foothill First Team wide receiver Ethan Fischler. The 6-1, 170-pound senior led the team in receptions (65 catches) and yardage (966 receiving yards) and was second with 12 touchdown catches. Another wide receiver with experience that will also start at defensive back is Will Cassriel. The 5-9, 160-pound senior had 43 receptions for 433 yards and five TDs last season.
The primary running back that can also catch passes out of the backfield and a player Schram really likes is Peter Stehr. The 5-11, 190-pound senior led the team with 476 yards and seven TDs rushing and caught 20 passes for 347 yards and five more scores.
“The way he ran in our scrimmage has him looking like a D1 prospect,” Schram remarked.
Henry Vacakis, a 5-11, 170-pound junior running back is up from the JV, and another running back Schram is looking for production from is 5-9, 160-pound senior Jason-Diego Paucar.
Senior Teddy Hoxie, a 6-3 235-pound Second Team All-League honoree will anchor the offensive line along with returning starter Mark Mezody, a 6-5, 225-pound senior, and 6-foot-4, 230-pound senior Robin van der Laan.
Returning senior Liam Childers and junior Zach Barker anchor the defensive line.
At linebacker the anchor will be Sam Walker, a 6-3, 218-pound senior Schram feels could be a top D1 prospect.
The secondary corps will be led by All-DAL – Foothill Second Team selection Jake Hassard, a 5-9, 160-pound senior. Vacakis will also play defensive back with 6-3, 203-pound senior Travis Armistead at safety and junior Keilan Stone rounding out the defensive backfield.
Before starting league play at Clayton Valley, the Mats open at home with Vanden-Fairfield and St. Mary’s-Berkeley, then travel to Mt. Diablo, they come home for Alameda and then complete the non-league schedule at Alhambra.
CONCORD (2-3, 7-5)
The Minutemen have a new head coach, but Paul Reynaud is no stranger to East Bay football. Prior to taking the Concord job he assisted Herc Pardi for eight years and then Tim Murphy for two years at Clayton Valley, and the last three years he’s been on the staff of Eric Billeci at California.
Reynaud inherits a team that had a couple of nice non-league wins last season, and gave Miramonte all they could handle before falling 42-34, but they were blanked by Clayton Valley and Campolindo 21-0 and 38-0, respectively.
Six of the seven All-DAL – Foothill selections from last season graduated, and last year’s All-League Second Team quarterback Nick Nunez has decided not to play football in his senior year.
Not only does Reynaud not have Nunez back, but the projected starter, 6-2, 175-pound junior Bailey Trotter, has not yet been cleared by doctors from an injury and may be available for the opener next week against Wood-Vacaville or in week two when the Minutemen host Mt. Diablo. Until then 6-1, 178-pound junior starting wide receiver and defensive back Brian Cruz will play quarterback and he’ll be backed up by sophomore Ryan Murphy.
“Once Bailey is cleared it will open up our offense, with Cruz going back to wide receiver where he’s a dangerous weapon,” Reynaud said.
Last year’s second leading rusher Austin Williams is back as the primary running back. The 5-11, 190-pound junior had 402 yards and three touchdowns rushing last season. Also at running back will be sophomore newcomer Desmond Veran.
“Austin is really tough and Desmond has shown well this summer,” Reynaud said.
The wide receiver corps will be led by Darion Smith. The 6-0, 170-pound senior had 24 catches for 430 yards and six TDs last season.
“Darion is our guy at wide receiver and it will make him more dangerous when we have Cruz out there with him,” Reynaud remarked.
Two other wide receivers are juniors Gabe Valencia and Elijah Gonzales. Concord hasn’t had a lot of tight ends but they do this year in 6-2, 185-pound senior Ben Daynes.
Daynes will also play linebacker along with Williams. A returner at linebacker is 6-1, 180-pound senior Gabe De Mesa. Another linebacker that will also be the center is 6-0, 185-pound senior Hunter Simmers.
Simmers will be joined on the offensive line by 5-11, 260-pound senior Francisco Garcia and junior Chase Dashner, who will also play on the defensive line. Another defensive lineman Reynaud mentioned is senior defensive end Anthony Barros.
Cruz will anchor the secondary at safety with Valencia at cornerback along with Rivers Medeiros.
Even with a very young team and the quarterback situation up in the air Reynaud is still optimistic.
“As for this season I’m excited with the guys we have and their commitment and buying into what we’ve asked from day one. I’ve also kept a lot of last year’s staff and that’s helped because the guys had bonded with them,” Reynaud remarked.
“The overall goal is to re-energize that culture and expectations of a program that is one of the best D2 programs in the area that can win NCS championships,” concluded Reynaud.
After Wood and Mt. Diablo the Minutemen go to College Park, Liberty and Benicia before opening league at home against Acalanes.
ACALANES (4-6, 1-4)
Second year coach Floyd Burnsed is no stranger to East Bay football. From 1982-2002 he was the coach at Miramonte before leaving for Solano Community College, where he was the head coach for 12 years before they dropped the program. Now, he’s back and at the Dons helm, and it looks like he should have a team that’s improved over last season.
Burnsed loses an All-DAL – Foothill first team selection but returns three Second Team honorees, including dual-threat quarterback Robby Rowell. Last year the 6-3, 205-pound senior passed for 2,465 yards and 20 touchdowns, but he did have 14 interceptions. He also ran for 356 yards and six more scores.
“The big thing about Robby is he’s been in our system for a year and understands things better, and that’s going to help him make the right decisions more often,” Burnsed said.
Rowell will once again be throwing to his favorite target and that’s Second Team All-League wide receiver Brian Merken. The 6-0, 180-pound senior had 64 catches for 831 yards and six touchdowns. Two other returning wide receivers that will also play defensive back are 6-0, 175-pound senior Aidan McNamara (49 receptions, 541 yards, six TDs) and 5-10, 170-pound senior Nick Price (21 receptions, 230 yards, four TDs).
Running back is a bit of a question mark but Burnsed said the starters will be 5-11, 155-pound junior Dustin Smith, who comes up from JV, and sophomore Jake Delaney. He was on the freshman team last year.
Both the offensive and defensive lines will be anchored by 6-0, 245-pound junior and returning starter Logan Branch, and 6-2, 210-pound junior Seth Pezman up from the JV.
Senior returning starter Nick Henderson anchors the linebacking corps. The 6-1, 195-pound middle linebacker led the team with 103 tackles last season. Burnsed will also use him at tight end.
Returning starter Trent Tso will lead the secondary along with Merken, McNamara and Price. Last season the 5-10, 170-pound Tso had two pass interceptions and 41 tackles. Another defensive back Burnsed mentioned is 6-2, 175-pound junior Scott Brydon.
“The most important thing for us is we have to stay healthy,” Burnsed remarked. “We can’t afford to lose any of our top players.”
The Dons open with Alhambra and then travel to Disneyworld in Orlando, Florida where they face Suncoast of Riviera Beach, Florida, at the Walt Disney Wide World of Sports Complex. They come home to host Rodriguez-Fairfield, then go to San Marin, and finally end non-league hosting De Anza before beginning league at Concord.
LAS LOMAS (0-10, 0-5)
Coach Doug Longero walks into a pretty tough situation after last year’s team was blanked. There were some blowouts, but the Knights did have three games they could have won, but lost 12-7, 14-7 and 24-23 to Dougherty Valley, Ygnacio Valley and College Park, respectively.
Longero coached at Las Lomas until 2009, when he left to take the offensive coordinator position at Diablo Valley College. In his years at Las Lomas he had some good teams, including the 2007 team that went 12-1 and lost 34-21 in the NCS Division II title game to a Novato team that played Oceanside tough in the CIF Division II Bowl Game.
The cupboard from a winless team is obviously a little bare, but Longero does return 5-10, 170-pound All-DAL – Foothill Second Team linebacker Enzo Gravino, who will also likely see a lot of time at running back.
Records displayed are from the 2016 season. Teams are listed in order of last year's finish.
