H Street in Union City will be the site of arguably the most important game involving North Coast Section football teams this weekend, as James Logan hosts Moreau Catholic in the Mission Valley Athletic League opener for both schools.
With the rest of the league having compiled a 1-17 record through non-league play, there certainly appears to be a bulls-eye on this particular game as the potential league title game, even though it will take place on Sep. 14. Despite that, neither program wants to look beyond this Friday night, and certainly will not discuss what the future might hold.
"Just like any other game, it is about our focus through the week, and how we execute on Friday night. Every game is the biggest game of the year," said Moreau coach Rob Gatrell, whose team has won its first four games. "We turned the ball over five times last week, so obviously we need to take care of the ball offensively this week. We need to take proper angles and have better leverage defensively. It's a simple game when you break it down."
Last week's performance referenced by Gatrell was a 35-21 win over Middletown. The Mariners may have had their share of turnovers, but also have their fair share of athletes. Junior standout Fresh Ison did not play in the win over Middletown, but senior Deandre Askew was plenty up to the task, running for 178 yards and two touchdowns. Moreau also has a pair of legitimate receiving threats for junior quarterback Bowen Dickstein, with seniors Max Anderson and Lovelace Rufus.
On the other side resides a James Logan team which rolled past Castro Valley last week, 49-21, to even its record at 2-2. The Colts have a young group which is growing up in a hurry, but is full of talented underclassmen.
"I am very pleased with the development of our young players," said Logan coach Ricky Rodriguez. "We have a lot of competition periods in practice, and a great mix of young guys. These guys have been through the grind of playing top teams, and our goal is to peak at the end of the season, not in the middle."
Sophomore quarterback Shamoun Duncan-Niusulu did not play last week, but has been a true dual-threat for the Colts, leading the team as a passer and runner. Junior Jeremiah Johnson is a downfield weapon in the passing game, while seniors Delayno Herrera and Irvin Garnica have both shown an ability to run the ball. It all leads up to what should be an exciting rivalry game.
"We have had very little discussion this week about this being for the league title. The funny thing is, our kids have never competed for a league title in football, due to them being Independent the last six years," Rodriguez said. "We are treating this as we would any other game. I am learning more from the kids this week about how Moreau has become the rival for Logan. They have kids that are from Union City, we have a few players that have played at Moreau, so all these kids know each other. I have a great relationship with many of the coaches at Moreau, so It should be a fun game."
