Friday, 8:00
Mission Viejo Diablos 16-0, Mission Viejo, CA
versus
Oak Hills Bulldogs 9-6, Oak Hills, CA.
Mission Viejo’s 24-0 win over Bellamine College Prep (13-2, San Jose) was their first CIF Division I-AA title in school history, extending their winning streak to 28 games, the longest in the state. Bellamine beat Folsom in the Northern California CIF Div I-AA final to end the previous longest win streak at 30 games. Mission is a big school that may move to Div-I/PAC 5 playoffs next season under the Competitive Equity Playoff system that groups teams based on their success or lack of over a 5 year period.
This year’s team comes in thinned but talented. Gone are record setting QB Brock Johnson (63%, 3605yds!, 41Tds, Georgetown), the grandson of the head coach Bob Johnson and son of OC Bret Johnson. His uncle is Rob Johnson. Bret and Rob both played college and pro ball, Bret at Ucla and Michigan State, Rob at USC. Quite a family! Also gone is running back Isaiah Miller, most of the receivers and all but one starting lineman. Nate Addonozio (6-1, 265), Carter Hartman (6-3, 270), Neff Haleakala (6-0, 300), Ricky Bowman (6-1, 275) and Zach Aylor (6-4, 290) graduated. Aylor has an offer from Michigan but broke a leg vs Helix in the state semifinal. Matt Gomez (6-2, 285) who started til injured, returning later in the year and graduated. Soph Jarrett Patterson (6-4, 260) returns.
The big news is the transfer of Mater Dei Catholic’s quarterback Matt McDonald (6-2, 195) who was injured in their opener again Bishop Amat, allowing freshman JT Daniels (6-1, 195) to step in. Did he ever, earning offers from Notre Dame, ASU, Cal and Ucla! The Diablos return a smattering to the defense as well as the offense. Their 5 year won-loss is 60-7.
Oak Hills. Talk about things going south. The Bulldogs literally went south to play Pamona (10-2) then Mission Viejo (16-0) the opening weeks of the season, then found themselves in a 1-5 hole a few weeks later before resurrecting with a 8-1 finish and a CIF Semifinal loss by a point to Rancho Bernardo. Nice! Looking back, 2015 was a rebuilding year knowing they went 38-10 the previous four years. Much of the rebound came on the shoulders of Silverado transfer Brandon Porter, their versatile quarterback who threw for 2732 yards (58%) and rushed for 1023. Another weapon is running back Aramis Aldgridge (5-10, 165, sr) with 1148 rush yards and 24 receptions for 388 yards. Three of the top five receivers return with 1280 yards in receptions. At least 6 return to the defense.
Looking at their recent history they haven’t played anywhere near the strength of schedule Mission Viejo has. And there was that 56-27 loss to them last year. In stark contrast, the Diablos over the last five years defeated Helix, Don Bosco Prep, Westlake, Centennial twice and split with Poly! They lost 21-14 to Mater Dei in 2013. Bottom line, if should be an exciting game with Porter under center for his second year for Oak Hills and Matt McDonald (Mater Dei transfer) in his first for Mission.
Saturday, September 3, Noon
Serra Cavaliers 9-3, Gardena, CA
versus
St. Joseph Regional Green Knights 8-4, Montvale, NJ.
Serra, formally called Junipero Serra Catholic is a private Roman Catholic school just west of Compton. It’s big time football with games last year against Centennial, a 52-13 loss and Mater Dei who beat them by a point, 28-27. The year before, they lost to Washington state power Bellevue 31-13 and also Centennial 68-64. In 2012 they beat Long Beach Poly 20-12. With a 5 year record of 52-12, they are competitive with most of the top teams in southern California. The 52-13 loss last year to Centennial was misleading with quarterback Kahlil Tate ineligible after being thrown out of the Lakeland game the week before. Tate has graduated taking 2048 yards in completions and 2130 rushing yards with him. There may be a battle to replace him between back up Jalani Eason (28-26/342, sr)and last year’s freshman quarterback Blaze McKibbin (6-5, 170, JV’s went 7-1). 119 receptions for 1767 yards also graduated so there could be some settling in issues with the new offense. Averaging 34ppg last year with Tate says it’s a serious rebuild. The defense that was porous at 26ppg, returns a pile of last year’s sophomores and juniors, even a freshman started in the secondary so they were young. Back is their No. 1 tackler Merlin Robertson (6-3, 220, jr) at LB with 95 stops. He’s joined by fellow backers Tyson Parker (6-2, 190, sr, 76 stops), Jim Ma’aele (5-11, 225, sr, 56 tackles) and Lio Kalolo (6-0, 230, sr, 36 tackles). Kordell Ross (6-0, 275, sr, 54 tackles) returns to the line with Tevesi Tauala (6-0, 270, sr, 6 stops) and Noah Bias (6-0, 270, jr, 7 stops). The secondary returns Max Williams (5-10, 165, so, 34 stops), Dave Eure (5-11, 175, jr, 26 tackles) and Jamorie Brooks (5-11, 170, sr, 19 stops). So the D could carry the new offense.
St. Joseph Regional had an up and down season opening with a 17-7 win against their rival St. Don Bosco Prep, followed by an impressive win against Ohio power St. Edward, 22-20. Two more wins got them to 4-0 before a road loss at IMG 24-12 and St. Joseph’s Prep, 28-5. Bergin Catholic beat them in conference action 16-13-ot and Don Bosco in the Non Public Group 4 title game 21-10. Part of the reason the offense was sluggish at 21ppg is they were breaking in a well-regarded sophomore quarterback in Nick Patti (6-3, 185) who completed 100 of 188 passes for 1198 yards. And talk about a baptism under fire, his first start came in the opener against bitter rival Don Bosco. The Challenge continues this year with quarterback George Pearson (6-1, 210), one of the top quarterbacks in the state from Matawan Regional transferring in. As a freshman in 2014 he led them to the Central Jersey Group 3 title, passing for 1956 yards and 16 scores. As a sophomore playing in 8 games per injuries, he threw for 1277 yards. So it looks like a major battle for the starting QB position this year. They return a pile of receivers.
Defensively, things are in good hands with DC Bill Johnson, the former head coach at Passaic Valley. Last year’s was solid at 14ppg and will be special this year with so many returning including most of the talented linebacking corps. Senior top tackler Louis Acceus leads that group at 6-1, 210 with 116 stops and 7 sacks. Other returning backers are Gerritt Van Itallie (5-11, 205, sr) with 74 tackles, Jack Agnew (6-0, 190, sr, 56 tackles), Grant Pagano (5-10, 200, sr, 38 tackles), and DEs Dorian Hardy a standout junior at 6-6, 250 with 20 stops plus Marc Doran (6-1, 210, sr) with 72 tackles. Hard hitting Evan Stewart at 6-1, 190 pounds had 72 stops last year as a sophomore safety. Wide body Yves Montissol, a senior, plugs the middle at 5-9, 265 with 39 tackles, joined by seniors Joshua Field-Jackson (6-3, 305, 12 tackles) and Sean Mitchell (6-2, 285, 8 tackles). Everyone is battle hardened in Jersey’s Big North Conference-United League with Bergen Catholic, Don Bosco Prep, Paramus Catholic and DePaul Catholic. And with their non- conference slate and any kind of improvement on the offensive side with this defense, the Green Knights could be one of the very top teams in the East and perhaps beyond this season. Serra is probably in for a long afternoon.
Mission Viejo Diablos 16-0, Mission Viejo, CA
versus
Oak Hills Bulldogs 9-6, Oak Hills, CA.
Mission Viejo’s 24-0 win over Bellamine College Prep (13-2, San Jose) was their first CIF Division I-AA title in school history, extending their winning streak to 28 games, the longest in the state. Bellamine beat Folsom in the Northern California CIF Div I-AA final to end the previous longest win streak at 30 games. Mission is a big school that may move to Div-I/PAC 5 playoffs next season under the Competitive Equity Playoff system that groups teams based on their success or lack of over a 5 year period.
This year’s team comes in thinned but talented. Gone are record setting QB Brock Johnson (63%, 3605yds!, 41Tds, Georgetown), the grandson of the head coach Bob Johnson and son of OC Bret Johnson. His uncle is Rob Johnson. Bret and Rob both played college and pro ball, Bret at Ucla and Michigan State, Rob at USC. Quite a family! Also gone is running back Isaiah Miller, most of the receivers and all but one starting lineman. Nate Addonozio (6-1, 265), Carter Hartman (6-3, 270), Neff Haleakala (6-0, 300), Ricky Bowman (6-1, 275) and Zach Aylor (6-4, 290) graduated. Aylor has an offer from Michigan but broke a leg vs Helix in the state semifinal. Matt Gomez (6-2, 285) who started til injured, returning later in the year and graduated. Soph Jarrett Patterson (6-4, 260) returns.
The big news is the transfer of Mater Dei Catholic’s quarterback Matt McDonald (6-2, 195) who was injured in their opener again Bishop Amat, allowing freshman JT Daniels (6-1, 195) to step in. Did he ever, earning offers from Notre Dame, ASU, Cal and Ucla! The Diablos return a smattering to the defense as well as the offense. Their 5 year won-loss is 60-7.
Oak Hills. Talk about things going south. The Bulldogs literally went south to play Pamona (10-2) then Mission Viejo (16-0) the opening weeks of the season, then found themselves in a 1-5 hole a few weeks later before resurrecting with a 8-1 finish and a CIF Semifinal loss by a point to Rancho Bernardo. Nice! Looking back, 2015 was a rebuilding year knowing they went 38-10 the previous four years. Much of the rebound came on the shoulders of Silverado transfer Brandon Porter, their versatile quarterback who threw for 2732 yards (58%) and rushed for 1023. Another weapon is running back Aramis Aldgridge (5-10, 165, sr) with 1148 rush yards and 24 receptions for 388 yards. Three of the top five receivers return with 1280 yards in receptions. At least 6 return to the defense.
Looking at their recent history they haven’t played anywhere near the strength of schedule Mission Viejo has. And there was that 56-27 loss to them last year. In stark contrast, the Diablos over the last five years defeated Helix, Don Bosco Prep, Westlake, Centennial twice and split with Poly! They lost 21-14 to Mater Dei in 2013. Bottom line, if should be an exciting game with Porter under center for his second year for Oak Hills and Matt McDonald (Mater Dei transfer) in his first for Mission.
Saturday, September 3, Noon
Serra Cavaliers 9-3, Gardena, CA
versus
St. Joseph Regional Green Knights 8-4, Montvale, NJ.
Serra, formally called Junipero Serra Catholic is a private Roman Catholic school just west of Compton. It’s big time football with games last year against Centennial, a 52-13 loss and Mater Dei who beat them by a point, 28-27. The year before, they lost to Washington state power Bellevue 31-13 and also Centennial 68-64. In 2012 they beat Long Beach Poly 20-12. With a 5 year record of 52-12, they are competitive with most of the top teams in southern California. The 52-13 loss last year to Centennial was misleading with quarterback Kahlil Tate ineligible after being thrown out of the Lakeland game the week before. Tate has graduated taking 2048 yards in completions and 2130 rushing yards with him. There may be a battle to replace him between back up Jalani Eason (28-26/342, sr)and last year’s freshman quarterback Blaze McKibbin (6-5, 170, JV’s went 7-1). 119 receptions for 1767 yards also graduated so there could be some settling in issues with the new offense. Averaging 34ppg last year with Tate says it’s a serious rebuild. The defense that was porous at 26ppg, returns a pile of last year’s sophomores and juniors, even a freshman started in the secondary so they were young. Back is their No. 1 tackler Merlin Robertson (6-3, 220, jr) at LB with 95 stops. He’s joined by fellow backers Tyson Parker (6-2, 190, sr, 76 stops), Jim Ma’aele (5-11, 225, sr, 56 tackles) and Lio Kalolo (6-0, 230, sr, 36 tackles). Kordell Ross (6-0, 275, sr, 54 tackles) returns to the line with Tevesi Tauala (6-0, 270, sr, 6 stops) and Noah Bias (6-0, 270, jr, 7 stops). The secondary returns Max Williams (5-10, 165, so, 34 stops), Dave Eure (5-11, 175, jr, 26 tackles) and Jamorie Brooks (5-11, 170, sr, 19 stops). So the D could carry the new offense.
St. Joseph Regional had an up and down season opening with a 17-7 win against their rival St. Don Bosco Prep, followed by an impressive win against Ohio power St. Edward, 22-20. Two more wins got them to 4-0 before a road loss at IMG 24-12 and St. Joseph’s Prep, 28-5. Bergin Catholic beat them in conference action 16-13-ot and Don Bosco in the Non Public Group 4 title game 21-10. Part of the reason the offense was sluggish at 21ppg is they were breaking in a well-regarded sophomore quarterback in Nick Patti (6-3, 185) who completed 100 of 188 passes for 1198 yards. And talk about a baptism under fire, his first start came in the opener against bitter rival Don Bosco. The Challenge continues this year with quarterback George Pearson (6-1, 210), one of the top quarterbacks in the state from Matawan Regional transferring in. As a freshman in 2014 he led them to the Central Jersey Group 3 title, passing for 1956 yards and 16 scores. As a sophomore playing in 8 games per injuries, he threw for 1277 yards. So it looks like a major battle for the starting QB position this year. They return a pile of receivers.
Defensively, things are in good hands with DC Bill Johnson, the former head coach at Passaic Valley. Last year’s was solid at 14ppg and will be special this year with so many returning including most of the talented linebacking corps. Senior top tackler Louis Acceus leads that group at 6-1, 210 with 116 stops and 7 sacks. Other returning backers are Gerritt Van Itallie (5-11, 205, sr) with 74 tackles, Jack Agnew (6-0, 190, sr, 56 tackles), Grant Pagano (5-10, 200, sr, 38 tackles), and DEs Dorian Hardy a standout junior at 6-6, 250 with 20 stops plus Marc Doran (6-1, 210, sr) with 72 tackles. Hard hitting Evan Stewart at 6-1, 190 pounds had 72 stops last year as a sophomore safety. Wide body Yves Montissol, a senior, plugs the middle at 5-9, 265 with 39 tackles, joined by seniors Joshua Field-Jackson (6-3, 305, 12 tackles) and Sean Mitchell (6-2, 285, 8 tackles). Everyone is battle hardened in Jersey’s Big North Conference-United League with Bergen Catholic, Don Bosco Prep, Paramus Catholic and DePaul Catholic. And with their non- conference slate and any kind of improvement on the offensive side with this defense, the Green Knights could be one of the very top teams in the East and perhaps beyond this season. Serra is probably in for a long afternoon.
