Article 249: Lightning ignites Palma

September 10, 2011

On a balmy evening in Mountain View, the game between Palma and St. Francis was delayed over one hour after halftime due to lightning. The Chieftains did not allow the lightning to slow down their running attack as they held on for a season-opening 20-15 victory in a game that didn't end until after 11PM. Palma's last win was also against the Lancers in last year's playoffs.

In the first half, Palma blocked the Lancers' first possession punt and junior lineman Matthias Lopez returned it for a touchdown. On the Lancers' third possession, they converted a field goal to trim the deficit to 7-3. The Chieftains sustained a long drive on their second possession that culminated in a two yard touchdown dive by senior running back John Myers to extend the lead to 14-3. St. Francis capped the scoring on its final possession of the half with a six yard run to cut the halftime deficit to 14-9.

After a lengthy lightning delay, the second half started with a Palma three and out. The Lancers drove the ball but had a 4th and 16 at the Palma 29. Braden Bishop caught a 29 yard touchdown reception from quarterback Colin Johnson as the Lancers took a 15-14 advantage. Palma then drove 69 yards that was capped off by Myers' second touchdown from 15 yards to give the Chieftains the 20-15 margin. St. Francis had two possessions that went deep into Palma territory but both ended on fourth down misses to end the game.

Offense: Myers had 115 yards rushing as Palma broke in first time starter Brandon Villar at quarterback. Coach Jeff Carnazzo stated that he was pleased with Villar's management of the game and that he plans to open up the passing game as the season continues. The Chieftains have 6-foot-6 wide receiver Noah Allen who has a significant height and leaping advantage over the opposing secondary.

The Lancers had a good balance with their running game behind Landon Baty and David Mapa while Bishop ran precise routes and was able to create space on these routes. The team had some dropped passes and bad penalties at crucial moments.

Defense: Defensive back Marcel Brinson and lineman Jack Powers anchor a stout defense. Brinson broke up a few passes and was apt on the corner blitz. Carnazzo stated that the Powers, who is a junior, will have some serious division I interest. Carnazzo also indicated he would like to see more physical play from his linemen.

The St. Francis defense was resilient but seems prone to the running game. It gave up over 100 yards and two touchdowns to Myers. However, the Lancers were able to limit the passing attack.

Special Teams: The Chieftains converted on a blocked punt for the first score. But conversely, the special teams also roughed the punter when they were leading 14-3 and prime to get the ball back before this penalty.

The Lancers muffed a punt return that allowed the Chieftains to run clock and get field advantage in the fourth quarter. Palma did not score but the Lancers were not able to drive the length of the field for the winning score.

What's Next: Palma's team this year may be better than last year's. They travel to Santa Maria next week before they face against a solid Cardinal Newman in two weeks that will help shape the top 20 in Northern California. Wins in both of those games would put the Chieftains in prime position to repeat in their league.

Palma faced St. Francis and Valley Christian in the playoffs last season. The Chieftains will probably face another WCAL opponent in the playoffs this year. If the passing game develops over the season, then Chieftains could go deeper this year.

The Lancers start out 0-2 but fought well in both losses. These moral victories may wear thin as the Lancers play Willow Glen who has a potent passing game. A 0-3 start could snowball into a losing record for the season as the WCAL will be tough again.

So often, sports are about momentum and streaks. Right now, the Lancers need a win to get rid of this taste. Last year's team was really strong defensively. This year's team has given up more points to the same first two opponents than last year's contests. The next two games are against Willow Glen and Serra. Willow Glen features quarterback Mitchell Ravizza who threw for 37 touchdowns last season while Serra has a solid running game. The results of these two matchups will give a more accurate gauge for the rest of the Lancer season.

Article 248: Bells win...no its De La Salle!

September 3, 2011

Top-ranked De La Salle started slow in the first half but rallied in the second to win in double overtime 26-23 against No. 3 Bellarmine Prep. The win keeps De La Salle's national title hopes alive. Despite several game-winning opportunities that came up short, the Bells look to be a force in the WCAL and it would not be surprising if they ran the table for the rest of the season.

In the first half, Bellarmine had all the scoring chances, missing field goal attempts on its first two possessions and taking a sack on its third possession that prevented a third field goal attempt. The Bells Joe Gigantino recovered a fumble for a 40 yard touchdown return for the only first half score.

On its first possession of the second half, De La Salle senior wide receiver Anthony Williams returned a punt 90 yards to tie the score at 7-7. Williams then caught a 69 yard touchdown reception on the very next possession to give De La Salle a 14-7 lead. After the Spartans missed a field goal attempt, Bellarmine ran 15 running plays to score on a one yard keeper by Travis McHugh to tie the game at 14 with less than three minutes left.

In the first overtime period, both teams scored touchdowns but missed the extra point to bring the score to 20-20 in a back and forth tug of war. In the second overtime, the Bells convert a field goal to lead 23-20. Quarterback Bart Houston ran the ball in on the De La Salle possession to win the game 26-23.

Offensive analysis: Houston had a few turnovers in the first half as the Spartan offense was non-existent. But give Houston credit as he was not flustered in the second half and overtime sessions to lead his team back with Williams. For the Bells, McHugh ran well and made good decisions. Lineman Connor Lambert helped open holes for the Bell runners. Bellarmine did not extend the field but was able to use a ball control running game effectively.

The Defenses: De La Salle's offense put the defense in bad situations but the unit was able to bend but not break. For the most part, the Spartan defense tackled well and did not allow the Bells to break a big run or passing play. Aside from the big Williams pass play, Bellarmine's defense was stingy in allowing points and was opportunistic while creating turnovers.

Special teams the difference: Williams had the big touchdown punt return. Up 14-7 and at the Bellarmine 13 yard line in the early fourth quarter, the Spartans miss a short field goal that could have sealed the game. In addition, they miss an extra point try in overtime. On the other side of the ball, the Bells could not convert turnovers that gave them great field position as they missed two early field goal attempts. The ultimate momentum shifter was a missed game winning extra point attempt in the first overtime.

Outlook for the rest of the season: De La Salle gets a bye week before facing St. Mary's of Stockton which lost to Granite Bay and also has to play next week. The Spartans will not look past the Rams to their national Top 5 battle in America's swampland, also known as Florida to face St. Thomas Aquinas. A win there and De La Salle could go into league play knowing that a mythical high school national title is within their grasp.

The Spartans are balanced in all phases of the game. The passing game was suspect in the first half, but Houston can make all the throws if called upon as shown in the second half. The defense only allowed seven points in regulation despite all the red zone chances, while the special teams sparked the team in the second half.

Bellarmine's season is not over by any stretch. The Bells are capable of winning out and making a deep postseason run. A De La Salle win against St. Thomas Aquinas would strengthen the Bells' strength of schedule and legitimize the loss. Conversely, a St. Thomas Aquinas victory would weaken the NorCal football landscape nationally.

The Bells strength is their defense with an emphasis on the linebackers. Do not expect any team to be able to put up big passing numbers against this group. The matchups against the running games of Valley Christian and Serra will prove to be interesting. If the defense can limit success on the ground, then expect the Bells to win the WCAL. McHugh has a good passing touch when he does throw but is a good runner as a dual threat. If Bellarmine wins out for the season, the Bells will remember the special teams play of this game as the reason why they did not secure an Open Bowl bid and finish in the Top 10 of the final national rankings.

Article 247: NorCal Clash begins school

August 29, 2011

The Third Annual NorCal Clash at Contra Costa College in San Pablo tipped off the academic school year with a game that featured the best of the 2012 class versus the younger elite class of 2013. The seniors only suited up nine players as Robert Upshaw, Kyiron Thomas, and Theo Johnson were unable to participate, while Amadi Udenyi was a late replacement.

Gerry Freitas and Glen Graham hosted the event. "This event is designed to promote NorCal basketball and its elite prospects to media/scouts, coaches, and the general public," said Freitas. "It is an opportunity to put the best NorCal has to offer in the spotlight." The Central Coast Section does not allow its players to participate in these types of events after August 1.

Despite being undersized and undermanned, the seniors started slow but came on strong midway in the first quarter to take a 42-25 advantage. Vallejo's Tajai Johnson had a highlight facial dunk, Oakridge's Bryce Scott connected on a few perimeter shots, and Berkeley's Langston Morris-Walker was versatile in his scoring. Mario Dunn played well both offensively and defensively for the juniors.

The lack of defense was still apparent in the second quarter as the 2012s held a 76-60 lead going into the half. The porous defense on both sides allowed several easy layups, second chance shots, and breakaway scores. The 2013s were spearheaded by Jabari Bird and Marcus Lee in the quarter as both players have good length and versatility to their games.

The juniors tried to mount a comeback as they were able to trim the deficit to 104-90 going into the final quarter. Thomas Wallace had some good offensive moments with points in the paint while Michael Bryson hit two of his four 3-point shots in the quarter for the seniors.

In the final quarter, the seniors pulled away to an easy 143-124 victory. Morris-Walker, who plans to make his college decision before the season starts, topped his team with 26 points and earned MVP honors. Bird was the game high scorer with 31 points that included going scoreless in the final quarter.

Here is a brief take on some of the participants:

Bryce Scott, Oakridge, 2012: Scott is accurate when he is spot up and in position. Sheldon and Jesuit will probably be the league favorites. Opposing teams will key on Scott to see if Oakridge has other offensive options.


Tajai Johnson, Vallejo, 2012: Had the highlight dunk of this game. Johnson drives the ball with ease to the basket and is bigger than most point guards. His Vallejo team was undersized this past season as he was forced to play out of position.

Parker Uu, Jesuit, 2012: Good spot up shooter. Bigger than most opposing guards and would benefit from a post up game against smaller guards that he can shoot over. His Jesuit team will be prime to challenge Sheldon for league this upcoming season.

Elliot Pitts, De La Salle, 2013: Pitts played a key role on the De La Salle run to state as a sophomore. He should make a big jump in his junior year as he will probably be the leader in scoring and rebounding for the Spartans.

Thomas Wallace, McNair, 2013: Stocky but quick shooting guard. Playing for the Soldiers definitely increased his visibility. Being in Stockton, Wallace probably does not get nearly as much publicity as the Bay Area prospects.

Darin Johnson, Franklin, 2013: Johnson and Theo Johnson will spearhead the Franklin team. Darin should be the offensive focus on the team. He should be able to get by defenders with his quickness and leaping abilities.

Dalvin Guy, McClymonds, 2013: With Jamaree Strickland's knee a question mark going into the season, Guy will probably be the guy in the middle for Mcclymonds. Mcclymonds is probably the overwhelming favorite in the OAL but how far they go in the postseason may depend on the interior play of Guy and Strickland. Guy should be a rebounding machine but his offensive development will determine a lot for Mcclymonds and his own recruiting situation.

Marcus Lee, Deer Valley, 2013: Versatile player who is long. Lee will probably be a small forward on the college level. More than one college coach in the summer told me that they were interested in Lee as a roaming perimeter forward.