Happy Labor Day weekend to everyone. Of course, it was also the start of football season, a bit more of a holiday for me. College season started Thursday, most high schools around the country kicked off Friday and the NFL is around the corner next Thursday.

As for us, we have to wait for Friday night. Most teams around Kern County actually have to wait for Sept. 12, the following Friday, but since I'm selfish, I don't feel too sorry for them.

Anyway, the CIF expanded its three-year-old bowl championship system (yep, that's BCS for you) from three to five games this year. Last year, it was Division I, II and III, each one for a big, medium and small-sized school from each Southern and Northern California.

Now, they've added an "open" division, which is for the best SoCal and NorCal teams regardless of size, and a "small-school" division, for schools under 500 students in the south and 400 students in the north. A school from any division is eligible for the Open game and small schools are also eligible for the D-III game.

Now that we have that explained, let's take a quick gander at each of the divisions and the favorites, statewide. Keep in mind that I'm not a huge expert on the rest of the state's football, but I'll give it whirl.

OPEN DIVISION

Overview: Again, schools of any size are eligible to compete here, but it'd be a good bet to say the biggest schools will be most competitive. Concord-De La Salle has been in each of the first two D-I championship games, winning last year's, so they'd be a good choice here. Last year's SoCal representative was Corona-Centennial.

Favorites: De La Salle, Corona-Centennial, Long Beach-Poly, San Diego-Oceanside, La Mesa-Helix, Corona-Santiago

Central Section teams in the mix: Clovis West, Bakersfield, Fresno-Edison, Visalia-El Diamante

DIVISION I

Overview: Because of the nature of the open division, some big schools might have two chances to be picked for a state-title game. That means one-loss teams (like a Bakersfield from last year) might be considered here, though in any case, you had better have a strong schedule. That's why you see early-season games like BHS vs. Canyon.

Favorites: De La Salle, Corona-Centennial, Long Beach-Poly, Redlands East Valley, La Mesa-Helix, Corona-Santiago, Carlsbad-La Costa Canyon, San Jose-Bellarmine Prep, Napa, Gilroy

Central Section teams in the mix: Clovis West, Bakersfield

DIVISION II

Overview: Orange-Lutheran and Oceanside have won the first two D-II championships, and I'd say they've got a leg up on the competition here. Seems to be a big advantage for Southern Cal in this bracket.

Favorites: Oceanside, Orange-Lutheran, Encino-Crespi, Santa Ana-Mater Dei, Stockton-St. Mary's, Novato

Central Section teams in the mix: Fresno-Edison, Visalia-El Diamante, Tulare Union

DIVISION III

Overview: Strange division. There don't appear to be a lot of heavyweights toward the top of the enrollment bracket (1,100 students is the limit), so you could see schools down in the 600-700 range make a run at this game. Two of them meet in week 0: Westlake Village-Oaks Christian at Bakersfield Christian

Favorites: Westlake Village-Oaks Christian, Ventura-St. Bonaventure, Gardena-Serra, Santa Fe Springs-St. Paul, Oxnard-Santa Clara, Santa Rosa-Cardinal Newman, Sutter, Modesto-Central Catholic

Central Section teams in the mix: Bakersfield Christian, Fowler, Corcoran, Taft

SMALL SCHOOLS

Overview: When you get into the sub-500 range, you're talking very small schools. Even Bakersfield Christian is at 509 by the CIF's latest released numbers (there's one more version to come out, so it's possible the Eagles will drop into eligibility for the SS bowl). And each of these schools technically has three chances to make a bowl game: the open division (though that's unlikely), the D-III game and the Small School game. So lots of opportunities for some schools you might not have heard of, or at least that you wouldn't think of as football powerhouses.

Favorites: San Juan Capistrano-St. Margaret's, Oxnard-Santa Clara, El Cajon-Christian, L.A.-Brentwood, Ferndale, Modesto Christian, Hamilton City, Sacramento-Capital Christian

Central Section teams in the mix: Not many. Maybe Visalia-Central Valley Christian. Bakersfield Christian if it magically drops 10 students in the next CIF enrollment release.

Check next week for football podcasts and game predictions, plus we'll resume normal coverage of other sports.

One of the best parts about slaving away on The Californian's high school football preseason sections (and there's really no other way to put it; this sucker is a TON of work, though I'm sure everyone will really enjoy the finished product) is discovering smaller schools: Where they're located, who some of the principal figures in sports are there, and so on. During the rest of the year, it seems like I only have time for the biggest and best in every sport most of the time. It's nice to give a shout-out to the little guys, who are often just as good and almost always more enthusiastic.

With that in mind, let's get to our Central Section small-school preview, in the same format as we did yesterday for the big schools.

(Quickly, before the preview, I need to amend a note from yesterday: Bakersfield Christian checked in at 509 students in the enrollment figures the CIF released Tuesday, nine too many to be considered for the "Small School" division of the state bowl championships. But the CIF sent out another e-mail today saying there were "inconsistencies' in those numbers that they wanted to iron out before making them final. I have no reason to believe that pertains to BCHS' situation, but don't take the 509 number as set in stone just yet.)

DIVISION IV TEAMS

Overview: Taft brings back enough talent that there's a considerable gap between the Wildcats and the rest of D-IV, especially with Corcoran moving down to Division V. Chowchilla and Kingsburg might rise up to fill the gap, though you might also see the biggest D-IV schools — Arvin and Fresno-Washington Union — make some playoff noise.

Where Kern County fits in: At the top, for sure, because Taft is a clear-cut favorite here. Whether Arvin, Shafter or Wasco are capable of making noise depends on how well they survive their rugged league.

Surefire championship contenders: Taft, Chowchilla, Kingsburg

A break or two away: Selma, Arvin, Fresno-Washington Union, Exeter, Central Valley Christian

Maybe next year: Kerman, Coalinga, Dos Palos, Porterville-Granite Hills, Fresno-Roosevelt, Wasco, Reedley-Immanuel, Tollhouse-Sierra, Fresno-McLane

Key games: Arvin at Foothill, Sept. 12; Taft at Exeter, Sept. 19; Washington at Kingsburg, Sept. 19; Taft at Arvin, Oct. 17; Chowchilla at CVC, Oct. 17; CVC at Kingsburg, Oct. 24; Tehachapi at Taft, Oct. 31; Chowchilla at Washington, Oct. 31; Bakersfield Christian at Taft, Nov. 14; Arvin at Tehachapi, Nov. 14; Selma at Kingsburg, Nov. 14

DIVISION V TEAMS

Overview: After rolling through the first two rounds of playoffs, Bakersfield Christian and Fowler played an all-timer of a championship game last year, with BCHS erasing a three-touchdown deficit at halftime to win 35-34 in overitme. Both schools bring back a big portion of starters, so we could be looking at the same story in 2008. The arrival of Derek Carr makes me thinks the Eagles will be top dog, but it might be close again. Corcoran, moving down from D-IV, where it was a finalist last year, could also be in the mix.

Where Kern County fits in: Aside from BCHS, it doesn't. I'm a bit confused, because the Central Section Web site lists six divisions this year, but it includes schools like McFarland in the bottom one with 8-man schools. Not sure how that works, but I'll track down an answer. For now, we'll stick with D-V talk.

Surefire championship contenders: Bakersfield Christian, Fowler, Corcoran

A break or two away: Madera-Liberty

Maybe next year: Parlier, Firebaugh, Caruthers, Riverdale, Cambra-Coast Union, SLO-Mission Prep, Woodlake, Lindsay, Orosi, Fresno Christian

HS FOOTBALL PREVIEW INDEX
July 29: Lighthouse Christian, Immanuel Christian, Maricopa
July 30: Boron, Burroughs
July 31: Desert, Rosamond
Aug. 1: Frazier Mountain, Kern Valley
Aug. 2: Mojave, McFarland
Aug. 3: César Chávez
Aug. 4: Delano
Aug. 5: New schools: Independence, Mira Monte, RFK
Aug. 6: Shafter
Aug. 7: Wasco
Aug. 8: Arvin
Aug. 9: Taft
Aug. 10: Bakersfield Christian
Aug. 11: Tehachapi
Aug. 12: Ridgeview
Aug. 13: Frontier
Aug. 14: Stockdale
Aug. 15: South
Aug. 16: North
Aug. 17: West
Aug. 18: Centennial
Aug. 19: Golden Valley
Aug. 20: East
Aug. 21: Garces
Aug. 22: Highland
Aug. 23: Foothill
Aug. 24: Liberty
Aug. 25: Bakersfield
Aug. 26: Central Section big schools

TOMORROW: For once, nothing. Sorry! But we'll take a look at the rest of the state and maybe some other fall sports over the weekend.

A break or two away: 

We're now 10 days and counting till Week 0 kicks off with a slew of great games. We'll talk more about these next week, but here's what fans can look forward to Sept. 5:

*Bakersfield at Canyon
*Westlake Village-Oaks Christian at Bakersfield Christian (A quick aside on the Eagles: The CIF released its enrollment numbers today, and BCHS checks in at 509. That's nine too many students for the school to be eligible for the "small school" state championship bowl game. Instead, BCHS has to compete with Division III Southern Cal schools — up to 1,100 in enrollment — a huge dash to their championship hopes).
*Clovis West at Liberty
*Shafter at North
*Highland at Arvin
*Templeton at Taft
*Santa Ana-Segerstrom at Tehachapi (Saturday)

That's a pretty good list for the first week. But like I said, we'll talk more about those individual matchups next week. Time to continue with season previews, an informal look at the rest of the Central Section.

DIVISION I TEAMS

Overview: The Tri-Rivers Athletic Conference is the key league here, which is not surprising. It makes up nearly half of Division I and includes the powerhouse Clovis schools. Clovis West and Clovis East always seem in the hunt for a title and Clovis and Clovis-Buchanan aren't usually far behind. Also competing for a championship will be Fresno-Bullard.

Where Kern County fits in: Bakersfield High probably is the only good chance for a title here. Centennial and Liberty have lost too much, though in an 11-team section, you could just an upset away from the semifinals.

Surefire championship contenders: Bakersfield, Clovis West, Clovis East

A break or two away: Fresno-Bullard, Clovis-Buchanan, Liberty, Centennial

Maybe next year: Fresno-Central, Clovis, Stockdale, Madera

Key games: Clovis East at Colleyville (Texas)-Heritage, Sept. 1; Bakersfield at Canyon, Sept. 5; Clovis West at Liberty, Sept. 5; Bullard at Clovis East, Sept. 26; Buchanan at Bakersfield, Sept. 26; Liberty at Bakersfield, Oct. 3; Clovis West at Fresno-Bullard, Oct. 3; Centennial at Bakersfield, Oct. 10; Clovis West vs. Clovis East, Oct. 31; Clovis East at Buchanan, Nov. 7

DIVISION II TEAMS

Overview: This was shaping up to be Visalia-El Diamante's section title to lose, maybe with a threat from Tulare Union, but when the Central Section divided up the sections, it dropped Fresno-Edison — the top seed in the Division I playoffs last year — into D-II. That sets up a three-team race. But again, most of the other teams are just an upset from getting into contention themselves.

Where Kern County fits in: It's the division of the underachievers for among locals. If they can finish strong and receive a favorable seed, either West or North could make a run at least for the final semifinal spot.

Surefire championship contenders: Visalia-El Diamante, Fresno-Edison, Tulare Union

A break or two away: West, Sanger, Lemoore, Reedley, North

Maybe next year: Garces, Porterville-Monache, Visalia-Redwood, Frontier, East, Visalia-Golden West, Fresno-Sunnyside, Fresno-Hoover, Fresno-San Joaquin Memorial, Visalia-Mt. Whitney, Tulare Western

Key games: Compton-Dominguez at Edison, Sept. 12; West at El Diamante, Sept. 12; Tulare Union at Lemoore, Sept. 19; Edison at Clovis-Buchanan, Oct. 3; Edison at Clovis West, Oct. 10; Lemoore at El Diamante, Oct. 17; Delano at Tulare Union, Oct. 31; Bullard vs. Edison, Nov. 7

DIVISION III TEAMS

Overview: This is kind of a strange bracket, because all of the schools are bigger than you think they'd be. Tehachapi, which happens to be the favorite to repeat, has an enrollment of about 1,500 and is one of the smallest D-III schools in the section. Most — like Highland, Delano, Chavez, Roosevelt, Selma, etc., are right around 2,000 students, and some — like Golden Valley, Foothill and Ridgeview, which has Bakersfield's largest enrollment — are even bigger than that. It's hard to count out schools with that much of a size and depth advantage, even if a team like Tehachapi seems to have the edge in talent.

Where Kern County fits in: All over the place. Besides the Warriors from the mountain, Foothill and Highland expect to contend here, and schools like Delano, South and Chavez will look to make a run.

Surefire championship contenders: Tehachapi, Foothill, Hanford, Oakhurst-Yosemite, Highland

A break or two away: Delano, Dinuba, South, Golden Valley, Fresno

Maybe next year: Chavez, Porterville, Hanford West, Ridgeview, Madera South

Key games: Santa Ana-Segerstrom at Tehachapi, Sept. 6; Yosemite at Hanford, Sept. 18; Madera at Hanford,  Sept. 26; Foothill at South, Oct. 3; Foothill at Liberty, Oct. 10; Tehachapi at Bakersfield Christian, Oct. 24; Bakersfield at Foothill, Oct. 24; Highland at Foothill, Oct. 31; Tehachapi at Taft, Oct. 31; El Diamante at Hanford, Nov. 7; Yosemite at Dinuba, Nov. 7; Bakersfield at Highland, Nov. 14

HS FOOTBALL PREVIEW INDEX
July 29: Lighthouse Christian, Immanuel Christian, Maricopa
July 30: Boron, Burroughs
July 31: Desert, Rosamond
Aug. 1: Frazier Mountain, Kern Valley
Aug. 2: Mojave, McFarland
Aug. 3: César Chávez
Aug. 4: Delano
Aug. 5: New schools: Independence, Mira Monte, RFK
Aug. 6: Shafter
Aug. 7: Wasco
Aug. 8: Arvin
Aug. 9: Taft
Aug. 10: Bakersfield Christian
Aug. 11: Tehachapi
Aug. 12: Ridgeview
Aug. 13: Frontier
Aug. 14: Stockdale
Aug. 15: South
Aug. 16: North
Aug. 17: West
Aug. 18: Centennial
Aug. 19: Golden Valley
Aug. 20: East
Aug. 21: Garces
Aug. 22: Highland
Aug. 23: Foothill
Aug. 24: Liberty
Aug. 25: Bakersfield

TOMORROW: The Central Section's small schools — Divisions IV and V

At long last, we've reached the end of our team-by-team previews, and we do so with the top team in Kern County, at least in my eyes.

Looking at this completely objectively (and I know some will think The Californian likes BHS because we're 45 seconds from campus, but that's just not true! (check the 2:50 mark and you'll find out for yourself)). It's simply that on the field, no team in town can match what the Drillers will bring this year.

Does that mean my prediction at the end of the entry will come true? Certainly not necissarily. Games aren't played on a blog, to paraphrase an old cliché. But it's fun to talk about.

We'll do a few cursory looks at the rest of the section and state this week, and then it's go time for Week 0. I can't wait. Hope you've enjoyed the team previews.

BAKERSFIELD DRILLERS

Coach: Paul Golla (fourth year)

2007 record: 13-1 (6-0 SEYL, 7-0 home)
Average points: 35.1
Average points allowed: 10.8
Average rush yards: 225.8
Average rush yards allowed: 102.4
Average pass yards: 179.8
Average pass yards allowed: 104.9
Best win: Bakersfield 19, Clovis West 16
Worst loss: Centennial 28, Bakersfield 26

Key players: Alfonso Jackson, jr, RB; Tevin Jackson, sr, OL/DL; Alex Mitchell, sr, QB; Emilio Cantu, OL/DL; Jerek Johnson, sr, RB/LB; George Ming, sr, FB/DB

Key losses: Pete Mitchell, QB/K; Emmanuel Ojeriakhi, WR/DB; Vince Van Horne, WR/DB; Emanuel Turner, RB; Sean Andrew, OL/LB; Kyle Billington, OL/DL; Mark Durando, FB/LB; Marcus Nelson, FB/LB; Matt Varvel, TE/LB

Offense: Anyone who remembers Bakersfield High’s playoff run last year has images of BHS’ offense changing directions, making fakes, confusing defenders, showing off skills and generally making opposing coaches weep. That was the spread offense ran to perfection, with an intelligent, confident point man — Californian Player of the Year Pete Mitchell — and ridiculously good athletes getting their hands on the ball. Unfortunately for the Drillers, most of those athletes are gone, as is Mitchell. The ones who remain — namely Alfonso Jackson and Jerek Johnson, plus new QB Alex Mitchell (Pete’s little bro) — will be key factors if BHS is to repeat its Central Section-championship success. Actually, nine of 11 offensive starters graduated, including all five linemen. Golla plans to fill that hole by bringing over three defensive linemen and having them play both ways. Risky, but the payoff for this team could be huge. More on that later.

Defense: As good as Bakersfield’s offense was last year, some of the season’s enduring memories are defensive. There’s Alex Mitchell hitting the snot out of a Sacramento-Grant receiver in an early-season victory, the overwhelming effort against Centennial in the playoffs and some key stops in the championship against Clovis West. The team might lean on the defense a little, at least early on, because the offense won’t be as immediately explosive. The good news is that a little more is back on this side of the ball, and if a deep defensive line can get pressure, the 30 stack defense will be tremendous, with linebackers and defensive backs flying to the ball that’s been hurried out of the pocket or the ball-carrier who’s in trouble the minute he takes the handoff.

Outlook: Despite all the losses, this remains the best team in Kern County by a comfortable margin. The question is, can the Drillers match — or, with a new CIF state-championship bowl game added, even surpass — what they did last year? It’s obviously too early to predict anything drastic, but I can say that of all the teams I’ve seen practice in the preseason, BHS was the most crisp, the most enthusiastic and the most business-like of any. The team’s best players — the two Jacksons, Johnson and Mitchell, for four — have to consistently stay on their game. That’s going to be important, because the Drillers have a trip to 2006 state champion Canyon in Week 0, plus Centennial, Clovis-Buchanan and a tough league on the schedule. If Bakersfield can get through those 10 games unbeaten — and that’s not dreaming too big — then the playoffs loom. So does the talk about an undefeated year, a repeat section title and a potential appearance in the state championship.

Quotable: “We expect to be great, and you wouldn’t want it any other way. You wouldn’t want to be at another high school. You want to be at the school where people expect you to win every year and people care about your program.”
— coach Paul Golla

Bonus quotable from one of the best interviews in Bako: “Right now, potentially, we’re good, but we also tell our kids, ‘potential’ is a bad word. It’s like a cuss word. You don’t want to be known as a team with potential. That means there’s no results.”
— coach Paul Golla. Is there any doubt why this guy is one of the best coaches in the biz?

Schedule: Sept. 5 at Canyon
Sept. 12 BYE
Sept. 19 at Stockdale
Sept. 26 Clovis-Buchanan
Oct. 3 Liberty
Oct. 10 Centennial
Oct. 17 Garces
Oct. 24 at Foothill
Oct. 31 at Golden Valley
Nov. 7 East
Nov. 14 at Highland

Prediction: 10-0, 6-0 SEYL

HS FOOTBALL PREVIEW INDEX
July 29: Lighthouse Christian, Immanuel Christian, Maricopa
July 30: Boron, Burroughs
July 31: Desert, Rosamond
Aug. 1: Frazier Mountain, Kern Valley
Aug. 2: Mojave, McFarland
Aug. 3: César Chávez
Aug. 4: Delano
Aug. 5: New schools: Independence, Mira Monte, RFK
Aug. 6: Shafter
Aug. 7: Wasco
Aug. 8: Arvin
Aug. 9: Taft
Aug. 10: Bakersfield Christian
Aug. 11: Tehachapi
Aug. 12: Ridgeview
Aug. 13: Frontier
Aug. 14: Stockdale
Aug. 15: South
Aug. 16: North
Aug. 17: West
Aug. 18: Centennial
Aug. 19: Golden Valley
Aug. 20: East
Aug. 21: Garces
Aug. 22: Highland
Aug. 23: Foothill
Aug. 24: Liberty

TOMORROW: A look at large-enrollment (Div. I, II and some III) schools in the rest of the Central Section

Back for a second update in the same day, making up for my forgetfulness last night. Now we're getting serious, into the top teams in the Southeast Yosemite League.

Another note: We're looking for extras for a Californian cover shoot for our SEYL football preview. If you're a Liberty or Bakersfield High fan and would be interested in being on the cover, please contact myself at zewing@bakersfield.com or assistant sports editor Ross Priest at rpriest@bakersfield.com (and if you're not a Liberty or BHS fan but wouldn't mind acting like one in a photo, you're welcome to come out also). We could use the help.

LIBERTY PATRIOTS

Remember when I was so good about putting Year in Review blog posts up? Yeah, that was back when I didn't have much to do over the summer. With our staff scrambling to get our football preview edition for the newspaper done, I'm running around like I just found the king banana.

So there's my excuse. I forgot to put the Foothill team preview up on the blog before I left the office last night, and now it's stuck on my Californian computer. My sincere apologies to regular readers and to those who saw the Foothill piece in the paper this morning and came here for more.

Never fear, I'll have the Trojans preview up by 11 a.m. Sunday. Scout's honor.

And here you have it, 10:57 a.m. Man, I'm good. Except for the whole late part.

FOOTHILL TROJANS

Coach: Dennis Manning (third year)

2007 record: 9-4 (4-2 SEYL, 5-2 home)
Average points: 26.8
Average points allowed: 24.2
Average rush yards: 187.5
Average rush yards allowed: 208.4
Average pass yards: 141.4
Average pass yards allowed: 139.5
Best win: Foothill 30, Fresno-Washington Union 26
Worst loss: Taft 19, Foothill 7

Key players: Ronnie Churchill, sr, QB/LB; Matt Guerra, sr, QB/DB; Jacob Clagg, jr, TE/LB; Ronnie Owens, jr, OL/DL; Lawrence Weldon, sr, RB/DB; Angel Posadas, sr, OL/DL; D.J. Enderton, sr, TE/DL; Edgar Linares, jr, K

Key losses: Eric Jones, RB/LB; Randy Davenport, WR/DB; Tommy Hurley, RB/DB; Deandre Wallace, WR/DB

Offense: When is a Wing T not a Wing T? When it’s at Foothill High. Instead of solely a confusion- and quickness-based running game (think Mike Snow at Stockdale or Mark Camps at North), Manning’s offense will throw the ball. That’s good, because with returning playmakers like Matt Guerra (1,162 yards, 13 touchdowns, 3 interceptions) and Ronnie Churchill (229 receiving yards and 3 touchdowns) Foothill will make teams pay for creeping on the run. Losing Jones will hurt, but Weldon actually had a higher per-carry average (7.7) last year in limited action. He’ll get a shot at being the featured guy this season.

Defense: Manning was a bit reserved about this side of the ball, meaning that he could be hiding a strong suit or still questioning whether this would be a weak point. The point is, Foothill allowed nearly 350 yards a game last year and loses a couple of quality defensive backs. Granted, the average last year was inflated by games against East when Andre Smith was hot, Bakersfield, Liberty and Tehachapi, but there were other games where the Trojans were too pourous too. They use a 50 defense, and when you’ve got five guys with their hands on the ground, the “back six,” so to speak, has to be more than solid unless the line is getting tremendous pressure.

Outlook: Seemingly forgotten about in discussions about Bakersfield’s best teams, Foothill has quickly established itself under Manning. The Trojans went from a bottom-feeder early in the decade to a Division III runner-up each of the past two years and what looks like a perennial league contender. Manning was excited about this team even back in the spring, and there’s reason to be. Guerra, Churchill and a linebacking crew led by Jacob Clagg gives the Trojans a real chance at a top-two SEYL finish and the potential to finally get over the hump in the playoffs. Depth and defense will be key. The D could be Foothill’s Achilles’ Heel, or, if it’s improved, it could be what catapults the team into a section or even a league title.

Quotable: “I think success breeds success, and I think our kids are expecting to win. Our first couple of years here, we wanted to have enough confidence, but now we think we can win. And sometimes, that wins games for you.”
— coach Dennis Manning

Schedule: Sept. 5 BYE
Sept. 12 Arvin
Sept. 19 at Ridgeview
Sept. 26 Shafter
Oct. 3 at South
Oct. 10 at Liberty
Oct. 17 at East
Oct. 24 Bakersfield
Oct. 31 Highland
Nov. 7 at Garces
Nov. 14 Golden Valley

Prediction: 8-2, 4-2 SEYL

HS FOOTBALL PREVIEW INDEX
July 29: Lighthouse Christian, Immanuel Christian, Maricopa
July 30: Boron, Burroughs
July 31: Desert, Rosamond
Aug. 1: Frazier Mountain, Kern Valley
Aug. 2: Mojave, McFarland
Aug. 3: César Chávez
Aug. 4: Delano
Aug. 5: New schools: Independence, Mira Monte, RFK
Aug. 6: Shafter
Aug. 7: Wasco
Aug. 8: Arvin
Aug. 9: Taft
Aug. 10: Bakersfield Christian
Aug. 11: Tehachapi
Aug. 12: Ridgeview
Aug. 13: Frontier
Aug. 14: Stockdale
Aug. 15: South
Aug. 16: North
Aug. 17: West
Aug. 18: Centennial
Aug. 19: Golden Valley
Aug. 20: East
Aug. 21: Garces
Aug. 22: Highland

TOMORROW: New coach, same steady program — Liberty

For many schools, it's intrasquad scrimmage night — the first edition of Friday night lights, even if they aren't really official. But, my goodness, it's too hot for football still, isn't it? I'm glad they pushed back the real season's start by a week. Maybe that'll give it a chance to cool off. Course that means we've got to wait 14 more days yet ...

Speaking of the season starting, we're hard at work on our Californian high school football preview editions, which will be inserted into the newspaper Sept. 3, 4 and 5 — one edition for the SWYL and SEYL, plus one for the SSL and the rest of Kern County's teams.

One thing we still need to do is the cover photo shoot for the SEYL tab. We're looking at Tuesday evening as a time for this, and we need extras — If anybody's a Bakersfield High or Liberty fan or you've got a group of friends who would like to be in the photo, send me a message via the blog or e-mail me directly at zewing@bakersfield.com and I can supply the details.

HIGHLAND SCOTS

Coach: Tim Hartnett (second year)

2007 record: 5-7 (3-3 SEYL, 3-4 home)
Average points: 16.6
Average points allowed: 19.5
Average rush yards: 174.1
Average rush yards allowed: 128.7
Average pass yards: 89.3
Average pass yards allowed: 128.5
Best win: Highland 16, Garces 2
Worst loss: Shafter 17, Highland 14

Key players: Patrick Su’a, sr, TE/LB; Alan Roy, jr, RB/LB; Ashton Hensley, sr, WR/DB; Sean O’Leary, jr, WR/DB; Ryan Johnson, sr, RB/LB

Key losses: Anthony Johnson, WR/DB; Kyle Atchley, RB/LB; Cody Earnest, QB/LB; Terry Thomas, RB/LB; Erik Chavez, OL/LB

Offense: What is a spread offense without Mr. Everything, Anthony Johnson? Well, it’s more spread. The super-talented Johnson was Highland’s best running back, wide receiver and defensive back last year, and he even spent a little time at quarterback. He’s off to Fresno State to play receiver, though, so there’s a void of playmakers. But even though Hartnett admits Johnson is “a huge loss” he think the Scots might be better overall on offense this year. A spread isn’t supposed to be one-dimensional; it’s supposed to create mismatches anywhere and everywhere on the field. That might work better this season as sort of a one-for-all type thing. The point man for all of this looks like it’ll be Tyler Johnson, who’s up from the JV and has been the distributor thus far that Hartnett’s offense needs. But he’ll split some reps with sophomore Matt Prosser, who’s more of a threat as a runner.

Defense: As good as Hartnett’s offenses can look, his defense will be one to watch for sure this season. The Scots’ linebacking corps is one of the best in the county, and that’s perfect for their 3-5-3 (30 stack) scheme. It all starts with Pat Su’a. You often hear about the kids who aren’t that talented or don’t have the right size but play with heart, have a “motor” and a “nose for the ball,” but Su’a is special. He has all those intangible qualities, but he’s also uber-talented and a good size. Hartnett told me way back when AJ signed with Fresno State in February that Su’a likely will be in that signing-day spotilight in ’09. Add John Oglesby, a converted defensive end, plus Ryan Johnson and Alan Roy, and you’ve got a scary good middle of your defense.

Outlook: Those who know Bakersfield football are aware of what Hartnett can do — he’s won five league titles and a section title at Bakersfield High and Golden Valley — when he’s got the right talent. This year, his second at Highland, he’s got the talent and he’s got the comfort level with his players to be successful. Highland really could be ready to make the leap to the top two or three in the league this season, but there are a couple of caveats. It’s certainly nice to have balance in your offense, and the Scots will have more without AJ, but I still like to see one playmaker who can get things done in close games or when other options aren’t working. That has to develop. The other will be health. Highland isn’t as deep as league opponents like Liberty, Foothill and BHS, and any attrition could cost them dearly.

Quotable: “I came home tonight and talked to my wife, and I said, ‘You know, I think we’re pretty darn good across the board.’ We need depth, that’s the issue, but from what I see right now, we’re pretty solid.”
— coach Tim Hartnett

Schedule: Sept. 5 at Arvin
Sept. 12 Ridgeview
Sept. 19 at Chavez
Sept. 26 BYE
Oct. 3 at East
Oct. 10 Garces
Oct. 17 at Golden Valley
Oct. 24 Frontier
Oct. 31 at Foothill
Nov. 7 Liberty
Nov. 14 Bakersfield

Prediction: 6-4, 3-3 SEYL

HS FOOTBALL PREVIEW INDEX
July 29: Lighthouse Christian, Immanuel Christian, Maricopa
July 30: Boron, Burroughs
July 31: Desert, Rosamond
Aug. 1: Frazier Mountain, Kern Valley
Aug. 2: Mojave, McFarland
Aug. 3: César Chávez
Aug. 4: Delano
Aug. 5: New schools: Independence, Mira Monte, RFK
Aug. 6: Shafter
Aug. 7: Wasco
Aug. 8: Arvin
Aug. 9: Taft
Aug. 10: Bakersfield Christian
Aug. 11: Tehachapi
Aug. 12: Ridgeview
Aug. 13: Frontier
Aug. 14: Stockdale
Aug. 15: South
Aug. 16: North
Aug. 17: West
Aug. 18: Centennial
Aug. 19: Golden Valley
Aug. 20: East
Aug. 21: Garces

TOMORROW: Bridesmaids, but maybe not for too much longer — Foothill

AAAAHH!!!

I've had this post ready all day but have forgotten to post between running around working on other stories all day. Sorry for the delay.

GARCES RAMS

Coach: David Fanucchi (sixth year)

2007 record: 7-6 (2-4 SEYL, 3-4 home)
Average points: 24.8
Average points allowed: 19
Average rush yards: 181
Average rush yards allowed:150.6
Average pass yards: 110
Average pass yards allowed: 110.8
Best win: Garces 28, East 0
Worst loss: Highland 16, Garces 2

Key players: Chase Wright, sr, QB; Riley Scott, sr, RB/LB; Jalen Sikes, soph, RB; Matt Sumlin, jr, WR; Phil McCullum, jr, WR/DB; Mike Varga, sr, LB; Sean McNally, sr, LB

Key losses: Cooper Thompson, RB/LB; Luc Cauza, QB/DB; Vincent Phillips, RB/LB; Michael Berry, RB/LB; Matt Slegers, WR/DB; Vincent Antongiovanni, WR/DB; Joe Jannino, WR/LB

Offense: It seems like most Wing T offenses are pretty stubborn about doing anything else — and honestly, if you’re going to be a system offense, usually you want to stick with what you know — but Garces is different. The Rams will spread the field at times and let athletic players get the ball in space, not just in the blocking confines of the wing. That’s good when you’ve got guys like Sumlin, a sub-11 runner in the 100 meters (qualified for state in track) and McCullum, who is a 6-6 high jumper. From listening to Fanucchi, I get the feeling Sikes is going to pretty special, too.

Defense: Again, with a 30 stack defense, Garces is trying to highlight its athleticism and hide its lack of size. The Wing T, especially when you mix it up with a spread every now and then, does just that on offense, and the 30 stack defense does the same thing. Put a safety in a linebacker’s spot and a linebacker in a defensive line spot, and you’ve got speed everywhere. That could cost the Rams against some teams, but it’s a win-with-aggression approach: Don’t just prevent big plays on D; make some yourself, too.

Outlook: There’s no doubt Garces lost a ton from last year’s team. Its leading passer, rusher and receiver are all gone, as are several key players on defense. But it’s hard to count this school out. First off, you know the athletes are there (just look at Sumlin and McCullum and some of the guys who play on the fantastic basketball team). And Fanucchi, along with his brother John, has bred fighters since he got to Garces 20 years ago. Garces isn’t going to roll over, but the loss of many key players will cost you in the rugged SEYL. Fanucchi won’t say it, but I think this might turn into a bit of a rebuilding year — especially when you consider Garces is moving up to the Division II section-playoff bracket. Then again, read the bonus quote below and you’ll know the Rams aren’t going to be an easy opponent for anyone.

Quotables: “There are new faces and new names in there, but a lot of them are seniors and they’ve been working very hard for this shot. I really never look at it as rebuilding; our obligation is to these seniors.”
— coach David Fanucchi

“Garces, typical Garces. They're going to give us a battle. I don't care about what their record is and what our record is, I'm always nervous about them.”
— Bakersfield High coach Paul Golla

Schedule: Sept. 5 BYE
Sept. 12 at Tehachapi
Sept. 19 Arvin
Sept. 27 Fresno-San Joaquin Memorial
Oct. 3 Golden Valley
Oct. 10 at Highland
Oct. 17 at Bakersfield
Oct. 24 East
Oct. 31 at West
Nov. 7 Foothill
Nov. 14 at Liberty

Prediction: 2-8, 1-5 SEYL

HS FOOTBALL PREVIEW INDEX
July 29: Lighthouse Christian, Immanuel Christian, Maricopa
July 30: Boron, Burroughs
July 31: Desert, Rosamond
Aug. 1: Frazier Mountain, Kern Valley
Aug. 2: Mojave, McFarland
Aug. 3: César Chávez
Aug. 4: Delano
Aug. 5: New schools: Independence, Mira Monte, RFK
Aug. 6: Shafter
Aug. 7: Wasco
Aug. 8: Arvin
Aug. 9: Taft
Aug. 10: Bakersfield Christian
Aug. 11: Tehachapi
Aug. 12: Ridgeview
Aug. 13: Frontier
Aug. 14: Stockdale
Aug. 15: South
Aug. 16: North
Aug. 17: West
Aug. 18: Centennial
Aug. 19: Golden Valley
Aug. 20: East

TOMORROW: Up to the northeast — Highland

It's Wednesday, so I've got some random thoughts for you (no, that didn't make sense to me, either, but I'm a little delirious at this point).

(Feel free to scroll down to the East High preview if you don't like tangents.)

Random Wednesday Thought No. 1: Anyone pay attention to the medal count at the Olympics? I mean, I guess I'm rooting for the U.S. to beat China in total medals (golds is a lost cause, I think), but for some reason, I find myself paying more attention to team sports, whether it's soccer, baseball, softball, volleyball or basketball or those I don't know a whole lot about, like water polo and handball.
I feel like there's more of a sense of national pride in these things, rather than most individual athletes, who want to win a medal for themselves but sometimes don't care about the whole "Team USA" thing. (Yeah, that's not true of all of them, but you get the feeling some think like that).
So — my point, finally — I think there ought to be some way to count team medals more in the medal standings. The medals are harder to get and carry more weight in my book. Then again, maybe nobody cares.

Random Wednesday Thought No. 2: This one is more on topic with our high school football previews. I hate it when pundits try to predict records or something and count a game both ways — i.e., don't predict a win for both Golden Valley and East in the Golden Valley vs. East game. So I've been very careful not to do that. The downside is, now that I've come to learn more about the schools I'm previewing this week, I don't like the way I've picked some games.
But, like the world's most feared panda bear, I'm sticking to my guns. So while my predicted record for a team (like today's team) might seem a bit off to me, I'm going to chalk it up as a matter of instinct and scheduling. Hell, I'll probably end up all wrong anyway.

EAST BLADES

Coach: Jerald Pierucci (first year)

2007 record: 5-6 (1-5 SEYL, 3-2 home)
Average points: 23.9
Average points allowed: 34.8
Average rush yards: 263.3
Average rush yards allowed:170.2
Average pass yards: 91.9
Average pass yards allowed: 163.6
Best win: East 28, Centennial 27
Worst loss: Highland 31, East 12

Key players: Hector Sedano, sr, OL; James Zontek, sr, OL/DL; Joe Pierson, jr, QB; Charlie Devers, sr, RB/DB; Brandon Grider, sr, OL; Andres Palamino, sr, LB; Garrett Pierce, sr, TE/LB; David Cano, sr, LB

Key losses: Andre Smith, RB; Eddy Morrow, RB/LB; Josh Carrillo, WR/DB; Taurest Dillard, OL/LB

Offense: The entire season for East is going to hinge on its offense, and I don’t think that’s a hyperbole. There are two sides to this coin. The Blades are going from a Wing T to a pro-style offense, a huge transition that might take a year to take effect, and they lose all-everything running back Andre Smith and few other skill-position players. On the other side, Pierucci has done everything he can to give his team time to adjust — East didn’t even go to another school’s camp this summer, choosing instead to work out kinks on their own. Plus, all five linemen are seniors, and all have seen considerable playing time, meaning the backbone of the offense should be solid. Chances are, the offense will be somewhere between really good and really bad, but if everything or nothing clicks, it could make or break the season.

Defense: Until the offense figures itself out, East will rely on an experienced front seven of its 3-4 defense to keep the ship afloat. The secondary is young, but Pierucci’s plan is to allow his big defensive lineman to take on double teams, freeing up the Blades’ strength — a loaded linebacking corps of Palamino, Pierce and Cano — to fly around and make plays. If the line can’t do that, and the ’backers are neutralized, that’ll expose the secondary. So there’s a big question mark here too.

Outlook: Like Frontier in the SWYL, East is a total wild card. I could see anywhere from 0-6 to 4-2 or even 5-1 for this team in SEYL play. On one hand, the offensive line, defensive line and linebackers absolutely are strengths, and that’s a good place to start. But the Blades also must replace Smith, who probably was the single most skilled player in the county last year (he’s coming to a junior college near you), and that’s not going to happen easily. Pierucci will rely on a host of unproven backs on offense to make up the lost yardage, and success will depend, again, on how quickly the offense can adjust to the pro style. Against an absolutely loaded schedule (somehow, East manages to play seven of the other eight Division I or II teams in town), that’s going to take time. Most likely, East will be a lot better than its record shows. A winning season? It could happen, but if Pierucci and Co. can navigate this schedule, they will have done a heck of a job in Year 1.

Quotable: “We don't have that Andre Smith, that guy everybody wants to sit back and watch. But we have good role-playing football players, and what I've been saying to these kids is, ‘If nobody cares who gets the glory, we're going to be OK.’”
— coach Jerald Pierucci

Schedule: Sept. 5 BYE
Sept. 12 Stockdale
Sept. 19 at West
Sept. 26 at Centennial
Oct. 3 Highland
Oct. 10 at Golden Valley
Oct. 17 Foothill
Oct. 24 at Garces
Oct. 31 Liberty
Nov. 7 at Bakersfield
Nov. 14 North

Prediction: 2-8, 1-5 SEYL

HS FOOTBALL PREVIEW INDEX
July 29: Lighthouse Christian, Immanuel Christian, Maricopa
July 30: Boron, Burroughs
July 31: Desert, Rosamond
Aug. 1: Frazier Mountain, Kern Valley
Aug. 2: Mojave, McFarland
Aug. 3: César Chávez
Aug. 4: Delano
Aug. 5: New schools: Independence, Mira Monte, RFK
Aug. 6: Shafter
Aug. 7: Wasco
Aug. 8: Arvin
Aug. 9: Taft
Aug. 10: Bakersfield Christian
Aug. 11: Tehachapi
Aug. 12: Ridgeview
Aug. 13: Frontier
Aug. 14: Stockdale
Aug. 15: South
Aug. 16: North
Aug. 17: West
Aug. 18: Centennial
Aug. 19: Golden Valley

TOMORROW: The somehow, some way, always-competitive Garces

My oh my. Time to begin previews on teams from the Southeast Yosemite League, our final stop in this 2008 football preview (I'll do succint previews on the rest of the section and state next week).

Countdown to Week 0: 17 days

GOLDEN VALLEY BULLDOGS

Coach: Erich Smith (second year)

2007 record: 4-8 (0-6 SEYL, 2-2 home)
Average points: 20.1
Average points allowed: 31.5
Average rush yards: 116.3
Average rush yards allowed: 302.4
Average pass yards: 205.5
Average pass yards allowed: 106.5
Best win: Golden Valley 38, Selma 28
Worst loss: Chavez 14, Golden Valley 7

Key players: Dylan Finch, jr, QB; Byron Newman, sr, RB/DB/KR; Nathan Lyday, sr, WR; Anthony Perez, sr, WR; Aaron Sy, sr, OL/DL; Eric Berry, sr, OL/DL; Chris Brown, soph, DB; Michael Pulley, sr, DB

Key losses: Emmett Hodges, WR/DB; Eliseo Rodriguez, RB/LB; Eder Tavera, DB; John Perez, OL/DL

Offense: Forget the spread, the run-and-gun and the aerial attack. Smith has another name for his high-flying offense: the fun ‘n’ gun. Apropos, because it’s going to be fun to watch the Bulldogs this year. Finch is only a junior, but he’s got a year of starting under his belt, and besides Hodges, everything is back on this side of the ball. Newman could be explosive, though he’ll have to convince Smith to run the ball every once in a while first. Perez and Lyday can make plays downfield. In short, Golden Valley will be one of the best offensive teams in the city. That’s a good thing, because ...

Defense: The Bulldogs lost everyone on defense but one starter. Actually, that could be a good thing, considering GV wasn’t very good on D last year. But the season hinges on how well this unit can get itself off the field — and the offense back on — without giving up too many points. Smith and staff have switched to a 3-4 defense to get more athletic linebackers on the field, and the addition of a couple of basketball standouts, Brown and Pulley, could be a bonus. The Golden Valley defense doesn’t have to be spectacular, but it also can’t let an opposing offense dictate a game, which could be the case against quality opponents.

Outlook: There is an opportunity in the SEYL for someone to move into the top half of the standings. After Bakersfield High and Liberty, it’s not crazy to think any of the other five teams could finish third. Could that be Golden Valley? My sense is that the Bulldogs have too far to climb, but I’m also sure the team’s talent on offense is going to win some games and put pressure on opponents in others where Golden Valley might seem overmatched. If that happens more than once or twice, and the defense isn’t awful, GVHS could be a winning team playing a few playoff games under its new stadium lights.

Quotable: "We can't afford to wait. If you wait in our league, you end up rebuilding forever. We're just trying to keep up with the big boys."
—coach Erich Smith

Schedule: Sept. 5 BYE
Sept. 12 South
Sept. 19 at Visalia-El Diamante
Sept. 26 Chavez
Oct. 3 at Garces
Oct. 10 East
Oct. 17 Highland
Oct. 24 at Liberty
Oct. 31 Bakersfield
Nov. 7 at Ridgeview
Nov. 14 at Foothill

Prediction: 3-7, 1-5 SEYL

HS FOOTBALL PREVIEW INDEX
July 29: Lighthouse Christian, Immanuel Christian, Maricopa
July 30: Boron, Burroughs
July 31: Desert, Rosamond
Aug. 1: Frazier Mountain, Kern Valley
Aug. 2: Mojave, McFarland
Aug. 3: César Chávez
Aug. 4: Delano
Aug. 5: New schools: Independence, Mira Monte, RFK
Aug. 6: Shafter
Aug. 7: Wasco
Aug. 8: Arvin
Aug. 9: Taft
Aug. 10: Bakersfield Christian
Aug. 11: Tehachapi
Aug. 12: Ridgeview
Aug. 13: Frontier
Aug. 14: Stockdale
Aug. 15: South
Aug. 16: North
Aug. 17: West
Aug. 18: Centennial

TOMORROW: The post-Andre era begins — East

So I was busy pouring over Sports Illustrated’s college football preview (imagine that) this past weekend, and they’ve made a big deal over the spread offense — who runs it, how it started, why it’s impossible to stop, how defensive coaches are trying to counter it. It was pretty impressive, but the thing I kept coming back to was this: The spread offense is predicated on creating and exploiting mismatches. Well, doesn’t that mean you’ve got to have the athletes to create those mismatches? What if you don’t? I guess you end up like UTEP or Northwestern, which have ran the spread for years but not had only intermittent success with it (they've certainly had some extenuating circumstances at Northwestern with coach Randy Walker's death, but I think the point still stands).

Read on to find out what that has to do with today's preview.

CENTENNIAL GOLDEN HAWKS

Coach: Bryan Nixon (eighth year)

2007 record: 10-2 (5-0 SWYL, 5-1 home)
Average points:30.8
Average points allowed:19.4
Average rush yards:187.6
Average rush yards allowed:142.5
Average pass yards:137.0
Average pass yards allowed:127.8
Best win: Centennial 28, Bakersfield 26
Worst loss: Bakersfield 56, Centennial 7

Key players: Stephen Casabosas, sr, WR/DB; John Lay, sr, LB; Bryan Maxwell, sr, WR/LB; Brett Wallace, sr, WR; Tim King, jr, OL/DL; Jerry Pendleton, sr, DL; Cody Kessler, soph, QB

Key losses: Brock Bivens, QB/DB; Zander Fabbri, RB/LB; Joey Bertrand, RB/DB; Dustin Robinson, WR/LB; Anthony Masuda, WR/DB; Josh Crenshaw, WR/DB; Jacob Cross, OL/LB; Preston Lopez, WR/DB; Cameron Shelton, OL/DL; Jacob Davis, OL/DL

Offense: So, continuing my train of thought from above: For Nixon and Centennial, will the spread be the powerful machine that has helped the Golden Hawks to nine league titles in 15 years, even though nearly every key player from last year has departed? That’s the big question. And the point man in all of this, it appears, is just a sophomore, Cody Kessler. I don’t have a problem with that, really, considering how good Kessler was in basketball as a freshman and what a great athlete he is. But I wouldn’t be surprised if Centennial has an abbreviated rebuilding period on offense. Once league play starts, I’d say it’ll be less and less of a problem.

Defense: Same story here, with Arizona freshman Zander Fabbri out of town and other standout defensive players like Cross and Robinson no longer around. Centennial has run the 4-4 under Nixon, and it’ll be a struggle to stay effective with so many young players. A good thing is that many of them got some game action last year because of injuries to Fabbri and some other starters, and Nixon said they generally played well.

Outlook: The scariest number for the Golden Hawks this year is four — as in four returning starters. That’s all they’ve got, besides a few part-time, injury-fill-in guys from last year. No matter how good the coaching and the schemes are, it’s tough to stay at a league-championship level when you have nearly an entirely new starting lineup. But despite that, I think Centennial will be fine. The school has tremendous athletes — seemed like every JV team on campus last year was one of the best around — and Nixon knows how to use them. Kessler is a great example and could be a microcosm for the whole team this season. Yes, he’s young, and there will surely be some mistakes early, but when he gets the hang of game action, there might not be anyone better in Bakersfield.

Quotable: “I think we still have those expectations. The learning curve has to be very fast, and we have to mature very quick. But I’ll tell you what, this group is a great group of kids. They’re very coachable, and the work ethic is unbelievable.”
— coach Bryan Nixon

Schedule: Sept. 5 BYE
Sept. 12 Visalia-Redwood
Sept. 19 at Liberty
Sept. 26 East
Oct. 3 Stockdale
Oct. 10 at Bakersfield
Oct. 17 at South
Oct. 24 West
Oct. 31 at Ridgeview
Nov. 7 North
Nov. 14 at Frontier

Prediction: 7-3, 5-1 SWYL

HS FOOTBALL PREVIEW INDEX
July 29: Lighthouse Christian, Immanuel Christian, Maricopa
July 30: Boron, Burroughs
July 31: Desert, Rosamond
Aug. 1: Frazier Mountain, Kern Valley
Aug. 2: Mojave, McFarland
Aug. 3: César Chávez
Aug. 4: Delano
Aug. 5: New schools: Independence, Mira Monte, RFK
Aug. 6: Shafter
Aug. 7: Wasco
Aug. 8: Arvin
Aug. 9: Taft
Aug. 10: Bakersfield Christian
Aug. 11: Tehachapi
Aug. 12: Ridgeview
Aug. 13: Frontier
Aug. 14: Stockdale
Aug. 15: South
Aug. 16: North
Aug. 17: West

TOMORROW: Our first stop in the SEYL — Golden Valley

After an emotional day yesterday, we'll bury ourselves back into the football previews. Everyone ready to find out who wins the SWYL? As for my predictions about such a wide-open league, I'll only say I'd be surprised if they're right.

Week 0 countdown: 19 days

WEST VIKINGS

Coach: Chad Grider (first year)

2007 record: 6-5 (3-2 SWYL, 3-4 home)
Average points: 21.1
Average points allowed: 21.5
Average rush yards: 157.1
Average rush yards allowed: 182.6
Average pass yards: 133.6
Average pass yards allowed: 82.0
Best win: West 31, Paso Robles 27
Worst loss: North 40, West 13