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

Key players: David Born, sr, OL; Jeremy Bethell, sr, OL/DL; Dion Curry, sr, WR/DB; Ben Jarvis, sr, QB; Brandon Oxford, sr, RB/LB; Brach'e Hayes, sr, TE/LB; Nate Wiley, sr, RB/LB

Key losses: Allen Daniels, WR/DB; Dionte Tomlin, WR/DB; Nick Sotello, TE/LB; Rodrigo Hernandez, OL/DL; Ronald Howells, RB/LB

Offense: Grider is old school in the sense that his father, Dallas Grider, was the coach at West High back in the 1970s and '80s and that he grew up around the problem. But his offense isn't going to lack modern wrinkles. He's got the size — Born and Bethel are 300 pounds-plus — and the speed — when Curry and Wiley are around, don't blink — to make the pro-style offense work. Grider saw Bakersfield College do it as an assistant coach the past several years, and we all know the Renegades can put up some points. Now that doesn't mean West is going to go crazy with the deep ball and with reverses all the time. Think of it more like, pound, pound, pound with Wiley behind the big line, wait for the D to creep up, and then hit Curry deep when he's got one-on-one coverage.

Defense: This side of the ball is a bit overlooked for the Vikings. Granted, there was quite a bit of inconsistency there last year, but I think it'll improve under Grider, who's his own defensive coordinator. The Vikings will run a 50 front base package with three down linemen and two down outside linebackers. Slow-going in the early season is possible because there's so much to learn scheme-wise with a new coach, but West certainly has the athletes to make it work. Born and/or Bethel could play defense on big running downs and stuff up the middle. Other times, the men to watch is defensive end Brach'e Hayes, who was a beast at Taft's Nike SPARQ camp early this month, and linebacker Brandon Oxford.

Outlook: No team in Kern County was as Jekyll and Hyde as West was last year. Crush Ridgeview to move to 4-2, squeak by Stockdale. Rout South for 6-2, lose by 27 points to North. Play Centennial down to the wire, get blown out in the playoffs. Can Grider get it all together every week for this team? The key for me is defense. You know the Vikings will move the ball behind Born and Bethel,with the athletes they've got and with Jarvis, a smart quarterback, running the show. But if the offense should turn it over, can the D come up with big plays? Or will things snowball? I get the sense West will be OK. Even with some inconsistency, this might be the most talented team in the SWYL and should contend for league and section titles.

Quotable: "We're definitely fortunate to have some big guys up front mixed with some speed. Those usually will help your run game, and hopefully they can come together and figure out the timing factor. Because those speed guys, they want to hit it now, and those big guys need to pave the way first."
— coach Chad Grider

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

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

TOMORROW: Kings of the west, at least for now — Centennial

If you saw my earlier post, you'll know that it's with a somber mood I post this. It seems trivial to talk about team previews or on-field football when something like a player's death slaps us all in face, but I also think it's a way to release some stress and take minds off of the situation.

With that in mind, we'll charge on with the high school football team previews.

NORTH STARS

Coach: Mark Camps (third year)

2007 record: 3-8 (3-2 SWYL, 3-2 home)
Average points: 17.3
Average points allowed: 28.4
Average rush yards: 262.2
Average rush yards allowed: 164.5
Average pass yards: 46.8
Average pass yards allowed: 131.4
Best win: North 40, West 13
Worst loss: Fresno-Hoover 12, North 0

Key players: Julian Dean-Johnson, sr, RB/DB; Seth Vlach, sr, RB/LB; John Northrup, sr, TE/DE; Ruben Suarez, sr, RB/DL; Brandon Core, sr, OL/DL

Key losses: Tanner Webb, QB/LB; Daniel Terry, WR/DB; Sam Musick, RB/LB; Kenneth Liggett, OL/LB

Offense: Blessed with two of the better running backs in the Central Section, North plans to get plenty of use out of them. And then some. Camps runs a Wing T set, designed to get carries to as many talented players who will fit in the offense. First and foremost in that group will be Vlach and Dean-Johnson, who each went over 1,000 yards last year. Dean-Johnson probably is the more spectacular; as an athlete, there’s really not anything he can’t do (see quote below). He averaged more than 9 yards a carry last year. With he and Vlach back, the offense should be improved, though the Stars have to replace Webb. Juan Rodriguez and Nathan Vlach, both juniors, are competing for that duty.

Defense: Experience will be a bit more of an issue for North on defense. Three of four down linemen return, which is where you want to have guys coming back, but the back seven might be a bit shaky, especially early. This might be a D you see stuff a team for two or three series and then give up back-to-back big plays. Having said that, the line getting pressure in the backfield is paramount. Without it, good running backs will reach the second tier and good quarterbacks will pick the Stars apart. That’s just the way it’s going to be until the time when/if a young secondary can perform at a high level.

Outlook: Having missed last football season (I started at The Californian in December), I’ve been gradually teaching myself the ins and outs of Kern County pigskin without actually seeing any games. One of the first halfway-informed conclusions I came to is that North High might be quite a sleeper in 2008. Now that I’ve dived headfirst into football, I still feel the same way. Camps has had the two years I think are necessary for any coach to really make a program his own, and he’s got a system that works and players who can make it work. Of course, it’ll also help that the Stars have traded a non-league gauntlet of Division II Central Section champion Visalia-El Diamante and D-I powerhouses Clovis-Buchanan and Fresno-Edison for Shafter, Porterville and Delano. If the Stars shore up the few problems they might have with an inexperienced secondary, it’s no stretch to say they can double or even triple their three wins from last season.

Quotable: “(Dean-Johnson) is just starting to scratch the surface as far as what he can do. He can change direction, plant, slow it down, plant again and then get back up to full speed. He’s a special back.”
— coach Mark Camps

Schedule: Sept. 5 Shafter
Sept. 12 at Porterville
Sept. 19 at Delano
Sept. 26 BYE
Oct. 3 Frontier
Oct. 10 at Ridgeview
Oct. 17 at West
Oct. 24 South
Oct. 31 Stockdale
Nov. 7 at Centennial
Nov. 14 at East

Prediction: 8-2, 4-2 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

TOMORROW: A return to old roots with a new coach — West

UPDATED: We've just received a statement from Bakersfield Christian president Dan Cole concerning an athlete's death. The statement does not contain Allen's name, but again, there was a memorial up at BCHS this afternoon with his name and jersey number, 51.

Here is the complete release:

"We are saddened to confirm that a very special student and fine young athlete at Bakersfield Christian High School was taken from home Thursday evening to the Mercy Southwest Hospital. Although a medical report has not been issued, it appears the athlete may have suffered a severe heat related illness following an evening workout at BCHS.

"On behalf of the entire BCHS community, I am deeply saddened to report that this fine young athlete has died. Understandably, the athlete's family has requested that they not be contacted and be allowed time to themselves during this most difficult time. The student athlete's wishes will be honored through participation in the organ donor transplant program.

"BCHS will provide further information at a time consistent with the family's wishes. Until that time, and out of respect for the athlete and his family, we will have no further comment at this time.

"The BCHS community requests your prayers for the family of the athlete as well as the entire BCHS community as they enter this time of grieving. Your respect for the family's wishes is greatly appreciated and an example of the compassion for which the Bakersfield community is known.

Thank you,

(signature)
Dan Cole
President Chief Administrator
Bakersfield Christian High School"

ORIGINAL POST: It's a dark weekend in Kern County football. In case you hadn't heard, a Bakersfield Christian player, junior Patrick Allen, died Friday.

I'd ask that everyone keep Allen's family and teammates in your thoughts and prayers.

There is one more thing I'll say. We don't have a lot of details about Allen's death. One on level, that's perfectly understandable; the family is grieving and talking to the media/releasing information isn't and shouldn't be foremost on their minds.

Having said that, I'm a little surprised no one at Bakersfield Christian wants to give any details. (Several reporter, including myself, have unsuccessfully tried to reach school officials today, and the only reason we know it was Allen is because of a memorial set up early this afternoon at the school). I certainly don't believe that anything happened at BCHS practice Thursday led to his illness and death, at least not anything that doesn't happen at every other high school football practice around the country. But if everything was done to keep the players hydrated and healthy, or the death didn't have to do with practice at all, why wouldn't BCHS want to come out and make that known?

We'll continue to keep you updated. In the meantime, my thoughts and prayers are with those connected with Allen. If you knew him, or even if you didn't, feel free to leave your own thoughts or prayers here.

For once, I don't have a whole lot to say, so there will be no tangent today. That's just as well, because we're getting into (what I think will be) the top half of the Southwest Yosemite League:

SOUTH REBELS

Coach: John Wren (third year)

2007 record: 3-7 (2-3 SWYL, 2-3 home)
Average points: 13.8
Average points allowed: 27.3
Average rush yards: 138.8
Average rush yards allowed: 259.1
Average pass yards: 46.2
Average pass yards allowed: 105.0
Best win: South 22, Stockdale 13
Worst loss: Golden Valley 28, South 0

Key players: James Armenta, sr, WR/DB; Jose Ramos, sr, QB/DB; Levi Chavez, sr, RB/DB; Blaine Davidson, sr, TE/DL; Steven Roberson, sr, TE/LB

Key losses: Fernando Gutierrez, RB/LB; Roland Meyers, TE/LB; Sam Thy, OL/DL

Offense: On what should be a much-improved team, perhaps the single area where Wren believes improvement will be most noticeable is offensive execution. There’s a good reason for that. Offensive coordinator Scott Douglas spent 20 years in the college ranks, so his pro-style scheme isn’t easy for high school kids to pick up quickly. But now, in the staff’s third year, and with a bunch of returning starters, that should be no problem. Ramos missed the first seven games last season with a knee injury, and Wren said he studied the offense better during those seven weeks than he had before because he had less on his shoulders. When he came back, South won two of its final three games, scoring more than 20 points in each — it happened just once in the first seven. With Ramos on board for a full season, and everybody more experienced, expect that scoring trend to continue.

Defense: The strength here is linebackers, and in a 30 stack defense, that’s good. Wren’s voice lit up (can a voice light up?) when I asked him about his linebackers: speed, movement, improved strength. And everybody knows, linebackers are the playmakers for most defenses, and when they’re flying around, you get sacks and turnovers. If you’re not terribly deep — and that still likely will be South’s big question mark — you need big plays to get big victories.

Outlook: Early in the spring or summer, I said something about South High being a threat in the SWYL on this blog. I quickly got a comment to the effect of “South? You mean they’ll win more than three games?” Well, yes. I feel pretty safe saying they will. Wren, a former Rebel himself, is committed to this program. You can see it on his face and hear it in his voice. And he has things headed in the right direction. Whether the success can be sustained without getting more players on the roster is one thing. But for this one year, with 17 returning starters, South has a chance to be more of a factor than it has been for years. Two big caveats: The Rebels have to stay healthy, and they have to expect to win. The second one sounds cheesy, but it’s vital for a down-trodden program to deal properly with success.

Quotable: “From where I sit, we’re nowhere near the pole position. We are a team that is very unproven. We had a good run the last few games of the year, but the reality is, we’re 3-17 the last two years. And I tell our kids all the time: ‘You either get better or you keep losing.’”
— South coach John Wren

Schedule: Sept. 5 BYE
Sept. 12 at Golden Valley
Sept. 19 at Shafter
Sept. 27 Arvin
Oct. 3 Foothill
Oct. 10 at Stockdale
Oct. 17 Centennial
Oct. 24 at North
Oct. 31 Frontier
Nov. 7 at West
Nov. 14 Ridgeview

Prediction: 6-4, 3-3 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

TOMORROW: Moving up Bakersfield's prime meridian to North High

I'm making some rounds to practices around the area, and I'll share any significant impressions I get. Here's a big one: Derek Carr is the real deal.

I know a lot has been said and written about this guy before he ever throws a pass for Bakersfield Christian, but I found out yesterday that the hype is all worth it. His spiral is so tight you can't see the ball spin; his ball is so accurate that nearly every incompletion was a drop; his reads were so good that if a receiver was open, he got the ball.

Now, this is only practice, and Carr hasn't quite reached these levels yet. But from what I saw yesterday, Bakersfield Christian has a chance to be really, really good.

From the younger Carr's school to where his brother, David, did his prepping for today's preview.

STOCKDALE MUSTANGS

Coach: Mike Snow (first year)

2007 record: 3-8 (2-3 SWYL, 2-4 home)
Average points: 16.6
Average points allowed: 23.9
Average rush yards: 107.3
Average rush yards allowed: 220.8
Average pass yards: 90.3
Average pass yards allowed: 99.1
Best win: Stockdale 24, North 21
Worst loss: South 22, Stockdale 13

Key players: Emmanuel Ossai, sr, WR/LB; Wesley Nichols, sr, RB/LB; Everardu Cantu, sr, OL/DL; Chris Bowie, sr, WR/DB; Stephen Silva, sr, RB/LB

Key losses: K.C. Hobson, sr, QB (concentrating on baseball); Ben Hopper, sr, OL/LB; Lane Claiborne, WR/DB; Tyler Cottrell, TE/DE; Cody Suniga, RB/DL; Brandon Benavides, OL/DL; Luis Diaz, OL/DL; Curtis Huge, K/P

Offense: Snow is perhaps the most well-known Wing T coach in Bakersfield, and he’s successful with it — winning The Californian’s Coach of the Year award at North in 2001 and starting Frontier’s program. But in spite of that (or maybe because of it), Snow knows it’ll take some time to implement such an intricate system at a school that used a passing attack under Dave Boyt and his predecessor, Mark Hance, who both have since taken jobs in school administration. Plus, Snow will have to deal  with the departure of Hobson (who wasn’t sticking around to become a running QB when his future clearly is in baseball anyway) and a few receivers and linemen. He does have the luxury of running backs Wesley Nichols and Stephen Silva and some talent typical of a Division I school like Stockdale. The Mustangs will have to learn fast, but if they do, the offense could be productive.

Defense: It’s not uncommon to hear coaches talk about defense like it’s a transformable thing: “We’ll do whatever needs to be done against the offense we’re facing.” Sometimes it works, sometimes not. Either way, Snow doesn’t believe it. Instead, like on offense, he’s going to stick with the defense he’s always used — the 4-4 — and change only his play-calling depending on the offensive set. That can be risky too, as I’d hate to face a spread attack stuck with eight men in the box, but one thing’s for sure — Stockdale will know what it’s doing on D. The 4-4 will put some pressure on Stockdale’s secondary at times, which is led by free safety standout J.D. Reed.

Outlook: In a league full of unknowns, Stockdale is another big one. If the Mustangs can pick up Snow’s scheme and ways quickly, they’ll have plenty of talent to overcome some personnel losses and any adjustment period. If they start slow, it could be another long, frustrating season full of questionable losses. Honestly, the real answer probably lies somewhere in between (as it usually does). It’ll be fun to watch Stockdale adjust to the Wing T, especially because you know Snow will have his kids playing hard one way or the other. The thing I’m most sure of? The Mustangs will lose at least one game you thought they’d win, and they’ll win at least one you thought they’d lose. Unfortunately for Stockdale, their schedule is as tough as month-old jerky, and that means there might be more you think they’ll lose.

Quotable: “We’re going to start slow, more than likely, but when you’re a Division I school, there’s not a lot of time for that. We plan to compete hard every week and have a lot more success.”
— coach Mike Snow

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

Prediction: 2-8, 2-4 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

TOMORROW: To a school hoping for a long-awaited resurgence — South

Well, it was a depressing day for me. I'm a pretty big soccer fan (I know, I know, that's blasphemy around some of you football-only folks), and I stayed up to watch the U.S. men's Olympic team take on Nigeria at 2 a.m., needing a tie to advance to the quarterfinals. Then this happened, and they played a man down for the whole game and still almost won, scoring once in the 86th minute and almost tying the game a minute later, before finally succumbing.

Then, this morning, I wake up to find out L.A. wants to dump more waste on us. Mmmmm, used pizza boxes from Compton. Just what I always wanted.

"With leftovers in the large green bin, green waste such as lawn clippings will "absorb fugitive liquids" from food waste, limiting the smell, according to a city report. Under the pilot program, the commingled green waste will be delivered to a composting center near Bakersfield, Lewis said."

But you know what? Football is 15 days away (college), and high school football — the purest kind — is just 23 days away. And maybe BHS (vs. Canyon) or Bakersfield Christian (vs. Westlake Village-Oaks Christian) can get some revenge for Kern County. Beats sending the pizza boxes back, anyway.

FRONTIER TITANS

Coach: Rich Cornford (first year)

2007 record: 3-8 (independent, 2-0 home)
Average points: 12.0
Average points allowed: 28.6
Average rush yards: U/A
Average rush yards allowed: 229.6
Average pass yards: U/A
Average pass yards allowed: 128.6
Best win: Frontier 17, Modesto-Enochs 14
Worst loss: Lancaster-Eastside 21, Frontier 0

Key players: James Pounds, sr, OL/DL; Matt Darr, jr, TE/LB; Ted Agu, jr, LB; Will Harvey, jr, LB

Key losses: None (no senior class)

Offense: Cornford brings his multiple-set, pro-style offense from West, where he won two league titles in seven seasons. You’d think there’s going to be an adjustment period for Frontier, seeing as the Titans ran the Wing T under Mike Snow for their first three years. You don’t get much different than that. There is some talent, most notably Pounds, who moves from the defensive line, where he was a force last year, to center. There’s competitions at running back between seniors Ryan Roman and Joe Thomas and at quarterback between last year’s starter, Mike Castro, the QB for the 9-1 JV team, Trevor Buskirk, and an incoming freshman. No matter who wins those position battles, expect Frontier to be run-first throughout the year — Roman and Thomas are bruisers, and Cornford said any of the QBs is capable of running the option.

Defense: If the Titans surprise the SWYL this year, it’ll be because of a stout defense. Even with Pounds’ departure to offense (he still might play on D for a few snaps), the defensive line is all seniors, a rarity on this young team. The secondary is young but physical. But it’s between the two where Frontier is most talented. Junior linebackers Ted Agu and Will Harvey are team captains, and they will be able to make plays no matter the offense they’re facing. Cornford will use a 3-4 because of that ’backer talent (Agu, incidentally, scored the second-highest ever on Cornford’s “stud index,” a combined measure of squat, clean, bench, 40 time and agility tests. Agu had a 126. The highest ever? Former West running back Ryan Mathews, who wowed Kern County for four years before starring as a Fresno State freshman last year.)

Outlook: Simply put, Frontier is the biggest wild card in Kern County this year. Yes, the Titans were 3-8 last season, but that was with no senior class — which means everyone is back. That’s something no other team in the area can say. Of course, Snow’s departure means there might be a learning curve, especially on offense, as the team adapts to Cornford’s schemes. But by the time SWYL play rolls around (the Titans are new to the league this year), that shouldn’t be an issue — and with how wide open the league is, I could see anywhere from a 1-5 to a 5-1 finish. Expect a strong defense to carry Frontier to a few eyebrow-raising victories, but I wouldn’t expect the world from a still-young team with a first-year coaching staff.

Quotable: “We’re the biggest unknown of them all since we weren’t in the league last year. We’re very quietly optimistic.”
— coach Rich Cornford

Schedule: Sept. 5 BYE
Sept. 12 at Lancaster-Antelope Valley
Sept. 19 Tehachapi
Sept. 26 Exeter
Oct. 3 at North
Oct. 10 West
Oct. 17 at Ridgeview
Oct. 24 at Highland
Oct. 31 at South
Nov. 7 Stockdale
Nov. 14 Centennial

Prediction: 4-6, 2-4 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

TOMORROW: The place Mike Snow left for — Stockdale

I love the preseason. Anticipation builds, players and fans get psyched, coaches preach patience, everybody waits for the start date, and in the meantime, people like me churn out predictions that turn out to be totally wrong.

Well, today, I'm not alone. I'm going to link to CalHiSports' preseason All-Central Section team. Quite a few Kern Countians (does that work?) on that list, and most of the names won't surprise you: David Born, Tevin Jackson, David Carr, Jake Peterson, Ben Savaii. What might be unexpected is that BCHS actually has three players on the team, second-most only to Fresno-Edison with four. Yeah, the Eagles should be pretty good.

To further build the anticipation, I'll tell you that we had Carr and Tehachapi's Garrett Coontz in our studio at The Californian for a cover shoot for one of our three football preview editions, coming to a newstand near you on Sept. 3, 4 and 5. It was a fun shoot, and without giving anything away, I think y'all will enjoy the photo.

On to the daily preview, which is our first entry from the Southwest Yosemite League:

RIDGEVIEW WOLF PACK

Coach: Mike Crews (seventh season)

2007 record: 1-9 (0-5 SWYL, 1-4 home)
Average points: 10.1
Average points allowed: 31.5
Average rush yards: 94.9
Average rush yards allowed: 187.4
Average pass yards: 88.0
Average pass yards allowed: 100.1
Best win: Ridgeview 22, Burroughs 12
Worst loss: Arvin 21, Ridgeview 14

Key players: Tynell Robertson, sr, RB/LB; Yanis Mallory, sr, OL/DL; Tyler Dogins, jr, RB/DB; Anthony Uribe, jr, RB/DL; Josh Williams, sr, RB/LB

Key losses: Seth Schilhabel, sr, QB/DB; Derrick Kernene, RB/LB; Kyle Mitchell, RB/LB; Gene Blair, RB/DB; Darious Moore, sr, WR/DB; Mark Narvaez, sr, RB/DB; Isaiah Turner, jr, RB/LB

Offense: Ridgeview is another Wing T school. Crews has used the offense to varying degrees of success (more than 300 points in 2005, a 10-win season, and '06 before slipping to 101 last year). And through some attrition, playmakers from last year like Schilhabel, Moore and Turner are gone. Of course, if Ridgeview can get off to a better start (three of their opening four losses last year were by more than two touchdowns, a trend that didn't change), the team might benefit from an improved confidence. If not, it might be another long season. Crews says his line, other than Mallory, is small and untested. As of Monday, he was still waiting to see if that situation would sort itself out in full-pads practice.

Defense: Crews doesn't subscribe to the "base package" theory, saying his defense will run multiple and varying sets. That can be good, keeping opponents off-balance, or bad, if your own players get confused in a hurry-up offense or pressure situation. There were times last year where Ridgeview, for all of its struggles, wasn't too bad on defense last year; they held North to a lone first-half touchdown and played some impressive stretches. Plus, standout safety Dogins returns to a unit that was put in some bad situations by its offense. But again, the line will be an issue that needs to be resolved by season's opening. Because, as Crews said, "Why would you bother passing if a team can't stop the run?"

Outlook: Progress is relative for all of these football teams, and for Ridgeview, progress would be winning two or three non-league games and picking off a Southwest Yosemite League opponent. Can it happen? I'm skeptical, because Ridgeview lost a lot of the talent it did have and Crews either doesn't know a whole lot about his team yet or isn't telling. That worries me. The good news is that the SWYL is wide, wide open this year, and the Wolf Pack gets a couple of what could be easier games — Frontier, Golden Valley — at home. Most teams would kill to double or triple their win total in a season. Ridgeview is no different.

Quotable: "I think (the SWYL) is as close from bottom to top as it's ever been."
— coach Mike Crews

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

Prediction: 1-9, 0-6 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

TOMORROW: The school with its first senior class — Frontier

Clearly the biggest high school football offseason story in Kern County was the arrival of Derek Carr. Long rumored to be coming home to Bakersfield, Carr left behind a 13-1 team at Sugar Land-Clements in the Houston area to play in the city where his older brother, David, played for Stockdale before starring at Fresno State and becoming the Houston Texans' No. 1 overall draft pick.

But Derek Carr didn't choose Stockdale, or Liberty, or Bakersfield High as was discussed and re-discussed. Instead, he chose Division V school Bakersfield Christian, already a section champion. The move means the Eagles are heavy favorites in the section again, and makes them a serious threat to run the table against mostly bigger schools in the South Sequoia League and reach a CIF state-championship bowl game. Can they make it? Time will tell, but here's a preseason glimpse ...

BAKERSFIELD CHRISTIAN EAGLES

I don't know what to say to introduce the Taft preview, other than that it'd be wise of you to pay attention the next three days. The Wildcats, plus league rivals Bakersfield Christian and Tehachapi, are going to be three terrific teams next year. How in the world you can confidently predict the South Sequoia League race this year is beyond me.

TAFT WILDCATS

Coach: Steve Sprague (fifth year)

2007 record: 12-1 (4-1 SSL, 7-0 home)
Average points: 29.7
Average points allowed: 9.8
Average rush yards: 277.8
Average rush yards allowed: 144.3
Average pass yards: 76.7
Average pass yards allowed: 75.4
Best win: Taft 19, Foothill 7
Worst loss: Tehachapi 17, Taft 3

Key players: Ben Savaii, sr, OL/DL (all-state center calhisports); Cody Shirreffs, jr, RB/LB; Loren Kolb, sr, WR; Blake Emberson, jr, RB/DE; Ioane Savaii, jr, OL/DL; Lio Maino, jr, DL

Key losses: Kyle Taylor, sr, RB; Dalton Botts, QB; Jesse Tafoya, WR; Ricky Romo, RB; Dylan Niblett, TE; Steven Spoonemore, LB; James Hiracheta, RB/DB; Andrew LeClair, WR/DB

Offense: It’s probably best to say this up front: Taft lost a LOT from last year’s Division IV Central Section champions. Gone is three-year starting quarterback Dalton Botts (and you don’t see three-year QBs much anymore), gone is 1,700-yard rusher Kyle Taylor, and gone are so many of the studs who made last year special for Taft. But this is a case of reloading. The Wildcats don’t even have that many seniors on this year’s squad, but their pro-style, I-formation, pound-you-into-submission sets is still going to work because the offensive line is huge — averaging about 260 pounds and with Ioane Savaii tipping the scales at 310 at one tackle spot — and the talent in the backfield is still there. Shirreffs will go both ways this year after being mostly a linebacker last season, and he’ll carry the rushing load.

Defense: Sprague’s no idiot (his record at Taft will tell you that), and he’s ready to shift his defense for a league schedule that contains high-volume passing teams (Shafter, Bakersfield Christian), pro-style teams (Arvin) and traditional run-heavy teams (Tehachapi, Wasco). But the base package is a 5-2, because on the defensive line too, they grow ’em big over in Taft.

Outlook: One thing Taft does need to find in the preseason is a starting quarterback. Last year’s backup, Austin Kindred, and JV starter Hunter Liljiroos are the two most likely candidates. If one of them can begin to fill Botts’ shoes, Sprague said the Wildcats will pass more because getting Kolb, a possible Division I talent, involved will be beneficial — as will adding some balance to the offense. That’s a bigger question mark than either BCHS or Tehachapi among league favorites, but Taft has another advantage. Both the Eagles and Warriors have to come to Taft. In Sprague’s four years here, his teams have beaten Tehachapi twice in Taft and lost twice on the mountain. Does that mean the Wildcats can sweep and take home their first league title in four years? I’m going to say they split those games (I reserve the right to change this, but maybe beat BCHS and lose to Tehachapi?). Either way, Taft is a heavy (no pun intended) favorite to win D-IV again.

Quotable: “We like to take our big line and pound a big back up in there. People say it’s a three-yards-and-a-cloud-of-dust offense, but we’re a little better than that. I like to say maybe six yards and a cloud of dust.”
— Taft coach Steve Sprague

Schedule: Sept. 5 Templeton
Sept. 12 Avenal
Sept. 19  at Exeter
Sept. 26 at Coalinga
Oct. 3 BYE
Oct. 10 at Porterville
Oct. 17 at Arvin
Oct. 24 Wasco
Oct. 31 Tehachapi
Nov. 7 at Shafter
Nov. 14 Bakersfield Christian

Prediction: 9-1 (4-1 SSL)

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

TOMORROW: Home of the highly touted newcomer — Bakersfield Christian

Quickly (or knowing me, not so quickly), a non-football related note (gasp!).

I’m a sucker for the Olympics. I have friends who tell me they’re stupid, boring, don’t matter, strange sports, etc., and maybe some or all of that is true. But I don’t care. It’s athletes competing for their countries on the world’s biggest stage, and you better believe there are people in nearly every country in the world who care about this. I feel the same way about the World Cup, but we’ll get to that in 2010.

Another thing I love about the Olympics is that for most of these athletes (disregard Kobe, LeBron and the rest of the “Redeem Team” for a second), this is it. They don’t get a Super Bowl, a World Series, a Stanley Cup, a World Cup. They are the absolute best in the world at one specific thing, and this might be the only chance they get to show that off.

So care. Tune in to NBC for the Beijing Games, which start with tonight’s Opening Ceremonies. Buy a Californian and read about the events (we’ve got a TV schedule and highlights in each day’s edition). And for goodness sakes, give those athletes the attention they all deserve. I’ll point three with local ties: Billy Nelson, who grew up in Taft and runs the steeplechase; Larsen Jensen, a former Garces swimmer who has a chance to medal; and a cyclist competing for Malaysia, Josiah Ng (this one is a bit of a stretch), whose Malaysian parents live in Bakersfield.

OK, I’ll step off my soapbox. Back to the gridiron, where today’s team (I lied when I told you it'd be Taft, that's actually coming Saturday) is looking to rekindle 2006 — and forget about last year.

ARVIN BEARS

Coach: Edgar Mares (eighth year)

2007 record: 3-7 (1-4 SSL, 2-4 home)
Average points: 13.6
Average points allowed:28.1
Average rush yards: 186.4
Average rush yards allowed: 249.1
Average pass yards: 40.6
Average pass yards allowed: 111.7
Best win: Arvin 14, South 7
Worst loss: Garces 48, Arvin 0

Key players: Noel Lopez, sr, QB/K; Daniel Gonzalez, sr, RB/KR; Jose Flores, sr, FB/LB; Edgar Contreras, sr, WR/DB; Travis Hicks, sr, OL/DL; Baltivar Martinez, sr, OL/DL.

Key losses: Eric Castro, WR/DB; Israel Velasquez, OL/DL; Fernando Rosales, DB; Joey Caraballo, RB/LB

Offense: In contrast to the coaches who subscribe to their particular system no matter the circumstances, Arvin will be versatile with the ball, switching up formations depending on opponents and its own personnel. This year, that means mostly an I-formation with a tight end, though the Bears will often line up in the shotgun as well. This has as much to do with a talented offensive line as it does with quarterback Noel Lopez, whom Mares calls “our best athlete.” Of course, Mares also said Lopez had some attitude problems last year, and that that’s got to stop if Arvin will revert to its 2006 SSL championship form.

Defense: The Bears have used a 5-2 defense in the past but, with a shaken-up defensive staff, may use more of a 35 look this fall. That scheme will minimize big plays — could be important with Arvin’s schedule — but it could be difficult for the defense to make big plays, too. One guy who will be counted on is Luis Tamayo, who Mares said is small for a linebacker but a bulldog with a nose for the ball.

Outlook: This is a very tough call to make. Two years ago, Arvin came from nowhere to win the SSL title, and the same year they had a league champion JV team — full of players who are seniors now. They have experience and enough talent to compete and the right non-conference schedule to prepare them for a grueling SSL slate. Can they pull off another surprise and win the league? I don’t think so. But if Mares can get the team’s attitude turned around (last year, he said there was too much junior-senior jealousy), it’s not out of the question that Arvin could knock off one of the league’s three Central Section champions. My final verdict? More like ’06 than ’07, but with a tough schedule, it won’t be enough to shock the county again.

Quotable: “Our goal is to improve each week. We play against Bakersfield teams in the (non-league) season, so hopefully when league rolls around, we’ll give those guys a game and maybe surprise them.”
— coach Edgar Mares

Schedule: Sept. 5 Highland
Sept. 12 at Foothill
Sept. 19 at Garces
Sept. 27 at South
Oct. 3 Burroughs
Oct. 10 BYE
Oct. 17 Taft
Oct. 24 at Shafter
Oct. 31 Wasco
Nov. 7 Bakersfield Christian
Nov. 14 at Tehachapi

Prediction: 5-5, 2-3 SSL

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

TOMORROW (really, this time): The first of the SSL's big three — Taft

Maybe it's a California/nice weather thing, but this is the first I ever recall the high school football season starting AFTER college football and the NFL. Week 0 games (countdown: 29 days) begin Sept. 5; the NFL kicks off the previous day, with Washington facing the New York Giants, and college football starts even a week before that, with a couple of games on Thursday, Aug. 28 — that's three weeks from today.

But we've got a ways to wait for the prep games. To keep your football appetite whetted, here's the next installment of team previews.

WASCO TIGERS

Coach: Russ Prado (second season)

2007 record: 5-6 (2-3 SSL, 2-3 home)
Average points: 21.9
Average points allowed: 32.2
Average rush yards: 230.6
Average rush yards allowed: 319.7
Average pass yards: 92.1
Average pass yards allowed: 112.6
Best win: Wasco 42, Arvin 34
Worst loss: Dos Palos 41, Wasco 7

Key players: Justin Richardson, sr, OL/DL; Johnathan Wemberly, sr, RB/DB; Frankie Hinojosa, sr, QB; Chad Whitaker, sr, OL/DL; Nick Sanchez, jr, OL/DL

Key losses: D’abrae Dugan, RB; Ricky Rodriguez, RB; Ben Fulwyler, WR; Ross Wymer, QB; Keith Fenderson, LB; Edgar Rodriguez, DB

Offense: The first think you’ll notice when you look at Wasco’s offense is that the lineman don’t look like lineman. Prado said his o-line is anchored by a big center, but that guards weigh about 155 and tackles about 170. That’s going to hurt you bigtime in most offenses, so the Tigers use a double wing scheme that’s based on speed and angles. And don’t roll your eyes. Wasco racked up more than 3,500 yards of offense last year, including 1,300 yards and 16 touchdowns rushing from Dugan. Who fills his big shoes this time around? My money is on Wemberly or Hinojosa.

Defense: This is where Wasco is counting on improvement. As you can see, the Tigers gave up some 430 yards a game last year, a number that has to come down if they have a chance in the loaded SSL. And so, as Prado puts it, “we made a bunch of changes.” Gone is Wasco’s 4-3 scheme from a year ago; in its place is a 30 stack (3-5-3) defense that allows Wasco’s linebacking corps — one position where it has some depth — to flourish in whatever role is needed from game to game. There’s also a new defensive coaching staff in town. Of course, the downside here is that with just three down linemen, it could be hard to penetrate against a smashmouth attack, like Tehachapi’s or Taft’s.

Outlook: There’s no doubt an enthusiastic Prado is doing everything he can to continue the improvement that saw Wasco go from 3-7 in 2006 to 5-6 in Prado’s first year — and going from winless to 2-3 in league play. Toying with the defense is a great step. Of course, there’s also the matter of replacing some offensive talent, and things can’t regress on that side of the ball. Either way,the SSL is just as good, if not better, this year than it was last, and a late-season road trip to Taft, Arvin and Tehachapi is ominous. The Tigers will be hard-pressed to to improve on their .500 regular season, though I wouldn’t be surprised if they rise up and give us an upset or two, especially at home (look out, Bakersfield Christian).

Quotable: "We did a bunch of things this summer (passing league, big-man camp), ... and the first string looked really good. But we don't have too much depth. Staying healthy is a key component for us this year."
— Wasco coach Russ Prado

Schedule: Sept. 5 BYE
Sept. 12 at McFarland
Sept. 19 Porterville
Sept. 26 Lindsay
Oct. 3 at Corcoran
Oct. 10 Fresno-McLane
Oct. 17 Bakersfield Christian
Oct. 24 at Taft
Oct. 31 at Arvin
Nov. 7 at Tehachapi
Nov. 14 Shafter

Prediction: 5-5, 1-4 SSL

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

TOMORROW: A 2006 champ looking to return to form — Arvin

Today we pass another milestone in the long trek of 2008 preseason football. Our team previews here at School House Zach have ventured into the South Sequoia League. We start with a team that fell off the face of the Earth last year after two straight winning seasons. Will this year bring about change? Read on.

SHAFTER GENERALS

Coach: Manuel Garcia (fifth year)

2007 record: 1-9 (0-5 SSL, 0-5 home)
Average points: 9.4
Average points allowed: 30.4
Average rush yards: 154.5
Average rush yards allowed: 264.5
Average pass yards: 90.8
Average pass yards allowed: 83.1
Best win: Shafter 17, HIghland 14
Worst loss: South 41, Shafter 12

Key players: Rene Medina, jr, WR/LB; Grey Gaffner, sr, QB/DB; Julio Espinoza, jr, OL/DL; Wyatt Wilson, jr, WR/DL; Eduardo Perez, sr, OL/DL

Key losses: Ty Thompson, WR/DB; Jeremy Couch, QB/DB; Joseph Ames, RB/LB; Nick Ballengee, QB/WR; Clint Kirschenmen, WR/LB; Felipe Limoones, OL/DL; Alex Thompson, OL/DL

Offense: Shafter, as Garcia will tell you, “wants to see the ball in the air.” The Generals employ a spread passing attack (think Mike Price at UTEP or even Paul Golla at Bakersfield High but with more passing). A big key here, of course, is to have the right quarterback throwing the ball. Two years ago, when Shafter was 7-4, Mickey Polley was definitely the right guy — he threw for 2,176 yards and ran for 619 more, accounting for 20 touchdowns. Last year, Jeremy Couch and Nick Ballengee struggled to keep to that pace. But Garcia thinks this year’s quarterback, senior Grey Gaffner, is smart and talented enough to be another Polley.

Defense: Ironically, Garcia runs a 4-4 defense designed to stop opponents’ running games first. That makes sense, considering the SSL’s longtime powers, Taft and Tehachapi, have been running it down the gullet fo ryears. But Garcia might want to come up with something different against Derek Carr and Bakersfield Christian.

Outlook: Even after hitting near rock-bottom last year, the Generals are very young. There aren’t many seniors, and Garcia readily admits that his juniors — mostly first-year varsity players — need to grow up fast. If that doesn’t happen, it’ll be a long year for a team that faces the gamut of North, Delano, South and Foothill in its non-league schedule and then has to deal with a league slate that includes three Central Section champions. Actually, I’ll amend that. With that schedule, it’ll probably be a long year even with improved skill and improved luck (injuries decimated Shafter last fall). The Generals’ passing attack will be fun to watch again, but the wins are still another year away.

Quotable: "We think (Gaffner) is the next Mickey Polly; that's what we're looking for."
— coach Manuel Garcia

Schedule: Sept. 5 at North
Sept. 12 Delano
Sept. 19 South
Sept. 26 at Foothill
Oct. 3 Woodlake
Oct. 10 BYE
Oct. 17 at Tehachapi
Oct. 24 Arvin
Oct. 31 at Bakersfield Christian
Nov. 7 Taft
Nov. 14 at Wasco

Prediction: 0-10, 0-5 SSL

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

The number of schools in Kern County grows every year, it seems, and this one certainly is no exception. The Kern High School District opens the doors to two new high schools on Aug. 18, Independence in the southwest and Mira Monte in the southeast. The Delano Joint Unified School District, after having just one high school for so long, opened Cesar Chavez five years ago and now is adding the city's third — Robert F. Kennedy.

The schools will all house freshmen and sophomores only for a year and so will not field varsity teams. That stage will come next year, when three classes are in the building. In the meantime, they'll be playing plenty of JV games against each other.

For a more detailed discussion on the boundary lines of the new schools, click here. Also, my apologies to California City High School, which is in its second year (also just freshman and sophomores) but won't get a preview here. For a small discussion on the dynamics there, check out the Mojave preview.

And try not to hold your breath, but Wednesday we're getting into what I call the Big Three leagues: South Sequoia, Southwest Yosemite and Southeast Yosemite. Getting serious, folks.

INDEPENDENCE FALCONS

Location: Southwest Bakersfield, 8001 Old River Rd, between Panama Lane and Taft Highway

Coach: Sean McKeown (first year)

Outlook: The Falcons are going to have a lot of built-in advantages when they get going with a full roster, and they're already starting to show. No. 1 is McKeown. Guy was the offensive coordinator at Bakersfield High for last year's section title run, and, if you recall, BHS has a pretty good offense last year. There's also the whole "winning attitude" thing, which I don't always buy, but it certainly can't hurt. No. 2 is the numbers. McKeown said that, even with some kids still coming back from vacations, he had nearly 70 out for the first two days of helmet practices. Double that when there's juniors and seniors there, and you've got quite a base to work with. No. 3 is the talent of the kids. This is obviously premature, but McKeown is encouraged by what he's seen, and we all know SW Bako has produced some stars over the years. Put them into McKeown's vaunted spread option attack, and you might have a powerhouse within three or four years.

Quotable: "It's a learning experience for everybody. The kids are learning a brand-new system, and the coaches are learning a brand-new system. The coaches are doing a great job, and the kids' work ethic has been unbelievable."
— coach Sean McKeown

MIRA MONTE LIONS

Location: Southeast Bakersfield, 1800 S. Fairfax Rd, a few blocks south of the 58 Freeway

Coach: Tony Varela (first year)

Outlook: Varela has jumped at the chance to build his own program, but he's using some philosophies from his previous stop — Foothill, where he was the JV coach — to make the Lions as successful as possible. With that in mind, he'll run the Wing T, something that can somewhat compensate for a lack of size and speed with its scheming. We've seen this work at Foothill (two straight Division III Central Section championship games), and teams like North and Stockdale might not be too far behind. On the defensive side, Varela is deviating from what's he used before, going instead with a 4-3, a defense that relies on its linebackers to plug gaps and make big plays. Varela's already got his eye on some potential fits for that spot out of the 40-45 players who are showing up to preseason workouts consistently.
In all, Mira Monte looks like it'll be the type of smashmouth team that will fit in well in the SEYL one day — if you're optimistic, think SEYL champion Golden Valley from a couple of years ago.

Quotable: "It's been tough, but I can set my own traditions, my own style and my own thing. Then I get to see it work. Or fail. Hopefully it works."
— coach Tony Varela

ROBERT F. KENNEDY THUNDERBIRDS

Location: West Delano, near the intersection of W. Cecil Ave. and Hiett Ave.

Coach: Ronnie Coronado (first year — get the pattern here?)

Outlook: The least-known of the three new schools comes from the north edge of Kern County. The days of 3,500-student Delano High are gone, and Delano, which has a population of more than 50,000 now, is a three-school town. What does that mean for RFK? Well, we'll find out if there's enough talent in Delano for three schools; my hunch is, that just like in Bakersfield, about one of every three schools will be on the thin end of sports.
At RFK, Coronado — a Garces and Cal State Bakersfield alumnus who's spent the past five years coaching JV at Delano — has installed the wishbone option offense, one he said is designed to help teams "lean or smaller." But he also said he's impressed with the size of the freshmen and sophomores he has in camp so far, about 50 strong. Kennedy will join Independence, Mira Monte and the new school in Tulare, Mission Oaks, in what Coronado dubbed the "Freeway League." Even next year, when the teams all have varsity editions, it won't be an official CIF league, but it's a convienient way for the new schools to fill out their schedule before they find permanent league homes the following season.

HS FOOTBALL PREVIEWS 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

TOMORROW: Shafter

In case anyone missed it, the first day of helmet-and-footballs practice for high school football teams was Monday — what I consider the first "official" day of the season.

Check out the Californian's unparalleled coverage of Day 1, complete with my journies across town and a short video of practices at Liberty and West.

We'll get back to the regularly scheduled team-by-team previews later tonight.

Well, well, well. It's finally here, the first day teams across the county were allowed to bring out footballs and helmets. Pads come next week, but for me, this is the first official day of high school football season.

Optimism reigns everywhere this time of year, but I'm going to go ahead and drink the Delano Kool-Aid, at least for right now. Find out why below.

DELANO TIGERS

Coaches: Steve Brown/Mario Millan (co-head coaches, first year)

2007 record: 7-5 (3-3 East Yosemite, 3-3 home)
Average points: 31.5
Average points allowed: 15.2
Average rush yards: 299.4
Average rush yards allowed:130.2
Average pass yards: 85.5
Average pass yards allowed: 113.4
Best win: Delano 14, Tulare Western 12
Worst loss: Porterville 30, Delano 28

Key players: Alex Cabalona, sr, RB/DB; Ruben Juarez, sr, FB/LB; Mychael Quiddam, sr, RB/LB; Mario Abundes, sr, OL; Francisco Failano, sr, OL

Key losses: Tyler Perigo, RB/LB; Rene Gonzalez, QB/DB; Daniel Valladarez, FB/DL; Erik Guerrero, TE/LB; Raul Villa, FB/DL; Adalberto Solano, WR/DB

Offense: Millan is the offensive coordinator, and those of you who know where he came from (Bakersfield High) know what that means. No. 1, the Tigers will run a pistol option formation with zone reads, a dangerous system that can wreak havoc on ill-prepared defenses (see, Florida, University of, or, High School, Bakersfield, for examples). The personnel, of course, has to be there for any offense to work, but Millan thinks it will be. Josh Vasquez, who backed up Rene Gonzalez at quarterback last year, is smart and savvy enough to please Millan, and the coach has also been pleasantly surprised at the emergence of some play-making receivers.

Defense: Also like BHS and many other teams, Delano will run the 30 stack as its base defense. Quiddam had four interceptions last year, and the coaching will be solid, too: Brown was a standout at Oregon State.

Outlook: The tandem head coaching thing is unique, and it worries me just a little bit. Both Brown and Millan will have to swallow their ego at some point this year (not to say either has a big one, but it's inevitable that they'll disagree somewhere along the line). But if it doesn't become a distraction, it could be a real blessing for Delano. I think the Tigers might be the best team in the jumbled East Yosemite League besides Tulare Union, which should compete for a Division II Central Section championship. Delano might do the same in D-III.

Schedule: Sept. 5 BYE
Sept. 12 at Shafter
Sept. 19 North
Sept. 26 Hanford West
Oct. 3 at Visalia-Golden West
Oct. 10 vs. Porterville-Monache at Granite Hills
Oct. 17 Porterville
Oct. 24 Porterville-Granite Hills
Oct. 31 at Tulare Union
Nov. 7 vs. Tulare Western at Tulare Union
Nov. 14 Chavez

Prediction: 7-3, 5-1 East Yosemite League

HS FOOTBALL PREVIEWS 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

TOMORROW: The new schools (Independence, Mira Monte, Delano-Kennedy)

For all of the schools left to be previewed (Chavez today, Delano tomorrow and then the SSL and the city schools), we'll go to an extended format, with the exception of Tuesday, when I'll take a quick look at the three new schools in the county: Independence, Mira Monte and Robert F. Kennedy in Delano. This is all assuming, of course, I can nail down each day's information in time to post. So far, it's been so good.

 

Hopefully the new format will give everyone a good look at the key Kern County players for the coming season. If there's a feature you'd like to see added for the previews of city teams, let me know what it is and we'll see about feasibility.

 

CESAR CHAVEZ TITANS

 

Coach: Ilario Prieto (fifth year)

 

2007 record: 4-7 (2-4 East Yosemite League, 3-3 home)

Average points:19.5

Average points allowed:31.2

Average rush yards: N/A

Average rush yards allowed: 261.4

Average pass yards: N/A

Average pass yards allowed: 119.9

Best win: Chavez 14, Golden Valley 7

Worst loss: Fresno-Roosevelt 24, Chavez 21

 

Key players: Ernesto Marquez, jr, QB/LB; Michael Duran, jr, QB/DB; Matthew Macanas, sr, RB/DB; Rentel Petersen, sr, RB/LB/ Angel Nunez, sr, WR/DB; Noel Gomez, jr, OL/DL

 

Key losses: Lloyd Joaquin, FB/LB; Chris Flores, RB/LB; Lupe Rodriguez, OL/DL; Jun Quino, OL

 

Offense: Since Prieto took over the Chavez program (at the school's inception), he ran a passing-based fly offense, until last year, when former Bakersfield High offensive coordinator Mario Millan became the offensive coordinator. He ran the option with limited success last year, then jumped across town to become a co-head coach at Delano High. So what's Prieto to do? Run both! The Titans will keep Millan's base option package while throwing in the fly wrinkle from time to time. It'll either be very difficult to defend or a confused jumble — or both. Either way, it's worth watching. 

 

Defense: It's when the other team has the ball that Prieto thinks Chavez can make strides this season. The Titans return eight players with at least some starting experience on defense, including linebackers Marquez, Petersen and John Rodriguez. The secondary, led by Macanas at cornerback, should also be solid. If the line can do an adequate job stopping the run and pressuring the quarterback, it might be really tough to score on Cesar Chavez this year.

 

Outlook: Chavez has struggled to make progress since it became Delano's second school. With a third Delano school — Robert F. Kennedy — opening this year, dynamics will change again. In the mean time, the Titans think they can make some progress. An obvious way to do that would be to finish with a winning record, something the school has never done (they were 5-5 in their third year). Prieto thinks this is the time to do it, and I don't think he's far off. Defense will carry the ship and if the hybrid offense produces at all — all the skill players are back, but only Gomez returns on the offensive line — this could be the year Chavez turns the corner.

 

Quotable: "I really believe this is going to be the best year that Cesar Chavez has had."

— coach Ilario Prieto 

 

Prediction: 5-5, 3-3 East Yosemite League (fourth place)

 

HS FOOTBALL PREVIEWS 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

 

TOMORROW: Delano

 

There's a smell coming in the air, and it's not smog or smoke.

It smells more like barbeque, fall air and pigskin. That's because high school football is getting closer and closer. The latest sign? Our high school football previews are finishing up with the Southern Section, wrapping up with the newly independent Mojave Mustangs, and speeding into the Central Section with struggling McFarland.

MOJAVE MUSTANGS

Coach: Larry Satterfield (17th year)

2007 record: 3-8 (2-3 High Desert, 2-3 home)
Average points: 18.4
Average points allowed: 27.7
Average rush yards: 185.2
Average rush yards allowed: 244.4
Average pass yards: 91.0
Average pass yards allowed: 115.2
Best win: Mojave 14, Pasadena-Marantha 3
Worst loss: Kern Valley 40, Mojave 9

Key players: Garland Smith, sr, RB/LB; Bryan Cantalupo, sr, OL/DL; Quintel Madlock, sr, WR/DB/KR

Key losses: Coty Madrona, RB; James Brown, DB; Amani Clemons, WR; Michael Carder, QB

Outlook: Mojave will be getting smaller and smaller each year, thanks to the new high school in California City, which is growing by a class each year (this year it will house freshmen and sophomores). Without that enrollment, the Mustangs won't be able to compete in the High Desert League, so they've said sayonara. As an independent, Mojave still will have a slim chance at qualifying for the postseason (next year, Mojave will enter the Desert Mountain League, joining Boron, Mammoth, et al.) For this season, a lot might depend on Garland Smith, a hard-nosed player who will shift from tight end to running back, and on Madlock, a gifted athlete who returned two kicks for touchdowns last year. Then again, no one knows for sure. Satterfield filled out Mojave's freelance with some teams he knows very little about. Mojave has been to the playoffs eight of the past 10 seasons, but I wouldn't count on it again without a league for support.

McFARLAND COUGARS

Coach: Andy Dunn (first year)

2007 record: 2-8 (0-5 Southwest Sierra, 2-3 home)
Average points: 11.2
Average points allowed: 34.7
Average rush yards: 214.6
Average rush yards allowed: 248.6
Average pass yards: 72.4
Average pass yards allowed: 83.4
Best win: McFarland 22, Kern Valley 14
Worst loss: Farmersville 24, McFarland 22

Key players: Stevie Robinson, sr, RB/DB; Michael Tafoya, sr, RB/DB; Sammy Padilla, sr, OL/DL

Key losses: Jose Santa Cruz, FB/DL; Martin Jiminez, RB/DL; Christopher Bowman, RB/TE; Pedro Rodriguez, QB/DB; Eliseo Garza, OL/LB

Outlook: For a program that seems to be constantly fighting to keep its head above water — Gary Pierson was 4-16 in two years there as the head coach after being an assistant for 26 years — there are some signs of hope. First of all, the three guys listed above give the Cougars a solid nucleus with which to run the ball — Robinson and Tafoya being protected by Padilla. Then there's the matter of the league. McFarland left the West Sierra League (formerly the Southwest Sequoia League, but call it whatever you want, really), stacked with the likes of Fowler, Caruthers and Fresno Christian, for the greener pastures of the East Sierra League, where the top dogs (maybe Orange Cove and Laton?) aren't nearly as scary. That said, this team was a long way from contention last year and I wouldn't expect miracles overnight.

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

TOMORROW: Cesar Chavez

Friday night, but no lights yet.

We'll see some next week when full practices begin. Until then, there's our high school football previews. Today we go south and northeast into a couple of mountain towns where they play some pretty good football (no, not THAT one, not yet).

FRAZIER MOUNTAIN FALCONS

Coach: Jarudd Prosser (second year)

2007 record: 6-4 (1-4 High Desert, 4-1 home)
Average points: 27.2
Average points allowed: 20.9
Average rush yards: 186.6
Average rush yards allowed: 210.6
Average pass yards: 165.6
Average pass yards allowed: 98.1
Best win: Frazier Mountain 28, Lancaster-Desert Christian 0
Worst loss: Mojave 28, Frazier Mountain 20

Key players: Joey Regan, sr, WR/DB; Benny Carillo, sr, WR/DL; Ethan Fausto, sr, OL/DL; Dustin Madewell, sr, WR/K

Key losses: Tony Lenz, RB/LB; John Burns, QB/DB; Tim Buxton, WR/DB; Danny Venegas, WR/DB; Sam Teare, OL/DL

Outlook: Jarudd Prosser's first year on the Grapevine was a comfortable one, considering returning HDL Offensive Player of the Year Tony Lenz was back. Lenz didn't disappoint, putting up some staggering numbers: 1,145 rushing yards, 14 touchdowns; 291 receiving yards, four more scores. And though the Falcons didn't match their 8-3 playoff effort from 2006, Prosser had a moderately successful debut. Well, Year 2 is going to be a bit more difficult. Lenz is gone, as is starting QB John Burns and leading receiver/backup quarterback Buxton. But successful programs — and FMHS qualifies — usually breeds kids who "know how to win" (you get a sense of what I mean in this story, written by Falcons assistant Tim Garcia). There might be a slight slip this year, but I'd still expect Frazier Mountain to be a factor in the HDL.

KERN VALLEY BRONCS

Coach: Ben Goffinett (fourth year)

2007 record: 5-6 (3-2 High Desert, 4-1 home)
Average points: 23.0
Average points allowed: 24.5
Average rush yards: 241.1
Average rush yards allowed: 245.5
Average pass yards: 67.3
Average pass yards allowed: 75.0
Best win: Kern Valley 28, Mammoth 20
Worst loss: McFarland 22, Kern Valley 14

Key players: Warren Pappas, jr, RB/WR/LB; Ethan Kennedy, sr, WR/DB; Tyler Kaplan, sr, WR/DB; Tyler Gibson, sr, RB/DB; Mark Driskell, sr, RB/DB, Bo Hurley, OL/DL

Key losses: Kevin Emery, QB/DB; Jakob Carr, RB; Kevin Feigenhauer, LB; Pablo Anzaldo, RB/DB; Adam Peters, K/P

Outlook: Goffinett has certainly seen both sides of the coin in his three years in Lake Isabella. In his first year, the Broncs won their first game in two years and actually made the playoffs for the first time in nearly a decade. The next season, they fell to 1-9 as Goffinett installed new schemes on both sides of the ball. As the players grasped the system, Kern Valley's experience allowed it to return to another successful year. What Year No. 4 of the Goffinett era brings really is anybody's guess — even Goffinett's. First off, fullback Justin Sulu (1,361 yards, 15 TDs) is awaiting a Kern High School District discipline review before he's allowed back on the team. If he is, that's a huge boost. If not, Kern Valley will turn to a running back-by-committee approach in a Wing-T offense that doesn't have much size on the offensive line. That's the other big question mark. Goffinett freely admits that unless the o-line can hold its own, making the playoffs again will be difficult.

Quotable: "I'll dance a jig in the street if we win league. But we've got to start slow."
— coach Ben Goffinett, after saying his team needs a renewed commitment to weight lifting and conditioning

HS FOOTBALL PREVIEW INDEX
July 29: Lighthouse Christian, Immanuel Christian, Maricopa
July 30: Boron, Burroughs
July 31: Desert, Rosamond

TOMORROW: Mojave, McFarland