After years of watching the 7 on 7 passing tournament circuit explode into a national phenomenon, an opportunity for the big boys came to Northern California on Saturday, as Pittsburg High School hosted the First Annual NorCal Super Linemen Challenge, run by event founder and organizer Jesse Sapolu.
The host Pirates emerged as the victorious team at the end of the day, but the emphasis was on the learning experience, and each team had the mindset of making each other better throughout the competition.
Unlike camps where linemen are placed in one-on-one battles regardless of position, and without any true context, the Super Linemen Challenge lined up entire lines against each other. Teams were required to keep a minimum of two and a half feet between their linemen, and battles were waged one at a time by position, with points awarded to either the offensive or defensive player, or both in the case of an even battle.
“We found a format which brings linemen to the forefront of the action during the off-season,” said Sapolu, who won four Super Bowls as a member of the San Francisco 49ers. “We are also scholastic based, supporting the high school programs instead of the clubs out there. And we have rules in place to make it realistic to game play, such as our spacing.”
This is the third year in existence for the event, which recently drew 383 athletes to its Southern California competition, which was hosted by Estancia High School, and won by Mater Dei-Santa Ana. Another event was recently held at Mililani High School in Hawaii. Both the name and the format of the event have been trademarked by Sapolu, which has led to recent inquiries by potential sponsors such as Adidas, Nike, and Under Armour.
The NorCal event on Saturday featured teams from Clayton Valley, Menlo-Atherton, Livermore, Moreau Catholic, Saint Francis-Mountain View, Ygnacio Valley, and Hayward. Those teams were in addition to the host Pirates, who showcased their depth on both sides of the line.
Seniors Devon Taylor and Jason Harmon were especially impressive on the offensive side of the ball for Pittsburg, as Harmon was named the Offensive MVP for the tournament, while Taylor garnered All-Tournament honors. Clayton Valley’s Koti Vaisima was a nearly unstoppable force on the defensive side of the ball, leading to Defensive MVP honors, while his teammate, Jalen McKenzie, was impenetrable from the right tackle position, leading to all-tournament honors.
For a team that emphasizes the running game – Clayton Valley has produced a 2,000-yard rusher in each of coach Tim Murphy’s four seasons – the Ugly Eagles looked extremely proficient in pass protection, showing very quick feet in their vertical pass sets.
Pittsburg also had a third player also gain all-tourney honors, and his name is one to look out for over the next three years. Jacob Bandes will be a sophomore, but the six-foot, two-inch two-way lineman displayed great hip leverage, tremendous strength, and moves his feet well.
“(Jacob) will be a two-way starter down the road, and will see a lot of action this year,” said Pittsburg coach Vic Galli. “He could be something special.”
Other Pirates who did not earn all-tournament honors, but looked impressive nonetheless, included defensive tackle Tariq Wright, who showed a strong rip at the point of attack and good inside shoulder leverage, and defensive end Michael Pryor, who displayed tremendous speed off the edge as a pass rusher.
Menlo-Atherton had two players also receive all-tournament honors, as senior Epeli Mataele and sophomore Noa Ngalu were both impressive. Ngalu dominated from the defensive side on numerous occasions, even battling a cut and bloodied eye in a match-up with Bandes. He is certainly a sophomore to watch in the Central Coast Section.
The other Central Coast Section team at the tournament, Saint Francis, had Tyler Manoa earn standout honors. The two-way junior was a playoff call-up for the Lancers last season, and displayed great strength from his six-foot-three, 280-pound frame. Another Lancer who was impressive was junior center Alex Waddell, who showed great feet in the middle of the line, while senior defensive tackle Jayden Harris was identified as another player who could make an impact this season.
Moreau Catholic will be replacing all five offensive linemen from last year’s NCS semifinalists, but highlighted some of those newcomers by taking place in the tournament, something the Mariners saw as integral to their development this season.
“This is a great opportunity for our linemen, and I’m excited to be here today,” said Moreau Catholic offensive coordinator and assistant head coach Rob Gatrell. “There aren’t as many chances for these guys, and this is a great learning tool.”
Senior Ben Nordin (6-2, 205) received all-tournament honors for the Mariners, and Gatrell identified senior tackle Trent Ramos (6-4, 270) as another player who will solidify the tackle position for Moreau Catholic.
Other players to receive all-tournament honors included Hayward’s Josaiah Suani, Livermore’s Kenny Moniz, and Ygnacio Valley’s Christian Ochoa. Ochoa was not the only Warrior to stand out during the event, as senior Tony Rodriguez also dominated many match-ups. Rodriguez displayed a real fundamental posture at the point of contact, and drove his feet through opposing linemen.
Ygnacio Valley also plans to host one of the Super Linemen Challenge events next summer, as the goal is to expand to four tournaments in Northern California during the 2017 off-season.
