With the 2018-19 school year approaching, Prep2Prep takes a look at some of the top football recruits in the Class of 2019 for each coverage area, with a small sampling of underclassmen at the end. This feature focuses on 20 of the top recruits within the Central Coast Section. This is not a comprehensive list, and all athletes are listed in alphabetical order.
Luke Bottari, Serra
After a banner junior season in which he completed 72 percent of his passes for 2,768 yards and 25 touchdowns, while leading the Padres to CCS and CIF titles, Bottari has picked up an offer from the College of Idaho. Interestingly enough, the current starting quarterback for the Yotes is Marin Catholic graduate Darius-James Peterson, who was also one of the most talented but under-recruited quarterbacks to come out of the Bay Area.
Jackson Chryst, Palo Alto
Chryst picked up an offer from the University of San Diego last month, the first one for the 6-foot-2 pro-style quarterback. After throwing for just under 900 yards and eight touchdowns last season, those numbers figure to sky-rocket under new coach Nelson Gifford, and the looks from college coaches could substantially increase as well.
Michael Churich, Serra
Churich is one of those players who could see his stock rise quickly after switching positions for his senior year. After backing up Bottari at quarterback, where he completed 54 percent of his passes last season, the 6-foot-6 Padre senior is now at tight end, where he has impressed over the summer at various camps and the Elite 11 Finals. Churich currently holds an offer from Howard, but don’t be surprised if more are on the way as soon as he has film available from the first few games.
Opeti Fangupo, Saint Francis
The lack of offers right now for last season’s WCAL Junior of the Year can only come down to height, but whoever finally pulls the trigger here could get a special athlete. He may only be 5-foot-10, but the middle linebacker for the Lancers plugs holes with a devastating downhill burst, and he displays high football intelligence with his ability to recognize the point of attack.
Daniel Heimuli, Menlo-Atherton
Last year’s Defensive Player of the Year in the PAL-Bay has two dozen offers from major programs across the country, including Alabama, Notre Dame, Nebraska, Ole Miss, and most of the Pac-12. The 6-foot-2 inside linebacker can go sideline to sideline and come downhill with the best of them, and he brings a punch when he gets there.
EJ Lahlouh, Serra
A two-way standout for the Padres at linebacker and running back, Lahlouh recently committed to Davidson. The 6-foot-2, 200-pound senior was a huge performer down the stretch last year for Serra, racking up numerous stops behind the line and compiling 122 of his 323 rushing yards in the two state playoff games.
Skylar Loving-Black, Valley Christian
The 6-foot-4 tight end prospect plays in a run-heavy system for the Warriors, but has shown the ability to stretch defenses vertically and make tough catches in traffic. Of his eight catches last year, three went for touchdowns. He has offers from Pac-12 schools such as Colorado, UCLA, Arizona State, and Oregon State, but also displays his academic strength with offers from Yale, Brown, Columbia, and Dartmouth.
Judaea Moon, Valley Christian
The hard-nosed fullback and linebacker for the Warriors holds an offer from Air Force, after a junior year in which he notched 54 tackles, including five stops behind the line. He is best at coming downhill to fill gaps, but also has the athleticism to pursue laterally.
Noa Ngalu, Menlo-Atherton
The 6-foot-2, 280-pound defensive tackle made his early commitment to the University of Washington, with offers from other schools such as Wisconsin, Cal, UCLA, Arizona, and Arizona State. Ngalu racked up 63 tackles last season, including 17 for a loss.
Darrell Page, Saint Francis
The Lancers’ single-season record holder for rushing yards figures to carry a heavy load again in the 2018 season, and would be a tremendous catch at the next level. So far, Howard, San Jose State, and Sacramento State have extended offers, with schools such as Cal showing interest, especially after he was named the top running back at the Golden Bears’ camp in June.
Josh Pakola, Saint Francis
The explosive 6-foot-3 outside linebacker has offers from close to 20 schools across the country, including Notre Dame, Georgia, Florida, and the majority of the Pac-12. Pakola led the Lancers with nine quarterback hurries last season, and is also one of a trio of top returning targets offensively from his tight end position.
De’Marshaun Payton, Menlo-Atherton
Despite his size, the 5-foot-9 Payton is one of the more explosive athletes in the section, after averaging nearly seven yards per carry last season. He currently holds an offer from Montana State-Northern, and looks to set some big numbers this year after running for 879 yards and eight touchdowns as a junior.
Nikko Pohahau, Saint Francis
The 6-foot-5, 260-pound offensive tackle is yet another talented returning starter for the Lancers, and has started to garner some attention from the next level as well, picking up offers from San Jose State and Howard, plus interest from other FBS schools in the Mountain West and Pac-12.
Justin Scrempos, Milpitas
The mammoth 6-foot-7, 300-pound tackle just recently committed to San Jose State. He was an All-SCVAL selection last season, helping lead the Trojans to a CIF title.
Justin Sinclair, Saint Francis
Sinclair broke up three passes and blocked a kick last season for the Lancers, and has gained a couple of early offers, from San Jose State and Stetson.
Aaron Smith, Mitty
The offers feel like they must be on the way during the season for one of the biggest transfers of the off-season. Smith was a primary catalyst for Harker’s historic season last year, running for 1,400 yards and 15 touchdowns, while adding 14 catches out of the backfield. The 205-pound tailback will pair up with junior quarterback Shamir Bey this season for one of the more exciting backfields in the section.
Kyle Smith, Los Gatos
The 6-foot-3, 215-pound inside linebacker has been a rock at inside linebacker the past two seasons for the Wildcats. Smith has over 350 tackles in the last two years, gaining the interest of schools such as Cal, Stanford, Air Force, Oregon, and Nebraska, to go with other academically prestigious campuses such as Rice and Yale.
Joseph Vaughn, Mitty
Vaughn figures to hold one of the big keys to Mitty’s success this coming season, as a playmaker on both sides of the ball. Being recruited primarily as a defensive back, Vaughn had 61 tackles and four pass break-ups last year, while also leading the Monarchs in receiving, with 30 catches for 508 yards and seven touchdowns. He holds offers from strong academic schools such as Air Force, Davidson, University of San Diego, and Columbia.
Evan Williams, Saint Francis
The multi-talented Williams has picked up serious momentum on the recruiting trail this off-season. He led the Lancers in receiving last year, with 28 catches for 514 yards and 10 touchdowns, while adding four interceptions and six pass break-ups. His strong academics have led to offers from schools such as Princeton, Harvard, Holy Cross, and Columbia, but his top-notch talent also has him holding offers from numerous Pac-12 schools and Illinois, where older brother Bennett was an immediate starter last season.
Maurice Wilmer, Saint Francis
The 6-foot-2 multi-sport standout was the Lancers’ second-leading receiver last season, with 364 yards and five touchdowns, averaging a whopping 28 yards per catch. He also had two interceptions, one of which he ran back for a score. Wilmer has nearly a dozen FBS offers, to go with numerous FCS offers. Top offers include Colorado, Stanford, Air Force, Army, Cal, and UCLA, plus a handful of Ivy League schools.
Five underclassmen to keep an eye on, class of 2020 . . .
Justin Anderson, Menlo-Atherton
The six-foot rising junior made an impact on the defensive side of the ball late last season for the Bears, with a pair of interceptions in November. He already holds offers from Iowa State, Utah, and Washington State.
Shamir Bey, Mitty
Bey already holds an offer from Howard, after a sophomore season which saw the 6-foot-3 dual-threat athlete begin to terrorize opposing defenses. He accounted for 2,419 all-purpose yards last year.
Frank Poso, Branham
The big 6-foot-5, 290-pound offensive tackle has been making the rounds all summer at prospective school camps, after demonstrating an ability to move in space, engage at the point of attack, and finish blocks last fall.
Deven Vanderbilt, Valley Christian
Vanderbilt received limited playing time as a sophomore, but figures to have a more prominent role as a junior, and the defensive back prospect already holds an offer from BYU. Older brother Khari played at Cal.
Mose Vavao, Saint Francis
The 6-foot-3, 290-pound Vavao not only got on the field for the Lancers as a sophomore last year, but was entrusted with blindside protection at left tackle, and showed an ability to flatten defenders in the run game. After earning MVP honors at an off-season MITT Super Lineman camp, he should see his stock rising through his junior season.
