It seems like the same old question that has come up for the past seven seasons is the one being repeated again for 2016-17 when looking at the Marin County Athletic League pre-season preview.
Is there a team in the league that can really challenge the Marin Catholic Wildcats? Since 2009 the boys from Kentfield are 48-1 in league with the only loss coming two years ago when the school suspended 11 players for a month.
This year’s Marin Catholic team has a lot to prove following in the success of a program that has made more than just waves in the MCAL, and they have some lofty goals, but as for league it would be a shocker based on the talent they have returning if someone bested the Wildcats in a league game.
There are some coaching changes this year in the MCAL but besides Marin Catholic the top teams are from the same cast of characters as in the past several years.
“Marin Catholic is obviously the top team and pre-season favorite and always will be until someone can take the MCAL away from them,” said new Justin-Siena-Napa Coach Brandon LaRocco, who moves up to the top job after assisting for 12 years. “They have the most returning talent and they are very well-coached, but after that I see us and Redwood, which was the most improved team last year, and San Marin who’s always really competitive, and Terra Linda should also be improved.”
MARIN CATHOLIC (12-2, 7-0):There are a few questions to be answered but even with the loss of quarterback and MCAL Offensive Player of the Year Darius-James Peterson, Coach Mazi Moayed returns a ton of talent on a team whose 12-2 season last year ended in a 49-14 loss to eventual CIF Open Division Small School champion Central Catholic-Modesto on the road in the CIF Northern California Open Division Small School title game.
The player at the top of the list of returning stars not only on the Marin Catholic roster but pretty much the entire MCAL is 6-4, 248-pound defensive end and tight end Sebastian Olver. Despite only playing football for the first time last year after moving from Brisbane, Australia, Olver was First Team All MCAL as a defensive lineman and Honorable Mention as a punter. He knows a little about kicking the ball and pouncing around since prior to moving to the United States he played rugby and Australian rules football down under.
According to Moayed, even though Olver only started playing football last year colleges were quick to notice his assets and he accepted an offer from Colorado in early July after offers from schools in the Big 12, Mountain West and Big Sky Conferences, and a preferred walk-on opportunity at Ohio State.
“He’s steadily built himself up with respect to increasing his athleticism, size and strength, and he’s going to keep improving,” Moayed remarked. “The way he’s looking he’s going to be better this year than last.”
With only one other MCAL player with a Pac-12 if Olver is better than last year when he was like a man amongst boys, it could be bad news for Marin Catholic opponents this year.
“There’s definitely a little more pressure that comes with being a senior in a very good football program, and sure I’d like to be the player of the year at my position, but it’s not about me it’s about the team and winning state is our goal,” Olver said.
While some teams have no returning all league players and some have one, two or three at the most, Moayed has six.
Chantz Russell, a 6-6, 275-pound senior was Second Team All League as an offensive lineman, and according to Moayed he’s also looking much improved and will play both ways this year after limited action on the defensive line last season.
“We’re expecting a great year from Chantz,” Moayed said about his big fella that has offers from Idaho, Montana State, Nevada-Las Vegas, Sacramento State and Wyoming. “He has incredible athleticism for having such a massive frame.”
“Not giving up any sacks,” was Russell’s chuckling response when asked about a personal goal. “Really, its team goals and that’s about a state championship, but the more immediate goal is beating Central Catholic.”
Speedster Hunter Juarez, a 6-1, 175-pound senior that at 10.6 holds the MCAL record for the 100 meter dash, was Honorable Mention last season as a defensive back. Juarez, who has an offer from Air Force, will also play wide receiver this season.
“I’m really excited to be playing offense this season and I’m hoping to be a weapon both ways,” Juarez said. “My personal goal is to ball out right from the start.”
“Hunter was a great cover for us last season and he’s had an incredible summer as a receiver – and he’s the fastest kid in the league,” Moayed said.
Multi-purpose senior 6-3, 205-pound star Jack Hogeboom, who after his father Jim Hogeboom got the job as Superintendent of the Novato Unified School District came to Marin Catholic last year from Arroyo Grande where he caught 22 passes as a sophomore, caught 36 passes last season for 486 yards and two TDs to make MCAL Honorable Mention as a wide receiver. He also plays safety and like last year will return punts and kickoffs.
“My personal goal is to get my name out there so when they think of me they think of a good football player,” said Hogeboom, who has interest from Cal Poly-San Luis Obispo, Hawaii, Nevada-Reno and San Jose State.
“Jack’s a great talent that’s starting to get a lot more interest. I’m shocked he doesn’t have any offers,” Moayed remarked.
The Wildcats return one of the league’s top running backs in 6-1, 235-pound junior Kenneth Fitzgerald-Evans, who looks like he’s improved his quickness and has a huge frame for a running back. He looked good a couple of camps where Prep2Prep saw him perform. He rushed for 484 yards and five TDs last season and was league Honorable Mention. Teams in the MCAL are going to have a hard time tackling a player that is bigger than most linemen in the league, and he gets a running start. He is starting to get mid-major college interest.
“Everyone on our team has something to prove including me, but it’s not about personal honors but about the team,” Fitzgerald-Evans said.
“He’s a 4.7 guy that’s nimble and has incredible balance and ball skills for a guy his size that’s very physical,” Moayed said.
The last of the all league returners is junior 6-1, 215-pound linebacker Mack Roesner, an Honorable Mention who along with Fitzgerald-Evans were the only sophomores to make all MCAL last year. He led the team and the league with five interceptions.
“Mack will be one of the top linebackers we’ve had,” Moayed remarked. “He played like a senior last year and he’s a more mature football player this season. He has great instincts, always is around the ball, and makes the plays.”
Like the other players interviewed Roesner talks about a state championship as the ultimate goal but he also has a solid personal goal. “I’d like to visit Oregon. They’ve made an effect on me.”
Replacing Peterson at quarterback will be 6-5, 218-pound junior Spencer Petras. He comes up from JV last season. He’s not a dual-threat like Peterson but has a rocket for an arm, and he’ll have some talented receivers catching passes.
“Spencer could have started for us last year as a sophomore if not for Darius,” Moayed remarked.
Backing up Petras will be Tamalpais transfer and 6-3, 205-pound senior Jack Harris, the starter at Tam last season. He is eligible but will have to sit out the mandatory period meaning he’ll miss the first five games.
Other players Moayed felt would make an impact are second year 6-2, 230-pound junior starting center Jack O’Hearn, who missed the last two games last season, 6-1, 185-pound junior wide receiver/defensive back Peter Brown, 6-2, 225-pound two-way senior lineman Collin Martin, 6-1, 200-pound junior linebacker/running back Leo Le Merle, 6-0, 220-pound senior Max Mani, who will play both ways on the line and some fullback, and newcomer Liam Oprendak, a junior that will play cornerback and wide receiver.
“State’s our goal but we have to take it one week at a time. It’s a long way to state. For us to be a great team we have to improve every week,” Olver concluded.
The Marin Catholic faithful will see just how the road to a state title is going to go when the Wildcats join Riordan-San Francisco and Bishop O’Dowd-Oakland in a four-team scrimmage on August 19 at De La Salle-Concord. They then open the season at one of the Prep2Prep featured games when they travel to Modesto on August 26 for a rematch with Central Catholic.
REDWOOD (5-6, 4-3): The team most of the MCAL coaches interviewed agreed was the most improved last season is a Redwood Giants team that should continue improving under second-year Coach Allen Talley.
Other than Marin Catholic the Giants have the most returning all MCAL players with three selections coming back.
The top player returning and one most everyone considered the top running back in the league is First Team selection Nicolas Calzaretta, a 6-0, 200-pound senior that ran for 1,314 yards on 215 carries (6.1 yards per carry) with 19 touchdowns despite missing three games. Calzaretta will also likely see a lot more time at linebacker this season.
“Our strength is running the ball, that’s the way we’re built, we run the ball, and Calzaretta will be getting a lot of work,” Talley said.
The second all league returner is 5-9, 210-pound senior Billy Lewis. He was Honorable Mention as both a guard and a nose guard. The other all league returner is 6-4, 208-pound senior Alex Wilson, an Honorable Mention defensive back that also caught 30 passes for 419 yards last season as well.
Trevor Foehr, a 6-0, 170-pound senior that was the main starter at quarterback last season also returns and will continue handling kicking duties as well.
“Trevor is a good kid, a real smart kid that controls the game real well. It’s his second season in our system and he’s improving every day,” Talley remarked.
Other players Talley feels will be impact players this years are 5-8, 190-pound senior fullback Kyle Fulton, 6-0, 180-pound senior defensive end Declan Hardiman, and 6-1, 240-pound two-way senior lineman Wiley Geiger.
“We just need to keep working hard and we have a lot of returning players getting to know the system,” continued Talley. “If the kids keep working hard like they have all summer we’ll get better.”
Redwood opens on August 27 at home against Mt. Eden-Hayward.
TERRA LINDA (4-7, 3-4): The Trojans have a new coach but it’s a familiar face not only in the MCAL but the CIF North Coast Section as well.
He’s been coaching in the Marin County Athletic League for 15 years but new Terra Linda Coach Rich Cotruvo has come over to the Trojans after 19 years (four years in CIF Sac-Joaquin Section) at the helm of Justin-Siena. The wily veteran has an overall 201-119 record in 28 seasons combined at Acalanes-Lafayette, Monte Vista-Danville and Justin-Siena where he had a 146-82 record with six CIF North Coast Section titles. He replaces Damon Keeve.
Cotruvo, who will teach health and PE at Terra Linda just like he did at Justin-Siena, steps into a situation with no returning all league players and a very young team that went 3-4 in league and 4-7 overall, but even so he’s still feeling good about things, plus he brought longtime right-hand man Steve Vargas along from Napa in the same role as defensive coordinator.
“We’ll be young and we’re small but I’m having a ball,” Cotruvo said. “The kids are hungry and want to succeed, and they’re doing everything Steve and I ask of them.”
Another important factor in Cotruvo taking the job is the Terra Linda administration.
“The administration has been nothing but enthusiastic, helpful and supportive in working with us to get the program competitive,” Cotruvo continued.
Playing for Cotruvo means a culture change since he uses a variation of the vaunted veer offense he picked up from his good friend since high school and legendary De La Salle Coach Bob Ladouceur.
The position that has the most to learn in the veer is quarterback, and for Terra Linda that will be 6-1, 170-pound junior Matt Peters.
“He’s intelligent and learning as he goes but we’re satisfied with how Matt has picked up the veer,” Cotruvo remarked.
The veer like any running-oriented offense has a go-to running back and for the Trojans that will be 5-10, 177-pound junior Dominic Martinez.
Cotruvo also has two sophomores he feels will be impact players, 5-7, 165-pound running back Jackson Zabierek, and 5-7, 165-pound running back Anthony Moreno.
Terra Linda opens on August 27 at home against Richmond.
JUSTIN-SIENA (9-3, 6-1):There’s a new coach replacing Cotruvo at Justin-Siena but he’s anything but a new face around campus.
After assisting Cotruvo for 12 years and teaching AP and standard economics at the school the past eight years, 1998 alumnus Brandon LaRocco takes over a team that has the other player beside Marin Catholic’s Olver to have a Pac-12 scholarship in hand, and that’s Oregon State-committed and All MCAL Honorable Mention 6-3, 195-pound senior quarterback Aidan Willard.
LaRocco, who played on Cotruvo’s first Braves team in 1997, is planning on making some changes but it won’t be a complete overhaul of the old system.
“I was around for the successes Coach Cotruvo had at Justin-Siena and I had an opportunity to learn a lot from him, and I hope to carry on what I’ve watched him do the last 12 years and keep that going,” LaRocco said.
“We’re going to change some options and we’re still going to use the veer option but not out of the split back formation,” LaRocco continued. “The best description of our offense is as a power offense with a West Coast passing game.”
Obviously, LaRocco wants to build the offense around Willard, and he losses all his top running backs, but he’s still optimistic.
“We don’t have a lot of returning starters but that’s sometimes the case at Justin-Siena where we tend to be senior-oriented,” LaRocco remarked. “I still expect us to be competitive in every game.
LaRocco will be looking to a pair of juniors to fill the void at running back, 5-9, 170-pound Pierce Madrigal and 5-10, 175-pound John Craig. At wide receiver will be 6-0, 190-pound senior Mitchell Martin and 5-9, 170-pound junior Ron Caretti Jr., a player LaRocco calls “an explosive slot receiver.” Caretti Jr. will also return as a starting defensive back.
There are two returning starters on the offensive line and one on the defensive line. Javier Duron, a 6-0, 210-pound senior, and Eric Fitzgerald, a 5-9, 225-pound senior are on the O-Line, and Jake Castleberry, a 6-2, 205-pound senior is the D-Line returner.
Tarantino Pachote, a 5-10, 210-pound senior returns at linebacker and may play on the O-Line as well. Besides Caretti Jr. the other returning defensive back is free safety Martin.
Justin-Siena scrimmages Cardinal Newman in Santa Rosa on August 19 before opening on August 26 at Piedmont.
SAN MARIN (8-3, 5-2): Fourth-year Coach Steve Stanfel will have his work cut out for him when official practices begin on August 8 after losing 10 All MCAL selections and returning none.
The biggest spot Stanfel will have to replace is Second Team all league quarterback Collin Moore.
“We have a couple of guys coming up from the JV’s but right now there’s no clear choice,” said Stanfel from Canton, Ohio, where he will be watching his uncle, local football playing and coaching legend Dick Stanfel, get enshrined in the NFL Hall of Fame.
Right now there are three players vying for the signal-calling job. They are 5-9, 150-pound junior Colin Hickey, 6-1, 180-pound junior Mitchell Timberman, and 5-11, 160-pound senior Rafael Romero.
Returning on the offensive line are 6-5, 240-pound senior Jack Coll and 6-5, 260-pound senior Christian Larios.
Defensively the Mustangs should be solid. Gavin Graybeal, a 6-0, 170-pound senior is the top returning defensive back. The top returning linebackers are 6-0, 190-pound junior David Thoma and 5-11, 170-pound senior Leonardo Madrigal who will also play offensive guard.
“Hopefully we’ll be able to establish the run to take the pressure off our quarterback but our defense will lead the way,” Stanfel said. “We have a good solid defense.”
San Marin opens at home on August 27 with Kennedy-Fremont.
DRAKE (2-5, 4-6): Another team that welcomes a new coach are the Pirates who will now be led by Jimmy Cerf. He comes from a family with a deep tradition of high school football coaching in the Marin County Athletic League.
Drake loses all league First Team quarterback Kevin Miles (HM as a kicker) so signal-caller will be a big question mark. At this time it appears the heir apparent is 6-3, 193-pound senior Jesse Alonso.
The Pirates also graduated two other all league First Team selections on offense, a Second Team selection on offense and one Honorable Mention on defense.
Drake opens its season on August 26 at Healdsburg.
TAMALPAIS (2-5, 3-7): As previously mentioned the Red-Tailed Hawks lose last year’s starting quarterback Harris to transfer so replacing him will be a major task for fifth-year Coach Jon Black.
Black will have a solid running back returning in 5-10, 180-pound senior Tre’chaun Berkley, an All MCAL Second Team selection last season. Another solid returner is Jordan Smith. The 5-10, 150-pound senior was Second Team as a defensive back and Honorable Mention as a wide receiver.
Tamalpais opens on August 26 hosting Sonoma Valley.
NOVATO (4-7, 2-5): After being one of the top teams in the MCAL in the first part of the millennium the Hornets have been struggling in recent years to be a consistently over .500, although two years ago under fifth-year Coach Jason Searle they were 6-1 in league and 7-4 overall.
The Hornets were the last team to snag an MCAL title other than Marin Catholic since 2008 when that year’s team went 7-0 in league and 11-3 overall before losing to Encinal in the NCS title game.
For this season the only returning all league selection is Honorable Mention defense Matt Jackson, although they do return their starting quarterback Ryan Burness. Last season the 6-1, 180-pound senior passed for 1,943 yards and 18 touchdowns.
Novato opens its season on the road on August 26 at Newark Memorial.
SAN RAFAEL (1-9, 0-6): The 2010 team went 11-2 and 6-1 in league and made it to the second round of the CIF NCS Division III playoffs. Unfortunately, since then they are 6-45 and 0-33 in MCAL play.
Unlike two years ago when they lost all their league games like last season the Bulldogs did win three games overall.
Coach Ted Cosgriff is back for another season with a similar non-league schedule as last year when the Bulldogs won their only game against a Richmond team they meet once again in week three.
San Rafael opens at Hercules on September 2, hosts Healdsburg on September 9, and then goes to San Lorenzo before opening MCAL play at home on September 30 against Tamalpais.
