With the football season finally complete, we take a quick moment to reflect upon the lesser discussed items around the Central Coast Section.
One last unbeaten
With Half Moon Bay’s loss in the 3-A Championship Game, Gilroy finishes all alone as the only team in the CCS to go undefeated in 2017. While the Mustangs likely wouldn’t have been able to make it to the level that Half Moon Bay and the other top teams from the Open Division reached, it would’ve been interesting to see where exactly Gilroy would fit among the upper echelon of teams.
Serra excellent on and off field
Serra’s on-field successes are a reflection of the program as a whole. Days of discipline issues are in the rearview mirror, and the recent Padre teams have been full of excellent citizens and great students. It’s not just Luke Bottari, who founded the Play4Prevention movement. It resonates throughout the entire program, and that discipline is reflected in the team’s play.
The only time they aren’t disciplined? When they’re trying to take a photo with a championship trophy. Both Isiah Kendrick and Lucas Hackett-Provenzano have sheepishly apologized to photographers for their team’s inability to get in position for photos.
St. Francis depth shines
The skill throughout the St. Francis program was evident on Saturday. Even Elias McGovern, a JV callup who lined up on kick coverage, was able to calmly grab a squib kick.
Perhaps no player showcased his potential more than Malik Johnson, who was all over the field in coverage, a critical performance with the absence of Maurice Wilmer. If Johnson continues his growth, he should be among the top defensive backs on an elite team in 2018.
Serra parents like no other
Serra’s student section has had a reputation for decades, but the Serra parents might have an even bigger presence. They’re undoubtedly the loudest parents around, especially when their son, brother, nephew, friend or acquaintance via other means is called by the PA announcer for a tackle. From Anthony Ovalle’s shrieking relatives to Davis Vakalahi’s massive entourage, it’s easy to figure out which fans correspond with which player when their names are read off.
However, the loudest relatives of all may be Malakai Rango’s family. They aren’t as noticeable during plays, because they’re far from the only ones screaming after a long kick return, but their celebratory shouts last long after the game, throughout any sort of interviews that Malakai gives and on through any photos they take with him.
Is it the pads?
Past Nio Mafi, Moses Tameilau typically looks like Serra’s largest lineman, but when he’s not in uniform, as was the case during the second half of Friday’s championship game after sustaining a serious leg injury, he looks no bigger than most of the team. No matter how big he is, he had a tremendous impact on the Padres throughout the season.
PA announcers
With all the great football played in the Bay Area, it’s easy to forget about the voices that deliver the game to the fans, but the PA announcers on the Peninsula are among the best in the business. From the deep tones of Burlingame’s John Horgan to the irreverent stylings of Serra’s Ed Taylor (“white hat dude says holding”) and the professional calm of St. Francis’ Mike Saso, CCS football is full of tremendous announcers.
Of those great voices, the top of the class might be El Camino’s John Jacobson. Jacobson, the father of head coach Eric Jacobson, keeps fans engaged with trivia during halftime, usually about football but occasionally deviating to other sports and even pop culture and history. It also doesn’t hurt that he sounds a bit like Joe Starkey.
