Two North Coast Section teams are in action this weekend, as Division II champion Clayton Valley and Division III champion Campolindo both put their undefeated records on the line against Oakdale and Sutter, respectively.
Oakdale Mustangs (13-1) vs Clayton Valley Eagles (14-0), Saturday, 7:30 pm at Clayton Valley High School
Fans of a powerful running game will be pleased to see this rematch of the 2012 NorCal regional bowl game, in which the Mustangs held off Clayton Valley, 27-24, after Clayton’s star running back, Joe Protheroe, left with an ankle injury in the first half of play.
Clayton Valley brings its explosive shotgun, double-wing offense into this year’s regional game, having gained over 7,400 yards in 14 games this season, averaging an astounding 529 yards per game. The Eagles have gained nearly 6,300 yards on the ground, while their passing game has been coolly efficient.
Senior running back Miles Harrison has been the big name surrounding the Eagles all season long, as he has run for 2,140 yards and 26 touchdowns on just 176 carries. Harrison, the Diablo Valley Athletic League’s Most Valuable Player, was described by one opposing coach as “hands down the best player we saw all year.”
Teams that want to commit nearly every defender to stopping Harrison, however, will want to take a look at quarterback Nate Keisel’s amazing 19 touchdowns to just one interception in the passing game, completing 65 percent of his passes in the process. Keisel opened the scoring last week against Concord with a 71-yard play-action touchdown pass to Justin Zapanta. The catch and run marked Zapanta’s 18th touchdown this season.
Attempting to slow down the 55 points-per-game Clayton Valley attack will be a hard-nosed Oakdale team that has allowed just 14 points per game, and outscored Inderkum 27-3 in the second half of last week’s Sac-Joaquin title game.
Three-year starter Landen Ichord anchors a defensive line that will see numerous blockers rushing to the point of attack. Oakdale’s best defense against the Eagles, however, might be its own old-school Delaware Wing-T offense.
Possibly best described as a "hammer-to-nail" pounding style of play, the Mustangs feature multiple backs which can gain consistent yards between the tackles, starting with fullback Frankie Trent, who scored twice in their come-from-behind win last week. Trent is joined in the offset backfield by Darus Nelson, who ran for 117 yards and a score last week, and also had a big kickoff return to jump-start the third-quarter scoring spree.
Keep an eye on the Mustangs’ third back, Brock Whiting, who complements the power game with his counter runs and ability to get open for quarterback Adam Olsen in the passing game.
One thing is for sure – neither team is going to back down physically or psychologically, in a marquee matchup between two teams who expect success. The Eagles may be playing at home, and seeking revenge for the loss two years ago, but they are also facing a Mustangs’ program that travels with an overly enthusiastic fan base and has won 10 league titles in the last 15 seasons.
“This will be high school football at its finest,” said Clayton Valley head coach Tim Murphy, the architect of the top-ranked offense in the state. “Their fans are as loud as (Seattle) Seahawk fans, and we expect our crowd to bring their A-game, so it should be a tremendous atmosphere.”
Sutter Huskies (13-0) vs Campolindo Cougars (14-0), Saturday, 7:30 pm at Acalanes High School
Contrasting styles of play will collide this Saturday night when Campolindo’s high-scoring pro-style offense meets a Sutter defense that has allowed less than five points per game, including seven wins by shutout.
The Cougars are coming off their lowest offensive output of the season, in a 27-21 championship game victory over Marin Catholic, another program renowned for its stingy defense this year. Now, they get to face the Northern Section Division III champions, who have allowed just 62 points in 13 games.
Huskies’ linebackers Riley Vickner and Brayden Hungrige will be tasked with stopping Campolindo’s game-breaking running back, Nick Fadelli. Fadelli has averaged 10 yards per carry this season, while scoring 36 touchdowns.
If anything makes the task easier for Sutter, it seems to be its team speed at every position. Best exemplifying the Huskies' emphasis on athleticism and speed defensively is nose guard Corey Wilhelm, who has 18 tackles for a loss and nine sacks this season, despite weighing under 150 pounds.
Fans looking for enticing matchups along the line also might want to keep their eyes on Sutter defensive end Cassady King, who will likely be lined up across from Campolindo’s Duke-bound tight end, Tyler Petite. With 13 sacks this season, King is a force getting to the quarterback, and at 6-foot-3, has the length necessary to get his hands on the athletic and versatile tight end.
Despite its athletes up front, however, Sutter is easily facing its biggest test of the season against a Campolindo offense that has achieved nearly perfect balance in all facets offensively, including having two different receivers, Max Flower and Petite, go over 850 yards receiving. Senior quarterback Jack Stephens has thrown for nearly 3,000 yards and 30 touchdowns.
In opposition to Campolindo’s pro-style look offensively is the wing-based scheme of Sutter’s offense, which operates with quick precision and efficiency.
“Our kids run our system from the time they start playing youth football,” said Sutter head coach Ryan Reynolds. “Our youth coaches are required to go to clinics to learn our system, and each of our high school coaches oversees a different level of the youth program to make sure the kids are doing things exactly as they will do it in high school.”
As a result, players know and execute their roles with great precision, leading to an offense that has scored 86 touchdowns this season – 43 rushing and 43 passing.
Alex Lopez, Tyler Chambers, and Jacob Gildea have each run for 650 yards or more, while senior slot back Tyjuan Prince has been the Huskies’ game-changer. Prince is averaging nearly 18 yards per carry, while also hauling in 15 touchdowns on 26 receptions.
Huskies’ quarterback Randy Post has completed 63 percent of his passes for 2,708 yards and 42 touchdowns, averaging a touchdown nearly every four pass attempts. Brandon Jackson has been the top target in the passing game, with 856 yards and 17 touchdowns.
Campolindo is seeking a return trip to the state bowl game, having lost to Washington Union-Fresno in 2011. Sutter, meanwhile, is hoping for its first trip to the state level, after having lost to Marin Catholic in the 2012 regional game.
