Archbishop Mitty has high standards to meet.
Last year, the Monarchs reached their first section semifinal since 2001, finishing 7-4-1. But being ranked fourth in the section behind Bellarmine, Serra, and Palma -- according to the state Freeman rankings -- can this year’s team live up to the reputation?
“I think right off the bat we should be considered in the top couple of teams in the league,” Monarch coach Matt Haniger said. “We did lose a couple of great guys from last year, but a lot of our players are stepping up to take leadership roles. We have great depth in this team.”
But it’s not easy to ignore the gaps in the starting line-up. The Monarchs have lost to graduation their starting quarterback Andrew Barna from last year, who completed 97 passes for 1902 yards; their top running back Joe DeCecco, who ran for 441 yards last season; and their top defender Bobby Marani, who recorded 40 tackles.
Also, running back Chris Hegarty, who would have been a senior this year, isn’t playing because his family is moving to the United Arab Emirates.
“Sure, we lost some really great athletes, but we have a ton of guys stepping up and working to fill their shoes,” running back Daniel Mosko said. “We don’t think we will have any issues.”
Although the team lacks experience in key positions, the Monarchs have great depth, with five returning offensive starters and six returning defensive starters. That includes 6-foot senior wide receiver Jacob Wesson, who caught 27 passes for 663 yards.
As for replacing Barna, senior Wyatt Hansen, who was overshadowed by Barna last year, seems like a natural to step in. Effective on both offense and defense, he rushed for 66 yards, passed for 88 yards and even recorded 19 tackles last year.
This depth goes far beyond the seniors, though. Running back Kyle Evans, fullback Chandler Ramirez and linebacker Daniel Mendoza are all juniors in their second year on varsity. Four sophomores -- Dakari Monroe, Brett Foley, Tommy Hudson, and Nick Vierra – will also make their presence felt.
“We are a fast team this year, but we don’t have a lot of size,” wide receiver Andrew Scott said. “We’ll have to rely on our speed to stretch the field and make plays happen.”
Hansen has a lot of options with his running backs, but he’ll also have the ability to pass to returning wide receiver Jacob Wesson if he has the time.
Versatility is a virtue up and down the Monarch line-up.
“We have a lot of two-way players who I think can contribute a lot to the team in a lot of ways,” linebacker Karn Bhade said. “A lot of linemen play both sides of the ball and have proven to be a force on either side.”
Mitty begins its non-league schedule on Thursday against visiting Milpitas and its league slate against Serra on Sept. 28.
“We have the ability to compete with anyone in our league,” Mosko said. “All of the teams are very well- coached and athletic, but Mitty has the drive and perseverance to do especially well this year.”
