Willow Glen Resident
Cover Story
Photograph by Brian Connelly
Ram Runner: Willow Glen's Marcos Garces returns for his senior season to lead the Rams' running attack. Garces, an all-leaguer last year, raced for 1,052 yards and eight touchdowns in 2005.
Fall Ball
The boys of autumn begin the high school football season
By Brad Wall
The Willow Glen Rams were outmanned in the tough Santa Teresa Division of the Blossom Valley Athletic League last year, finishing in sixth place with a 1-5 record. However, a move down to the wide-open West Valley Division has the Rams hoping for better results.
"I don't think there are any front-runners in the league," said head coach Andy Penwarden, whose club finished the 2005 season 3-7 overall. "Anybody has a shot at it."
One thing the Rams have going for them is their returning backfield. The Rams are fortunate enough to have their quarterback, fullback and star running back all on the field again for the '06 campaign.
Handling the lion's share of the carries will be senior all-league first team running back Marcos Garces (5-foot-9, 181 pounds). Garces hopes to duplicate his excellent 2005 campaign, which saw him rush 169 times for 1,052 yards and eight touchdowns.
Garces will be joined in the backfield by senior fullback Anthony Doan (5-foot-11, 215), who started five games last year.
Running the wing-T offense will be senior quarterback Juan Baron (5-foot-10, 186). Baron started all 10 games last year for the Rams, completing 59 of 129 passes for 524 yards and six touchdowns. Baron also added 100 yards rushing and one touchdown on 45 carries.
On the other side of the ball, the Rams will be returning six seniors who saw starting action last season. Linebacker/guard Mike Roseland (6-foot-1, 222), offensive lineman/defensive lineman Uriel Basillio (5-foot-8, 207), defensive lineman Sam Canchola (5-foot-8, 177) and linebacker Grant Morrow (6-foot-1, 217) were all starters last year, while defensive linemen/offensive linemen Justin Fuller (6-foot, 218) and Greg Garrity (6-foot-1, 216) started eight and four games, respectively, for the defense.
In addition to being second on the team in tackles last season with 51, Roseland was also a second team All-League selection as an offensive lineman.
Joining the returning seniors will be juniors defensive tackle/offensive tackle Jose Gutierez (5-foot-10, 233) and defensive end/tight end Charlie Findisen (6-foot-4, 206).
Guiterez was called the strongest guy on the team by Penwarden, and Findisen racked up 47 tackles and led the team with six sacks last season.
Despite returnees in key positions and a wide open league, there is one possible tripping point for the Rams.
"Depth is always a concern, so we have to be in good shape," said Penwarden.
The Rams will have only between 25 and 27 players on the varsity team this year, so conditioning will be a key to their success.
The road to the Central Coast Section playoffs will not be easy for the Rams as they have tough road dates at Andrew Hill and Prospect and home contests against Overfelt and Sobrato.
Willow Glen opens on the road at Fremont on Sept. 9, 7:30 p.m., before hosting Monta Vista on Sept. 15, 7 p.m. After a visit to Del Mar on Sept. 22, the Rams will open league play at Hill on Sept. 29.
If the Rams can stay healthy and play relatively mistake free, they will have as good as a chance as anyone to make the CCS.
"If we do that, we'll be in good shape," said Penwarden.
Juniors set to lead the Del Mar attack as Dons enter the Santa Teresa circuit
By Dick Sparrer
They're on a youth movement on the football field at Del Mar High School this fall, and it couldn't come at a more challenging time for the Dons.
Del Mar is coming off of a championship year, beating Prospect 46-14 on the final day of the regular season to take the crown in the West Valley Division of the Blossom Valley Athletic League. But with the title came an invitation to the much tougher Santa Teresa Division.
Coach Eric Buran and his Dons are happy to be in the new circuit, but they're moving up in a year where their roster is filled with youngsters.
Del Mar has only six seniors on its roster--Nikko Sanders (6-foot, 200 pounds), Edo Metovic (5-foot-8, 165), Cameron Vasquez (5-foot-7, 130), Derek Mejia (5-foot-7, 160), Erik Polyak (6-foot-5, 270) and Sean Lawler (5-foot-11, 150).
"We have a young team that's striving to improve every day," said Buran. "We're trying to compete on the highest level."
"We've moved up to the Santa Teresa Division," he added, "and every week is going to be a battle."
Gone is West Valley Division Most Valuable Player Emmanuel Sellu and Defensive Player of the Year Sandor Helderman. Gone are first team all-league offensive players Todd Myers, Abed Faour, Nick Rader and Ryan Conner and first team all-league defensive players Mike Tilbury, Brian Josefowicz and Mike Huynh. And gone are all-league second teamers Chris Webster, Charlie Helderman, Billy Buxton, Max Gallegos, Gini Ibe and Chad Weilert.
Thirteen all-leaguers, all lost to graduation. But as one class leaves the school, another takes over to continue the tradition. And in Del Mar's case, this year it will be the junior class.
Going into battle each week will be a team loaded with juniors, led by Thomas Johnson (5-foot-8, 185), a talented running back and linebacker.
Junior Anthony Cukar (6-foot-1, 165) will take over at quarterback for the Dons this season. Stephen Salerno (5-foot-8, 150) will join Johnson, serving double duty at running back and linebacker.
Juniors Curtis Nielsen (6-foot-2, 230) and Steven Lee (6-foot-1, 210) will lead the charge in the offensive and defensive lines for Del Mar. Creed Black (5-foot-10, 190), the only sophomore of the varsity squad, will also be looking for playing time in the Del Mar lines.
Buran is looking for a .500 season from his young Dons as they battle their way through the Santa Teresa Division season. The coach is hoping that his club can get off to a quick start against two teams from the El Camino Division of the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League and one from the BVAL's West Valley circuit.
Lincoln faces test in tougher circuit
By Kevin Sparrer
For three years they have known nothing but championships. The seniors on this year's Lincoln High School football team have been the best every season they stepped on the field.
As freshmen, they won the frosh-soph championship in the Santa Teresa Division of the Blossom Valley Athletic League. As sophomores, they repeated the task, winning back-to-back titles. Then as juniors on the varsity, they won a co-championship while still in the Santa Teresa Division.
But with this year comes the final test. This year the Lions attempt to prove their skills by moving up to the Mt. Hamilton Division where they will battle powerhouses like Oak Grove and Pioneer, the division co-champs who were picked this year as top Mt. Hamilton teams once again.
Lincoln, though, hopes to have something to say about that.
Leading the way for the Lions will be a number of returning seniors, many of them all-league players last year.
Tarik Hakmi (6-foot-3, 215 pounds) will be a third-year starting quarterback for the Lions and last year was named to the all-league second team. Chris Mendoza (6-foot, 220) is a returning running back and linebacker who was last year's Junior of the Year in the Santa Teresa Division.
Miles Hidalgo (6-foot-2, 210) will be returning to the offensive and defensive lines, Isaac Moreno (5-foot-8, 240) will be back in the offensive and defensive lines after being named a second team all-league offensive player last year, and Michael Fleet (5-foot-9, 175) is coming back to run the ball on offense and stop the ball as a linebacker on defense, Fleet was also named second team all-leaguer last season.
"We're excited about the challenge of moving up a division," said Lincoln head coach Kevin Collins. "We returned a lot of kids on offense and we just want to show we belong in the Mt. Hamilton Division."
The last two years the Lions have finished as co-champions with Westmont, despite not losing a single game last season. The Lions finished 9-0-1 overall, including a win over San Jose Academy in their annual Big Bone Game. It was Lincoln's eighth win in a row in the classic Thanksgiving Day game.
"We replaced a lot of kids on defense," said Collins. "But we're not young, just a little inexperienced."
Lincoln also hopes for a good showing from some of the frosh-soph players coming to varsity for the first time. The frosh-soph team is coming off of yet another championship season where they went 10-0 overall.
Unlike most area teams, Lincoln will get a late start into the 2006 football campaign. Some teams started as early as Sept. 1, but the Lions will play their season opener on Sept. 15 when they visit Mt. Pleasant. Lincoln opens its home season on Sept. 23 against its old Santa Teresa rival, Westmont, then gets into Mt. Hamilton Division play on Sept. 30 at home against Independence.
Lincoln, as usual, will forgo any potential Central Coast Section playoff bid to play its traditional Turkey Day game against San Jose Academy on Nov. 23 at San José City College.
The Lions graduated quite a few players last year, including the league's Most Valuable Player Jose Ramirez. Also gone from last year are Justin Weise, who was a first team all-league linebacker; Kyle Martinez, a first team all-league as a defensive back; Marcos Medina, a first team all-league defensive lineman; and Jason D'Amico, a first team all-league as an offensive lineman. The Lions also graduated a couple of players who were second team all-league: Oscar Mora in the offensive line and Devin Hartman at linebacker.
Despite the fact that Lincoln graduated quite a few players, this year still has a favorable outlook, and nothing helps more than experience. So far these seniors have only experienced championships.
A few players from last year's team have also gone on to play at the community college level. Weise has continued his football career at De Anza Community College as a linebacker while D'Amico is playing at Cabrillo as the center of the offensive line.
