Analy favored to claim SCL football crown again
It's foolhardy to treat any prep sports race as a foregone conclusion. Strange things happen in high school games, and high school seasons, which are ruled by passion as much as by strategy or athletic talent.
And yet there's no way to get around it: As the 2016 football season kicks off, the Analy Tigers are prohibitive favorites to win the Sonoma County League title, just as they did in 2015, and 2014, and 2013, and 2012.
It isn't merely that the Tigers are four-time SCL champions. They have won 25 consecutive league games over that span, their last stumble a loss to Casa Grande on Oct. 21, 2011. Casa and Windsor fled the SCL for the North Bay League the following year, creating a football vacuum that Analy has expanded to fill.
There are a lot of factors worth watching in the SCL this season, but Analy's dominance is the backdrop.
Tigers on a tear
Last year around this time, Analy was pegged for a rebuilding year. The Tigers had lost their most dynamic players to graduation, including 2014 All-Empire Offensive Player of the Year Ja'Narrick James. But the Sebastopol team somehow plugged the holes and went 13-1, losing only to Campolindo, 38-28, in the North Coast Section Division 3 championship game.
Analy should be able to build on that momentum this year. Of the six all-SCL first-team players returning from last year, five are Tigers: quarterback Jack Newman, running back Osiris Zamora, wide receiver Ross Simmons, defensive lineman Connor Kearney and defensive back Kyle Johnson. Throw in second-team defenders Jordan Parks and Nick Savage, and Analy has a wealth of experienced talent.
The key to the Tigers' quest to win a section title is Newman, the reigning All-Empire Offensive Player of the Year. As a junior he completed 298 passes (second in the state of California, among all divisions) for 4,051 yards (fourth) and 53 touchdowns (first), with just seven interceptions. Newman set Analy single-season records for attempts, completions, yards and touchdowns, and single-game marks for completions (40), attempts (61), yards (505) and touchdowns (six, twice).
He's a student of the game who is still working under highly regarded offensive coordinator Keith Simons, and he seems poised for another huge year.
“Jack's one of those kids, success won't go to his head,” Analy head coach Daniel Bourdon said. “He's working as hard as he did as a sophomore, or as a junior when he came up to run the offense.”
Bourdon isn't as certain about his defense. He has a lot of new starters on that side of the ball.
“We lost a lot of guys on defense,” he said. “I think that's where most of the question marks are. We run a lot of formations with five linebackers, and we lost four of five linebackers.”
Transition game, part 1
Piner had a good season in 2015, going 6-5 overall and 4-2 in the SCL, and playing second-place Petaluma very close. There is change at the westside Santa Rosa school, though. Last year's coach, John Antonio, left to take an assistant's position at Casa Grande.
The good news is that the new guy isn't so new. Tom Harris, Antonio's offensive coordinator a year ago, has assumed command. Harris knows his players well, and he's eager to get rolling.
“I learned so much from coaching with John. I was with him four years,” Harris said. “I learned a lot from him on how to run a program, and I still lean on it. So that's probably not gonna change much. As far as offense and defense, it'll be really similar. We have the same defensive coordinator as last year (Anthony D'Amico). In fact, most of our coaches are back.”
Harris feels very good about his speed positions. He has a lot of quickness at receiver with James Currier, Skyler Ito-Lutz, Angelo Giannavola and Ronnell Williams, and Ito-Lutz and Giannavola are superb in the defensive backfield, too. The challenge for the Prospectors is up front, where Harris expects to start four juniors and a sophomore on the offensive line.
“We're trying to get them up to varsity speed,” the coach said. “There's really no varsity experience on that line. But they're a hardworking group. I think it bodes really well for the future.”
Transition game, part 2
No coaching changes are in store for Petaluma, where Rick Krist is back to lead the Trojans after a breakthrough season. They went 5-1 in league play last year and came heart-wrenchingly close to toppling Analy, losing 42-36 on a last-second deep throw. Petaluma got a playoff win, too, beating Novato in the first round before losing another squeaker to Rancho Cotate.
Duplicating those achievements is going to be tough. The Trojans must begin again after losing 21 starters from last year's team. Krist emphasizes that many of his new starters got valuable playing time a year ago. Some of them are true newbies, though.
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