NBL football preview: Everyone chasing Cardinal Newman

At the risk of sounding like a broken record, the upcoming North Bay League football season likely will include several success stories about Cardinal Newman.

After an 11-3 season, including a 7-2 NBL crown, the team comes back with the only two returning CIF North Coast Section All-State selections, quarterback Jordon Brookshire and receiver-defensive back Damian Wallace.

“Cardinal Newman is definitely the team to beat,” said Casa Grande coach Trent Herzog, a sentiment echoed by several NBL coaches.

But, they suggested, the league will not be a one-hit wonder. Other teams will push the Cardinals.

“I like us as a sleeper,” Herzog added. “When all is said and done, we’re going to surprise some people.”

Newman is “loaded,” Rancho Cotate coach Ed Conroy said, but his team could make a run.

New faces, old talent

Conroy’s Cougars have a speedy running back and a fresh young quarterback looking to make names for themselves.

Rancho, which finished tied with Maria Carrillo for second in the NBL at 5-2, is perhaps the team hurt most by graduations, although Windsor lost key players as well.

Gone from The Ranch are four all-state players: linebacker Brandon Boccaleoni, defensive back Danny Shelton, quarterback Gunner Mefferd and wide receiver-defensive back Chris Taylor-Yamanoha. Also gone are two of the league’s leading rushers, Moziah Ward and Danny Shelton.

In Mefferd’s stead is junior quarterback Jake Simmons, who played with the junior varsity last year as Mefferd broke records ahead of him.

“He has thrown for more yards with the JV than any player we’ve ever had,” Conroy said. “I’m really happy with him. He’s pretty darned good.”

Rusher Peyton Whetstone could impress. A receiver last year, he likely will be the lead back this season.

“He’s the fastest kid on the team,” Conroy said. “I really think he’s going to be a tremendous player. Once we get him past the linebackers, he has a chance to break some long runs for us.”

Looking to improve

Casa leads with senior multi-sport All-Empire athlete Spencer Torkelson, who plays on both sides of the ball: running back on offense and outside linebacker on defense.

The Gauchos finished 4-3 and 5-7 last year, but are shooting for better. Torkelson will be a big part of that.

“He’s the best running back in the area,” Herzog said. “He’s as good on defense as a linebacker. If he wanted to play college football instead of baseball, he would have any choice of schools in the Pac-12. He’s on that level.”

Windsor finished 4-3, 7-5 last season in coach Tom Fitzpatrick’s first year with the Jaguars. Fitzpatrick came out of retirement after coaching at Healdsburg from 1987 to 2000.

The Jaguars lost 27 seniors from last year’s squad, including quarterback Max Brown. They are returning zero starters on defense and two on offense, Fitzpatrick said.

“It’s kind of like starting over, which is kind of fun in a way,” the veteran coach said. “Our expectations are to be competitive, but we don’t know how it’s going to stack up again other teams yet.”

The two returning offensive players will give the Jaguars some ground strength. David Escarcega and Jackson Baughman were both among the top 10 rushing leaders last season.

New quarterbacks

In addition to Simmons at Rancho, Casa will have a new offensive leader after JJ Anderson’s graduation.

Battling for time at the helm for the Gauchos will be Garrett Buffo and Frank Gawronski, both senior quarterbacks.

Buffo is “super smart, makes the right reads and runs the offense really well,” Herzog said, while Gawronski is bigger, stronger and “can really throw the deep ball well. He is a really strong threat.”

In Windsor, Kobe Roman moves from strong safety and wide receiver last year to quarterback in 2016.

While he has little game experience behind center, he comes from a strong football family. His brother Jalen was a quarterback and is now a receiver at Western Oregon University, and Darrian, a former all-state running back, plays at Mid-American Nazarene.

Maria Carrillo used a rotation last year, alternating senior Fhestus Chomba and junior Jake Wolski. Wolski returns this year, joined by two other quarterbacks on the roster: junior Jaden Bresciani and sophomore K.C. Kelly.

Likely seeing plenty of handoffs will be Pumas running backs Spencer Netherda and Gabe DeBaca.

Rookie coach

While Fitzpatrick and other coaches have been around for years, Ukiah’s Jonathan Dewey will be a new face with headphones on the sidelines. His face isn’t completely new to the Wildcats, though.

Dewey returns to coach his alma mater after playing at Mendocino College and Kansas Wesleyan University.

He ran the Wildcats through summer passing league at Mendocino College and will likely rely heavily on a three-year starter at quarterback, senior Brett Hofstetter, this season.

Heading into fall practices, Dewey highlighted the play of seniors Eddie Holbrook, a speedy receiver; strong, hole-hitting running back Cody Shepard; wide receiver and three-sport athlete Morgan Edwards, as well as middle linebacker Jason Brockett, who Dewey called “probably the toughest kid on our team.”

The Wildcats will have their work cut out for them in the NBL. They finished 1-6 in league last year and 2-8 overall.

Second tier

Montgomery, 2-5 and 2-8 last year, and Santa Rosa, 0-7 and 2-8, are both working to rise in the standings.

“From top to bottom, it’s a very balanced league,” Herzog said. “The bottom teams have improved.”

The Panthers have an optimistic second-year coaching staff and return starting quarterback Isaiah Steele and wide receiver Kalei Aukai.

“Santa Rosa is much improved,” said Newman coach Paul Cronin.

Panthers coach Denis Brunk is pleased with the culture change, discipline and improved grades of his Santa Rosa squad.

“We’re building. It’s going to take some time, but things are coming together,” he said. “After our scrimmage, as a coaching staff we said to each other, ‘We look like a football team,’ which is nice to be able to say.”

Linemen Adrian Vasquez and Alvaro Reyes are both expected to contribute heavily, Brunk said, as well as Cassius Banks, who he said worked hard in the offseason and will play a little defensive back and receiver.

Under third-year coach Marcelo Bautista, the Vikings have two quarterbacks on the roster: Bruce Burroughs, a 6-4, 205-pound senior, and 6-1, 190-pound Ricky Medina, who also plays wide receiver.

Montgomery looks to get back to winning form after consecutive losing seasons.

Elephant in the room

Hogging the headlines - and the touchdowns - for Newman may be Brookshire and Wallace, but for every offensive star, there is a lineman working in gritty anonymity.

Jake McElderry, center and guard, O-line/defensive end Jalen Dural and nose guard/guard Joey DiMarco are all returning starters and seniors who add a toughness to the Cardinals line.

Brookshire threw for about 2,400 yards last year and rushed for nearly 1,600.

His target, Wallace, caught 68 passes for more than 1,000 yards.

Brookshire accounted for 41 touchdowns, Cronin said, while Wallace scored 22, a couple on kickoff returns.

But he said his offense is shaping up to be more versatile.

“We’re a little bit more well-rounded with our skill positions, so I think we will not have to lean on Jordon and Damian as much,” Cronin said.

Rancho’s Conroy is looking forward to Nov. 4, the final league game of the season. That’s when Newman visits Rohnert Park in what could be a crucial NBL contest.

“Cardinal Newman is the best team and I think everyone else, we’re all looking to knock them off,” Conroy said.

You can reach Lori A. Carter at 521-5470 or lori.carter@pressdemocrat.com.