Private-small school standouts
Best offensive player: Deontay Burnett, Serra
Best defensive Player: John Houston, Serra
Best lineman: Rasheem Green, Serra
Best quarterback: Steven Chavez, St. Bernard
Sleeper prospect: Conor Range, Chadwick/Dominic Johnson, Bishop Montgomery
Serra always enters a season with high expectations, and yet this season will begin differently than any other due to Catholic school leagues being realigned earlier this year.
The Cavaliers are now in the vaunted Pac-5 Division, the toughest and most prominent playoff division in the CIF Southern Section. As recently as 2009, Serra was in the Division X (now Northwest Division) playoffs.
It is a sign of the program’s progress as one of the elite teams in the state. The newly revamped Mission League is another sign as Serra will now face Sherman Oaks Notre Dame, Alemany, Crespi, Bishop Amat and Loyola in addition to rival Chaminade.
“We’re excited about the opportunity,” Serra coach Scott Altenberg said of moving into the Pac-5. “We’ve played these teams before and now the challenge is we have to play these teams week to week.”
Serra is not the only local private school to experience realignment. Bishop Montgomery and St. Bernard now compete in the South Catholic League with former Del Rey League residents Verbum Dei and Cantwell-Sacred Heart. Mary Star will be in the Santa Fe League with former league foe Bosco Tech. Also in the league are familiar foes St. Monica and St. Genevieve
“We match up well against those teams,” Mary Star coach Mike Marinkovich said.
Even the 8-man division is seeing changes. Chadwick will drop down for the first time in head coach Gary Willison’s 12-year tenure, citing safety issues due to a lack of experienced players. However, Willison does not see the move as permanent as the school will reconsider the move for the 2015 season.
“We hope to get back to 11-man football, but I expect us to be great and use this to build a foundation for our success.” Willison said.
Other schools are not so fortunate to have teams. Ambassador High School, which planned to debut in 8-man football this year, was forced to cancel its season due to lack of players.
Yet there remains optimism at most of the South Bay’s private schools. St. Bernard, for one, will host Mission High School of British Columbia, Canada, to open the season and participated in the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge.
So while it may take teams a while to adjust to new league arrangements, they will at least be among familiar foes, which could benefit them when league play begins.
MISSION LEAGUE
SERRA
Coach: Scott Altenberg (16th Season, 145-44-1)
2013 Record: 13-1, 5-0 to finish first in the Mission League, lost in CIF-SS Western Division championship game.
Key Returners: DL Rasheem Green, LB John Houston, WR Deontay Burnett, RB Malik Roberson, WR Brandon Burton, LB Blake Walls, OL/DL Josh Davis, RB Darrien Naylor, WR Isaac Cox, LB Corey Adolphus.
Keys to success: Despite losing eight seniors to Division 1 colleges, the Cavaliers, ranked No. 7 in the Cal-Hi Sports Preseason Top 50, have reloaded with both talent and depth. Serra’s defense may be as good as last year behind five-star recruits Green and Houston. Adolphus and Walls, a junior, help Houston form one of the strongest linebacking corps in the state. Stanley Norman, a versatile All-State underclass transfer from Culver City, is a shutdown corner and versatile receiver who adds to a strong group led by Burton, a junior, and Burnett, a Washington State commit. Roberson’s return from an ACL injury will spark to the Cavaliers’ backfield as Naylor rushed for over 1,000 yards last season. Senior Caleb Wilson and junior Khalil Tate are vying to replace three-year starter Jalen Greene and could split time early in the season. The South Bay’s top team has a tough road to reach its third consecutive CIF final but has the talent to do it.