First half of the 2013 season: Here are great ways to spend your Friday nights with Black Hat Posted on June 24, 2013 Here’s a rough look at the first half of the 2013 season and some of the non-league games we’d love to see. Only got one set of eyes, though, so we’re going to be missing some good ones in the fall. We’re focusing on games played at home, but we threw in a couple of great road trips – if you’re looking to get out of town on a Friday. Week Zero (Aug. 30) ** Cardinal Newman (State-ranked QB) at Modesto Christian BEST OF EARLY 2013: HOW TO SPEND YOUR FRIDAY NIGHTS WITH BLACK HAT Here’s a rough look at the first half of the 2013 season and some of the non-league games we’d love to see. Only got one set of eyes, though, so we’re going to be missing some good ones in the fall. We’re focusing on games played at home, but we threw in a couple of great road trips – if you’re looking to get out of town on a Friday. Week Zero (Aug. 30) ** Cardinal Newman (State-ranked QB) at Modesto Christian (RB Andre Edwards) … Check out this video of Edwards catching a ball and going the distance: youtube/watch?v=WN2_nS6m2dA ** Oakdale (Defending NorCal 2 champ) at Turlock (QB Sean Downs, and one of the great rivalries down here) ** Manteca (Eager to prove it’s back) at Central Valley (State-listed Ja’Quan Gardner, debut of QB Kendel Johnson) ** Enochs (QB Shawn Munoz, MMC fav) at Pitman (QB Wyatt Clapper, RB Logan Wolfley) – Saturday Night Speclal ** Lincoln (Looking for the next Justin or Zac Greenlee) at Elk Grove (1,300-yard RB Wadus Parker & 2 section powers) ** Le Grand (RB Ryan Martinez ran for 1,794 yards and 19 TDs) at Orestimba (RB Stevem Machado ran for 1,927 yards and 23 TDs – and don’t forget QB Tanner Pruett threw for 1,068 yards & 14 TDs). This will be Le Grand’s most challenging regular-season game. ** Escalon (Cougars have another massive rebuilding project and assistant coach Andrew Beam is being groomed to take over the legendary program) at Los Banos (Last time these two met? Last year’s section semifinal, with Escalon winning 42-35 in 4 OTs) ** Argonaut (Coach Rick Davis reloads his tight-formation run ‘O’ every year, but he’s got a huge task this year) at Colfax (Legendary Sacto-area program has Michael Wilson, who threw for 2,803 yards as a junior and kids who caught 196 of his 211 completions return) Week 1 (Sept 6) ** Lincoln at Pitman (Pride beefing up schedule with new coach Tom Tyler, and beating Trojans would bring instant credibility) ** Enochs (Ditto for Enochs: A win here could be the biggest since James Stacy took over the program) at Buhach Colony (Thunder rebuilding O-lne and backfield, but the graduates swear there’s lots of talent on way up) ** Central Catholic (Defending D4 state champ and loves to upset its rival) at St. Mary’s (State Watch QB Kaleb Parrish) ** Modesto (Coach Alkire’s spread offense and fun kids in QB Tiki Tonga & RB Lovell Colins) at Stagg (QB Wayne Brooks and the most entertaining offense this side of Folsom) ** Escalon (Cougars have their most challenging preseason schedule in years) at Pacheco (If Panthers are serious about contending for playoffs and WAC title, they need to beat small-school Cougars) ** Enterprise (Defending Northern Section champ, with aspirations of supplanting the Mustangs atop the region in 2013) at Oakdale (Can ‘Stangs rebuild this quickly, after huge graduation losses) ** Wilcox (RB Deshawn Mitchell ran for 1,640 yards and 24 TDs as a junior) at Manteca (Those Baby Buffs coming up from a talented JV team make their home debut after opening at Central Valley and trying to stop explosive Ja’Quan Gardner) Week 2 (Sept 13) ** De La Salle (Ranked #1 in MaxPreps preseason national poll – and do we need to explain just how legendary the program is?) at St. Mary’s (Plenty of recruiters looking for QB Kaleb Parrish to hit here) ** Vacaville (All the ‘Dogs do is win & they’re great on turf) at Lincoln ** Enochs at Turlock (2 wonderful all-purpose QBs in Shawn Munoz & Sean Downs; Good chance Turlock to show what sort of passing attack it has, cause it will need to throw if it’s to win the CCC) ** Manteca (Buffs’ OL with Captain Chaos/Billy Sharmoug and Isaac McLain) at Los Banos (Josh Priest one of Black Hat’s top defenders) ** Merced at Edison-Fresno (Yes, it’s a long trip, but Edison features two RBs who are among the top 25 in the state according to CalHiSports, and that’s high praise from prep guru Mark Tennis) Week 3 (Sept 20) ** Paracelete (One of the Southern Cali powers makes its first trip into Black Hat territory) at Oakdale (Mustangs have taken this tough scheduling challenge to a new level. New Kids on the Block will have two games to work together, so this is nice dress rehearsal for VOL) ** Merced (Bears might have best front 7 in Black Hat territory) at Enochs (Black Hat’s boy, 6-3, 300-pound Niles Graham is too big to be overshadowed by the skill players) ** Sonora (Final non-league game before Wildcats begin their final season in the VOL) at Calaveras (In 2014, Sonora and Calaveras will be two of the favorite in the MLL) ** Downey (Knights have had 3 games to get their offense going under QB Cody Logan or Mario Sanchez) at Central Catholic (Bulk of last year’s state title team has left, but RB duo of Matt Ringer and Reggie Bland should be potent). Oh, yes, don’t forget this prized moment in 2012: Downey stunned Central Catholic 45-42. Revenge! ** Week 4 (Sept 27) ** St. Mary’s (High expectations for Rams; 81-24 in 9 seasons under Tony Franks – he’s as sharp as they get when it comes to putting together an offense) at Lincoln (Trojans the rare underdog, but we will have good idea of their talent level by this point of the season) ** Merced at Clovis North (32-8 last 3 years) ** Buhach Colony (a win over a West Catholic Athletic League team would be reason to celebtate) at Serra-San Mateo (Serra won last year’s first-ever meeting with a last-minute two-point conversion) ** Atwater (Coach Bob Valladao has the once-dormant program on the rise, and this will give us an idea if the Falcons are ready to play for the CCC crown) at Clovis (27-9 last three years) ** Escalon (3 straight section finals, State D3 title in 2010, and coach Mark Loureiro is a coaching legend) at Patterson (Coach Nick Marchy a great motivator, but he’s got a young group this year) in one of the great rivalries. Be sure of this: Gonna be wicked hits. Week 5 (Oct 4) ** Lincoln (Could Trojans be 0-4? Hard to imagine them better than 1-3 with their wicked schedule) at Granite Bay (Defending Division 1 State Champ – yep, D1 state champ! And 1,185-yard RB Tony Ellison returning. Gulp!) ** Slow week for non-league, with most teams already in league play and most of the teams in six-school leagues taking their bye here – that’s a good thing, because Black Hat knows where it will be: ** Hughson at Escalon for the TVL title – yep, we’re saying it first! Of course, if we’re wrong, the Eski folks will have a good time with us. That’s OK, because go by the Donut Shack – best midnight donuts in south San Joaquin County — on the way out of town! I’m expecting Hughson to be 4-0 after Waterford, Denair, Bret Harte & Summerville – Escalon’s early season has Los Banos, Pacheco, Patterson and Linden. That might be the most difficult small-school schedule in Black Hat territory, except for Central Catholic. Oh yeah, this will also be the Trans-Valley League opener for both! By the way, check out Grant’s schedule: Paradise, Nevada Union, Burbank, Oak Ridge & Del Oro; Then Elk Grove & Franklin in the Pacers’ first two league games – a great 7-week stretch
Posted on: Mon, 24 Jun 2013 06:56:35 +0000
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