Prep football roundtable: Who’s the most exciting player? What teams will win titles?
Death. Taxes. Folsom ranked No. 1.
Yes, it’s football season again. And despite what you see atop the rankings in the Sacramento area, a lot has changed since last year. We gathered our panel of prep football experts to go over what’s different and what they expect from the new football season.
Temperatures and optimism are high as dozens of teams in the Sacramento area think they might have what it takes to win a Sac-Joaquin Section title. In our inaugural prep football roundtable, Joe Davidson, Chris Biderman, Cameron Salerno and Jim Patrick separate the contenders from the pretenders and look into their crystal ball to make predictions for the coming season.
Other than Folsom, which team can win a section title?
Joe Davidson: Folsom was a lock last season to win the Sierra Foothill League but lost to Rocklin and Granite Bay, and then took off and won that section and NorCal title. Point being, trust the process, one game at a time and yada yada. Vanden in Division III seems likely, or perhaps Capital Christian. Let’s get those teams together sooner than later.
Jim Patrick: Let’s take a look at little Division VII, where Woodland Christian returns key cogs from a team that played for a section title last fall. Senior Billy Hinkle does everything but drive the team bus; he ran for 17 touchdowns and caught five more. Senior Caden Pascoe will spend time under center, splitting time with Hinkle. Pascoe threw for 19 touchdowns last season. The defense lost a fair number of seniors but here’s betting the Cardinals can fill those gaps and make a run at a championship.
Chris Biderman: Monterey Trail. They’ve been on the doorstep the last two non-COVID seasons when they went to the section championship games. They lost star quarterback Frank Arcuri, sure, but they’re replacing him with his brother, Vince, who will be running the plays called by his dad, Rick. It also doesn’t hurt that All-Metro running back Ali Collier is back after rushing for 25 touchdowns last season.
Cameron Salerno: Someone from the Capital Athletic League has a strong chance to win a section title. It’s one of the best leagues in the section and you can make the case for Capital Christian, Christian Brothers, Sacramento Charter and Vista del Lago to make a run. They might not win it this year, but Sacramento is turning into a powerhouse. They have a very strong sophomore class.
Who is the most exciting player?
Joe Davidson: In an era of the pass, I’m old-school and appreciate the throwback runner, so I’ll go with Lamar Radcliffe of Sacramento, a 2,000-yard rusher, a bruiser and only a junior.
Jim Patrick: Antelope’s Curron Borders. Clearly, it is not possible to tackle the young man. He averaged more than 10 yards per carry last year while running for 32 touchdowns. He ran for 315 yards on 17 carries in one game. Do you know how hard that is to do? That’s like Joe turning in a story that’s not 1,000 words long. Unheard of!
Chris Biderman: Phillip Bell, the receiver from Christian Brothers. He had two Division I scholarship offers as an eighth-grader, for goodness sake, and spent the offseason getting offers from little-known schools like Georgia, Auburn and Texas A&M. And he’s only a sophomore! He told me his goal is 2,000 yards this season. I’m not a hyperbole guy but would anyone be surprised if we see him on Sundays eventually?
Cameron Salerno: Rico Flores Jr. of Folsom. He’s the best player on the best team in the Sacramento area. Flores committed to Notre Dame this summer over a handful of other elite college football programs. He will be a favorite for player of the year. He should have a huge season in a pass happy offense at Folsom.
What’s a trend to watch for?
Joe Davidson: Dealing with the referee shortage. First, parents and fans have to dial it down because it’s that venom that has chased referees away. Will we see some Thursday or Saturday games to ease the referee numbers crunch?
Jim Patrick: Cramps on opening night. We talk about this every year internally but I haven’t figured out what the story is for readers. It’s going to be around 100 degrees at kickoff Friday. And kids don’t know how to hydrate properly. I had a trainer tell me last year overhydrating is almost as bad because it gets all the salt out of your body. And, you know, kids are kids. The over/under for the number of cramps interrupting a game Friday night has got to be five.
Chris Biderman: Aside from great newspaper coverage? That’s a tough one. Overall I think many of the elite players are more polished and handle themselves more professionally than when I was in high school (please don’t look up Santa Rosa High’s record from 2001 to 2005). Recruiting, seven-on-seven leagues and social media force these kids to grow up faster than they ever have.
Cameron Salerno: Cramps. Pickle juice. Turnovers. Those will be the three storylines to look for this week. It’s going to be hot the first few weeks of the season. In my time covering preps in this area, I have never seen it this hot to start the season. Most area teams are pushing back start times to later in the evening to beat the heat.
Pick one: A bruising running back or an acrobatic receiver
Joe Davidson: Bruising back, forearm to the neck, destination: End zone. Football is still all about blocking, tackling, running and stopping the run.
Jim Patrick: It depends a little on the team and division. Anything less than Division I? I want a bruising running back. Jack Carner. Curron Borders. Lamar Radcliffe. High school football is still about controlling the ball and minimizing mistakes. Especially in the mid and lower levels, a bruiser can run through smaller linemen and gallop all the way to a win. But at the top level, with Division I-caliber quarterbacks chucking the ball … Who am I kidding? I still want a bruising running back. Is Christian Okoye’s kid in the area? Or maybe his kid’s kid?
Chris Biderman: If you’re the best athlete on your team, wouldn’t you rather play receiver? You take fewer hits, can get more highlight plays, and your NFL brethren are cashing out like never before. I’m a sucker for smash-mouth football as much as anybody, but as physicality continues to get phased out of the sport, I’m expecting more of the best players to play wideout.
Cameron Salerno: I’m going with an acrobatic receiver. Having someone you can rely on to catch anything, pick up a first down, go for 50 yards after the catch or score a touchdown on any given play is valuable. If you have a good running back on the roster, that helps, too. A majority of the teams in the area are run heavy. For the first time in a long time, Sacramento doesn’t have a Division l quarterback prospect returning.
What games are you watching tonight?
Joe Davidson: I never gloat, but that air conditioned press box at Folsom is going to be glorious as I text my Bee running mates, “Is it hot your way? Jim, your face still melting?” Folsom takes on Monterey Trail, which has nothing to lose.
Jim Patrick: I’m firing Joe if he gloats. The Twelve Bridges varsity opener. This is true in a literal sense – that’s the game I’m scheduled to cover, so I will be watching it. It’s interesting because they could win their first varsity opener, a tilt with McClatchy. Plus a lot of talent left Lincoln High School to go open up Twelve Bridges, including the coach, Chris Bean.
Chris Biderman: Granite Bay at Elk Grove. Two great programs looking to get off to strong starts. I’m in.
Cameron Salerno: Antelope-Whitney. This is a playoff rematch from last season in a game which Antelope won. Whitney only returns a handful of starters from last year, while Antelope returns about 10. This game will come down to if the Whitney defense can stop star running back Curron Borders. If the Wildcats can do that, it will be a thrilling opener.