No. 2 Simi Valley
As we head into the 2022 high school football season, the Los Angeles Daily News is publishing preseason coverage that includes team rankings and lists of the top players to watch by position. The season begins the week of Aug. 18-20.
Coach: Jim Benkert, fifth
year 2021 W-L record: 101, 4-0Coastal Canyon League
Top returners: Caleb Alvary, RB, Sr.; Carson Mott, DE, Sr; Sean Brown, WR/ DB, Sr.; Steele Pizzella, QB, So.; Diego Caal, K, Sr.
Key losses: Travis Throckmorton, QB; Malachi Hannah, LB; Cooper Wallace, WR; Jalon Barbarin, ATH, (transferred to Chaminade) Newcomers: Solemn Lincoln, ATH, Sr. (from Chaminade); Mason Troy, LB, Sr.; Alex Villalobos,
LB, Jr.; Robert Dixon, TE/ DE, Sr.
BENKERT SAYS...
Team's biggest strength: “Our skill players and program numbers. We had 60 freshmen come out for football this season.” Team's biggest challenge: “Not getting pushed around up front.”
TEAM OUTLOOK
At Marmonte League media day, Simi Valley coach Jim Benkert said the school's football program had won four league titles in 71 seasons prior to his arrival in 2018. The Pioneers won the last two Canyon League crowns, both in unbeaten fashion.
Last year, Simi Valley went 10-0 in the regular season before reaching the CIF Southern Section Division 2playoffs and losing to Orange Lutheran 49-13.
“It was great for our program,
but we weren't ready for that game,” Benkert said. “We went from Division 10 to Division 2 in one season.”
The program reached new heights last year, and it's going even higher this fall now that Simi Valley is in the new-look Marmonte League along with Westlake, Oaks Christian, Bishop Diego, Calabasas and defending league champion St. Bonaventure. This is now the best league in Ventura County.
“All the best programs in the county, from Calabasas up to Santa Barbara (Bishop Diego) are in one league,” Benkert said.
There is irony to Benkert being back in the Marmonte League after he spent 26 years as the coach at Westlake High
before a three-year stint at Oaks Christian. In his time at Westlake and Oaks Christian he won six CIFSS titles, the most recent in 2017 (Division 2) with star players like Kayvon Thibodeaux and Zach Charbonnet.
Now, Benkert's sights are set on bringing Simi Valley a CIF championship. He'll look to sophomore quarterback Steele Pizzella, running back Caleb Alvary, defensive end Carson Mott (Colorado commit) and defensive back Sean Brown (Arizona commit) to anchor each side of the ball.
Canyon High
Sept. 16: vs. Yorba Linda Sept. 30: at Westlake
Oct. 7: vs. Calabasas
Oct. 14: at. St. Bonaventure Oct. 21: vs. Oaks Christian Oct. 28: vs. Bishop Diego
2022 W-L prediction:
7-3. The Pioneers will be in closer games this year. They reached a running clock in eight of their 10 games last year, which didn't help when it came to being ready for the postseason. Now that Simi Valley is in the Marmonte League, this will probably be the program's toughest schedule ever. The year probably won't end in a CIF championship, but it will be a huge step closer toward “big boy” football.