Freedom-Bishop O’Dowd matchup should be epic
Three Freedom-Oakley alums are in the NFL: Cincinnati running back Joe Mixon, Indianpolis tight end Darrell Daniels and Green Bay guard Darrell Greene (practice squad).
Eight members off last season’s 11-2 Freedom squad are playing college football, including Fresno State starting tailback Ronnie Rivers, a firstteam Chronicle All-Metro selection.
Several other Falcons are playing significant roles at other FBS schools, including UNLV tight end Gio Fauolo, Nevada defensive end Patrick Choudja and San Jose State guard Dom Fredrickson.
“It’s keeping me busy,” said Kevin Hartwig, Freedom 16thyear head coach. “I try to go see someone every weekend. We’ve had a really good run of talent and great kids over the last 9-10 years. Really good.”
His current lot is pretty good, too.
Despite losing 10 starters to graduation, the ninth-ranked Falcons are 4-0. On Friday, they host fifth-ranked Bishop O’Dowd-Oakland (3-0).
The Dragons, coached former Raiders running back Napoleon Kaufman, are the region’s fastest rising program, with top recruits such as Oregon-bound safety Jevon Holland, Cal-bound tackle Miles Owens and one of the state’s top junior running backs, Austin Jones.
Most of O’Dowd’s players were in place last year when it went 15-1 and won a state Division 5-AA title. Its only loss was at home, 43-13 to Freedom, a Division I school.
“If I was Coach Kaufman, I would probably circle our game this year,” Hartwig said. “I’m pretty sure they’ll be shooting for us pretty hard. They have some big, strong, talented dudes everywhere. We’ll have to play our best to compete.”
Freedom has received stellar play from junior quarterback Joey Aguilar, a transfer from nearby Liberty-Brentwood, who has completed 52 of 86 for 879 yards with 14 touchdowns and just two interceptions.
He’s got a strong quartet of receivers, led by third-year starter Baylei Coston (23 catches, 444 yards, eight touchdowns), who had six catches for 140 yards and three scores in last week’s 40-28 comeback win at San Leandro. Coston, a 5-foot-10, 165-pounder, had three TD catches the previous week against Logan-Union City. He has offers from Hawaii and Utah State.
“If he was a little bigger, he’d have a ton more offers,” Hartwig said of Coston. “He runs great routes and has awesome hands.”
Speedy Giles Jackson (58 carries, 535 yards, eight touchdowns) has moved from receiver to running back and picked up the slack left by Rivers.
The defense is led by linebacker Diego Fratus (26 tackles), safety Thomas Houston (four interceptions), and lineman Caelan Merryman (6-0, 290).
“These guys just play their butts off,” Hartwig said. “We have a lot of new faces and they had to figure out who were the leaders pretty quick. It’s a close-knit group.”
It helps to have a cohesive staff.
Hartwig said he has had the same off-campus group for more than a decade: Ryan Seto (wide receivers), Ron Rivers (running and defensive backs and special teams), Sam Arnold (defensive coordinator), Dave Fogelstrom (quarterbacks) and George Flores (linebackers).
“We got a good group of coaches and players and they all know what to expect,” Hartwig said. “The kids who have passed through here have been hard working and selfdriven. They all come back and help out. Life is good.”