Dawn of unique season comes with familiar team at the top
For the better part of three decades, the drama among Bay Area high school football fans hasn’t been the competition for No. 1, but for No. 2.
De La SalleConcord is De La Stomp again, with perhaps its best team since the 2015 state champion.
Like that team, which had a thirdyear starter at quarterback in Anthony Sweeney, this year’s Spartans have a thirdyear starter at quarterback in 6foot1, 190pound senior Dorian Hale.
All the other pieces fit accordingly, with twoway dynamos LaMagia Hearns (a Cal signee) and national junior prospect Zeke Berry, an excellent line, a stampede of running backs, playmaking linebackers Kairo Reid and Damonie Perkins, and loads of athleticism in the secondary.
It’s another highly impressive lot from a program that has won 29 consecutive North Coast Section championships and has not lost to a Northern California team in a preposterous 310 games (30802).
But this pandemicaltered season is clearly different, something immediately revealed by its middleofMarch start. This will be an abbreviated season (46 games) without playoffs.
“It’s felt like we’ve been stuck in a time warp the last year, and it’s mostly felt like a bad dream,” said Marin CatholicKentfield coach Mazi Moayed. “Once we could make a schedule, had a start date and end date, we found a purpose. It was awesome, and we can’t wait for it to get going.”
Moayed admits that private schools, more than ever, have the edge over public squads because most have been on campus for months. With such a short turnaround since state officials OK’d the season Feb. 19, teams that have been condi
tioning and weight training and generally more organized are well ahead of the curve.
Of the five squads considered for No. 2 in The Chronicle’s preseason Top 25, only Pittsburg doesn’t receive privateschool benefits — though it did receive a handful of superb transfers.
They include quarterbacks Eli Brickhandler (a senior) and sophomore Jaden Rashada — both considered top California recruits — and firstteam AllBay Valley Athletic League Matthew Quesada (from FreedomOakley), who will lead one of the top receiving groups in Northern California.
Others considered for No. 2: ⏩ Marin Catholic has arguably the Metro’s top returning running back in Davisbound Matteo Perez (2,024 yards in 2019, 30 TDs), one of the best linemen in KaiPetersonDavison (San Jose State) and junior quarterback Michael Ingrassia, who Moayed said is the team’s next big D1 recruit.
⏩ Serra coach Patrick Walsh said he has the biggest line he’s ever coached to protect elusive
dualthreat junior quarterback Dominique Lampkin, the Peninsula coPlayer of the Year. Another junior, Hassan Mahasin, nicknamed “The Missile,” could lead the Central Coast Section in touchdowns.
⏩ St. Ignatius, which won its first West Catholic Athletic League title in 2019, features linebackers Duke Reeder (Stanford) and Siaki Gallegos Hunkin, and breakaway running back Jahsai Shannon.
⏩ Defending state 2AA champion Clayton Valley CharterConcord returns quarterback Jack Kern and running back Omari Taylor. The Eagles end the season April 17 by hosting De La Salle.
⏩ Valley Christian coach Mike Machado said he lost nine players who decided to play other sports but returns many of his best, including San Diego Statebound linebacker Dominic Oliver and one of the state’s top sophomores in receiver Jurrion Dickey.
MaxPreps senior writer Mitch Stephens covers high school sports for The San Francisco Chronicle.