Lincoln, Mission look to be class of AAA this year
The AAA football season opens Thursday and one thing is certain: Nothing is.
“It’s going to be a wild season,” Lowell coach Danny Chan said. “More than any other I can remember, anything can happen.”
The last few seasons have presented some major surprises.
Mission won its first section crown since 1954 last season, but lost most of its key players to graduation. The Bears do return the league’s most explosive offensive player, quarterback Antoine Porter.
In 2009, Galileo entered the season with 18 straight losses and proceeded to win its first title since 2001, 35-0 over fourtime defending champion Lincoln. That defeat sent Lincoln reeling; it lost 18 of 22 over two seasons.
With 2010 champion and 2011 finalist Washington now struggling under a new coaching staff, picking a favorite at this point is just plain guessing.
The league, which opens Thursday with Mission at Lowell, was a combined 6-16-1 in nonleague play. No roster boasts more than 30 players, so health is especially key.
SanFranPreps.com writer Jeremy Balan, who has seen all the seven teams — Burton will field only a JV team — sees it as a two-team race at the top.
“Mission and Lincoln,” Balan said. “After that, the (other) two playoff spots are totally up for grabs.”
After a two-year skid, Lincoln appears to have speed in the backfield, strength up front and overall depth to get back to the Turkey Day Game. The Mustangs (2-1) are the only team with two wins. Demetrius Williams (247 yards, five touchdowns) leads a trio of capable backs. “Lincoln is definitely back,” Chan said.
Lowell (1-2) looked back to form with a 42-0 win over Jefferson-Daly City on Friday, as Michael McCarthy, William Kimand Lorenzo Pesino combined for 389 yards rushing and six touchdowns.
Galileo (1-2-1) has a superb running pair in Ronzel Fox and Dontell Jackson, but Fox didn’t play during a 44-0 loss to Kennedy-Richmond because of an undisclosed injury.
Washington (0-3) has scored only 18 points, Marshall (1-3) has scored 120 but allowed 200 and Balboa (0-3) had a week off since a 16-15 loss to Jefferson on
Sept. 15.
WCAL openers: Sacred Heart Cathedral (1-2) is the only San Francisco WCAL team to host a game this week, going against St. Francis (1-2) at 4 p.m. Saturday at Kezar Stadium. … Riordan (3-0) travels to San Jose City College to play two-time defending champion Bellarmine (3-0) at 7 p.m. Friday, and St. Ignatius (2-1) plays at Valley Christian (2-1) at 7 p.m. Saturday. … Our predicted order of finish: 1. Serra; 2. St. Ignatius; 3. Bellarmine; 4. Mitty; 5. St. Francis; 6. Riordan;
7. Sacred Heart Cathedral. S.F. football rankings: 1. St. Ignatius.; 2. Riordan; 3. Sacred Heart Cathedral; 4. Lincoln; 5. Mission; 6. Lowell; 7. Galileo; 8. Marshall; 9. Washington; 10. Balboa.