Winless no more
Serra, once 0-4, gears up for CCS semifinal at St. Francis
Serra began the football season ranked No. 2 by this publication, a status based largely on returning players like quarterback Leki Nunn — last year’s West Catholic Athletic League player of the year — and safety TC Lavulo, a steady and calming presence on defense.
But things didn’t go exactly as forecast. A hamstring injury sidelined Lavulo. A brutal opening schedule left the team 0-4. The Padres sprung leaks on defense — 193 points through four games — and the coaches spun their collective minds to repair the holes.
Through it all, coach Patrick Walsh had a precise message for his team.
“We talk about misery,” Walsh said. “Life is difficult. Life is hard. It’s not supposed to be easy. We were miserable, and that’s OK. That’s the major lesson of this group so far. Never quit and keep fighting, then misery can turn into some pretty positive things.”
Serra (7-4) is feeling the positive forces now, healthy and hungry as it prepares for a clash Friday night at WCAL rival St. Francis (10-1) in the semifinals of the Central Coast Section Open Division II playoffs.
Since losing to St. Mary’s-Stockton, De La Salle, Pittsburg and Valley Christian to kick off the season, Serra has not lost, navigating the wave of a seven-game winning streak that includes a victory over St. Francis that led to a share of the league championship with St. Francis and Valley Christian.
Along the way, Lavulo returned to the defense, and the team discovered that it has a good backup quarterback.
When a sore back sidelined Nunn for three games, Luke Bottari — a player Walsh calls his team’s Dak Prescott, referring to the Dallas Cowboys rookie QB — kept the points coming.
Ultimately, though, the team probably wouldn’t be where it is now had the middle of its defense not improved.
“We moved a few key pieces up front, switched them from offense to defense,” Walsh said. “We brought up a JV player (Edmont Lahlouh). The edges got a little bit faster. Things like that.”
Strong defense usually is the hallmark of WCAL play. But not so the past two times Serra and St. Francis have met. St. Francis won on its home field last year 43-42. Serra won on its home field this year, 41-40 in overtime, the only blemish on St. Francis’ record.
“The last two games have been like instant WCAL classics,” Walsh said, noting that he and St. Francis coach Greg Calcagno shared similar comments after each game.
“The sentiment was, ‘I am kind of sorry you lost,’” Walsh added. “Either team could have won either of those games. It was weird, man.”
St. Francis has a veteran team that has grabbed a share of back-to-back league titles and claimed a Northern California championship last season.
For many on this year’s Serra team, the playoffs are a new experience. The Padres missed the postseason last year because of a one-year ban imposed by the CCS after Serra forfeited a consolation playoff game in 2014.
“We talked a lot about that yesterday,” Walsh said Friday after his team cruised past Leigh 45-14 in a playoff opener. “Not taking what we have for granted. And the journey that we have committed to has led us to a CCS semifinal game.”