High school football preview: Santa Clara Valley Athletic League
DE ANZA DIVISION
No. 1 LOS GATOS
Coach: Mark Krail
Spring 2021 record: 5-0 What to expect: Circle Sept. 24 on your calendar. The De Anza title was decided by one point last spring after Los Gatos’ roaring comeback at Wilcox. It’s likely to come down to those two teams again, and they open league play against each other. The Wildcats lost their starting backfield in prolific rusher Adam Garwood and QB Alex Grado, who’s walking on at Ole Miss. But coach Mark Krail is confident in the experience he gets back, as well as the two players set to step up in the two stars’ stead. Senior LB/TE Jake Ripp, a Boise State commit and the leading tackler in the CCS last spring, stars on both sides of the ball. At quarterback, it’s been a decade since a junior last started for Los Gatos but the poised Jake Boyd is the favorite to win the job. He’ll have a talented target to throw to in WR/ DB Quinn Merritt, a returning twoway starter. The new running back, Emiliano Mejia, could have started on varsity last year, if not for Garwood, according to Krail.
Season opener: Friday vs. Oak Grove, 7 p.m.
No. 2 WILCOX
Coach: Paul Rosa
Spring 2021 record: 4-1 What to expect: The Chargers return an experienced defense and their top offensive player from last spring, when they came up a point short of the abbreviated De Anza title. RB Luther K. Glenn was one of the leading rushers in the CCS last spring and should contend for the league’s offensive MVP. DT Ozzy Cadena, DE Pace Nelson, DL Kejon Ford and LB D.J. Aguirre lead a talented and experienced front seven. They’ll be battle-tested by the time they face Los Gatos, with a nonleague schedule that includes Pittsburg and Valley Christian.
Season opener: Friday vs. Valley Christian, 7 p.m.
No. 3 MOUNTAIN VIEW Coach: Shelley Smith
Spring 2021 record: 3-2 What to expect: Only two losses last spring came to two top division finishers, but the Spartans have many holes to fill after graduation. Senior Jackson Steffen, who steps in for All-Bay Area honorable mention Trent Steffen at QB, has a strong arm and is “good at managing the game,” coach Shelley Smith said. Senior RB Leo Navarro — “smart, talented and strong,” per Smith — joins him in the backfield. Senior Chris Barmore brings great hands to the tight end and safety spots.
Season opener: Friday vs. The King’s Academy, 7 p.m.
No. 4 PALO ALTO
Coach: Nelson Gifford
Spring 2021 record: 2-3 What to expect: With an experienced backfield, coach Nelson Gifford is hopeful the Vikings take a step forward this fall. Since longtime coach Earl Hansen retired after the 2013 season, Paly has only once reached double-digit wins — a mark Hansen’s squads met six times just from 2005-2012. Senior QB Danny Peters was a freshman when Gifford led the Vikings to their last 10-win campaign. Now, he enters his third year starting behind center and has a running back, senior Josh Butler, whom Gifford believes will lead the league in rushing. Senior LB Rowan Flesch “had an outstanding spring” and “will be a difference maker” on defense, Gifford said.
Season opener: Friday vs. St. Ignatius, 7 p.m.
No. 5 MILPITAS
Coach: Kelly King
Spring 2021 record: 0-5 What to expect: What happened to the Trojans? That’s a question almost anyone involved in Bay Area preps has asked over the last year and one that should hopefully gain some clarity this fall. Some have attributed the 0-5 record last spring — including a historic loss to Santa Clara — to coach Kelly King using the abbreviated season as preparation for this fall. The Trojans lose their starting QB, but WR Trevohn Ferguson gives their new signal-caller a playmaking threat outside. Other coaches picked them to finish as high as third but as low as sixth. There’s no hiding a lack of turnout that forced Milpitas to scale back to only one development team below its varsity squad. Yet, with two state championships just since 2017, Milpitas has been a perennial contender, not only in SCVAL but across the CCS.
Season opener: Friday vs. Amador Valley, 7 p.m. No.6 SANTA CLARA
Coach: Andrew Calderon
Spring 2021 record: 1-4 What to expect: A (somewhat) fresh face takes over, as Andrew Calderon replaces Burt Codera and becomes Santa Clara’s sixth head football coach in the past 16 seasons. Calderon, who also coaches wrestling at the school, has been an assistant coach on the staff of all the previous five head coaches. The Bruins haven’t won more than one game against De Anza competition in a season since 2012 but ended last spring by beating Milpitas for the first time in recorded school history.
Season opener: Friday vs. Galileo, 7 p.m.
No. 7 HOMESTEAD
Coach: Milo Lewis
Spring 2021 record: 2-3 What to expect: It’s an uphill climb for Homestead, which makes the jump from the lower El Camino Division after a 2-2 league record (3rd place) last spring and tying for the division title the previous fall. The Mustangs will seek to win more than three games at the De Anza level for the first time since coach Milo Lewis took over in 2012. Senior RB Derek Sheerer was their leading rusher last spring and “can score in multiple ways,” Lewis said. Junior QB Charlie Castaneda, got some experience last spring but will be asked to step into the starting job.
Season opener: Friday vs. Aragon, 7 p.m.
EL CAMINO DIVISION
No. 1 GUNN
Coach: Jason Miller
Spring 2021 record: 5-0 What to expect: After running the table last spring, the Titans didn’t move up into the De Anza, but according to CalPreps’ ratings, this academic powerhouse could beat the bottom three teams in the upper division. With 53.4 ppg, Gunn got into the end zone nearly three times as often as any of its competition in the El Camino last spring. Senior James Lambert, the returning starter at quarterback, is as much a master of Miller’s adaptation of the Wing-T offense as he is the guitar. Expect gobs of yards on the ground and an even larger role for Lambert with the graduation of RB Richard Jackson IV, the leading rusher in the CCS last spring. Miller also expects RB/WR/ DB Kevin Green to have a breakout season.
Season opener: Saturday at Monterey, 3 p.m.
No. 2 LOS ALTOS
Coach: Dave DeGeronimo
Spring 2021 record: 2-3 What to expect: He’s only a sophomore, but QB Jimmy Flynn is already being described by coach Dave DeGeronimo as a “future star.” He played varsity baseball in the spring and will have to win the job from two-year returning starter Dre Caputo. WR Zach Fagin was the sophomore star in the spring, with eight TDs in five games. The Eagles are more experienced on defense, led by interception machine WR/SS Cole Rafferty, a third-year starter; LG/DL John O’Sullivan, another three-year starter; and DE/LT Fady Yousef, their top pass rusher. Season opener: Friday at Independence, 7 p.m.
No. 3 FREMONT-SUNNYVALE Coach: Jason Swartz
Spring 2021 record: 1-4 What to expect: Fremont hasn’t won more than one game in league play since the 2017 season, but that streak could end this fall. Senior LB/ RB Lenny Sinapati received praise from multiple opposing coaches and is one of the top defenders in all of SCVAL. Also lining up in the backfield, coach Jason Swartz said, “We expect him to be a big-play guy on both sides of the ball.” QB Bronson Stein is also back but will be breaking in a crop of new receivers behind Sinapati. TE/ DE TJ Takafua (6-0, 310) brings huge size and strength to the trenches; he’s also one of the top heavyweight wrestlers in the state.
Season opener: Friday at Evergreen Valley, 7 p.m.
No. 4 SARATOGA
Coach: Tim Lugo
Spring 2021 record: 2-2 What to expect: After last spring, Tim Lugo stepped down as the Falcons’ athletic director to focus on his football coaching duties. Saratoga must replace its starting backfield duo and top two receiving targets from the spring, including All-Bay Area honorable mention Kelly Huesby. Lugo sees a breakout candidate in senior WR/DB Parsa Hasemi, who is expected to step up as the Falcons’ receiving threat. Juniors WR/DB Seth Hulme and TE/LB Charley Jarvis should also factor in to the passing game.
Season opener: Friday vs. San Mateo, 7 p.m.
No. 5 CUPERTINO
Coach: Christopher Oswald
Spring 2021 record: 3-2 Whattoexpect: Turnout is down at Cupertino, too, but at least coach Christopher Oswald is enthusiastic about his rising crop of talent. Junior Jayden Hall, who steps in to the starting quarterback role, can sling it and run it and brings “De Anza league talent playing in the El Camino,” Oswald said. His primary target will be senior WR/DB Harry Singh, who introduced himself with some big plays last spring. On the offensive line, the Pioneers return three starters, led by senior OT/DE Thulasinthan Vithiyashankar.
Season opener: Friday vs. Del Mar, 7 p.m.
No. 6 LYNBROOK
Coach: RJ Davis
Spring 2021 record: 1-2 What to expect: The Vikings last spring came a field goal away from accomplishing something that had been done only once in past seven years at Lynbrook: win two games in league play. It was a big deal when they beat Cupertino to start the season, the Vikings’ second win at all since 2016. RJ Davis will look to build upon that in his fourth season as head coach.
Season opener: Friday vs. Harbor, 7:30 p.m.
No. 7 MONTA VISTA
Coach: Ceazar Agront
Spring 2021 record: 1-2 What to expect: The pandemic only accelerated declining turnout last spring at Monta Vista, like many schools, but coach Ceazar Agront said he’s seen an unexpected turnaround this fall: the Matadors are on track to field a freshman/sophomore team for the first time in three seasons. QB Greyson Mobely has started in the backfield since he was a freshman, but he steps into a new role at quarterback. “This year being his first at QB may put him on the map,” Agront said. He’ll be protected by Division I -sized lineman Jack Schuring (6-6, 315), who, Agront said, “if our run game sees a surge this year it will have to do with.”
Season opener: Thursday vs. Westmont, 5:30 p.m.