Serra High’s football team lost several key players who are now at Major Division I colleges, most of those in PAC 12, but it has plenty left and even more.
The Cavaliers begin this season ranked 19th in the United States by the Maxpreps Xcellent 25 and opens at home against Lakewood Friday at 7 p.m.
Gone are such players as Adoree Jackson, Elyjwon Tucker and Jalen Greene (all at University of Southern California), Dwight Williams and Jordan Lasley (UCLA), Glen Ichacho (Oregon), Malachi Mageo (Hawaii) and Sam Akotinteu (Fresno State).
Serra High’s football team lost several key players who are now at Major Division I colleges, most of those in PAC 12, but it has plenty left and even more.
The Cavaliers begin this season ranked 19th in the United States by the Maxpreps Xcellent 25 and opens at home against Lakewood Friday at 7 p.m.
Gone are such players as Adoree Jackson, Elyjwon Tucker and Jalen Greene (all at University of Southern California), Dwight Williams and Jordan Lasley (UCLA), Glen Ichacho (Oregon), Malachi Mageo (Hawaii) and Sam Akotinteu (Fresno State).
“We’re replacing eight really good players who are tough to replace,” Serra head coach Scott Altenberg said.
Serra should be particularly strong on defense behind five-star recruit linebacker John Tucker, who will be playing in the Under Armour All-American Classic at St. Petersburg, Fla. and defensive tackle Rasheem Green, also a five-star recruit who will play in the Under Armour Game. Both are returning all-Americans.
The Cavaliers continue to be loaded with the return of senior running back Malik Roberson, who sat out last season due to a torn ACL he received while long jumping in the 2013 CIF-Southern Section Masters Track and Field Championships.
Serra, too, has key transfers including senior running back Stanley Norman from Culver City High and quarterback Caleb Washington from Georgia.
Washington is competing for the starting job with returning junior Khalil Tate, who saw a lot of action as a reserve behind Greene.
Altenberg expects both to see a lot of playing time. “It will kind of mix it up,” Altenberg said. “They’re very different. Wilson is 6-feet-4 and weighs 218 pounds. He is a slinger and accurate passer. Tate is a real good runner. He gives us stuff that will be tough to duplicate.”
Wide receiver Devonte Burnett has been recruited by Washington State.
Juniors, wide receiver-defensive back Brandon Burton, who could be an all-American this season and play in either the Under Armour and United States Army All-American Games in 2016, and linebacker-tackle Blake Walls will also key the Cavaliers.
Senior guard-nose tackle Josh Davis is also a key starter at 6-feet-1, 260 pounds.
“We have real good depth,” Altenberg said. “We’re on a new mission. We’re excited about our opponents.”
Serra’ second opponent, Washington state power Bellevue, currently holds a 54-game winning streak, in the Honor Bowl Classic on Sept. 6 at Oceanside High. In the Maxpreps Xcellent 25 preseason poll, Bellevue is ranked 16th in the country.
The Cavaliers will be in a more rigorous Mission League, which will be part of the prestigious Southern Section PAC Five. It will include Sherman Oaks Notre Dame, La Puente Bishop Amat, Encino Crespi, Mission Hills Alemany, West Hills Chaminade (last year’s Southern Section Western Division and California State Division II champion) and Los Angeles Loyola.
Serra begins the Mission at home against Notre Dame on Sept. 26. The Cavaliers faced the Knights over the past few seasons getting wins in each of the last two years.
In the first Fox Sports West overall Southern Section poll, the Cavaliers are rated 10th. Alemany is fifth, Chaminade 15th and Bishop Amat 16th. The PAC Five is loaded with Bellflower St. John Bosco No. 1 in the Southern Section and 11th in the U.S. by Maxpreps. The Trinity League, in fact, has the top three overall, with Anaheim Servite No. 2 and Santa Ana Mater Dei third. Centennial of Corona is fourth.
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South Bay preps could be aligned for a big football season
By Joe Snyder
GVN Correspondent
The South Bay Athletic Association releagued for the first time in four seasons.
The CIF-Southern Section has yet to release its first polls but look for both Serra and Gardena to be faced in very stiff leagues.
The Cavaliers are in the newly revamped Mission League and have some extremely tough teams in Mission Hills Alemany, Sherman Oaks Notre Dame, last year’s California State Division II champion West Hills Chaminade, Encino Crespi, long time powers La Puente Bishop Amat and Los Angeles Loyola.
It will definitely be a lot tougher than that old Western Division Mission League. Perhaps Serra’s only real competition was Chaminade. The Cavaliers defeated the Eagles, 36-0, in league on Oct. 18 only to see themselves stunned by Chaminade, 38-35, on a walk-off field goal. Serra came into that game ranked seventh in the nation and ended up having eight players at Major Division I colleges, six of those at PAC 12 teams and five at either University of Southern California or UCLA.
Serra’s non-league schedule is tough with Washington State Bellevue on Sept. 6 at Oceanside High but others may be more just “very good teams.” The Cavaliers open up at home at Lakewood, but sources are that the Lancers have a few major Division I college prospects and several key transfers that will make them contend with powerful Long Beach Poly for the Moore League title. Serra has non-league games against CIF-L.A. City Section Marine League powers Carson and Narbonne.
Gardena continues to be in that rigorous Marine League with Carson, Narbonne, San Pedro and a very experienced Banning squad that could be looking at its best team since its 2000 City championship squad that upset Carson for the title.
The Panthers start their season at home on Sept. 5 against southeast L.A. Verbum Dei before visiting Canoga Park on Sept. 12 at the same time. Gardena’s other preseason opponents include John Glenn in Norwalk (Sept. 19), an improved Inglewood Morningside squad that moves into the highly competitive Bay League (Sept. 26 at home) and Downey Warren at home on Oct. 3.
Gardena visits Banning in its Marine opener on Oct. 10.
The Bay League prediction appears that Mira Costa, Palos Verdes and Inglewood could be in a close battle for the championship but Morningside, Redondo and Peninsula should also be no pushover.
Look for West Torrance, which returns numerous talented players such as Brett Ojiwi and Dale Rouse, to be the Pioneer favorite, with a more experienced North Torrance squad and cross town rival South Torrance to battle it out.
Believe it or not, El Segundo should be the Ocean League favorite. Despite big losses, Santa Monica and Culver City should be right there and don’t count out Hawthorne, which looks much improved and could have its best squad in 10 years.
Narbonne, again, should be the Marine favorite, with Carson right behind, but San Pedro is always tough and Banning is looking at a banner year and could surprise the league, as well. The old Banning-Carson rivalry might come back this season.
