GOLD MINE GALLERY: ST. BONAVENTURE AT ST. JOSEPH

GOLD MINE THOUGHTS: IS 2-0 PASO ROBLES SENDING A MESSAGE TO ITS POSSIBLE NEW SECTION?

Paso Robles running back Christian Erickson looks for an opening during a counter play to the left side in the 51-33 victory over Bakersfield (Calif.) Frontier, elevating the Bearcats to 2-0 (photo by Lorenzo Reyna). 

Maybe, this back-to-back dominance of two Central Section foes is illustrating this emphatic statement from the office of Paso Robles High football: The Bearcats clearly want in on the Central Section.

Just maybe, PRHS’s brilliance against both Lemoore and Bakersfield (Calif.) Frontier is the kind of statement that Central Section commissioner Jim Crichlow and his office is looking for to solidify that Paso can indeed hang with the best of them north of San Luis Obispo County, especially since Paso reportedly has its name in the ringer for possible Central Section elevation.   

Paso’s top locomotive at running back Christian Erickson – who actually owns three victories against 559/661 foes in his three-year varsity career including the 48-30 road upset of Clovis High back in 2014 – denies that his team’s 2-0 start is a message to Crichlow’s office about seeking acceptance into a new playing field.

“Right now, we go by the motto that our coach goes by: One game at a time and just go on to the next game,” Erickson said. “Eventually, if it gets there (the possible move to another section), it gets there.”

But for the writer typing this out, Paso has proven to me that the ‘Cats are indeed Central Section material.

In what has been the most impressive 2-0 start in the northern part of the 805, the Bearcats have buried last season’s Central Section Division II runner-up Lemoore and wore down a traditional playoff contender in Frontier by a combined score of 86-43, highlighted by the recent 51-33 victory against the Titans at Flamson Middle School on Sept. 2, a game that saw Paso outscore Frontier 41-19 in the second half.  

And Paso has unleashed its assault on the San Joaquin Valley with an un-fancy offense that opts to avoid gimmicky plays, but instead lines up with three running backs and takes away a defense’s oxygen through dive and blast plays.

Paso’s blue-collar approach has been the identity of Bearcats football for many years, culminating in eight Southern Section titles including one from two seasons ago.

“That’s how Paso is: We’re going to beat you with the run,” the 2017 prospect Erickson said, who currently holds one scholarship offer from Army. “We’re just going to keep pounding and pounding to wear you down.”

With eight reported Southern Section teams lobbying for acceptance into the Central Section, it’s the Bearcats who are clearly showing that they’re ready for the possible shift in realignment.

FORMER CAL/NFL SAFETY LEADING CLOVIS (CALIF.) BUCHANAN UNBEATEN CHARGE

It wasn’t that long ago when Matt Giordano was blowing plays up near the line of scrimmage while leading Buchanan High to the 2000 Valley Championship.

Now, Giordano is unleashing his defenders as head coach of his prep alma mater, helping culminate in an impressive 2-0 start in the 559.

The first-year head coach and journeyman NFL safety has guided Buchanan to victories over highly-ranked Hanford (the 559’s lone state champion from last year) and traditional power Fresno-Bullard to start the year, utilizing an aggressive defense that forces turnovers and causes multiple three-and-outs.

Another man providing an assist for Giordano’s rise as head coach is the current defensive coordinator who once helped coach “Gio” and that Valley championship team on the cross streets of Teague and Minnewawa Avenues: Mike Vogt.

IMG ACADEMY/CENTENNIAL LIVES UP TO HYPE…AND MUCH MORE

Heading into the Sept. 3 showdown at Mission Viejo High, the much anticipated IMG Academy/Corona-Centennial contest had the look of a Southeastern Conference versus Pac-12 clash, with a plethora of football accolades from both teams and future college football talent sprinkled across the field.

The game lived up to expectations…and emerged as an instant classic with the Florida-based IMG Academy using one final big reception from former Calabasas (Calif.) star wideout Brian Hightower with 12 seconds left to lift the Ascenders to the thrilling 50-49 victory.

The 6-foot-3 Hightower caught his final pass on a 38-yard strike from Texas A&M quarterback commit Kellen Mond, who finished with 512 total yards (411 through the air) and five combined touchdowns against last season’s CIF Open Division runner-up and the top team from Southern California in the last two seasons.

Centennial’s contingent didn’t disappoint either, as receiver Xavier Marshall finished with 14 catches, 230 yards and three touchdowns, Miles Reed leading the ground work with 41 carries, 179 yards and three scores and quarterback Tanner McKee erupting for 374 yards through the air.

HIDDEN GEM ALERT: SAN JOAQUIN MEMORIAL SENIOR LEADING 2-0 START

Defense has been the main staple so far for Fresno-San Joaquin Memorial, with the Panthers giving up two touchdowns or less during their 2-0 spark.

The stellar play from 6-foot-3, 245-pound senior Jacob Fleming has been a big reason why.

Fleming has not only averaged 5.5 tackles per game so far, but exploded with a seven tackle, three sack evening against Lemoore in SJM’s 23-15 upset on Sept. 2.

Fleming has operated from the outside of the Panther line, swallowing the pocket with a quick get-off after the ball is snapped and his long arms that gets utilized to force sacks or bad throws. 

GOLD MINE THOUGHTS: ST. BONAVENTURE'S NEW QUARTERBACK SHOWS CEREBRAL SIDE IN DEBUT

Mason Quandt impressed the Ventura College crowd with 321 yards and four touchdown throws in St. Bonaventure's 45-13 romp of Bakersfield-Centennial (photo by Lorenzo Reyna). 

Before he closes his eyes and falls asleep, Mason Quandt fires up Hudl to break down his opponents and figure out ways to exploit certain match ups. He especially played close attention to what Bakersfield (Calif.) Centennial did on defense during his time in the film room at Ventura (Calif.) St. Bonaventure, leading up to his varsity starting debut at quarterback.

The film study paid off for the latest to handle the quarterback reins for the Seraphs, as the 6-foot-4 Class of 2018 prospect Quandt impressively spread the football around to the tune of 321 yards and four touchdowns in Bonnie’s 45-13 trouncing of the Golden Hawks on Aug. 27 at Ventura College.

“We saw that they played a lot of Cover Four with their corners off the line of scrimmage and we liked our short bubble routes and hitches (on them),”  Quandt said. “After we ran some of those, we would get their corners to divide up and get them on our double moves. We also liked our counters up the middle.”

During one sequence, Quandt completed 11 straight passes and spread the ball around to six different receivers. His breakout pass came during the first quarter, when he found a sprinting Jacob Bravo on a 41-yard bomb down the right side of the field, culminating in Quandt’s first varsity touchdown throw.

Quandt was going against a Centennial team that not only represents an area that produced two state playoff qualifiers last season in Ridgeview and Liberty, but a Golden Hawks team that brought Cal defensive lineman commit Gabe Cherry and Nevada wide receiver/cornerback commit Cole Beaty with them.

Quandt conducted the offensive orchestra as his predecessor Darius Vines watched joyfully from the sidelines. While Vines was known for beating opponents on quarterback keepers, Quandt showed his cerebral assassin side in his debut.

RODDICK DOESN’T PLAY, BUT GIVES SERAPH LINE A HIGH PASSING GRADE

One of the biggest evaluators of the St. Bonaventure’s offensive line performance against Centennial was someone who wasn’t dressed in pads due to a reported knee injury, but someone who still paid close attention to how his trench comrades were doing: Casey Roddick.

And, on a night that the highly recruited Roddick – the owner of nine scholarship offers including a recent one from Utah - didn’t anchor the line and one other Seraph starter fell due to injury, the Seraph’s front five still paved running lanes for Chuck Wick to gain 157 yards against a big Centennial line.

“They definitely get an A+,” Roddick said. “We were very poised and were in great position with the players we have and with rotating our line. I liked that about our offensive line.”

He especially pointed out the performance of Tyler Ostrom and Tyler Adams, who had the task of bottling up Cherry and keeping Quandt’s uniform grass stain free.

Roddick said he’s unsure if he’ll play on Friday, Sept. 2 against West Hills-Chaminade and said “It’s coach (Adam) Guerra’s decision.”

BISHOP DIEGO’S HARRIS RUNS WILD, HOPES FOR COLLEGE INTEREST

What was a slow start in the Santa Barbara-Bishop Diego game against Santa Maria-Righetti turned into a wild goose chase for Righetti’s defenders, as they tried to slow down Diego’s top speed back option John Harris.

And the junior wound up reaching the finish line not once, but twice with two touchdowns on 184 yards rushing in the Cardinals’ 21-0 shutout in Santa Maria.

“It’s always nice to get the ball,” Harris said.

At 6-foot-3, 200-pounds and with a reported 40-yard dash time of 4.5, Harris looks like a back college coaches would salivate over. But instead, things have been quiet for the junior and three-year varsity letterman, as he said he’s received no letters or scholarships yet from college coaches.

As the new feature back at BDHS and now in his third season on varsity, Harris could see an ascension soon on the recruiting trail.

HIDDEN GEM RECOGNITION: LABRIE BREAKS OUT AS BASKETBALL SCORE ENSUES AT OAKS CHRISTIAN

In the last two seasons on varsity, Brandon LaBrie has waited his turn to be the lead back at Oaks Christian.

On Aug. 26, he not only got the call to lead the ground game, but responded with a career-high 181 yards and four touchdowns plus added 132 yards on five receptions through the receiving end, as the Lions held off a high-powered Chaminade offense in the 65-55 shootout win.

The 2017 prospect LaBrie, who holds one reported offer from Kentucky Christian, earned the L.A. Daily News’ So Cal Prep Legends Boys Athlete Of The Week for his efforts. 

GOLD MINE GALLERY: BROPHY COLLEGE PREP VERSUS EDISON

All photos by Lorenzo Reyna