By Mitch Stephens
MaxPreps.com
The best young football coach in the Bay Area is Novato's Travis Brackett.
We had that hunch before, what with him winning last year's true North Coast Section 2A championship with one of the most dominating seasons in recent memory.
The Hornets overcame a season-opening loss last season to Foothill-Pleasanton (which finished 12-1) then ran the table with 12 straight wins by outscoring teams by a combined 545-24, including Miramonte-Orinda 48-3 in the finals.
It was the second straight NCS crown for Brackett and the Hornets and third in five years. He was honored by calhisports.com as the state small-school Coach of the Year.
But he secured my vote following Novato's 25-22 season-opening home win on Saturday.
The Hornets lost 17 starters off last year's squad and faced a program that has been one of the Bay Area's best the last two decades. Granted, the Falcons lost their heart and soul, coach Matt Sweeney who is taking a leave while his daughters finish up athletic careers.
But Foothill, with another excellent young coach John Mannion and staff, is still formidable, especially with the lethal inside/outside running combination of Kyle Andrews and Austin Day, two of the Bay Area's best.
If ever Brackett or the Hornets would be susceptible - coming off a dream season with a young inexperienced squad facing a larger (4A) more experienced team - this would have been it.
Instead, they carried out all the objectives that all the other Brackett squads have accomplished: remarkably disciplined defense, big-play offense and the ability to not beat itself.
First-year starting quarterback Jeff Stephens didn't put up big numbers (14 of 23, 123 yards) but he threaded the needle when he needed to most - namely touchdown tosses of 14 and 10 yards to Jake Davis and 12 yards to Mike Polvere.
His receivers were remarkably aggressive and caught every ball in traffic or up for grabs.
When Foothill, playing with a third-string quarterback because of injuries, made a charge, the Hornets responded with a beautifully designed 58-yard touchdown run by another newcomer, Kyle Campas, midway through the fourth quarter.
The defense, which returned only two starting cornerbacks, was unspectacularly sound and solid and reliable - rarely if ever missing a tackle. Even against the absolute brute who is Andrews, a 6-foot-3, 235-pound Mack truck.
Yes, Day and Andrews got their yards (30 carries, 142 yards) but either broke loose.
"We bent a lot but never broke," Brackett said.
In short, the smallish team, with barely 30 players, did everything instructed to beat a probably superior squad.
More to like about Brackett than the X's and O's is his demeanor.
His ultra calm but obviously fiery and passionate about what he does. His students play with the fire but they are absolutely respectful. They have fun without showing up their foes.
And one of the clearest and most accurate ways to show a coach's mark - beyond the wins or championships - is when his former players come back to coach. That's true throughout the Novato program.
"I got a great bunch of kids who put in the time and effort," Brackett said. "And I have an equally great staff that does the same. I'm very fortunate."
Genuine modesty gets points from us as well.
MORE CLASS: We had to feel for Mannion, first for replacing Sweeney, arguably the best Bay Area coach not named Bob Ladouceur/Terry Eidson. I actually believe Sweeney is right on par with that dynamic duo as well.
Mannion and staff did all the right things throughout the offseason - virtually flawless spring and summer camps. Then two weeks ago, Cameron Coon, a 6-3, 185-pound junior who won the quarterback job, was lost for the season with a back injury.
The senior he edged, senior Bryan Kruger, then hurt his knee last week forcing Mannion to bring up his son Sean Mannion, a sophomore, from the JV team.
The younger Mannion performed admirably (10 of 20 for 122 yards), leading a clutch 95-yard scoring drive late that was culminated with a touchdown pass and 2-point conversion pass.
But it simply wasn't enough. Afterward, coach Mannion showed further class when asked about his quarterback shuffle.
"Make it perfectly clear we didn't lose this game because of that," he said. "Novato deserved to win. They were the better team."
WHAT AN OPENER: As reported to us by Harold Abend, two failed extra points in the final four minutes and 39 seconds left Cardinal Newman-Santa Rosa and host Central Catholic of Modesto in a 35-35 tie late Saturday night.
In a match-up that last year for all intents and purposes decided a CIF State Bowl Game Division III Northern California berth, Max Pond threw for 338 yards and rushed for 86 more, and teammate Bari Mims had a remarkable 18 receptions for 228 yards but it wasn't enough to get the Cardinals over the hump.
Pond, in his first game at quarterback, completed a 56-yard pass to Jordan Reyes that set up Jeff Badger's second touchdown run, this time a 1-yarder, to give Newman a 35-29 lead with 4:39 to go. Reyes' extra point attempt hit the left upright and glanced away.
Central Catholic came right back, going 65 yards capped by a 4-yard TD run by Louis Bland with 2:12 remaining. It was the third touchdown of the night for Bland, who carried 23 times for 162 yards.
On the ensuing extra point try, the snap went over the holder's head and Newman eventually smothered the ball carrier.
Each team had one possession, but on the game's final play, Newman's Randy Wright intercepted a Central Catholic pass and returned it 35 yards before being tackled. The final gun went off, the two coaches met at midfield and decided not to play an overtime period.
"I just told their coach that in our section we play overtime in league and playoff ties," Cardinal Newman coach Paul Cronin told the Santa Rosa Press-Democrat. "No one was really sure about it."
Central Catholic, which lost 22-14 at Cardinal Newman in last year's opener for both teams, took what looked to be a commanding 26-7 halftime lead behind two touchdown runs by Bland, a 64-yard run from Max Nelson and 21-yard TD pass from David Halvorson to David Biscevic.
But Newman, which lost in last year's state title game to Oaks Christian, scored 22 unanswered points in the third quarter on a 14-yard pass from Pond to Mims, a 1-yard run from Joe Ferguson and a 3-yard TD run by Badger. That put Newman up 29-26.
Central Catholic tied it midway through the fourth quarter on a 35-yard field goal by Andrew Kelly.
Central Catholic came into the season ranked No. 1 in the state (by Calhisports.com) in Division IV and Cardinal Newman was No. 8 in Division II.
The tie might cause some problems for CIF commissioners if both teams run the table the rest of the year. The commissioners pick the respective teams for the bowl games.
"It was a great game," Cronin said. "I thought it was a pretty gutsy effort by our guys. Their line was enormous and pushed us around a little in the first half."
LEARN AND GROW: More things we learned on the first full week of football games.
E-mailers don't always exaggerate. Last year when we praised San Ramon Valley-Danville quarterback Corbin Louks week after week, an e-mailer wrote that there was another special quarterback on the horizon, then sophomore Joe Southwick. In his varsity debut on Friday, Southwick was nearly perfect, going 18 of 21 for 280 yards and four touchdowns in a surprisingly easy 54-6 win over previous No. 18 Alhambra-Martinez.
The East Bay Athletic League may be better than ever. Not so on the top end as Foothill and Monte Vista-Danville each lost. But every other squad prevailed handily, including three teams that struggled last year, Livermore, California-San Ramon and Granada-Livermore.
James Logan's time has come. The Union City school, which sports the Bay Area's largest enrollment, has been a perennial NCS playoff squad for years but usual first-round playoff loser largely because De La Salle is in its bracket. The Colts have been very quiet of late, but with George Zuber's feet now planted, Logan appears ready for an undefeated regular season. Behind top Division I-A prospect Rashad Evans (156 yards rushing, three TDs) at quarterback, Logan upset Monte Vista-Danville 37-21.
We overlooked a load. Here are some teams we barely considered for Top 25 status which are clearly blue chip quality: Logan, Bellarmine, California, Amador Valley and Freedom-Oakley.
SHAMLESS PLUG: Make sure to check out Cal-Hi Sports Bay Area with Robert Braunstein and Amy Calderone that airs Sunday at 7 and 11 p.m. on KBWB 20 cable 13 and Tuesdays at 6 p.m. Comcast Sportsnet West.
NEW TOP 25
Remember, our Bay Area includes all of four CIF sections: NCS, CCS, SF and Oakland. In addition, we include Sac-Joaquin Section leagues SCAC and MEL.
1. De La Salle (1-0, last week No. 1) - Two quarterback system looked superb in 40-22 win over Serra. Padres' coach Patrick Walsh said it all: "that's nasty." Next game is Friday at home versus Loyola-Los Angeles.
2. Vacaville (1-0, No. 3) - Terrance Daily rushed for 215 yards and four TDs as Bulldogs set a school record for points in 74-6 win over Pioneer-Woodland. Friday at Laguna Creek-Elk Grove.
3. Valley Christian-San Jose (2-0, No. 8) - Daniel Carrillo's 92-yard kickoff return key in big regionally-televised 33-14 home win over then No. 13 Pittsburg. Saturday at Menlo-Atherton.
4. Mitty (2-0, No. 4) - Pulled out second straight squeaker on the road, this time 28-26 over strong Milpitas squad. Friday at Soquel.
5. Serra (1-1, No. 2) - For second straight year, QB Cody Jackson was superb against De La Salle (282 total yards, TD runs of 93 and 95 yards) in 40-22 defeat. Saturday at home against McQueen-Nevada.
6. Los Gatos (1-0, No. 6) - Got 176 yards rushing and three TDs from Nick Kaplan in 27-6 romp over previous No. 10 Aragon-San Mateo. Friday host St. Francis.
7. Cardinal Newman-Santa Rosa (0-0-1, No. 7) - Things don't get any easier for the Cardinals, who host Sac-Joaquin Section power Del Oro on Saturday.
8. St. Francis-Mountain View (2-0, No. 9) - Not quite as impressive in 21-10 win over South San Francisco. Friday at Los Gatos.
9. Palma-Salinas (0-0, No. 11) - Connor Farotte looked sharp in his varsity debut, going 8-for-10 for 155 yards and three scores in 46-6 rout of Skyline-Oakland. Friday at Sequoia.
10. Novato (1-0, No. 12) - Wonder how it would have fared in state-title game against Orange Lutheran after impressive win over Foothill. Friday host Redwood.
11. San Ramon Valley (1-0, No. 15) - Lost in Southwick's brilliance was how easily Wolves handled very good squad. Host San Leandro Friday.
12. Foothill-Pleasanton (0-1, No. 5) - Sophomore QB Sean Mannion gritty and impressive as last-minute replacement in loss at Novato. Friday at home against Berkeley.
13. Palo Alto (1-0, No. 16) - Showed athleticism, especially on defense, in 20-6 win at McClyonds-Oakland. Friday host Burlingame.
14. James Logan (1-0, NR) - Impressive opening-night home win over Monte Vista. Friday at Skyline.
15. Bellarmine (2-0, No. 23) - The Bells, particularly impressive RB Usua Amanam look peeved about being picked to finish last in the WCAL by both Bay Area metros. Bells, coming off 42-0 win over Piedmont Hills-San Jose host Jesuit-Sacramento at San Jose City College Friday.
16. Deer Valley (1-0, No. 17) - His name isn't quite as catchy, but Sonni Woods takes the sting out of losing Taiwain Jones to graduation. He rushed for two touchdowns in a 14-8 win at Berkeley.
17. Pinole Valley (1-0, No. 19) - Spartans pick up where they left off last year with 52-0 win over Hogan-Vallejo. Host McClymonds Friday.
18. Pittsburg (0-1, No. 13) - Laid some good licks in loss at Valley Christian. Friday at Freedom-Oakley.
19. California (1-0, NR) - Nick Spalliero might be one of the best QB secrets around after accounting for more than 300 yards and three TDs - in one half! - during shocking 56-7 romp over defending NCS 3A East Bay champion Hayward. Friday at home against Mt. Eden.
20. Amador Valley-Pleasanton (1-0, NR) - Even without star RB Casey Guillory (hamstring), the Dons rolled up 380 rushing yards
21. Monte Vista (0-1, No. 14) - Gave up just too many big plays in loss to James Logan. Thursday at home versus West-Tracy.
22. Casa Grande-Petaluma (1-0, No. 20) - Defenses flexes against a vastly-improved San Rafael squad, winning 21-0. Friday host Maria Carrillo-Santa Rosa.
23. Milpitas (1-1, No. 24) - Actually moved up despite close defeat to Mitty. Friday at Newark Memorial.
24. St. Ignatius (2-0, NR) - Why not? Following 29-14 win over Marin Catholic, this makes all seven WCAL teams which have been ranked in the top 25 in three weeks. Saturday hosts San Lorenzo Valley.
25. Napa (1-0, No. 21) - Pulls out 13-12 home squeaker over Del Campo-Sacramento. Friday at Granite Bay.
E-mail Mitch Stephens at mstephens@maxpreps.com.