Santa Margarita senior Johnny Stanton is one of the nation's top dual threat quarterbacks as he proved last season in the Division I State Bowl championship game, when he accounted for 375 of his team's 407 yards and all six touchdowns in a 42-37 win over Bellarmine.
Photo by Louis Lopez
13-2
Head coach: Harry Welch
Team previewPut simply, Santa Margarita is loaded. Senior quarterback
Johnny Stanton is one of the best playmakers in the country. He'll line up behind a massive, talented offensive line and have the luxury of getting the ball to running back
Ryan Wolpin and receiver
River Cracraft. The defense returns a half-dozen starters, so it should be better than last fall. Santa Margarita captured the Division I Bowl Game title last fall. Anything short of the Open Division Bowl Game would be disappointing for this year's team, which will get an early test from
Brophy College Prep (Phoenix). Though Santa Margarita opened the season No. 4 in the MaxPreps Xcellent 25 national rankings, they
actually averaged 2.5 among the country's top four polls.
2. De La Salle (Concord)2011 finish: 13-1
Head coach: Bob Ladouceur
Team previewThere's not much more that can be said about arguably the nation's preeminent football program. With
Victor Egu,
David Moffitt and
Michael Hutchings, the Spartans will continue their strong tradition of highly rated linebackers. They follow in the footsteps of such players as D.J. Williams, Kevin Simon and last year Butkus Award finalist Michael Barton (now at Cal). While the quarterback spot remains a question mark, De La Salle should be just fine running the ball, with 1,000-yard rusher
Pepe Vitale returning. Unlike previous seasons, De La Salle's schedule is void of an elite national powerhouse, catching Colorado power
Mullen (Denver) in its first season with a new head coach. Still, De La Salle remains among the nation's elite. The Spartans were ranked the
nation's seventh-most consistent program over the last 10 seasons by MaxPreps.
3. Vista Murrieta (Murrieta)2011 finish: 9-5 (all losses were forfeits)
Head coach: Coley Candaele
Team previewVista Murrieta may have been the top team in Southern California last season, but it was overlooked for the CIF Bowl Games due to a paperwork snafu. In 2012, the team's offensive and defensive nuclei return for what could be another memorable season.
Nick Stevens, a 6-foot-4 senior, is back at quarterback, while do-everything senior
Su'a Cravens returns at running back, linebacker, safety, and anywhere else Candaele decides to play him. Cravens, the
fifth-ranked recruit in the country, will be a serious contender for National Player of the Year honors - especially if Vista Murrieta earns a state bowl game bid. It is No. 15 in the MaxPreps Xcellent 25 national preseason rankings and has
topped out at No. 10 in other national polls.
4. Centennial (Corona)2011 finish: 12-2
Head coach: Matt Logan
Team previewUnder head coach Matt Logan, Corona Centennial has proven itself to be arguably the top program in Southern California. While it has made its name offensively with fast skill players, this year's squad will feature a very solid offensive line led by
Cameron Hunt and
Anthony Juarez. The Huskies look to get the season off to a good start against
St. Bonaventure (Ventura), which handed Centennial a loss in last year's opener. With Logan as coach, Centennial has emerged as
one of the state's most consistent programs.
5. Narbonne (Harbor City)2011 finish: 11-3
Head coach: Manual Douglas
Team previewThe stars seem to be aligning for Narbonne to have a special season in 2012. For starters, quarterback
Troy Williams enters his fourth year as the starting quarterback for Manual Douglas' offense. Linebackers
Marquis Lomax and
Keishawn Bierria lead a strong defense that returns 10 starters. Keep an eye on junior running back
Johnell Johnson, who Douglas believes will be a Division 1 player. Narbonne has proven to be one of the
Los Angeles City Section's most consistent programs.
