MaxPreps 2013 CIF State Bowl Preview: Division II, Enterprise vs. Chaminade

Enterprise (Redding) (13-0) vs. Chaminade (West Hills) (13-2)
4 p.m. Saturday at StubHub Center in Carson


Rankings
Enterprise: 26 state, 204 national.
Chaminade: 5 state, 30 national.

Notable alumni
Enterprise: Brody Angley (Santa Clara, Halcones Rojos of International League), Len Baxley (First-round pick in 1969 MLB Draft), Ryan O'Callaghan (Cal-Berkeley, NFL).
Chaminade: Dan Runzler (MLB), Kevin Pillar (MLB), Logan Paulsen (NFL), Ryan Griffin (NFL).

Leading rushers
Enterprise: Isaiah Matthews (261 carries, 2038 yards, 32 touchdowns), Justin Abney (48-420-2), Izzy Perea (30-329-3).
Chaminade: Donovan Lee (240-1955 yards-36), Cory Watkins (105-726-11), Yancy Kieren (43-354-3).

Leading passers
Enterprise: Bobby Luken (85 of 131, 1695 yards, 27 touchdowns, 9 interceptions).
Chaminade: Brad Kaaya (208 of 339-3577-25-6)

Leading receivers
Enterprise: Alex Talladino (24 catches, 674 yards, 13 touchdowns), Perea (25-534-8), Abney (23-271-3).
Chaminade: Dymond Lee (43-826-9), Zach Kalkwarf (37-371-1), Donovan Lee (27-560-4), Brandyn Lee (25-612-6).

Points per game (allowed)
Enterprise: 43.2 (15.6).
Chaminade: 46.5 (22.7).

The Division II Bowl Game features two teams with no prior history in the CIF state playoffs. Enterprise is just the third Northern Section team to play in a CIF Bowl Game of any kind while Chaminade is making its first trip to the state finals after coming very close the past three seasons.

The Hornets have posted a 13-0 record and made history by becoming the first Northern Section team to ever win a bowl game after defeating Manteca 27-21 in last week's NorCal Regional. The Hornets overcame a 21-0 deficit and had a goal-line stand to beat the Buffaloes and advance to the championship game.

Chaminade's trip to the state finals meant beating two teams it had lost to earlier in the season. In the Southern Section Western Division championship game, the Eagles upset defending state champion Serra (Gardena) by rallying from a 35-21 deficit and nailing down the win with a field goal in the final minute of play. Chaminade (13-2) had lost to Serra in league play, 36-0.

In the SoCal Regional, the Eagles met a Hart (Newhall) team they had lost to in a 55-54 barnburner early in the season. This time it was all Chaminade in a 28-10 win.

Fifth-year coach Ed Croson said his team wanted to set the record straight in both of those playoff wins. "We just continued to get better all year and we were disappointed with the way it went the first time against both teams," he said. "I think we knew we didn't play our best game the first time so those were the things that drove us in those games."

The Eagles have been a force under Croson. Since going 7-5 in his first season at Chaminade, the Eagles have gone 11-2, 10-3, 12-2 and now 13-2. Chaminade just missed qualifying for the bowl games last year, falling to eventual state champion Serra in the Southern Section Western Division finals.

Croson said this year's squad has been a boon for the school, which is known more for its academics than its athletics.

"This is a very tough academic school," he said. "It's a not a real rough place or rough town. We get a lot of kids who are very intelligent, so we try to work with that. This is obviously the best season we've had so it's a unifier. We are starting to hear from all of the alumni this week. It's been great for the program and the school."

Enterprise coach Darren Trueblood told the same story about his team and what the season has meant to the community of Redding, located far north of Sacramento about 120 miles south of the Oregon border.

"Being in the state title game and having this team represent the school, district and the community has been amazing," said Trueblood. "This has been a team that has galvanized the community and has made history for the Northern Section."


The key to the Enterprise offense this year has been the offensive line, according to Trueblood. The group of Brandon Evers (6-6, 287), Skyler Ferguson (6-2, 245) and Casey Gunter (6-3, 261) has opened holes all season long and helped Enterprise score at least 40 points for 10 straight weeks - a Northern Section record. "They have size and athleticism that pairs nicely with their toughness," said Trueblood. The offense racks up an average of 418 yards per game.

Isaiah Matthews has been a benefactor of that blocking as he has emerged as one of the more prolific running backs in Northern Section history after beginning the season as a relative unknown. "He is a back who can get the tough yards or take the ball the distance at any time," said Trueblood. "He is a junior that has been a pleasant surprise this year."

Matthews has racked up 2,038 yards on 261 carries with 32 touchdowns. He is one of only a handful of running backs in Northern Section history to ever gain more than 2,000 yards and score over 30 touchdowns in a single season. His best outing was a 371-yard effort early in the season against Chico. He has also come up big in the playoffs as well with 230 yards rushing in the section championship game against Paradise and 178 in the NorCal Regional win over Manteca.

The Hornets don't pass the ball often, but when they do they are efficient. Quarterback Bobby Luken has completed just 85 of 131 passes for 1,695 yards, but 27 of those completions have gone for touchdowns. He has one game with six touchdown passes and another with five. Luken is more than happy to keep the ball on the ground, however, as he had a rushing touchdown against Manteca and threw just seven times for 63 yards in the win. His favorite target is Alex Talladino, who has 24 catches for 674 yards and 13 touchdowns, but he has not caught a pass in the past two weeks.

Chaminade counters on defense with a pair of athletic linebackers in Donovan Lee (5-9, 170, Sr) and Rick Gamboa (6-0, 220, Sr). Lee is a do-everything player for the Eagles who not only leads the team in rushing (1,955 yards), but was also named the Mission League's Defensive Player of the Year.

However, Lee is not the only MVP on the defense. Gamboa, who is headed to Colorado along with Lee, was the Los Angeles Daily News All-Area Defensive Player of the Year as a junior.

"Lee is just an athletic, fast, tough kid with great reaction time," said Croson. "And Ricky is going to finish his career as the school record holder with over 450 tackles."

The Eagles also have a solid line, led by all-leaguers Ty Moya (6-4, 300, Sr) and Van Salomon (6-0, 265). Chaminade also has one of the state's top defensive backs in Joseph McIntosh (6-1, 180, Sr), who recently changed his college commitment from UCLA to Washington.


If there's one thing that Chaminade knows how to do, it's move the ball on offense. The Eagles racked up more than 7,000 yards of offense this year with a balanced attack that provided 3,718 yards through the air and 3,303 yards on the ground.

"We run a balanced offense with good senior leadership," said Croson. "I think the big thing is that we have a lot of assistants who are former college players or former college coaches, so our position coaches do a really good job getting us ready."

Mission League Offensive MVP Brad Kayaa has been one of the more prolific passers in California this year, completing 208 of 339 passes for 3,577 yards and 25 touchdowns. Four times he's thrown four touchdowns in a game, including a win over Valencia when he threw for a season-high 435 yards. Kayaa, who is headed to Miami, also came up big in Chaminade's Western Division championship win over Serra with 311 yards passing.

The Eagles have a number of capable pass catchers, most of them with the surname Lee. Dymond Lee, the team's leading pass catcher with 43 catches for 826 yards and nine touchdowns, is the younger brother of Donovan. A sophomore, he's already attracting the attention of college scouts, according to Croson. Donovan Lee has also added 560 yards receiving while Brandyn Lee (no relation) has gained 612 with six touchdowns.

Chaminade also moves the ball on the ground. Lee is on the verge of a 2,000 yard season (1,955 yards) while Cory Watkins has also been solid with 726 yards rushing of his own. Running behind the likes of Bar Milo (6-6, 300, Sr), Moya, Kyle Sanchez (5-11, 235, Sr) and Charlie Shifman (6-1, 240, Jr.) helps, as they have been a big factor in opening holes in the defense, according to Croson. "We have a lot of schools looking at our kids playing on the offensive line," he said.

Enterprise relies on a stout defensive line and a hard-hitting pair of linebackers to shut down opposing offenses. Skyler Ferguson has been the leader on defense as a three-year starter at defensive end. He's hard-nosed and difficult to contain, according to Trueblood.

Two-year starter Nick Tomasin, a junior, is the team's leading tackler with 157. He's come up big in big games, getting 21 tackles in a season-opening win over defending NorCal champion Oakdale, 19 in a section championship win over Paradise and 13 in the NorCal regional win over Manteca. He already has 309 career tackles. He's joined by senior John Boshell, who is second on the team in tackles with 82.

The defensive backfield has quickness with Justin Abney and Izzy Perea. The two have five interceptions and 21 passes defensed between them this year.


Enterprise has a 17-game win streak dating back to the 2012 season when it won the Northern Section championship... The Hornets are the first large school team in Northern Section history to win 13 games in a regular season... Other Northern Section teams to play in a CIF bowl game include Sutter (NorCal regional loss to Marin Catholic in 2012) and Hamilton (loss to St. Margaret's in CIF Small Schools bowl game in 2008)... Last year's Division II state champion Serra has just three losses in the past two seasons - two of them to Chaminade... Enterprise has played in a state championship game before, sending its boys basketball team to the Division III state finals in 1998 where it lost to University (San Diego)... The Chaminade boys basketball team came within four points of reaching the state finals last year, falling to eventual champion St. Augustine in the SoCal finals... Chaminade has three players ranked in the top 200 by 247Sports, including Kaaya at No. 8, Donovan Lee at No. 111, Gamboa at No. 139... Enterprise has one player ranked in the top 200, Brandon Evers at No. 197.