MaxPreps 2012 Preseason Xcellent 25 Football preview: No. 15 Vista Murrieta

Vista Murrieta (Murrieta, Calif.) was likely the best team in Southern California last season but never got to prove it.

A roster technicality forced the Broncos to forfeit five games last season. Despite the fact that it won its section by beating both Upland and Corona Centennial, Vista Murrieta was overlooked for the CIF Bowl Games.

In 2012, with an impressive arsenal of skill players returning, Vista Murrieta could be as good or better than last year.

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Offensively, 6-foot-4 quarterback Nick Stevens returns. A pleasant surprise a year ago, Stevens guided the offense and threw for 1,692 yards while rushing for another 906 yards. Transfer Kishawn Holmes, who rushed for more than 1,200 yards last year, will be big for the Broncos. Running back Kei-ron Long, who boasts 10.9 speed, returns in the backfield alongside the team’s top returning rusher, Su'a Cravens.

Not only is Cravens the team’s leading rusher and the team’s leading defensive player, he’s the top defensive back in the country and one of the top players in the state of California in years. In every game it plays this season, Vista Murrieta will have the best player on the field.

While the offensive line is a weakness, the team’s defensive line will be a strength. Curtis Bolton and Tyler Cook return at defensive end, while Grant Clearly will plug the middle. Bryce Smith is back at linebacker, where Cravens saw most of his defensive reps last fall. The secondary will be entirely new.

While there are certainly holes to fill, Vista Murrieta, in its 10th season, has not thrived on huge linemen and superb athletes. It may not be the most imposing team walking off the bus, but it plays very well as a team and will be extremely hungry in 2012.

Local look: “When Coley Candaele took the football coaching position at Vista Murrieta nine years ago, he established a set of goals for the program shaped in the form of mountain. After a few close calls and narrow misses, the Broncos reached the summit Friday night.”
- Eric Paul Johnson, Riverside Press-Enterprise, after Vista Murrieta downed Corona Centennial in the Inland Division title game.

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Size: Division 1


Enrollment: 3,600 (approx.)


2010 finish: 8-5, Inland Division champions (losses were due to forfeit)


Head coach: Coley Candaele


Career record: 137-39-2


Years at school: 9




Notable players coached:
QB Derrick Brown (Washington)

DL Jeremy Castro (UCLA)

OL Corey Whitaker (Nebraska)

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No. of returning starters: 5 (offense), 6 (defense)

Key losses:
OL Corey Whitaker



DL Jeremy Castro

OL RB Cody Pieckonus

Key returners:
LB/DB/RB Su’a Cravens

QB Nick Stevens

LB Bryce Smith

DL Tyler Cook



Key newcomers:
RB Kishawn Holmes

WR Randy Beggs

OL Dean Suchy

LB Reed Fletcher

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Toughest game: Redlands East Valley. Vista Murrieta beefed up its nonleague schedule, including a game against Redlands East Valley, which finished 11-1 last season. It features standout defensive lineman Kylie Fitts, who will undoubtedly pose problems for a young Vista Murrieta offensive line.



Question mark: Will the offensive line come together like it did last year? The defense should carry the team early on, and Stevens can turn broken plays into long runs and touchdowns. But in order to match last year’s success, the offensive line must make major strides this summer.

Local outlook: As always, Vista Murrieta will have to get by Inland Empire powerhouse Corona Centennial. Unlike Vista Murrieta, Centennial returns some key pieces up front and always has plenty of size. It has become arguably the premier program in Southern California and will challenge Vista Murrieta’s hopes of making a CIF Bowl Game.

Overall outlook: At the rate that Su’a Cravens has progressed since his freshman year at Temecula Valley, he should be off-the-charts good as a senior. His value to the team cannot be understated. Vista Murrieta will be fast on offense, physical and hard-hitting on defense. If it can win battles in the trenches and if the secondary can develop, expect Vista Murrieta to be in the running to punch a ticket to the Home Depot center in December.

Coach quote: “This year, I don’t know. But I say that every year ... every single year. We end up playing well and I say ‘Gosh we weren’t that bad at all.’”
- Head coach Coley Candaele

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