Pleasant Grove is the defending CIF Sac-Joaquin Section Division I champion and the Eagles will be even better in 2011.
With quarterback
Cody Demps back under center and prolific tailback
Mark Jenkins returning after a 2,739-yard season, the team's offense will be extremely difficult to defend, particularly with four starters returning on the line, including All-American
Arik Armstead.
The 2011 Eagles should boast even greater firepower at wide receiver, which will allow head coach Joe Cattolico to diversify his powerful offensive attack, making it even more potent.
Defensively, Pleasant Grove allowed 10.5 points per game during the playoffs, and returns a number of playmakers, including Armstead, whose size and athleticism causes matchup problems for opposing offenses.
It will be a very strong year for football in Northern California. Pleasant Grove will be the top team in the Sac-Joaquin Section and among the best in the region, state and country.
Local look: “Pleasant Grove is as simple as it is dominant. Coach Cattolico prefers a power running game and has the pieces to do this again, with monster recruit Arik Armstead and rising-fast tailback recruit Mark Jenkins. Cattolico is a superb leader, organizer, motivator, so sharp and so bright that he coaches without headsets and does not use a play sheet. We should all be that mentally crisp. Cattolico said at the end of last season that his 13-1 team didn’t deserve serious bowl consideration because it wasn’t their time yet. It is now. Don’t be surprised if Pleasant Grove runs the table this fall, right into the D-I or Open bowl.” -
Joe Davidson, Sacramento Bee staff writer since 1988
