ANAHEIM, Calif. — Don’t expect Servite High’s nationally ranked football team to let up for one second in Friday’s Nike Five Days to Friday special against struggling JSerra Catholic at Cerritos College.
Sure, Servite defeated JSerra 52-0 last year, and the Lions enter on a three-game skid, losing by a combined 117-49 score in the rugged Trinity League of the monstrous CIF-Southern Section. 
Servite QB Cody Fajardo has acounted for more than 1,900 yards.
File photo by Heston Quan
But Servite is hungry and they don’t want to share.
The Friars (8-1 overall, 4-0 in league) have tied for the last four Trinity League titles – no minor accomplishment – but now they have a chance to win it outright and go undefeated in one of the toughest leagues in the state, if not the country. They enter No. 23 in the nation, according to the MaxPreps computer/Freeman rankings, and No. 3 in the state, while JSerra enters 6-3 overall, 1-3 in league play.
"This is just a great opportunity for us to do something no other Servite team has done," star running back and receiver Chris Nicholls told MaxPreps reporters and Nike 5D2F hosts Nick Reasons and Karl Wilhelm.
Said Servite coach Troy Thomas: "I think it’s been a great season and we’ve beaten some great teams. Hopefully we can win the league outright this time and not share it."
The Friars opened the season in grand fashion, soundly beating one of the nation’s most storied programs, Long Beach Poly, 30-7. Poly has sent more players to the NFL than any other high school in the nation.
After wins over state powers Clovis West (47-13) and Crespi (38-28), the Friars had their one blemish, a 23-9 loss to Edison, which is 9-0 and ranked second nationally. No shame in losing to the Chargers.
"We wanted to go undefeated, and Week 4 was a little disappointing," said Servite quarterback Cody Fajardo, who has thrown for 1,293 yards and rushed for 638, accounting for 14 touchdowns. "But we’ve stayed strong, bonded as a group and we’re ready for the playoffs and this week’s game."{VIDEO_c0db2155-fa5c-4685-9437-f4186e87182b,floatRightWithBar}Riding a five-game win streak, which included a 30-20 win over archrival Mater Dei and last week 45-26 over perennial national power Orange Lutheran, the Friars have excelled overcoming a couple huge injuries and using a balanced attack.
Their biggest – literally and figuratively – name and standout, Matt Jakubiec (6-foot-8, 310 pounds), broke his kneecap in August and eventually left the school late last month, according to a report in the Orange County Register. He had committed to Arizona. Another huge lineman, Kirfi Leuta-Taula (6-3, 285) broke his arm at practice last month and is still waiting to return. He should be ready for the playoffs.
But Servite has showed great strength, balance and camaraderie to overcome those obstacles. Among other standouts on the squad are receiver Rudy Guerrero, lineman/fullback Jody Thomas, linebacker Matt Inman, defensive back Jake Slemmer and offensive lineman Chris Collodel.
Nicholls has rushed for 300 yards and 10 touchdowns and caught 25 passes for 414 yards and three scores. Guerrero is actually the team’s leading receiver with 32 catches for 438 yards and four scores.
Troy Thomas signals after big 2008 win over Orange Lutheran.
File photo by Heston Quan
The rushing game is definitely by committee with Fajardo, Nicholls, Sean DeRosa (451 yards, six TDs) and Thomas (142 yards, seven TDs) leading the charge.
"We’re not a bunch of individuals but just a real good team," senior lineman Collodel (6-0, 255) told Wilhelm and Reasons. "As long as we stay tight, we’ll be unstoppable."The Friars spoke highly of JSerra and coach Jim Hartigan. The Lions started the season with five straight nonleague wins against public-school squads, then recorded a tough 14-12 win over Carson Palmer’s old school, Santa Margarita.{VIDEO_eefc119c-d8eb-4577-98a8-5f3f33908dbd,floatLeftWithBar}But it’s been hard going since then, despite a standout seasons from junior running back Tyler Shirozono (703 yards, nine TDs) and senior quarterback Bobby Brown, who has passed for 916 yards and rushed for 431 and accounted for 12 touchdowns.
"Coach Hartigan does a great job, and it’s an up-and-coming program," Thomas said. "They had a big win (over Santa Margarita) and played everyone real tough. I expect it to be a huge fight."
Click here to see much more in-depth reporting Nick and Karl, who have spent the week in Anaheim.
