MaxPreps 2013 California Central Coast Section preseason football Fab 5

Palo Alto's Keller Chryst tries to lead his team past four other private squads from the West Coast Athletic League to the CIF State Bowl Game Championships.

File photo by Brad Kupper

MaxPreps 2013 California Central Coast Section Preseason Fab 5 presented by the Army National Guard

1. Bellarmine (San Jose)
Head coach: Mike Janda
2012 finish: 11-2, CCS Open runner-up
Team preview

After losing all but three starters off a state Division I Bowl team last season, the Bells shocked most with another undefeated West Catholic Athletic League season before being upset in the CCS Open finals by St. Ignatius. Bellarmine has only six starters returning from last season, but one of them, 6-foot-2, 220-pound senior quarterback K.J. Carta-Samuels is the reigning WCAL Player of the Year and a Vanderbilt commit. He was a finalist in the Elite 11 camp and former Super Bowl winning quarterback and camp organizer Trent Dilfer said of him: “I don't know if I've trained a kid more trainable than K.J. Carta-Samuels.” Senior tailback Austin Changras (5-9, 180) will get most of the carries and Joe Castignani (6-1, 215) will anchor the line and defense. 

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2. Serra (San Mateo)
Head coach: Patrick Walsh
2012 finish: 9-3, CCS Open semifinalst
Team preview

There are athletes all over the place but inexperience at quarterback. A couple new coordinators will take the reigns this season giving the Padres, a perennial CCS power, a new look and feel. Walsh describes his team as frenetic, meaning they could be very, very good and simply inconsistent. Either way, they should be fun to watch, especially two major Division I talents in defensive end Matthew Dickerson (6-5, 275), who has already committed to Notre Dame, and receiver/linebacker/strong safety Hamilton Anoa’I (6-2, 225), who was hurt most of his junior season. “If he stays healthy, there will be 50 offers coming his way,” Walsh said of Hamilton. Besides Dickerson, third-year starter Daniel Lavulo will anchor the defensive line. Offensively backups Anthony Smock and Matt Fa’aita will battle it out for the starting job and Kevin McGee, Kava Cassidy and newcomer Kilepi Lataimua lead an explosive trio of backs.

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3. Palo Alto
Head coach: Earl Hansen
2012 finish: 8-3
Team preview

It’s always nice to begin with a third-year starting quarterback, and the Vikings do just that with one of the nation’s best in Keller Chryst, a strapping 6-4, 225-pound senior who is the son of San Francisco 49ers’ quarterbacks coach Jeep Chryst. The young Chryst has thrown for more than 5,000 yards and 45 touchdowns the last two seasons. He’ll have two fantastic targets on the perimeter in Malcolm Davis, son of former NFL receiver Wendell Davis, and Keesean Johnson. Palo Alto, which stunned Centennial-Corona in the 2010 Division I State Bowl title game, is always balanced and Marcus Brown looks like he’ll get most of the carries. The lines are stout with Jack Anderson, Justin Rittman and Koloti Mataele, and third-year starter and linebacker Andrew Frick leads a very strong defense.

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4. Valley Christian (San Jose)
Head coach: Mike Machado
2012 finish: 7-6, CCS D3 champion
Team preview

Led by perhaps the most dominating two-way player in the section, running back and linebacker Kirk Johnson, a 5-11, 185-pound junior, the Warriors should have no trouble repeating last year’s CCS Division III title. That is, if Valley Christian isn’t pulled up to the Open Division. Johnson rushed 172 times for 1,710 yards and 25 touchdowns. He averaged just below 10 yards per carry. VC looked set with the return also of all-WCAL quarterback Jay MacIntyre, the son of former San Jose State coach Mike MacIntyre. But coach MacIntyre led the Spartans on a history season and took the job at the University of Colorado. Jay, of course, went with him. Big-play receiver Brandon Alexander (28.8 yards per catch) and highly regarded defensive lineman Charlie Nelson (6-4, 275) has already got an offer from San Jose State.

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5. Archbishop Mitty (San Jose)
Head coach: Matt Haniger
2012 finish: 8-4
Team preview

Another WCAL team is loaded with talent and balance on both sides of the ball. Typifying that balance is Chandler Ramirez, a 6-1, 210-pound running back and linebacker. The returning first-team All-WCAL member joins lineman Daniel Mendoza (6-1, 250), running back and defensive back Kyle Evans and running back and defensive back Dakari Monroe, only a junior, as fantastic two-way players. Linebackers Drew Mount and Erik Sargis led the team in tackles last season with a combined 177.