No. 6 St. John Bosco (Bellflower, Calif.) - Team preview / Preseason photo gallery
Strengths: A deep, talented offense is overshadowed by an even more impressive defense that returns nine starters.
Malik Dorton and
Jacob Tuioti-Mariner lead the way up front. The secondary boasts
Naijiel Hale,
Jaleel Wadood and
Chandler Hawkins, three returning starters as well as sought-after recruits.
Christian Holland adds further depth and
Chandler Leniu leads the linebackers. On offense,
Josh Rosen is back under center as the No. 5 recruit in the Class of 2015 according to 247Sports. As a sophomore, he threw for 2,082 yards and 22 touchdowns. This is a talented, complete and battled-tested team with few holes.
Question marks: Both the team's leading rusher (Darren Walker) and receiver (A.J. Holman) from a year ago need to be replaced.
Lonell Woodhouse and
Shay Fields should be poised to fill in. Still, the offense needs another playmaker. Hale will see some time there, but sophomore receiver
D.J. Morgan, who already has a Vanderbilt offer, could fit the bill. Aaron Laut's 10.5 sacks last year will be missed.
Outlook: In reality, the biggest issue facing St. John Bosco is its schedule. It's extremely difficult to navigate the Trinity League and Pac-5 schedules unscathed. Matchups against Clovis North, Chandler (Ariz.) and Crenshaw are far from guaranteed victories. Last year at this time, Santa Margarita was in a similar position. Injuries and a brutal schedule derailed that team's Bowl Game hopes quickly. The vibe in California is that this team will find its way to the Home Depot Center in December for the CIF State Bowl Games. Those are lofty expectations, but ones that this team is capable of meeting.
