Casa Grande football, the best 13-0 team few know about

PETALUMA, Calif. — Before this football season, the best start for a Casa Grande (Petaluma) team was 4-0 in 2009. At 13-0, the current Gauchos have more than tripled that and Saturday they go after a first North Coast Section championship in a Division II showdown with Miramonte (Orinda).

“Considering our preseason schedule and that we play in a very tough North Bay League, had you have told me that before the season I probably would have chuckled,” Casa Grande coach Trent Herzog said.

The Gauchos are just one of three Bay Area programs still remaining with perfect records. The others are De La Salle-Concord and Marin Catholic-Kentfield, a couple of perennial state and national private school powers that are 12-0.

That’s some company to keep.

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Casa Grande, with six NCS crowns and World Series champion Jonny Gomes as an alum, has been known as a baseball school.

But led largely by two legitimate Bay Area Player of the Year nominees, quarterback/safety JaJuan Lawson and running back/outside linebacker John Porchivina, these Gauchos could change all that.

Herzog says the team’s success goes much further than individual talent or a historical win total.  

“Honestly, this group has been a coaches dream,” said the fifth year head coach who graduated from the school in 1994 and been on staff ever since. “No discipline or grade issues. They’re on time and love to practice. Everyone gets along.

“Believe me. None of us wants this to end.”

A red hot Miramonte-Orinda (11-2) squad, coming off an impressive 44-38 win over defending Division II champion Clayton Valley Charter-Concord, is more than capable of ending it all.

Herzog watched the game live and was highly impressed with Miramonte’s 3,500-yard passer Drew Anderson, 1.400-yard rusher Ray Clark and two 1,000-yard receivers Dominic Paoletti and Will Fuller.

“Great character, very composed and well coached,” Herzog said. “We’ll have our hands full. But I’m very confident in our group.”

It helps to two of the best two-way players in the state.

Lawson, an athletic 6-2, 200-pound senior with 16 Division I offers, has completed 68 percent of his 196 attempts for 2,006 yards and 22 touchdowns with just one interception. Six different players have between three and five TD receptions and the third-year starter has also rushed for 1,035 yards and 13 scores.

“He really spreads the defense and knows how to spread the ball around,” Herzog said.

At least three Pac-12 schools are recruiting him as a safety, where he starts in big games like Saturday. Herzog said a TD pass hasn’t been completed over him.

He comes from fantastic bloodlines as well. His father Marcel Lawson, an assistant coach, was a running back standout in the late 80s at Casa Grande, who Herzog said ran a 10.68-second 100 meters.

“He comes from a great family and he’s just a phenomenal player and person,” Herzog said. “His best trait is his intelligence and decision making. He’s a student of the game. He loves the pressure of big games.”

So does Porchivina, a 6-1, 215-pound senior who has five Division I offers, including UNLV, Idaho and Sacramento State. He rushed for 201 yards and scored five touchdowns last week in a 42-13 semifinal win over Montgomery.

That gives him 1,514 rushing yards and 18 rushing TDs for the season. He also leads the team in receiving touchdowns (five) and sacks (11) and is second in tackles (84) behind middle linebacker Miles Gardea (100).

“He’s big, strong and explosive,” Herzog said. “JaJuan is probably the best football player Casa Grande has ever had but John is right there with them.”

There’s lots more, including junior lineman Brendan Jackson (6-2, 285), junior kicker Matt Abramo (a top Division I prospect) and Gardea, who leads a defense that has forced 42 takeaways — 22 interceptions and 20 fumble recoveries.

Brad Freitas and Zakk Molina have four interceptions each and Gardea has five fumble recoveries.

With just 10 turnovers themselves, the Gauchos are a gaudy plus-32 in that category, another big reason for their perfect season, which should continue with a win and likely selection into the regional finals next week.  

“Everything has clicked,” Herzog said. “Our defense carries us early and our offense has picked it up lately. We’ll need both clicking on Saturday.”