HS Football: St. Francis 2018 schedule preview

• Last year’s overall record: 8-2
• Last year’s league record: 5-1 (Mission Trail Athletic League Coastal division co-champion)
• Coach: John Ausman
• Last year’s MaxPreps state rankings: 715th
• Key losses: Josh Kovacs; served as the team’s top linebacker and was named the division’s Defensive Player of the Year…Carson Cuzick; was the team’s top rusher (736 yards and seven touchdowns) last season…Derric Estrada-Haro; was the Sharks’ starting quarterback in each of the last three seasons…Cory Parker; made a huge jump from junior to senior season and buoyed the Sharks’ defensive line and tight end crops.
• Key possible returners: Andrew Seymour (Sr.); an explosive weapon on offense and a lockdown defensive back on defense, he finished with a team-high five interceptions and also had nine touchdowns on offense…Joseph Ramirez (Sr.); a nice foil to Seymour on the other side of the defensive backfield, Ramirez had two interceptions and also played some quarterback for the Sharks…Johnny Ceballos (Sr.); an all-league first team selection, the offensive lineman helped produce five backs with at least 300 yards rushing.
• Notes: Sharks set the program record for most wins in a single season and also captured their first-ever league title last year…St. Francis has not made the Central Coast Section playoffs since the 2009 season…The Sharks’ senior class this season (around 20 players) is one of its biggest in recent memory.

PRESEASON
Sobrato High
• When: Aug. 24
• Where: Santa Cruz High
• Last year’s MaxPreps state rankings: 587th
• Last year’s overall record: 8-3 (CCS Division V qualifier)
• Last year’s league record: 7-0 (Blossom Valley Athletic League’s West Valley division champion)
• Coach: Tony Holmes
• Notes: After a pair of losing seasons, the Bulldogs finished with their winningest season since 2012…Sobrato will have to replace its entire starting offense after losing its starting quarterback, John Bell, running back, Jared Jones, and top two receivers, Ryan Monahan and Marcos Ramirez…It will be the first meeting in varsity football between the two schools.

Pajaro Valley High
• When: Aug. 31
• Where: Carl Connely Stadium
• Last year’s MaxPreps state rankings: 1,012th
• Last year’s overall record: 1-9
• Last year’s league record: 0-6 (Last in Monterey Bay League Pacific division)
• Coach: Kevin Cordova
• Notes: The Grizzlies are heading into the second year under Cordova…Pajaro Valley has not finished with a winning record since the 2007 season…The Grizzlies could have their starting quarterback, Max Arevalo, and running back, Mauricio Suarez, back from last season…Pajaro Valley holds a 3-2 advantage in the all-time series against St. Francis, but the Sharks have won the last two by a combined score of 71-7.

Watsonville High
• When: Sept. 7
• Where: Emmett M. Geiser Field
• Last year’s MaxPreps state rankings: 697th
• Last year’s overall record: 6-4
• Last year’s league record: 3-3 (4th in MBL-Pacific)
• Coach: Ron Myers
• Notes: Running back Matthew Barcelo, linebacker Esteban Reyes and lineman Andres Galvan lead a massive 36-player senior class…The Wildcatz’s 6-4 finish last fall was their first winning season since 2009…Watsonville has not played against St. Francis since the 2011 season. The Wildcatz won that meeting, 29-12.

The Harker School
• When: Sept.14
• Where: Emmett M. Geiser Field
• Last year’s MaxPreps state rankings: 320
• Last year’s overall record: 11-1 (North Coast Section Division IV semifinalist)
• Last year’s league record: NA
• Coach: Mike Tirabassi
• Notes: The Eagles were one of the few independent programs in the NCS last season…St. Francis has lost three straight games against Harker, including their last meeting in 2016…Running back Aaron Smith is back after rushing for 1,400 yards and 15 touchdowns as a junior. Receiver Jared Anderson also returns a year after catching 40 passes for 733 yards and seven touchdowns. The Eagles, however, will have to replace starting quarterback Nat Kelly, who passed for 2,265 yards and 29 touchdowns.

PCAL-CYPRESS
King City High
• When: Sept. 28
• Where: King City High
• Last year’s MaxPreps state rankings: 647th
• Last year’s overall record: 6-4
• Last year’s league record: 4-2 (T-2nd for MTAL-Mission)
• Coach: Mac Villanueva
• Notes: King City has finished .500 or better in each of the last three seasons…The Mustangs have not won a league title since the mid-‘80s…King City’s star trio of quarterback Luis Luna, receiver Clay Barbree and running back Cedrick Perez is gone to graduation. The Mustangs, however, do have receiver Luis Briseno and running back Matt Morales back after combining for 10 touchdowns…St. Francis last played King City in 2012. The Mustangs won that game, 20-13. The Sharks are 0-2 in the all-time series against King City, also losing in 2006.

Pacific Grove High
• When: Oct. 5
• Where: Santa Cruz High
• Last year’s MaxPreps state rankings: 933rd
• Last year’s overall record: 1-9
• Last year’s league record: 0-6 (last in MTAL-Mission)
• Coach: Chris Morgan
• Notes: The Breakers last year failed to win a league game for the first time since the turn of the century…Leading rusher Hunter Haynes, top pass catcher Jake Hanley and starting quarterback Ben Minik all return for the Breakers…St. Francis has beaten Pacific Grove in each of their two meetings. They last met in 2010.

San Lorenzo Valley High
• When: Oct. 13
• Where: San Lorenzo Valley High
• Last year’s MaxPreps state ranking: 734th
• Last year’s overall record: 5-5
• Last year’s league record: 3-3 (5th in MTAL-Mission)
• Coach: Dave Poetzinger
• Notes: S.L.V. has finished .500 or better each of the last four seasons…Starting quarterback Trent Walker and leading rusher Mark Carling are both gone, but seniors Stevie Markey and Taj Glasky are set to step into those two respective voids…St. Francis and S.L.V. have not met since the Sharks left the Santa Cruz Coast Athletic League after the 2012 season. Their lone win over the Cougars came in 2009.

Santa Cruz High
• When: Oct. 20
• Where: Strawberry Stadium
• Last year’s MaxPreps state rankings: 838th
• Last year’s overall record: 5-6 (CCS Division V qualifier)
• Last year’s league record: 5-1 (MTAL-Coastal co-champion)
• Coach: Jesse Trumbull
• Notes: Santa Cruz won its first league title in more than two decades last season…Quarterback Abram Soriano and the Cardinals’ top three rushers (Johnny Soto, Taj Carpenter and Adrian Flores) are all gone. Five-foot-10, 145-pound back Nathaniel Loza is the only retuning skill position player who saw a significant amount of touches last season…St. Francis and Santa Cruz sparked a county rivalry with last season’s tie in the MTAL-Coastal division. Santa Cruz owns an 8-1 advantage in the all-time series. The Sharks last won in 2008.

Monterey High
• When: Oct. 26• Where: Monterey High
• Last year’s MaxPreps state rankings: 809th
• Last year’s overall record: 3-7
• Last year’s league record: 2-4 (5th in MBL-Pacific)
• Coach: Henry Lusk
• Notes: Henry Lusk is the Toreadores’ new head coach. The 1990 alumnus and former NFL player takes over for Dan Brown, who stepped away from the program after three seasons…Monterey has finished under .500 each of the last three seasons…Quarterback Evans Charles, receiver Iris Hutchins and running backs Darius Garrard, Azjani McGill and Janias Thomas all return for what should be a lightning quick offensive attack…The two teams have never met in varsity football.