Marmonte League Promises to Be a Strong One

With one of California’s top returning quarterbacks in Grant Rohach, plus a winning tradition that includes four section-title appearances over the past six seasons, Moorpark High’s football team heads into full-contact practice next month with a good chance to make an impact in the high-powered Marmonte League.

How good of a chance? That remains to be seen, but one thing for sure is it won’t be easy because the league features state powers Oaks Christian, St. Bonaventure and Westlake, plus annual playoff contender Thousand Oaks.

Rohach, who passed for 1,897 yards last year, has committed to Iowa State. He has an accurate arm, good feet, and lots of experience, including an appearance in the prestigious Elite 11 quarterback camp a couple of weeks ago at Pepperdine University in Malibu.

He has a fast returning receiver in Alex Tolliver, a promising running back in junior Aaron Stanton, and two top returning blockers in Anthony Peterson and Anthony Sarrocco. Some of Moorpark’s other top players are defensive linemen Brandon Hughes, Tyler Puccio and Jayce Foster and linebackers Tony Mack, Bobby Eckert and Christian Dearborn.

As for the others, here is a rundown, beginning with the favorites.

Oaks Christian is going to be tough. The defending Southern Section Northern Division champion Lions graduated a lot of talent, but there are a lot of top returnees and some new faces expected to make an impact.

Receiver Jordan Payton is back, and he is among the hottest recruits in the nation, having formerly committed to USC before re-opening his recruiting options last month. He had 61 receptions and 10 touchdowns as a junior while missing two games, and he has scholarship offers from Arizona State, Cal, Florida, Michigan, Notre Dame, Penn State, Oklahoma and others.

Stepping in for graduated quarterback Richie Harrington is Luke Falk, a junior transfer from Utah who has looked sharp in passing-league tournaments.

Ishmael Adams, a top running back and receiver, is back, too, along most of the offensive lineman and starting receiver Chris Davis. Plus, Oaks Christian has welcomed impact transfer Zach Hernandez, a receiver from Alemany.

Yet the key for Oaks Christian figures to be defense, led by Arizona State-bound linebacker Carlos Mendoza and linebacker Cameron Judge, two of nine returning starters.

Calabasas plays Oaks Christian on Sept. 30, and if the Coyotes are fortunate enough to pull off an upset, it would be one of the biggest wins in program history – the same deal if they were to defeat fellow powers St. Bonaventure, Westlake, Moorpark and perhaps even Thousand Oaks, like the others a consistent playoff contender.

Westlake is 53-12 over the past five seasons, including a section championship in 2009, and the Warriors show no signs of slowing down despite heavy graduation losses that include star quarterback Nick Isham (now at Louisiana Tech) and star receiver Nelson Spruce (now at Colorado).

Westlake still has some of California’s top players, including Colorado-bound defensive lineman Justin Solis, a three-year starter who picked the Buffalos over UCLA, Utah, Washington State, Arizona and other major programs. He’s a 6-3, 300-pound who has 16 career sacks, nine last season. Another top defensive lineman, Johnny Stuart, is also back, along with standout defensive back Dashon Hunt, promising quarterback Justin Moore, receiver Jared Fry, linebacker David Ortiz and several other top players.

Plus, four starting offensive lineman return for Westlake.

St. Bonaventure could be the favorite. The Seraphs have a top returning quarterback in Marc Evans, who threw for 2,412 yards and 30 touchdowns last year, and there are other top returnees in running back/defensive back Shaun Wick and 6-3, 305-pound offensive lineman David Barajas.

Thousand Oaks must fill a big void left by the graduation of receiver Richard Mullaney, who caught a state-record 122 passes for1,703 yards and 20 touchdowns.

Thousand Oaks is trying out quarterbacks Griffin Kramer and junior Clark Abourisk. Kramer, a 5-11, 210-pounder, is the son of former NFL quarterback Erik Kramer.

“I think Griffin has the advantage in terms of arm strength, and Clark’s advantage would knowledge of our offense because he has grown up in the system,” Thousand Oaks coach Mike Leibin said.

Replacing Mullaney is not going to be easy.

The two top returning receivers are Blake Howell and L.J. Wiley, and converted defensive back Nathan Debeikes is coming along, too.

As for the other Marmonte participants – Royal, Simi Valley, Newbury Park and Calabasas – Royal has looked the best in summer tournaments, as quarterback Logan Bateman has looked sharp, as have tight ends Trevor Kanteman and Garrett Parkinson.

Simi Valley, Calabasas and Newbury Park are aiming for respectability after struggling last year.