Peninsula Football Coach: 'We're Optimistic' About Season

Line play will dictate how successful football team will be this season.

“To me, the most important aspect of your team is your offensive and defensive lines,” said Kevin Moen, who will be entering his fourth season as co-head coach with Adam Boyd. “That is one of the question marks with us. But these kids have dedicated themselves to the weight room this summer and we believe it will pay off. They’ve prepared to come into this season to be physical.”

Senior Joey Augello, an All-Bay League lineman last season, is among the returnees who could be a force.

“He’ll start both ways,” Moen said. “He’s a great guy to build around because he’s an extremely hard-working kid. He has all of the things you want in your leader.”

Augello will get help up front defensively from senior Chris Whitehead and junior Max McHugh, who also will be counted on for help on the offensive line. Whitehead gave the Panthers some good play at tight end.

“(McHugh) started for us on the offensive line as a sophomore and he’s a great kid,” Moen said. “He will really help us upfront defensively. The same with Chris. We’ll definitely rely on both of them.”

Senior Tommy Webster, Peninsula’s leading tackler last season with 82, will anchor the linebacking play. He will be backed by a good secondary, another strength of the Panthers, Moen said.

“I think our secondary will be pretty deep and athletic,” the coach said.

Senior safety Matt Hezlep, one of the team’s top receivers last season, is one of the top returnees in the secondary. Seniors Okuoma Idah, Nathan Jo, Belal Awad and Ken Martin also are expected to be key contributors. And, sophomore Ryan Augello, brother of Joey, could play a significant role.

“We’ve got some pretty good depth back there. We’ve got seven or eight guys who can play,” Moen said.

Moen is also excited about the Panthers’ ground game. He expects Webster, Idah, Matsumoto and junior Ryan Sawelson to carry the load. Idah led the team in rushing last season with 511 yards and four touchdowns, while Sawelson ran for 201 yards and two scores. But Moen believes they will top those numbers.

“We’ve got a pretty good group of running backs,” Moen said. “Both Ryan and Idah are super athletic and fast. They’re very tough runners. They should give our offense and defense a real spark.

“(Idah) is one of the most talented kids you will see. He could be a real threat for us this year. But the running game also will depend on how well our offense line plays. We don’t need a lot of room to run, but we need some. Those guys will provide some holes.”

Senior Matt Imwalle will get the nod at quarterback. A backup last season, Imwalle, who also will play in the secondary, made progress over the summer, which should benefit him in the regular season.

“We’re hoping he takes the reins and [is] productive for us,” Moen said. “We believe if he can create some production, he can keep defenses honest.”

The Panthers also are hoping to improve on last season’s 2-8 finish. That came on the heels of an 0-10 run in 2009. But Moen believes better days are ahead.

“These kids are determined to be good,” said Moen, who is famously known at Cal and around college football circles as the player who scored the incredible game-winning touchdown on “The Play” against Stanford in 1982.

“We’re hoping it all comes together for the kids. We’ll start to see how things will develop once they get in pads next week, but they’ve worked hard up to this point. It’s a great time for optimism right now. We had a productive summer and have a highly optimistic attitude with the team this year.

“We have a good group of seniors with a lot of experience and guys who have demonstrated some good ability to compete. We’re optimistic that we’ll have a good season.”