Sports
DFAL Sideline Pass: Ground-Gainers, Defensive Stoppers, and Quarterbacks on the Rise
A look back at the season's first weekend of action and a look ahead on what to expect for the weekend to come.
Hot Start: The Diablo Foothill Athletic League went 6-1 on the weekend, with Dublin taking the only loss, in a tough game on the road against Northgate. Acalanes, Alhambra, Campolindo, Dougherty Valley, Las Lomas and Miramonte combined to outscore the opposition 163-52 in their victories.
Stiff-Arm Central: The DFAL as a whole came into the season with high expectations of stellar rushing offenses (Las Lomas and Acalanes being examples), and many teams didn't disappoint – Running backs Marquis Waters (Las Lomas), Jared Leaf (Alhambra), John Coupin (Miramonte) and Doughtery Valley's combo of Michael Spivey and Lucas Raventos all had big games on the ground. Waters had the biggest evening, picking up 171 yards on the ground, and scoring two touchdowns, while Leaf rumbled for three touchdowns and 90 yards in Alhambra's rivalry game win over College Park.
They Said It: "I'm happy it's over, and so proud of how hard our team played — that was a physical game." – Acalanes head coach Mike Ivankovich, after the Don's defeated Ygnacio Valley, where Ivankovich coached for 14 years.
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Paving the Way: While backfield mates Michael Spivey and Lucas Raventos stole the headlines for Dougherty Valley on Saturday against Riordan, there's another running back that could be a major force in 2010. Junior FB/DT Edsel Snoddy, at 5-foot-10 and 300 pounds, could be the spearhead of the Wildcat's run at the playoffs this season. With his imposing size and quick feet, Snoddy is a perfect fullback in Dougherty Valley's wishbone offense, and is a key cog at defensive tackle on defense.
Iron-Man Award: Michael Spivey – not only did he play well on both sides of the ball, he made two big tackles on the kick-off team, and also recovered an onside kick late in the fourth quarter. Runner Up — Acalanes linebacker Lucas Levine. The senior made a number of big plays on defense, including an interception and sack for a safety, but also had a key third-down reception in the second-half to move the chains in the Dons' 9-0 win over Ygnacio Valley.
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Dual-Threat Quarterback: Miramonte's junior quarterback Ross Anderson appears to be on the verge of a breakout season – in the Matadors' season-opening victory over Analy, Anderson passed for 102 yards and picked up 82 yards on the ground. With weapons like Coupin in the backfield and a core of receivers, the Miramonte offense should be a challenge to defend.
Bright Future Ahead: Two sophomore quarterbacks saw their first action, and played well in their debuts. Campolindo's Brett Stephens was 8-for-9 for 94 yards and a touchdown in the Cougars win over Albany, while Las Lomas' Jackson Miller was 9-for-14 for 125 yards and three touchdowns in the Knights' road victory against Vintage. The quarterbacks square off in the final week of the regular season, in what could be one of a few great duels between the two.
Jamboree-Style Weekend: If you're a football fan with a clear calendar on Saturday, there will be no better place to be than Dublin High, where three DFAL teams play through-out the day, and into the evening. Acalanes kicks things off against Hayward at 1:30pm, with Miramonte taking on Fortuna at 5:30pm, and host Dublin battling Galt (featuring RB Haran Piggee) in the night-cap. If you're a complete junkie for the pigskin, you can even catch non-area teams Granite Bay vs. Oakdale square off at 3:30pm. Word of advice to the Snack-Bar workers: order up some extra hot dogs and nacho cheese.
Top Billing for this Friday: Marin Catholic at Las Lomas, 7 p.m. — the Knights are coming off a big win over Vintage, but will face a much tougher opponent in Marin Catholic, last year's D-III State Championship participant for Northern California. Marin Catholic's offensive and defensive lines have some serious size, including standouts Mike Padovese (6-6, 315 pounds) and Anthony Popovich (6-3, 280 pounds), and should be a good match-up with Las Lomas' Brandon Markey and Mitch Frentescu.
Alumni Watch: Kicker Giorgio Tavecchio (Campolindo, class of '08) was a perfect 6-for-6 on extra points, and booted a 23-yard field goal for Cal in the Bears season-opening win over UC-Davis.
Parting Shot: We plan to provide weekly updates in our notebook, so feel free to send me an email at mannion.jim@gmail.com if there are alumni we should be following, or if you have standouts that we should be keeping an eye on.
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