RENEWABLE ENERGY THE BEAUTY OF A NEW HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL SEASON IS ANOTHER FRESH START.Byline: RAMONA SHELBURNE Ramona Shelburne is an American sports journalist currently writing for the Los Angeles Daily News. Shelburne was born and raised in Los Angeles, California. She attended El Camino Real High School in Woodland Hills, California where she was a class valedictorian. LOCAL The grass was green. Way too green for this time of year. By mid-August, most of the grass on a high school football field usually looks thrice-baked. After two weeks of football practice, a summer of triple-digit temperatures and spotty irrigation irrigation, in agriculture, artificial watering of the land. Although used chiefly in regions with annual rainfall of less than 20 in. (51 cm), it is also used in wetter areas to grow certain crops, e.g., rice. , there are already large portions that won't be more than dull brown until next April. But here, smack dab in the middle of the dog days of August, the football field at Taft High in Woodland Hills looked immaculate. The football team was nowhere to be found. At least not easily. New coach Matt Kerstetter and his players were way out in a corner of the baseball field, practicing like it was third-and-10 at the Coliseum. The intensity was high, the pace brisk. If the young coach was nervous about replacing area coaching legend Troy Starr, who left for a position at the University of Florida University of Florida is the third-largest university in the United States, with 50,912 students (as of Fall 2006) and has the eighth-largest budget (nearly $1.9 billion per year). UF is home to 16 colleges and more than 150 research centers and institutes. this spring, it didn't show. Kerstetter raised his voice a few times when a player missed an assignment or used poor technique, but most of the time it was just easier to run over, jump in the drill and demonstrate the right way himself. The parents in the bleachers In The Bleachers is a podcast and website that focuses on Division I-A college football. It is recorded and aired weekly during college football season and features college football experts from the Big Ten, Big East, SEC, ACC, Pac 10, and Big 12 conferences. could only smile. "He's definitely Starr junior," one father said, chuckling. "I'm not sure if it was the apple falling from the tree or the tree just growing a new apple." Needless to say, the transition appears to be going, or rather growing, smoothly. That's the beauty of high school sports. A legendary coach leaves and a hungry young coach takes the handoff and gets a chance to run with the ball for the first time. A record-setting quarterback graduates and the kid who has been playing receiver for the past three years finally gets his shot under center. This football season, more than any season in recent memory, fresh faces will be stepping into the spotlight. At Taft, Starr is gone, Kerstetter is in. At Canyon, Harry Welch is gone, Chris Varner is in. Jimmy Clausen James Richard "Jimmy" Clausen (born September 21, 1987, in Thousand Oaks, California[3]) is an American football player. He is a quarterback at the University of Notre Dame. , Marc Tyler Marc Tyler (born September 27, 1988 in Palmdale, California) is an American football running back for the University of Southern California Trojans football team. High school career Tyler attended Oaks Christian High School in Westlake Village, California. and the rest of the dozen Oaks Christian stars from last year are playing on Saturdays now. So Chris Potter Chris Potter may refer to:
David Burgess Wise, The New Illustrated Encyclopedia of Automobiles. and Chris Owusu will step out from understudy status and play the lead on Friday nights. Three-thousand-yard rusher Darrell Scott For Darrell Scott, the "Rachel's Challenge" founder of this name, see . Darrell Scott is an American singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. He has written several mainstream country hits, and also has established himself as one of Nashville's premier session transferred from Moorpark and all-everything wide receiver Mike Stanton William Michael (Mike) Stanton (born June 2, 1967 in Houston, Texas) is a left-handed specialist relief pitcher in Major League Baseball for the Cincinnati Reds. From 1989 through 2006, Stanton has posted a 67-60 record with a 3. graduated from Notre Dame Notre Dame IPA: [nɔtʁ dam] is French for Our Lady, referring to the Virgin Mary. In the United States of America, Notre Dame . It might take a few weeks before we know who'll replace them, but there always is someone waiting patiently in the wings for their turn to carry the load. Some would say there's pressure on the newcomers, especially the rookie coaches. Varner, for instance, merely has to replace one of the most accomplished coaches in area history and defend the state Div. I championship without 1,000-plus-yard-a-season running back J.J. DiLuigi. "If you think about it that way, like. 'Oh my gosh, it's such a big deal,' you might not be able to do it," said Varner, 30, who coached the junior varsity junior varsity n. Abbr. JV A high-school or college team that competes in interschool sports on the level below varsity. Noun 1. at Canyon last year. "But if you have confidence in yourself and you're able to just relax and do it, you'll be fine. "It helps that in a lot of ways, the team is in the same boat I am. They're following a state championship team and I'm following a legendary coach. They're always going to be compared to that team and I'm always going to be compared to Harry." There was no addendum to that statement. No, "I'm always going to be compared to Harry and that's OK or I'm not going think about it like that." Just the facts. Jump in when you're ready. Fortunately, Varner has had some practice at this kind of thing. He was in the 101st Airborne for two years, jumping out of helicopters and airplanes. And yeah, he says, this year will kind of be like that. Although they don't know Don't know (DK, DKed) "Don't know the trade." A Street expression used whenever one party lacks knowledge of a trade or receives conflicting instructions from the other party. each other, Kerstetter has taken a remarkably similar approach to Varner. "He just said he was the new sheriff, so get used to it," Taft sophomore running back D.J. Morgan said of Kerstetter. "He's not afraid of anything. He seems to know what he's doing and he already had the respect from the players from (being offensive coordinator An offensive coordinator typically refers to the coach on a football team in the National Football League or College football who is in charge of the offense. This position aids the head coach by designing and scripting plays, delegating work to offensive position coaches during ) last year, so it was cool. "It's going to be good. As he's progressing, we'll be getting better, too." None of this is surprising, considering Kerstetter's background. After one season as a receiver in the Arena Football League, he decided he'd gone about as far as he could as a player and that his next career would be acting and modeling. So it was either New York New York, state, United States New York, Middle Atlantic state of the United States. It is bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean (E), New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S), Lakes Erie and Ontario and the Canadian province of or Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. . Having grown up in Pennsylvania, Kerstetter thought California seemed to be a more adventurous option. So he headed west, found an apartment in Woodland Hills, then -- because he had to stay connected to football somehow -- dropped by the first high school he saw to see if the football team needed some help. That school just happened to be Taft, and that season happened to be Steve Smith's junior year. "Coach Starr said, 'I don't know if I can pay you or anything. But we've got one of the best receivers in the country. No, the heck with that. We have the best receiver in the country and I don't have anybody to coach receivers so I'd love to have you on,'" Kerstetter recalled. "I was like, 'Sure, the kid's that good. Right.' ... Turns out, he wasn't kidding." Besides the allure of working with Smith, Kerstetter and Starr hit it off famously. Both are from the upper Midwest The Upper Midwest is a region of the United States with no universally agreed-upon boundary, but it almost always lies within the US Census Bureau's definition of the Midwest and includes the states of Minnesota and Wisconsin, as well as at least the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. and come at things with no-nonsense toughness. Every situation, in this manner of thinking, is best approached the way a Penn State middle linebacker makes a tackle: Take a direct route to the runner, hit him squarely, wrap up and walk away without gloating. Or more succintly: Just get the job done right. That is about the only way a 30-year-old rookie head coach can take over for a legend like Starr. Like Varner said, there will be pressure, and there will always be comparisons. But in the end, you're either ready to carry the ball -- pressure, expectations, tradition be damned -- or you're not. "I'm excited about it," Kerstetter said. "It's not every day you get a chance to follow in such big footsteps. But at the same time, I'd like to set my own path, too." Right now, that path is looking pretty good. The grass has been re-seeded and allowed to grow green and thick over the summer. Before the first game, the groundskeeper will cut it evenly, then line it. Then on Friday night, the lights will come on, and the new guys will get their chance to run. ramona.shelburne@dailynews.com (818) 713-3607 DAILY NEWS PRESEASON ALL-AREA FOOTBALL TEAM OFFENSE QB DAYNE CRIST Notre Dame, QB, Sr. Among the nation's most sought after recruits at any position, the 6- foot-5, 228-pounder is a top passer and punishing runner. RB MILTON KNOX Birmingham, Sr. On the verge On the Verge (or The Geography of Yearning) is a play written by Eric Overmyer. It makes extensive use of esoteric language and pop culture references from the late nineteenth century to 1955. of setting every significant career City rushing record, Knox should expect another 2,000-yard season. RB DELANO HOWELL Hart, Sr. The third in a line of brothers who dominated at Hart and beyond, Delano Howell might be the best of the three -- a pure athlete who's also a top DB and return specialist. WR De'VON FLOURNOY Birmingham, Jr. Blessed with a 40-inch vertical jump and 4.4 speed in the 40-yard dash, Flournoy is a phenomenal all-around athlete who already is being recruited by USC An abbreviation for U.S. Code. . WR MARK URBINA Canyon, Sr. A tough, clutch receiver who has helped the defending CIF (1) (Common Intermediate Format) A standard video format used in videoconferencing. CIF formats are defined by their resolution, and standards both above and below the original resolution have been established. The original CIF is also known as Full CIF (FCIF). State Div. I champion Cowboys win nine playoff games over two seasons. WR CHRIS OWUSU Oaks Christian, Sr. With 10.6 speed in the 100 meters, Owusu is among California's fastest football players. Caught 33 passes and scored nine TDs last year. TE JOSEPH FAURIA Crespi, Sr. At 6-foot-8 and blessed with the speed to outrun out·run tr.v. out·ran , out·run, out·run·ning, out·runs 1. a. To run faster than. b. To escape from: outrun one's creditors. 2. most defenders, no one makes a bigger -- and better -- target than Fauria, who has NFL NFL abbr. National Football League NFL (US) n abbr (= National Football League) → Fußball-Nationalliga bloodlines. OL A.J. WALLERSTEIN Canyon, Sr. A 6-4, 275-pounder who loves to get a full head of steam, then trample oncoming tacklers. Wallerstein is a dangerous blocker. OL JONATHAN MARTIN Jonathan Martin (1782 – 1838) was an English arsonist, famous for burning down York Minster in 1829. Martin was born at Highside House, near Hexham, in 1782, one of the twelve children of William Fenwick Martin and Isabella, née Thompson. Harvard- Westlake, Sr. The Daily News' No.1 lineman. Martin, who is 6-6 and 270 pounds, is a terrific natural athlete who can dunk a basketball. OL LARRY THOMPSON This page is about the Deputy Attorney General. For the president of Ringling College of Art and Design, see Larry R. Thompson. Larry Dean Thompson (15 November 1945, Hannibal, Missouri, - ) was a deputy Attorney General of the United States under United States Notre Dame, Sr. A tough, steady blocker from the Daily News' No. 1 team, Thompson is responsible for protecting Dayne Crist and opening holes for RB Thaddeus Brown. OL KEVIN GRAF Agoura, Jr. Graf comes from a great football family with USC bloodlines, and he's a key player for an Agoura team hoping to knock off to cease, as from work; to desist. - De Quincey. To force off by a blow or by beating. To assign to a bidder at an auction, by a blow on the counter. To leave off (work, etc.). See also: Knock Knock Knock Knock defending champion defending champion n (SPORT) → defensor/a m/f del título defending champion n (Sport) → champion(ne) en titre Westlake in the Marmonte League The Marmonte League is a high school sports league primarily made up of schools from Ventura County. The Marmonte Leauge is part of the CIF Southern Section. Click here to view the league schedule. . OL TRACE BISKIN Oaks Christian, Sr. One of the few holdovers from last year's Northwest Division Two of North America's major professional sports leagues contain a Northwest Division.
DEFENSE DL MALIK JACKSON Birmingham, Sr. Part of the Jackson twins, two of the toughest defensive tackles in the City Section. Totaled 12.5 sacks to help Birmingham to a City title last year. DL MARQUIS JACKSON Birmingham, Sr. The other half of the Jacksons, just as tough and just as strong and dependable as his brother, Malik. Must be accounted for at all times. DL WES WES World Education Services WES Waterways Experiment Station WES Washington Elementary School (Visalia, California) WES Women's Engineering Society (UK) WES West Elementary School HORTON Notre Dame, Sr. A very tough football player who is a relentless pass rusher with a nose for the football. Does not mind mixing it up with anyone. DL MIKE SPAGNOLA Canyon, Sr. Totaled 14 sacks last year to help Canyon to the Northern Division and CIF State Div. I championship. Will also play LB this season. DL CRAIG NOBLE Taft, Sr. Also a top offensive player, Noble made All-City last year on defense, which he's expected to play in college at Washington. LB ANTHONY MCDONALD Notre Dame, Sr. The latest in a long line of aggressive, hard-nosed linebackers at Notre Dame, McDonald possesses terrific tackling skills and a natural feel for the game. LB DONOVAN CARTER Birmingham, Sr. Coming off a huge season that saw him accumulate 130tackles and sixsacks, Carter is a hungry defender with a nose for the ball. LB PATRICK LARIMORE Hart, Sr. Big, tough and aggressive, Larimore is a throw-back type who probably would love to play with leather helmets. Nearly impossible to block. DB E.J. WOODS Crespi, Sr. With terrific speed, great natural instincts and a bit of a mean streak Mean Streak is a wooden roller coaster located at Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio, United States. It is a wooden roller coaster and was the tallest and fastest one of its kind when it debuted in 1991. It was constructed using 1. , Woods is a prototypical defensive back. He's also a top RB. DB DIETRICH RILEY St. Francis, So. Rose to prominence as a freshman last year. Riley should blossom now that he has some experience under his belt. Great speed. Also a top WR. DB SEAN n. 1. A seine. See Seine. WESTGATE Oak Park, Sr. A tough, punishing hitter and terrific in coverage, Westgate has all the skills you look for in a DB. Helped Oak Park to the Northwest Division final last year. PK JORDAN MANNISTO Westlake, Sr. The Daily News' No. 1 kicker, Mannisto was 13 of 14 on field goals last year including two of 50 yards or longer. Should provide a major advantage. - Gerry Gittelson CAPTION(S): 25 photos Photo: 1 -- color) Top row (l-r); Craig Noble, DL, Taft, Sr.; Mike Spagnola, DL, Canyon, Sr.; Wes Horton, DL, Notre Dame, Sr.; Marquis Jackson, DL, Birmingham, Sr.; Malik Jackson, DL, Birmingham, Sr.; Joseph Fauria, TE, Crespi, Sr. Third row (l-r): A.J. Wallerstein, OL, Canyon, Sr.; Jonathan Martin, OL, Harvard-Westlake, Sr.; Larry Thompson, OL, Notre Dame, Sr.; Trace Biskin, OL, Oaks Christian, Sr.; Kevin Graf, OL, Agoura, Jr. Second row (l-r): Dietrich Riley, DB, St. Francis, So.; Patrick Larimore, LB, Hart, Sr.; Anthony McDonald, LB, Notre Dame, Sr.; Sean Westgate, DB, Oak Park, Sr.; Donovan Carter, LB, Birmingham, Sr. E.J. Woods, DB, Crespi, Sr. Bottom row(l-r): Dayne Crist, QB, Notre Dame, Sr.; Delano Howell, RB, Hart, Sr.; Milton Knox, RB, Birmingham, Sr.; Mark Urbina, WR, Canyon, Sr.; Chris Owusu, WR, Oaks Christian, Sr.; Jordan Mannisto, PK, Westlake, Sr.; De'Von Flournoy, WR, Birmingham, Jr. Michael Owen Baker/Staff Photographe (2 -- color) DAYNE CRIST (3 -- color) MILTON KNOX (4 -- color) DELANO HOWELL (5 -- color) DeVON FLOURNOY (6 -- color) MARK URBINA (7 -- color) CHRIS OWUSU (8 -- color) JOSEPH FAURIA (9 -- color) A.J. WALLERSTEIN (10 -- color) JONATHAN MARTIN (11 -- color) LARRY THOMPSON (12 -- color) KEVIN GRAF (13 -- color) TRACE BISKIN (14 -- color) MALIK JACKSON (15 -- color) MARQUIS JACKSON (16 -- color) WES HORTON (17 -- color) MIKE SPAGNOLA (18 -- color) CRAIG NOBLE (19 -- color) ANTHONY MCDONALD (20 -- color) DONOVAN CARTER (21 -- color) PATRICK LARIMORE (22 -- color) E.J. WOODS (23 -- color) DIETRICH RILEY (24 -- color) SEAN WESTGATE (25 -- color) JORDAN MANNISTO |
|
||||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion