Bay Area's Elite Kick Off the Prep Season

Alan Hoshida
South Bay SportingNews
 @SBSportingNews

Game: August 31st at 7 pm
San Jose Community College

Two of the Bay Area’s most storied high school football programs square off, kicking off the prep season once again - De La Salle vs. Bellarmine - two schools that represent tradition with vast amount of pedigree. How would you like to be the Bells, facing the defending state champions and 9th nationally heading into Friday’s match-up, or the Spartans, traveling to face the same team that nearly ended there now 8 year reign as Northern California’s top team last season.

Week 1 in the prep scene and you might not see a more competitive game all year in California. Lets recap what happened last year week 1 one when the Spartans and Bells met –

Bellarmine held the lead heading into half 7-0, then De La Salle’s Anthony Williams returns a punt return 90 yards to the house, giving the Spartans back some energy. Williams hauled in a 70 yard TD next possession, giving De La Salle the 14-7 lead. But the Bells would answer late in the 4th,  so  to overtime it went. All the Bells needed was a extra point to end the Spartans dominance in Northern California – the kick flew left. Overtime 2, the Spartans’ Bart Houston, now a Wisconsin Badger, kept it himself, scoring from a yard out, allowing the Concord squad to collectively exhale. Their 2 decade long win streak against Northern California was intact, even if it took a 2 OT Thriller.

Now back to this year.

K.J. Carta-Samuels steps into the prep spotlight
courtesy 24/7sports.com 

When the Spartans and Bells face off this year, it may not match the overtime thriller that took place last season. Last season, Bellarmine had the experience to match Del La Salle. This year, they return just 2 starters on either side of the ball, losing nearly 3,000 yards rushing and nearly 40 rush TDs to D1 programs. All everything QB, Travis McHugh ,is playing in the Ivy League at Princeton, accounted for 34 TDs (22 Rush, 12 Pass). Running back, Tim Crawley will be playing at nearby San Jose State, he had 17 TDs and 1,446 yds on the ground a year ago. McHugh will be replaced by highly-touted K.J. Carta-Samuels, an Elite 11 Underclassman. Carta-Samuels doesn’t have a start under his belt, yet he’s already verbally committed to Vanderbilt University. It will be interesting to see if Bellarmine opens up the passing playbook more this season with Carta-Samuels being a pro-style QB; McHugh only attempted 107 passes in 14 games in 2011.

Michael Hutchings leads defending state champs Spartans
 courtesy 24/7sports.com

De La Salle returns 5 starters on both offense and defense, including top-prospect Outside Linebacker, Michael Hutchings, an ESPN Top 150 recruit, #4 OLB in the country, and future USC Trojan. Hutchings leads a linebacker corp (Hutchings, David Moffitt, Victor Egu) that is the foundation to a dominating defense. Austin Hooper brings the rush off the edge, tallying a team high 10.5 last campaign. But the offense will be more then able to support the defense. Tiapepe Vitale returns for his senior season, after rushing for over 1,200 yards (105.8 yds/gm) and 18 TDs as a junior. The big question mark for the Spartans will be the quarterback position. Houston is in the Big 10 now, so in steps athletic junior lefty Chris Williams (Williams will also wear #13 like Houston). Williams will take his first snap as starter vs the 
Bellarmine defense on Friday.

Under the lights on Friday night at San Jose Community College, Northern California’s finest kick off the football season. A seasoned Spartans’ defense will face an inexperienced but highly regarded varsity rookie QB, Carta-Samuels - trial by fire as it’s said. Another overtime classic will make De La Salle vs Bellaramine the traditional way Bay Area prep football will kick off every season.


PREDICTION: De La Salle 24 Bellarmine 13