Flexing their muscle
"It's the greatest luxury in football to have a good line," said Gillett, who split time at quarterback as a junior. "Any statistics that I get or the tailback gets, those are all because of the guys up front." The Royals' line includes two big tackles who are getting looks from Division 1 colleges, Alex Mack and Joe Berteloot. Mack has already been offered a full ride by Cal Berkeley. Berteloot, noted coach Will Gonzales, is also moving up the charts after hitting some good marks at a summer scouting combine. Three other players who started or played regularly on the line also return, Lance Castillo and Juan Obispo at guard and Duncan Krier at center. "These guys have all played together for a year," said Gonzales. "It allows us to do some different things." At the same time, Gonzales wants the Royals to keep doing what they did last year, when they racked up nearly 2,700 yards rushing (more than 200 yards a game).
San Marcos went 8-4 last year and won a playoff game for the first time since 1998, when Bradlee Van Pelt was the quarterback. Many of the key players came from a JV team that went 10-0 the previous season. Those players are the senior core for this year and the Royals welcome a junior class that went 7-2 and tied St. Bonaventure for the unofficial league title. "A lot of people are talking about the seniors we lost, guys like (all-county running back) Dominic Avila and (all-county receiver) Jeremy Burrey," said Gillett. "They did leave some holes, but we've got a great group of juniors." OFFENSE Quarterback: Gillett passed for 171 yards and rushed for 112 in part-time duty last year. Cameron Ely, a 6-foot-5 sophomore, backs up Gillett. Running back: Gonzalo Castro (6-0, 182), an all-league fullback who averaged 5.6 yards a carry, will be featured more as a runner and pass catcher this year, said Gonzales, along with Pedro Desales, who averaged 5.0 yards. Receivers: Senior Desmond Bartley (6-0, 160) is one of the team's better athletes, said Gonzales, while juniors Vaughn Elbeck (6-0, 170), the JV's leading receiver, and converted soccer star Elliot Brown (6-1, 175) are promising. Senior Chris Janeway (6-2, 170) and junior John Gutierrez (6-1, 177) are at tight end. Line: Krier is the closest thing to a newcomer since he split his time with defense last year. Castillo (6-0, 200) was a top wrestler last year at a lower weight but built himself up in the weight room for football. "That's typical of this group," said Gonzales. "They are workaholics." Kicker: Elbeck does the placekicking while reserve running back Rick Escalera is projected to punt. DEFENSE Line: Mack (6-4, 265) and Berteloot (6-4, 265) flank first-team, all-league noseguard Jason Mendoza (6-2, 205). "I don't think any teams are going to push us around up front," said Gonzales. Janeway, who played a lot of linebacker last year, is fast enough to create havoc off the end or drop back in coverage. Linebacker: Castro, Krier and Castillo all have experience inside but Gonzales wants ultimately to work toward more platooning. Backs: Gillett was an all-league cornerback but he'll probably be a situational player. Keith Graham fits the strong safety/rover position well, said Gonzales, with Isidro Valenzuela at corner. Bartley, Brown and Elbeck, are also secondary candidates, noted Gonzales. "This is the fourth year that we've had the same system for all our levels," noted Gonzales. "It allows us to become good at what we do." |
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| Bishop Diego Cardinals
• Cabrillo Conquistadores •
Carpinteria Warriors • Dos
Pueblos Chargers • Laguna Blanca
Owls |
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Coach: Will Gonzales (3rd year, 11-11)
Justin
Gillett has a 4.7 grade point average and test scores in the stratosphere.
In short, San Marcos High's senior quarterback is smart enough to
know how lucky he is to play behind a line that could be one of
the best in school history.