St. Francis football believes another successful season is ahead

In the clarity of the rearview, it’s rather remarkable to consider what the St. Francis High football team accomplished in the 2015 season.

A parade of 2014 Angelus League champions graduated, a pair of standout seniors transferred, there were some chemistry problems and there was a three-game losing streak, started by one of the program’s most lopsided losses and continued by two heartbreaking defeats.

But somehow, the Golden Knights rescued their season to the tune of a CIF Southern Section Southeast Division semifinal run.

While last season began with much uncertainty, this year’s Golden Knights campaign, which kicks off Friday at West Covina, comes with a different feel, one with seemingly more chemistry and conviction of what should lie ahead.

“We have a lot of returners back, but we also lost a lot of good guys. This year, we just need to go in with a lot of energy,” said senior receiver/defensive back Daniel Scott, one of four returning All-Area players on the squad. “I think the big thing for us is our confidence. We go in knowing we’re gonna be in every game.”

Among the losses St. Francis has had to deal with are the graduations of All-Area Football Player of the Year Sean Davitt, who had a whopping 23 sacks, and three-year varsity running back Areg Nazarian. But even with the departures, there’s seemingly more experience at this time of the year than last and presumably more camaraderie.

“I think there’s more experience, there’s good chemistry with this bunch, you can just feel it,” St. Francis Coach Jim Bonds said. “It’s a hard-working group and they want to be successful.”

Success will come in the brave new world that is the revamped CIF Southern Section landscape.

Having found success in the form of a 20-5 record, an Angelus League championship and ascents to the Southeast quarterfinals and semifinals over the last two seasons, St. Francis is now a part of Division III, which is seen as a jump from the Southeast, which was considered Division V.

Still, from one season to the next, the goals remain unchanged for the Golden Knights: winning league, making a playoff run and winning a CIF championship.

“It’s the same every year,” said senior linebacker Will Mudie, one of the team’s four senior captains along with Scott, linebacker Maxx Jakeway and offensive lineman Matt Nixon.

Much of the preseason talk a year ago was the transfers out of All-Area multi-year starters Dylan Crawford and Avery Williams, but this time around a good deal of buzz has been generated by the transfer in of senior quarterback Michael Bonds.

The starting signal-caller, who will succeed Miles Bryant (who transferred to Alemany shortly after Michael Bonds came to the program), was a starter at Newport Harbor and is the nephew of the longtime head coach who was also a former standout quarterback at Hart High before moving on to UCLA. By all accounts, Bonds has flexed an impressive arm, but also quickly fit in with the team.

“He’s gonna be a real threat for us,” Scott said. “You could tell he was a little nervous, but he came in with a lot of confidence, too.

“He’s a great leader, he’s a great thrower. He’s the complete package.”

Said the head coach: “He sees things very well, his release is extremely quick and he gets rid of the ball. …He extends plays, he has a good head in the pocket and when it’s time to take off, he’s not afraid to run.”

Scott, a three-year starter, is likely the top candidate to be the top target for Bonds, having hauled in 32 receptions for 567 yards and four touchdowns last season. Scott also built a quick friendship with the quarterback starting in the spring.

Six-foot-2-inch junior wideout Greg Dulcich should also present a big target with some speed and will be joined by senior Gabriel Mathew and junior Blake Howard in the receiving ranks.

“I like our receiving corp, obviously our quarterback, our triggerman, and I think we have two good guys at running back,” said Jim Bonds of his offensive skill positions. “We just have to stay healthy as always.”

When Nazarian went down last year with an injury, Jace Harrick stepped up at running back. But Harrick, now a senior, was later injured and ended his season on the sideline. He’s back after having rushed for 245 yards and three touchdowns while hauling in 10 catches for 100 yards and a score.

“He’s a good hard runner with good hands out of the backfield,” Bonds said.

Joining Harrick and likely to get his share of carries will be junior Elijah Washington.

In perhaps a microcosm of the team, the offensive line offers a balance of returning talent and new blood.

“We’re a good group, we communicate well,” said Nixon, who’s slotted at right guard.

Junior Matt Barriga is also a returning starter, but is making the move from right tackle to left tackle. Junior Nicholas Konrad is also slotted at center.

At left guard, senior Shaun Theiring is likely to enter the season as the starter, but junior Luke Hunter, who got his share of reps last year, will also be back in the mix after he heals up from a recent injury. It’s a similar situation at right tackle, where junior Kevin Macho has been dinged up and senior Matthew Venegas has stepped up into the spot.

Barriga is slotted to also get a starter’s reps at defensive end, joining the likes of Harrick, Howard, Matthews and Scott, who are likely to see double duty.

“I would like to see it go down, by one or two,” coach Bonds said of the amount of players on both sides of the ball, “but at the same time, it’s high school football and you go with your best 11 guys out there.”

Elsewhere on the defensive line, seniors Giuseppe Gallo and Hagen Harvey will rotate at end and senior Chris Thomas is slotted at nose tackle, while returning All-Area standout Gabriel Grbavac is likely to lead the way, coming off a season in which he had 10 sacks.

“He’s a difference-maker and he has bad intentions when he gets to the quarterback,” Bonds said.

Jakeway, an All-Area and All-CIF pick who led last year’s squad with 113 tackles, will man the middle of a senior trio of linebackers.

“He’s smart, just has a nose for the ball and can kind of feel where it’s going before it’s snapped,” Bonds said.

At outside linebacker will be Gavin Campbell and Mudie, who both got plenty of playing time last season.

“That’s gonna be, I think, our strongest group,” Bonds said.

There’s also some experience in the defensive backfield, with Mathews and junior Bobby Gazmarian at the corners and Scott and Howard at the safety spots. Harrick, who started on defense, as well last year, and senior Nick Flores, who’s currently on the mend, are likely to also factor into those plans.

“I think the experience on this team is really strong. It’s really at all positions,” Mudie said. “There’s just a lot more experience this year and I would say the chemistry is a lot better.”

The one remaining returning All-Area selection is senior kicker Dulles Hanula, who came on late in the season and turned in a perfect campaign, converting 13 of 13 extra points and all five of his field goal attempts.

“I’m excited about our kicking game,” said Bonds, who will have senior Matt Bazarevitsch doing the punting and Howard handling kickoffs.

With chemistry and hopes high, St. Francis will look to contend in an Angelus League in which Cathedral, the defending champion that lost just once (which came against the Golden Knights) last year in league, is the favorite.

But the Golden Knights like their chances because they like where they are heading into the season.

“Everything’s coming together really smoothly right now,” Jakeway said. “I think we already play together real well now.”

“We have a lot of experience this year and I feel like we’ll come out ready.”

So far so good it seems, as coaches and players believe they have the chemistry and the right blend of experience and new talent in the fold. But St. Francis’ longtime coach knows there will be obstacles to overcome and, just like last season, it will be how his Golden Knights respond to that adversity that will tell the tale of the 2016 Golden Knights.

“I think it’s a great mix. This year, I’d say we have about half of our starters on each side back,” Bonds said. “I would say just sticking together as a team and staying healthy [is the key]. We’re gonna have some bumps in the road, it happens every year, how do we handle things?”