Football: Get ready for new stars at St. John Bosco

A year ago, even from the outset, I was pretty confident in believing that St. John Bosco was going to finish 16-0. The Braves were as close to an unbeatable team as I’ve seen at the high school level. Too much talent. Too much depth. Too much good coaching.

This season, it’s too early to project just how good the Braves will be after many graduation losses, particularly on defense, but there’s a group of new players who could rise up and make St. John Bosco very tough to beat.

First, we all know that quarterback Josh Rosen and running back Sean McGrew will be very good as long as they stay healthy. But for St. John Bosco to make it through another tough schedule, others will need to step forward and go from role players to major contributors.

The candidates include receivers Jared Harrell, Kaylin Franklin, Anselem Umeh and Terrell Bynum; linebackers Nas Anesi and DJ Willis; defensive end Gavin Windes; defensive backs DJ Morgan and Mykal Tolliver; lineman Zach Robertson and Matt Katnik.

It would be surprising if the Braves could pull off another 16-0 season, but it’s possible with a little luck and the deveopment of some young, untested players.

Twitter:@LATSondheimer