St. Francis Football Preview: Golden Knights have something to prove

St. Francis High, like every other football team at this time of the year, is looking to move forward, to pen another chapter.

Alas, looking back is in order to tell the whole story of why these Golden Knights are tackling the 2015 campaign with a collective chip on their shoulders, something to prove to themselves and their doubters and a legacy to build in the burgeoning Angelus League.

A year ago at this time, St. Francis was set to debut in the Angelus League with heavyweights Gardena Serra and Chaminade from its old Mission League stomping grounds far removed from the schedule. Along with that, the Golden Knights were now part of the CIF Southern Section Southeast Division.

With a perceived easier schedule, the talent-laden Golden Knights entered the season with hype and expectation aplenty.

For 11 weeks, the Golden Knights essentially dominated every foe in front of them. But two severe injuries coupled with a somewhat lackluster performance saw St. Francis stymied in an upset loss to La Serna in the Southeast quarterfinals.

“Everyone coming back, we know that last year was supposed to be more than what we got,” senior defensive end Sean Davitt said. “So everybody coming back knows it’s going to take even more to get back there.”

With the loss to La Serna came the subsequent graduations of a cavalcade of star players, such as quarterback Jeremiah Martin, tight end/linebacker John Carroll, linebacker Matt Bayle and defensive back Mason Williams just to name a few. However, in the offseason came the unforeseen transfers of Dylan Crawford and Avery Williams. Both of them were decorated two-year starters who not only took their talents elsewhere but four starting spots as well, as both were projected to start on both sides of the ball.

“I’ve heard, personally, that St. Francis isn’t gonna do well and, actually, Cathedral is favored to beat us [in the Angelus League]. I don’t take much stock in that,” senior offensive tackle Cade Mockary said. “I definitely have a chip on my shoulder and the rest of the team does. We definitely want to prove that we’re a family, we’re a team. Just because a couple of people leave, everybody thinks we’re not gonna be good. That’s just wrong. I know we’re gonna have a great season.”

Therein lies the motivation for the Golden Knights if there was any cause for more. With it comes familiar goals.

“I told the guys that our guys last year set the bar by winning the Angelus League,” Golden Knights Coach Jim Bonds said. “Our goal is to win the league again and make a run in the playoffs.”

For Mockary’s prognostication and the goals at hand to come to fruition, the Golden Knights are likely going to have to rely on what’s under their helmets, while growing up in a hurry on a largely inexperienced squad.

“I think we have intelligent kids and they’re able to adapt and recognize and learn through the game,” Bonds said. “These are things I feel like we have an advantage with is we have really intelligent kids.

“We just don’t have the experience, but they’re gonna have to be baptized by fire. It’s an ongoing experience right now; we’re still learning on the run.”

Ranked No. 1 in the Southeast Division for the duration of last season, St. Francis went an unblemished 10-0 through the regular season, claiming the Angelus League crown in the first season of the league in its current form and claiming the program’s first league championship since 1997. In the Southeast first round, the Golden Knights throttled Mayfair, 49-14. Then came the fateful Friday evening against La Serna. Without Martin and Bayle due to injury, the Golden Knights lost, 38-35, and all the hype and hopes, expectations and aspirations were gone.

St. Francis will open its 2015 campaign Friday at home against West Covina. It will do so following an offseason that was the polar opposite of 2014, one rife with media attention and plenty of pressure and expectations.

“We try to not bother with the hype when there’s a lot of stuff written and not pay attention when there is not,” said Bonds, whose team is ranked No. 4 in the preseason division poll behind No. 1 Downey, No. 2 La Mirada and No. 3 Cathedral, its Angelus League foe.

For what has been written about St. Francis, much has been about what’s been lost, whether via graduation or transfer. Alas, the Golden Knights do welcome back their leading rusher and scorer in senior running back Areg Nazarian (19 total touchdowns and 1,156 rushing yards), who will carry a large offensive load while doubling as a cornerback.

“Early on, Areg is gonna have to carry the heavy load and that’s not just running the ball, that’s catching passes out of the backfield, returning kicks, maybe punts,” Bonds said. “We’re gonna have to do that until we figure out who we are as an offense.”

If there was a positive to come from the season-ending defeat to La Serna it was the play of quarterback Miles Bryant. Now a junior, the Monrovia High transfer was 12 for 17 for 267 yards and four touchdowns in the quarterfinal loss, which was his starting debut.

“He got baptized in the playoffs last year under fire,” Bonds said. “I thought he did more than OK. I’m looking for some big things from him.”

Behind Bryant, as aforementioned, Nazarian will get the ball plenty.

When he’s spelled, it’s likely to be for senior Trey Polamalu, a transfer from Loyola High. Polamalu, whose father is the uncle to Pittsburgh Steelers great Troy Polamalu, offers a more straight-ahead style than Nazarian’s shifty, darting approach.

At receiver, Jasher Foster is the Golden Knights’ most ballyhooed threat. While Foster’s 452 yards and five touchdowns earned him All-Area and all-league acclaim last season, it was his track exploits as a hurdler, which saw him claim Mission League and Division III titles en route to state, in the spring that have many expecting big things. Foster will be joined by Polamalu, who will play tight end and split end, junior Daniel Scott and sophomore Blake Howard in the receiving corps.

Joining Nazarian and Foster as returning offensive starters will be Mockary and Josh Milner.

Both seniors, Milner and Mockary will man the left side of the offensive line with Mockary making the switch from right tackle to left.

At right guard will be junior Matthew Nixon, while sophomore Matt Barriga will start at right tackle. At center will be Michael Guida, who played as a freshman and sophomore in the program but not as a junior and who Bonds called a “pleasant surprise.”

“Our O-line’s doing pretty well,” Mockary said. “We definitely don’t have the size, but we make up for it with intelligence and technique.”

Defensively, there are even more fresh faces.

The most experienced group and likely the strength is the defensive line.

“Our defensive line is tremendous,” Nazarian said.

Davitt, who missed a good portion of last season after transferring from Loyola, brings experience at defensive end as does defensive tackle Buster Roebuck. Anthony Khoshrozeh will start at nose tackle and Gabriel Grbavac will start at the other end spot.

Gavin Campbell and Will Mudie are pegged for the outside linebacker spots with Maxx Jakeway in the middle.

Nazarian is slotted for one cornerback slot opposite Jacob De La Hoya, the son of multiple-time former boxing world champion and current promoter Oscar De La Hoya. Nick Flores will also fill in when Nazarian takes a breather.

“We want to be able to spell him a little bit, so we’ll spell him on defense,” Bonds said.

Scott and Polamalu will pull double duty with starting positions at safety.

“We want to come together as a team where the scheme can take care of itself,” Davitt said. “Where we can play football and all the success will come.”

For an inexperienced group looking to move forward, learning and chemistry seem to be the first issues at hand.

“We pride ourselves on being smart,” Nazarian said. “We’re getting there, we’ll be ready when the season comes.”

After a nonleague slate that consists of West Covina, Moorpark, Monrovia, Canyon Country Canyon and Calabasas, St. Francis will open up defense of its Angelus League title on Oct. 9 at Salesian, which advanced to the CIF semifinals a season ago.

Then it’s a matchup at home against Cathedral.

“They have some good guys over there,” Davitt said. “So it’s definitely going to be a test.”

But after an offseason free of hype and characterized by departures, the Golden Knights are going forward with plenty to prove and a league title to defend.

“It’s ours,” Mockary said, “and we’re gonna keep it ours.”