Six St. Francis football players pick up All-CIF recognition
En route to a 10-win season and a trip to the CIF Southern Section Western Division semifinals, a handful of St. Francis High football players caught the attention of many coaches around the division.
For six St. Francis athletes, their bodies of work were recognized Monday when the All-CIF Southern Section office unveiled the elite players from each of the 13 divisions.
St. Francis finished 10-3, 3-2 in the Mission League in 2013 after going 4-7 the previous season. Such a quick turnaround was attributed to the vast contributions made by Ty Gangi, Joe Mudie, John Carroll, Trevor Provencio, Dylan Crawford and Marko Tinoco, all of whom were bestowed with All-CIF Western Division recognition.
“There are a lot of guys in our division who are incredible players,” said St. Francis Coach Jim Bonds, whose team topped Culver City and fourth-seeded Camarillo in the playoffs before falling to top-seeded Gardena Serra in the semifinals. “By getting to the semifinals, that got us a lot of respect around the division.
“Our guys who made it deserved it very much.”
In his one season as a starting signal-caller, Gangi, a senior quarterback, proved to be impressive with his passing and rushing skills.
He completed 189 of 342 passes (55%) for 2,882 yards and 25 touchdowns to just six interceptions. He also displayed a steady ground attack, rushing 117 times for 421 yards and 12 touchdowns. On the season, he tallied 38 total touchdowns, including eight in the playoffs.
“You had to be able to play hard while also having fun,” Gangi said. “It’s just an honor to be recognized like this and being able to play alongside great teammates.
“All-CIF is something that’s great for the team and the whole school.”
Bonds said Gangi exceeded expectations.
“He could do it all,” Bonds said. “He went out there and set the example for our team in a big way.”
Mudie, a senior running back, overcame a hamstring injury during the season. He rushed for 1,350 yards in 179 carries (7.54 yards per carry) and 14 touchdowns. He also caught 39 passes for 612 yards and four touchdowns.
As a starting cornerback, Mudie collected 23 tackles and excelled on special teams (532 yards on kickoff and punt returns).
“I’m very happy,” Mudie said. “It was in the back of my mind before the season began that maybe I could be one of the best in the league and CIF in my position.
“To have six of our guys get All-CIF is incredible.”
Said Bonds: “He’s somebody you could always count on both sides of the ball and special teams and you knew he would deliver.”
Crawford, a sophomore wide receiver, proved to be another big threat for the Golden Knights. He caught 54 passes for 993 yards and 10 touchdowns.
Carroll, a junior tight end, notched 49 catches for 694 yards and seven touchdowns. On defense, the linebacker had 25 tackles, including seven for losses. He also added four sacks.
Provencio, a senior, showed his versatility by playing his third position in as many seasons. After previously playing guard and tackle, Provencio made a seamless transition to center and provided Gangi with plenty of pass protection.
Tinoco, a senior lineman, had 58 tackles, including 21 for a loss, and contributed 13 sacks to spark St. Francis on defense.
“With Dylan, it’s incredible for a sophomore to get All-CIF, but he could always make the big catches,” Bonds said. “John Carroll really helped us out with the blocking and, when it was third and six, we’d go to John to make a catch.
“Trevor excelled again at a new position and proved to be extremely valuable. Marko had a lot of sacks and he created a lot of pressure for the other teams.”