Sobrato out to reclaim West Valley title
MORGAN HILL — Nick Borello vividly remembers last year’s game against Independence. It is one of few fond memories Sobrato has from 2008.
Showing no semblance of a team headed for a 2-8 finish, the Bulldogs put together their best effort of the season on that rainy night in San Jose. The offense, led by its mud-caked front five, gained more than 300 yards as Sobrato overcame a 14-point deficit to win 31-21.
“Everything looked pretty good in that game,” said Borello, now in his second year as head coach. “The O-line was at its best.”
That Oct. 10 triumph will be the Bulldogs’ blueprint for success in 2009. The team is small once again and will need its offensive line to lay the groundwork for methodical drives that will put points on the board and keep the defense off the field.
Sobrato’s new single-wing T attack is the perfect recipe, but it’s a traffic jam waiting to happen without sound blocking.
“If our line doesn’t play well, the rest of us won’t play well,” Borello said.
Defensive backs coach Albert King added: “It’s an old cliche, but it all starts with the guys up front. They will dictate our season. … It’s how they mentally prepare themselves for each game that’s going to be the key to our success.”
That pressure is nothing new to the beloved big guys up front. They know each touchdown pass thrown by quarterbacks Patrick Bacciarelli and Jerry Jacob begins with a push; each long run by running backs Ralph Jackson, Drew Johnson and Obi Mbonu starts with a shove.
“We set the tempo,” said senior Joel Rueda, a third-year starter at center and nose guard who will join three other first-string O-linemen on defense. “If we’re slacking off, we fall off. We need to be working on all four cylinders — all five cylinders on offense.”
The good news is four of the Bulldogs’ starting offensive linemen — Ray Guerrero, left guard; Mandeep Bains, right guard; Glenn Patterson, right tackle, and Rueda — are back, and left tackle Gustavo Ramirez saw plenty of playing time a year ago. The bad news is the O-line is thin, depth-wise. The replacements are sophomore Skyler King for the interior linemen and senior Brandon Maack, a 6-foot-1 180-pound linebacker, for the tackles.
Still, a two-deep offensive line doesn’t sound so bad considering the team has 26 players. Although problematic, health was not a problem during Sobrato’s intense offseason.
“We’ve been as good as you can possibly go with these few guys,” Borello said. “It’s been a very good summer. We’ve had some guys get banged up, but nothing serious.”
That’s the best news possible for a small team with big goals. In the wake of their fall from grace in 2008, the Bulldogs are itching to regroup this season and retake the West Valley Division championship they claimed in 2007.
The players and coaches feel they have as good a chance as any team.
“I really feel like we’re going to do a lot better, definitely,” said Bacciarelli, an athletic 190-pound senior who will start at QB and free safety after playing middle linebacker a year go. “Looking at last year, there’s only room for improvement. We have better chemistry this year, the offense and defense are both stronger, and we have some guys that are going to show up every game.”
Despite having few returning starters, the Bulldogs share a performance-born team-wide trust. The veterans have marveled at the emergence of several promising newcomers, including linebacker/wingback Jacob Molina, wideouts Joe Snyder and Chris Bradley, strong safety Daniel Puna, plus Mbonu and King.
“You’re starting to see them rely on each other,” Albert King said. “They’re like, ‘I know what my responsibility is … I trust the fact that my teammate beside me or behind me is going to do his job.’ That’s the biggest difference this year.”
How different the Bulldogs are will become evident next week, when they open nonleague play at 7 p.m. Friday at Gunderson. Sobrato is scheduled to meet rival Live Oak on Sept. 25 and, a week later, will travel to Silver Creek for a matchup with major-league title implications.
“This year is going to be a lot different than last year,” said middle linebacker Ryan Brewer, who will rotate with Kurtis Juarez, Marcus Patrick, Vincent Alfonseca and Molina. “We work our (butt) off every day in practice. We’ve conditioned better than any team around. I’m not worried about people getting tired. We have 25 strong. That’s all we need.”
WHO TO WATCH
QUARTERBACKS: Arguably the Bulldogs’ best athlete, Patrick Bacciarelli, a 6-foot-1 190-pound senior, looks like a mini Tim Tebow under center and John Lynch’s little brother at free safety. Bacciarelli can run, pass and even provide a good lead block for his running backs.
BACKS: Sobrato has a core group of speedsters who will likely play every down. Track star Ralph Jackson moved from sweeper to fullback and will start at cornerback, Drew Johnson and Obi Mbonu offer strength at tailback and in the secondary.
OFFENSIVE/DEFENSIVE LINE: The Bulldogs have four big linemen — Ray Guerrero, Joel Rueda, Mandeep Bains, Gustavo Ramirez — who will start both ways. Glenn Patterson returns at right tackle.
LINEBACKERS: One of the team’s strongest outfits, the Sobrato linebackers include four potential all-leaguers. Seniors Ryan Brewer and Marcus Patrick lead the group in the middle and team co-captain Vincent Alfonseca and newcomer Jacob Molina will play outside.
