What they do off the field, however, is what really tickles the third-year Knights’ coach. You can sense the pride and joy in Newton’s voice when he talks about his players’ off -field accomplishments. Win or lose, Newton takes satisfaction in knowing his players are champions off the gridiron. In an era where seemingly every coach has to deal with player-eligibility issues, Menlo School might have the most eclectic group of football players in the Bay Area.

When asked if any of his players had talents other than football, Newton replied, “All of them.” For purposes of brevity, Newton whittled his list to eight, calling Chase Richard, Nate Coggins, Jack Mosbacher, Leon Ivery, Tony Schwartz, Matt Corley, Ricky Hawkins and Brian Flaherty the “Renaissance Men.”

Ivery and Schwartz are Level 7 and 10 classical piano players, respectively, Coggins had the lead role in Menlo’s spring play, a “Midsummer’s Night Dream;” Mosbacher was the lead in the school’s winter musical, “Pippin;” Richard is an excellent trumpet player; while Flaherty, Hawkins and Corley are members of the school’s advanced chorus. Flaherty is strongly considering attending the U.S. Military Academy at West Point.

Sometimes, one of them may even shock the rest. Last year, during a break from double days, Schwartz and Ivery played Rachmaninoff and Mozart, stunning onlookers.

“I heard he caught everyone off-guard when he played his piece,” Coggins said. “Leon is a big football personality, and maybe you’re not expecting something like that from him.”

Coggins was in the chorus in “Pippin,” which had four sold-out shows and was a big hit on the Menlo campus.

“That play was a big success,” Coggins said. “Usually, there’s not a lot of interest in musicals at our school, but this one created a lot of hype. It was very atypical of Menlo fine arts, and it was really good to see the students and faculty at the school come together.”

So who’s the better actor, Coggins or Mosbacher?

“I say I am,” Coggins said. “He says he is, so it’s an ongoing rivalry.”

Coggins, who is a starting linebacker/offensive lineman, takes equal joy from making a big hit on the field to delivering a flawless performance on stage.

“It’s a great feeling when you do well in both areas,” Coggins said. “Football is the greatest game there is, but I love acting, and it’s hard to compare the two.”

The best thing about the players’ myriad talents is the fact that they can play some pretty good ball, too. Hawkins had 41 receptions for 643 yards last season, and enters this year with Carlmont’s Anthony Burrell as the two of the top wide receivers in the Peninsula Athletic League. The Knights are one of the contenders to win the PAL Ocean Division championship. They’ve already racked up multiple scholastic awards, and Coggins think it’s time to pull the double.

“There’s never been a school in history to win the scholastic and league football championship in the same year in the PAL,” he said. “We have a good chance to do that because we’re athletic, we have a sense of team unity and some of our newcomers were on the JV team that went 10-0 last year.”

Which just goes to show, that Menlo might have the perfect combination of brain and brawn.

Fearless forecast

Speaking of football, it’s time to look into my crystal ball and see what’s in store for the season. I’m predicting Woodside to win the PAL Bay Division, Serra to win a share of the WCAL title with Valley Christian and Aragon to win its first Central Coast Section championship since 1994 (either in Medium School or Large). As for this weekend’s games, look for Sacred Heart Prep to top El Camino, Menlo School to beat San Mateo, Sequoia to edge Prospect, Gilroy to squeak by Burlingame and Serra to get past Buchanan.

New AD at Skyline

Skyline College’s new athletic director, Joe Morello, began his first day of work at the San Bruno school yesterday.

“I’m trying to get up to speed,” he said. “It’s been a crazy day.”

Morello, 41, takes over for Andreas Wolf, who took the same position at the College of San Mateo in June. Morello comes in with solid credentials, having served the last three years as an advising coordinator in UC-Berkeley’s athletic study center. Before that, Morello was the director of physical education and dance at the College of Marin from 1994-2001 before serving in the same capacity at Santa Rosa Junior College for two years.

“I was thrilled when I found out that I was going to be able to work at Skyline,” Morello said. “We’re moving some of our offices back into the gym (which has undergone a renovation the last two years), and I feel this is a great opportunity that will present a lot of challenges and excitement.”

Edelman moving on up

Former Woodside and College of San Mateo quarterback Julian Edelman started and played the entire game in Kent State’s 44-0 loss to Minnesota last night. He rushed 14 times for 31 yards and completed 7-of-13 passes for 150 yards, including a 64-yard strike to Najah Pruden. Edelman did throw three interceptions and committed a fourth turnover on a fumble, but generally played well despite being under duress for much of the contest as he was sacked five times.

Lofgren sizzles

Former Serra High product Chuck Lofgren was named the Carolina League’s Pitcher of the Year. Lofgren (16-5), who pitches for the Kinston Indians, a Class-A affiliate of the Cleveland Indians, had a spectacular season that has the minor league world buzzing. His 16 wins are tied for the most of any pitcher in the minors this season, and he has a 2.42 ERA to go along with 122 strikeouts.

Emanuel Lee can be reached by e-mail: emanuel@smdailyjournal.com or by phone: (650) 344-5200 ext. 109. What do you think of this story? Send a letter to the editor: letters@smdailyjournal.com.