In a league where none of the six current teams went to the postseason in 2023, there should be plenty of family storylines brimming from the Peninsula Athletic League Ocean Division this season.
A majority of the six teams composing the revamped Ocean Division — the first of two “B” leagues in the PAL — have teammates who are brothers, including two teams, San Mateo and Terra Nova, each with three brothers on their respective rosters. Terra Nova added its third brother last week, sophomore lineman Trevor Snead, is set to join senior two-way standout JT Snead and junior slot receiver Austin Snead. San Mateo returns the team’s leading rusher Emmanuel Fitzgerald, who will pair with junior running back Yianni Fitzgerald, with sophomore defensive back Lukas Fitzgerald also on roster.
Three teams in the Ocean Division also tout new head coaches. Terra Nova head coach Nick Lotti has been promoted from assistant coach to run the program at his alma mater. With Terra Nova’s archrival Half Moon Bay moving down to the Ocean from the PAL De Anza Division, Lotti will go head-to-head in the Week 10 rivalry week with HMB’s new head coach Ronnie Ekis. The last time the rival teams were in the same division was 2021.
“Every once in a while it’s a fun year, because now I have to find another preseason game,” Lotti said. “It means even more at the end of the year now.”
Lotti wasn’t expecting to carry three brothers on the varsity roster, but he tested Trevor Snead at left guard in last week’s scrimmage against Balboa-San Francisco. Lotti said the sophomore is now on his way to earning a varsity spot. He is penciled in alongside JT Snead, a 6-2, 235-pound left tackle, though, the eldest Snead’s main position will be anchoring the defense at middle linebacker.
“I’d really like to be in the hunt to win the division,” Lotti said. “We have a lot of talent on the team. We just have to make sure they’re coming together at the right moments.”
Rival HMB touts a brother pair in senior defensive end Brady Miller and sophomore linebacker Lane Miller. The Miller brothers also have a cousin on roster in junior safety Ronin McCauley. HMB has one more brother tandem in its ranks, with new defensive coordinator Mark Baker the older brother of Lane Maraviglia. Ekis is also a cousin of Baker and Maraviglia.
In terms of HMB’s rivalry game with Terra Nova — the Skull Game is slated for Friday, Nov. 8, at Half Moon Bay — Ekis said the league pairing is irrelevant to the magnitude and emotion of the annual showdown.
“It don’t matter what league we’re in,” Ekis said. “That’s a rivalry no matter what.”
At San Mateo, where head coach Jeff Scheller is former college teammates with former HMB head coach Keith Holden — the two played together at College of San Mateo in the early 1990s — the focus in the season’s early weeks will be on the younger of the two backfield brothers, Yianni Fitzgerald. Emmanuel Fitzgerald, who rushed for 1,243 yards last season, did not play in last week’s scrimmage against Burlingame.
Running back Xavier Zaragoza was the biggest beneficiary for the Bearcats, as the 5-9, 220-pound senior should see the bulk of the reps.
San Mateo finished in third place in the PAL Ocean last season, but is the division’s most successful returning team. Capuchino, the 2023 Ocean champion, and second-place Aragon both moved up to the PAL De Anza Division.
“We hope to be in competition for the league title,” Scheller said. “We know it’s going to be a competitive league. Still new because you don’t know who’s what. ... There’s a lot of, I wouldn’t say uncertainty, but I’m curious to see how it shapes up.”
Four teams are Ocean Division holdovers from last year — Milpitas, San Mateo, Sequoia and Terra Nova. The other newcomer is Carlmont, which moves up despite finishing in third place in the lower PAL El Camino Division last season. The top two finishers in the El Camino Division in 2023 — champion Los Altos and second-place Woodside — opted to remain in the El Camino.
“That was kind of surprising,” Carlmont head coach Eric Rado said. “Ultimately, I asked my players ... and they were like: ‘No, we want to move up.’ But that came with the expectation that we were going to ask more of you, but they were able to rise to it. So I’m kind of happy with where we are right now.”
Carlmont has a brother pair in the mix as well with new offensive coordinator Devon Sagon the older sibling of senior slot receiver Brian Sagon.
Sequoia doesn’t have any brothers on roster, however, new head coach Frank Mems described his roster as brothers in arms. Mems — who has served as the Ravens’ offensive coordinator for the past three years — takes over the program from Rob Poulos this season.
“Pretty sure we’re probably getting overlooked,” Mems said. “But it’s going to be the same old Sequoia, giving you everything we’ve got. ... We’re just really focused on one day, one play, one rep at a time. But we’re confident in what we’ve got in our program.”
Milpitas also returns to the Ocean Division this season. Whereas Sequoia might be brothers in arms, Milpitas is more a stranger in a strange land. When the old Santa Clara Valley Athletic League disbanded prior to last season, Milpitas was the league’s one team thrust into the PAL Ocean with five other traditional PAL teams from San Mateo County. This year it’s the same deal, leaving head coach Kelly King still learning the lay of the land against some historically unfamiliar opponents.
“It’s hard to tell until I actually see them,” King said. “Everything changes in high school from year to year.”
Carlmont Scots
2023: 3-2 PAL El Camino, 3-7 overall
2023 playoffs: none
A family atmosphere suits the Carlmont Scots just fine. Entering his sixth season as head coach, Eric Rado has long been a proponent of team bonding. Carlmont athletics has grown plenty of multi-sport athletes because of Rado’s approach, which starts in the weight room, but also stresses team meals once a week during the season, and planned activities — outside of summer passing leagues and other football adjuncts — in the offseason.
“That’s just the big philosophy at our program, not just football, is year-round you have an opportunity and a lot of kids take advantage of,” Rado said. “I think that’s important for kids to have something to look forward to every day.”
The approach has helped grown the varsity football program to larger than it has ever been during Rado’s tenure. The Scots have 50 players on their varsity roster alone, and have not had to promote anyone from the junior-varsity ranks because of it. The roster size became apparent last week when the team traveled for a scrimmage last week, and couldn’t fit all its players on the team bus.
“That’s the first time in our program that we’re going to have to take two busses,” Rado said.
On the field, Rado also serves as the offensive coordinator for a unit that will move quarterback Johnny Dunne into a starting role. The 6-2, 195-pound senior served as a backup in the pro-style offense last year.
“Johnny has a heck of an arm,” Rado said. “Probably the best arm I’ve coached personally, when he steps into it. And the thing I love about him is he enjoys playing football, and he’ll talk up his team. The players respond to him.”
Senior running back Christian Booth and junior Kaisei Trotter will front a backfield-by-committee approach to replace graduated PAL El Camino Division Offensive Player of the Year Braeden Kumer. One of the biggest weapons, though, will be senior Sean Chopoff, a returning 6-4, 200-pound All-El Camino Division first-team tight end, who is as big a threat score on offense as he is on defense. Last year, he had a coast-to-coast pick 6 in Week 3 against Half Moon Bay. In last week’s scrimmage, he had another.
On defense, returning senior Keoki Firenzi was an All-El Camino first-team linebacker this year. He will be supported be Team Ryan — 6-2, 220-pound defensive tackle Aiden “Bear” Ryan, and senior cornerback Ryan Quan. Senior multi-purpose standout Danny Mattioli — who has an “incredible instinct for making plays,” Rado said — returns after garnering PAL El Camino Utility Player of the Year honors as a junior.
—Terry Bernal
Half Moon Bay
2023: 1-4 PAL De Anza, 3-7 overall
2023 playoffs: none
Half Moon Bay has long relied on the triple-option scrum offense, and not much should change there. While first-year head coach Ronnie Ekis takes over the program, he served as offensive coordinator under former coach Keith Holden for many years. Ekis will maintain control of the offense this year.
Defense will be a different story. Under first-year defensive coordinator Mark Baker, the Cougars will steer away from the 3-3-5 base they used in 2023. Ekis demonstrated he is going to play the team’s 2024 approach close to the vest, not commenting on the defensive style for the upcoming season.
“We have a totally different defensive style,” Ekis said. “That will be the biggest change.”
Baker is in his first year at Half Moon Bay. A native of the Coastside, he graduated from Serra in 2009, where Ekis said “he was the other tackle” on the same Padres offensive line with NFL great David Bakhtiari, who graduated from Serra the same year. Baker served as the defensive coordinator at Los Altos last season.
Brothers Brady and Lane Miller will be pivotal to HMB’s new scheme on defense. Brady Miller is a returning defensive end, and will be complement to fellow edge rusher, 6-1, 210-pound senior Alder Halterman. Lane Miller is a second-year varsity starter as a sophomore at middle linebacker. Ronin McCauley is a the play-caller in the secondary as a safety.
Halterman also serves as a running back in the thunder-and-lightning backfield.
“He runs the ball physical,” Ekis said, while senior back Ali Zavala is “more our shifty guy.”
Senior wide receiver Connor Heath is the most decorated returning player for the Cougars. HMB garnered just two All-League nods in the PAL De Anza Division last year, and Heath earned one of them as De Anza Division Utility Player of the Year.
“He’s kind of the heart and soul of our team,” Ekis said of Heath, who is a vital slot rusher in the triple-option offense, and also serves as backup quarterback and, on defense, as the “predator” linebacker-safety hybrid.
Up front, 6-3, 300-pound center Colton Henry is a third-year starter. He will anchor protection for quarterback Dusty Dimas, who brings valuable experience to the an offensive scheme that sort of demands it as a second-year starter.
“[Dimas] has really grown this year,” Ekis said. “I’m really excited for him.”
—Terry Bernal
Milpitas Trojans
2023: 2-3 PAL Ocean, 6-4 overall
2023 playoffs: none
Coaching at Milpitas since 1985, and taking over the varsity football program in 1990, Kelly King is by far the longest tenured coach in the PAL Ocean Division. As a veteran of the high school circuit, King knows it wise to play his approach close to the vest. King said the Trojans aren’t committed to any one offensive system. It all contingent on the opponent.
“We’ll throw it and we’ll run it,” King said. “It depends.”
PAL opponents will surely remember some of the Milpitas personnel on defense. While finishing with a 6-4 overall record in 2023, the Trojans outscored opponents 283-241. That has much to do with two returning All-PAL Ocean defenders.
At 5-9, 180 pounds, senior linebacker Jacob Souza is the lifeblood of the defense.
“High energy guy, always running around,” King said.
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Lamont Davis, at 6-2, 180 pounds, senior cornerback Lamont Davis was Milpitas’ other All-PAL Ocean first-team defender last year. He will be balanced by senior cornerback Reynaldo Dunbar, while senior safety Atticus Roberts also brings returning experience.
Where Milpitas boasts the most experience is on offense, specifically in its wide receiver corps. The Trojans have four targets with varsity games under their belts. Seniors Roman Johnson and Xander Lecours both return, while pair of transfers in 6-5, 180-pound Isaiah Evans from Sacred Heart Cathedral, and Pat Lucero from a Georgia high school, will lend tremendous depth to the pass attack.
“Pretty good, all four,” King said. “Good group.”
At 6-3, 225 pounds, David Ersdaile is another potential target at tight end, though his focus is on the defense as an edge rusher. Thomas Maicki is the big blocker up front as a 6-foot, 330-pound guard.
Returning for his second season under center is quarterback Adrian Chavez, who started every game last year.
“He’s athletic,” King said. “So he’s got a good arm, so he does a good job. He moves around.”
—Terry Bernal
San Mateo Bearcats
2023: 3-2 PAL Ocean, 6-4 overall
2023 playoffs: none
When the San Mateo Bearcats ran the table in the PAL Ocean Division for a league title two years ago, they did so with a three-year varsity starter at quarterback in standout Giancarlo Selvitella. As a sophomore that season, Cameron Palma served as Selvitella’s backup.
This year, it is Palma who steps onto the varsity gridiron as a third-year varsity player.
“Any time you have three-year varsity starters ... things just slow down so much for them,” Scheller said. “Everything is slowed down. So, I’m really looking forward to it.”
Experience is particularly critical to running the read triple-option offense, something Scheller’s teams have abided by for years. This year figures to be no different. Palma needed just 727 total yards last season (302 passing, 425 rushing) to be a success story under center.
Palma is one of five holdovers from that 2022 team. Senior linebacker Logan Davis, an All-PAL Ocean first-team defender last year, is one of the four-year varsity players in 2024. The other is 5-11, 250-pound defensive tackle Diego Reyes. Two-way lineman Nesta Nogales-DeGuzman, offensive tackle David Nagaya and center Nitin Prasad all bring three-year varsity chops to the front line.
That’s key, as the Bearcats are deepest in talent in the backfield.
“Yeah, we’re sticking with our scheme,” Scheller said of the offense. “And that’s a big, important position, getting that running back going. So, we have a lot of options. We have a lot of guys who can contribute.”
Senior running back Emmanuel Fitzgerald was named All-PAL Ocean first-team last season, ranking second in the Ocean Division with 1,243 yards, proving a workhorse with 206 carries, averaging 6 yards per. Senior back Xavier Zaragoza moves up on the depth chart this year, while Emmanuel Fitzgerald’s younger brother Yianni Fitzgerald moves from slot to running back as a junior.
Transfer Junior Ben Pahulu will also be eligible at running back for San Mateo’s PAL Ocean opener Oct. 4 against Milpitas.
On defense, the youngest Fitzgerald brother, Lukas Fitzgerald, is slated to for the secondary as a safety. Scheller said it’s the first time all three Fitzgerald brothers have ever played on the same team at any level.
Sophomores will be a recurring theme on defense for the Bearcats, who are still hashing out the assignments heading into Thursday’s season opener against Balboa.
“We don’t really know yet,” Scheller said. “We’ve got a couple sophomores that are going to see a significant time on defense.”
Logan Jandu at defensive end and Dean Qutteineh at linebacker are two of those unknown sophomores, while first-year juniors Kai La Grille at defensive tackle and Ty Copus at cornerback are also in the mix.
—Terry Bernal
Sequoia Ravens
2023: 2-3 PAL Ocean, 4-6 overall
2023 playoffs: none
Frank Mems joined the Sequoia coaching staff five years ago. As offensive coordinator over the last three season, it was Mems who was the brains behind the legend of 2023 graduate Johnny “Legs” Larios as a double-threat quarterback.
“Johnny made me look really good,” Mems said. “But we worked really well together.”
This season, Mems takes over as head coach of the Ravens after 15 years of Rob Poulos at the helm. He brings a new starting quarterback into the fold as well, as senior Shawn Royer takes over the spread offense.
“He’s waited his time,” Mems said. “He’s a hell of an athlete and wanted to play other positions. But I’ve been working with him during his time here ... and we’re going to roll with him as our starter.”
Senior receiver Tyler Zarganis and junior receiver Randy Nunez will be two of Royer’s primary targets. But the backfield tandem of seniors Jordan Crockett and Marco Baisch are champing at the bit to balance the attack.
“A dynamic duo,” Mems said of his running backs. “They got a bit of playing time when injuries struck last year. They were just sitting behind a bunch of good guys.
“We actually pride ourselves on a physical run game,” Mems said.
On defense, Lesoni Olive is three-year starting tackle, and a decorated one at that. At 6-2, 275 pounds, he is the only returning All-PAL Ocean player for the Ravens. Seniors Chapel Meza Thorborne, Isaac Maldonado and Aedan Macias will also see time on the line both sides of the ball.
Sequoia finished in the middle of the pack with a 2-3 Ocean Division record last year, but played them close. Five of the Ravens’ games were decided by a touchdown or less. They lost the first three of those games to take the wind out of their sails before salvaging their year with a 24-21 win over Capuchino in Week 8, and a 23-17 win over Carlmont in the season finale.
—Terry Bernal
Terra Nova Tigers
2023: 0-5 PAL Ocean, 3-7 overall
2023 playoffs: none
When Nick Lotti took over as Terra Nova’s offensive coordinator with four games remaining last season, the offensive scheme began undergoing a massive transformation.
The Tigers didn’t reap any benefits in 2023, losing their last seven games after starting on a 3-0 tear by a cumulative score of 128-55. With Lotti taking over as head coach this season, Terra Nova quarterback Joey Donati has had the entire offseason to cut his teeth on the playbook for the new run-and-shoot offense.
Donati is just a junior as a second-year starter, and showed promise last year with 1,104 total yards (857 passing, 247 rushing).
“He’s getting a lot more comfortable this year,” Lotti said. “Last year it was different because we started off with one offense and the offense switched up halfway through the year. Now he’s had the summer to get used to what I’m doing ... the whole offseason we’ve been putting it in.”
Terra Nova returns no All-PAL Ocean players — the Tigers had just one last season, wide receiver Steven Dalton, who is now graduated — but they get one of their best rushers back in senior Zach Perez. Last year, Perez averaged 7.1 yards per carry, while ranking second on the team with 710 ground yards.
“He’s going to get a much bigger load carrying the ball this year,” Lotti said. “But the zone scheme of our offense suits him much better.”
Perez has got some stout blockers up front, anchored by left tackle JT Snead. At 6-2, 235 pounds, JT Snead is the oldest of three brothers on the team, and the most experienced. Alongside him, sophomore left guard Trevor Snead will make for a wall of Sneads, if you count junior slot receiver Austin Snead, who brings 5-9, 175 pounds to the equation.
Lotti bucked one of his first proclamations to the team — that he wouldn’t promote any sophomores from junior-varsity — after the team’s first scrimmage. Holden Najar was the catalyst, as Terra Nova’s last scrimmage game saw the 6-1, 175-pound wide out catch a touchdown over the top of an experienced senior defender.
Isaiah Birch-Corona will also be in the wide receiver mix as a sophomores.
“When I got the job I told them I don’t like to pull up sophomores, and then the two receivers were better than anybody else we have,” Lotti said.
On defense, seniors Ryan Cory at cornerback and Jayden Harrington at safety will anchor the secondary. Up front, junior Moses Otuhiva solifies the middle at defensive tackle.
Terra Nova’s bread and butter is its linebackers, though, with Rico Templin a dangerous blitzing option while JT Snead serves as a two-way standout.
“JT just has a natural ability of seeing the field, and he’s incredibly smart,” Lotti said.
—Terry Bernal
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