Sophomore quarterback Keller Chryst tosses the football to an open receiver. The Vikings open the regular season at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 2, at home against San Benito High School.
– Matt Ersted
[[nid:27907 left full]]On the heels of an incredibly successful 2010 team that took home the Division I State Championship, this year’s Palo Alto High School football team begins regular season play on Friday, at Paly, in hopes of finding similar success this season.
Last year’s squad finished with a perfect 14-0 record that included big wins over Archbishop Mitty and Valley Christian High School in the Central Coast Section tournament. Their biggest win came in the Division I State Championship game against Centennial High School in Carson on Dec. 17. The Vikings narrowly beat the Huskies, 15-13.
“We’re gonna have a different approach [this year],” assistant coach Steve Foug said. “It’s not going to be just like ‘sit back, we’re defending state champs, let’s just let everyone bow to us,’. We’ve got to scratch and claw and do what we can to get better every week. We have a long, long, long way to go.”
The Vikings must navigate a tough schedule if they are to have a chance at reclaiming the state title this year. Their competition includes Archbishop Mitty on Sept. 16, Homestead on Sept. 30, and Wilcox on Oct. 7.
“They [Archbishop Mitty] are going to want blood,” Foug said. Paly beat Mitty twice last year, including a comeback in the first round of the CCS playoffs when then-senior quarterback Christoph Bono found then-senior wide receiver Davante Adams for a touchdown in the final minute.
The Vikings must also find successors for many players from the Class of 2011 who were instrumental in last year’s state championship run. According to senior defensive end and left guard Tory Prati, senior Gabe Landa and junior Jayshawn Gates-Mouton must replace departed wide receivers Davante Adams and Maurice Williams. The duo of Adams and Williams combined for almost 1900 receiving yards and over 20 receiving touchdowns. On the defensive side of the ball, seniors Brennan Miller and Austin Braff take over for Will Glazier (102 tackles last year) and Michael Cullen (125 tackles) at linebacker. Junior Matt Tolbert succeeds TJ Braff, who was named defensive player of the year by the Mercury News last year, at strong safety.
At quarterback, sophomore Keller Chryst will replace UCLA-bound Christoph Bono. Bono’s father, former NFL quarterback Steve Bono, remains as Paly’s quarterback coach. Chryst transferred from Charlotte, North Carolina, because his father is the new quarterback coach for the San Francisco 49ers.
“He’s new but he learns the offense fast,” Prati said. “He’s worked hard all summer.”
Chryst is prepared to lead this year’s team.
“I feel [that] the line’s really good and the backs and everybody,” Chryst said on this year’s team. “The defense is also doing a good job.”
Led by head coach Earl Hansen and returning key players such as senior running backs B.J Boyd and Dre Hill, the Vikings are looking to recapture some of last year’s success.
“We’re going to try and have a good season and win our league and get back to CCS,” Prati said. “So taking it one day at a time is really our mindset right now and making sure we get better every day.”
Foug agreed with Prati, also expressing hopes of earning a CCS berth.
“Every year our goal is to win our league,” Foug said. “That’s what we’re most concerned with. I know we will be in the hunt for that. If we do that, we should go to open division and compete there. I expect to win the league and compete in open division. But a lot of things have to happen for that to happen again. We have to make a lot of progress to get there.”
The Vikings open the regular season at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 2, at home against San Benito High School. Last year, the Vikings defeated San Benito, 23-6, thanks to Christoph Bono’s three touchdown passes.