We begin our 2017 Football coverage by revealing teams #20-11 in our NorCal Preseason Top 20 in a daily countdown to Aug. 24 when #10-1 are revealed in our 2017 Football Preview Special. If you need to catchup, here are links to previous entries:
| No. 20 Foothill (Aug. 14) | No. 19 Oakdale (Aug. 15) | No. 18 Capital Christian (Aug. 16) | No. 17 Campolindo-Moraga (Aug. 17) | No. 16 Marin Catholic-Kentfield (Aug. 18) | No. 15 Elk Grove (Aug. 19) | No. 14 Clayton Valley-Concord (Aug. 20) | No. 13 Manteca (Aug. 21) |
No. 14. SAN RAMON VALLEY-DANVILLE
2016 REVIEW: 6-5 and unranked in our final rankings
COACH: Aaron Becker, fourth season
WHY THEY’RE HERE: The Wolves affirmed themselves as a team to reckon with last October, almost pulling off a stunner and nearly becoming the first Bay Area team in a quarter-century to beat De La Salle, falling 28-27. It added credibility to the program, something Becker sees as paying dividends in seasons beyond 2016. They also closed out strong, coming within 12 points of Antioch in the first round of the NCS Division 1 playoffs.
FABULOUS BAKER BOY: SRV has the means to produce one of the region’s most potent passing attacks, led by senior Clark Baker, who passed for 2,736 yards and 32 TDs last season. Also back is top WR Robbie Funkhouser, whom Becker said can be among the 2-3 most explosive players in the talent-rich East Bay Athletic League. Funkhouser showed his big play potential last year, collecting 862 receiving yards and eight TDs.
BIG MAC: Along with the near-win vs. DLS, the Wolves are also getting recognition via Blake McDonald, their imposing 6-5, 305-pound tackle who has committed to UCLA. Like Baker, McDonald provides great leadership skills, Becker said, and along with a physical presence that speaks for itself, always works at getting better and honing his craft.
NAME TO NOTE: Matt Gillespie makes the move from the Wolves’ No. 3 WR to No. 2, providing an important complement to Funkhouser. With Gillespie showing he’s primed to take it up a notch, SRV also can count on two solid TEs, junior Koby Gross and senior Cathal Roberts.
THE SCHEDULE
8/25 @ Tracy
9/8 v. FOOTHILL-PLEASANTON
9/15 v. DOUGHERTY VALLEY-SAN RAMON
9/22 @ California-San Ramon
9/29 @ Granada-Livermore
10/6 v. AMADOR VALLEY-PLEASANTON
10/13 v. LIVERMORE
10/20 @ Dublin
10/27 v. MONTE VISTA-DANVILLE
11/3 @ De La Salle-Concord
LAST WORD: In addition to their offensive weapons, SRV has much of their defensive line back, along with two safeties. The test of how this firepower will fare comes early, with a Sept. 8 EBAL opener with perennial league power Foothill. And we’ll keep both eyes on the regular-season finale on Nov. 3 at De La Salle.
