Sportstars
Are We There Yet? | High School Football In Search Of Normalcy
Fall High School Football Is Back, But “Normal” Is Defined Differently Campus To Campus. Coaches Weigh In On What Is Normal As The Lights Prepare To Come Back On • On a typically hot mid-August afternoon, everything felt normal at College Park High School. About an hour after the... Read more
Still Ugly | Clayton Valley Football Has New Look, Same Fire
Despite Roster Turnover And Coaching Staff Tweaks, The Clayton Valley Ugly Eagles Have Multiple Titles To Defend — And Remain Very Much A Threat To Do So • Nobody has to tell Nick Tisa what happened in the final game of Clayton Valley High’s last full football season.  “I’ve been... Read more
SportStars’ 2021 NorCal All-Preseason Football Team
SportStars Chooses 24 Players To Represent It’s NorCal All-Preseason Team Prior To The 2021 Fall Football Season For our NorCal All-Preseason team we keep things simple. Eleven on offense. Eleven on defense. One kicker and one all-purpose player.  OFFENSE QB Tyler Tremain (Folsom), Sr. Had no problem joining the... Read more
2021 Preseason NorCal Top 20 Football Rankings
To No One’s Shock, De La Salle-Concord Opens At No. 1 In SportStars’ Preseason NorCal Top 20 Rankings, But Folsom Is 1A • Every coach will tell you that rankings don’t matter in August, only in December. We can’t disagree, but it’s not stopping us from taking our usual... Read more
Clear Eyes, Full Hearts | Serra Football Embraces The Present
Few Programs Understand The Fragility Of The Present As Well As Serra Football — And The Padres Are More Than Ready To Make The Most Of Their First Fall Season Since 2019 • A full slate of fall football is most welcome at Serra High in San Mateo. The Padres... Read more
Let ‘Er Rip! | Cosumnes Oaks Football Trades Hype For Hunger
After Missing Out On A 2020 Season That Carried High Expectations, Cosumnes Oaks Football Is Ready To Play Underdog Behind A New Coach And Fearless Quarterback • It’s been three years since senior quarterback Steven Duran III worked closely with Martin Billings on the Cosumnes Oaks football field. As... Read more
Leave The Clipboard | New Football Coaches Adjust To Changed Landscape
For New Football Coaches, Old Methods Don’t Apply To Socially-Distanced Sidelines And Team Rooms • So you want to run your own high school football program? Try figuring out how to do it during a global pandemic. The learning curve associated with taking over a program is steep under... Read more
NorCal’s First Four | RETURN TO FALL Football Preview Series No. 12
We Reveal The Top Four Teams In Our Preseason NorCal Rankings That Are Not Named De La Salle; PLUS Some Video From Our Visit To College Park-Pleasant Hill • This is the twelfth of 20 installments to our Return To Fall Series — a daily component to our 2021... Read more
Jackson Brown Takes The Stage | RETURN TO FALL Football Preview Series No. 11
Heavily Recruited San Ramon Valley Offensive Lineman Is Ready To Rock & Roll; PLUS Nos. 9-6 Of Our Preseason NorCal Top 20 Rankings • This is the eleventh of 20 installments to our Return To Fall Series — a daily component to our 2021 NorCal Football Preview coverage. For... Read more
Jesuit Football’s Action Jackson | RETURN TO FALL Football Preview Series No. 10
Senior Wideout Jackson Hagopian Hopes To Check All The Boxes While Leading Jesuit Football This Fall; PLUS Nos. 11-10 To Our Preseason NorCal Top 20 Rankings. This is the tenth of 20 installments to our Return To Fall Series — a daily component to our 2021 NorCal Football Preview... Read more
Viva Los Gauchos! | RETURN TO FALL Football Preview Series No. 9
El Cerrito Hopes Dominant Spring Can Further Elevate A Rising Program; PLUS Nos. 14-12 Of Our NorCal Top 20 Revealed And A Spotlight On Inderkum’s Oshae Castleberry • This is the ninth of 20 installments to our Return To Fall Series — a daily component to our 2021 NorCal... Read more
Pittsburg’s Young Bucs | RETURN TO FALL Football Preview Series No. 8
For Pittsburg Football, The Future Is Now; PLUS We Reveal Three More NorCal Top 20 Teams, And Play Trivia At Las Lomas-Walnut Creek • This is the eighth of 20 installments to our Return To Fall Series — a daily component to our 2021 NorCal Football Preview coverage. Interview... Read more