GAME OF THE WEEK: Capo Valley at Riverside North
THE DETAILS:
Capistrano Valley vs. Riverside North
CIF-Southern Section – Division 5 – First Round
At Riverside (Calif.) JW North High School
Kickoff: 7 p.m. PT on Friday, Nov. 5
CAPISTRANO VALLEY (6-4 overall, 2-1 Sea View League) is all about junior QB Trey Kukuk on offense while bending – and sometimes breaking – on defense. The Cougars won their final two league games by a combined total of six points, but had lost three of its four games from Weeks 5 to 8. Kukuk has a pair of capable targets in Owen Taylor and Dane Benedix, or he’s more than will to run it for himself. Anything to keep their defense off the field.
HEAD COACH: Sean Curtis
ROSTER – QB: #2-Trey Kukuk, Jr. (6-foot-1, 175 pounds); RB: #13-Jaden Cassidy, Sr. (5-9, 170); WR: #1-Owen Taylor, Sr. (6-foot, 160); WR/FS: Dane Benedix, Jr. (6-1, 180); OL/DL: #77-Joey Barbella, Sr. (6-4, 205); DT: #54-Riley Comnos, Sr. (6-3, 265); DE: #56-Dane Kallenbaugh, Sr. (6-foot, 200); LB/FB: #8-Jackson Sievers, Soph. (6-1, 200); MLB: #10-Juan Segura, Sr. (5-9, 190); K: #25-Dylan Fingersh, Soph. (5-9, 150)
JW NORTH (10-0 overall, 4-0 Sunbelt League) allowed fewer than 100 points during an unbeaten regular season, the Huskies’ first since 2007. Senior RB Venasio Mikaele has 1,100-plus rushing yards and 16 TDs this season, but he’s been the man for years and now takes one more run at the postseason. Senior QB Jaidyn Gamble has been exceptional, passing for more than 1,450 yards with 18 touchdowns against only two INTs. He’s the versatile signal caller this offense needed to succeed.
HEAD COACH: Opalani Viapulu
ROSTER – QB: Jaidyn Gamble, Sr. (6-foot, 185 pounds); RB/FB: Venasio Mikaele, Sr. (5-8, 200); RB/OLB: Ashon Elliott, Sr. (5-8, 170); WR/FS Ashar Granger, Sr. (6-3, 175); WR/DB: Adrian Williams, Sr. (6-2, 195); OL: Arthur Marquez, Sr. (6-2, 305); DL: Christian Wilson, Jr. (6-5, 285); DB: Tyson Payne, Sr. (6-3, 190); K: Fernando Zavala, Sr. (5-8, 150)
THE DIFFERENCE:
North’s stout defense should put clamps on Capistrano Valley’s one-dimensional offense, and Mikaele’s will get 20-plus carries, at least one touchdown, and wear down a whole bunch of the clock.
THE FINAL SCORE (PROJECTED):
JW North 30, Capistrano Valley 21
INLAND FIELDHOUSE 