Can fast-rising Summit reach heights of Serrano?
It's the old versus the new as mainstay Serrano (11-1), the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Division, hosts a CIF-SS semifinal against up-and-coming Summit (9-2-1), which that finished second in the Sunkist League to No. 1 seed Kaiser.
Clash of styles: Serrano and Summit have one thing in common - they'll both be on the football field tonight. That is practically where it ends. Serrano plays an old school brand of disciplined, physical football evidenced right down to the large group of players that hardly ever leave the field seeing as they play offense, defense and special teams.
"They're the most disciplined team I've seen in a long time," Summit head coach Tony Barile said. "They're always in the right place. I guess that only helps me out in that I know where they're going to be. They're the type of team that will manufacture a few scores and get out with a 14-7 win against most teams"
Summit will counter with a plethora of athletes who specialize in the big play, led by wide receiver Devon Blackmon, the fifth-ranked recruit in California according to rivals.com. Blackmon is flanked by running back Montigo Alford, who has rushed for over 200 yards three times this season but has been battling injuries the latter part of the year.
"They have the ability to go the distance every play so we've got to keep then in front of us and make them drive the field," Serrano coach Ray Maholchic said. "I told my guys to run faster in practice this week, so maybe that'll take care of it."
Postseason progress: Serrano went to the CIF final last year where it lost a 10-point game to Palm Springs a year after the Diamondbacks lost a three-point semifinal to Citrus Hill.
"Everybody is telling me, you ought to win it all this year, that's the natural progression of things, right?" Maholchic said. "I don't think the rest of the Eastern Division got that memo."
Summit is only in its fifth year of existence and finished second in its league this year to mark the best finish in school history. The SkyHawks, however, have already had some playoff success evidenced by knocking off No. 1 seed Citrus Hill in the first round last season before losing to the same Palm Springs team that bested Serrano in the final.
Air vs. ground: Though Summit was primarily a running team as Alford piled up 987 yards and 12 touchdowns on the ground in his first five games, the SkyHawks have taken to the air their last three contests. Quarterback Bernard Porter is averaging 238 passing yards in the last three games. The junior has thrown five touchdowns during the three-game stretch but had three interceptions in a 29-22 second-round win over third-seeded Heritage.
"We were running the ball 80 percent of the time much of the year and we thought that's who we were," Barile said. "The loss to Kaiser (19-7 on Nov. 5) made us reevaluate things and our quarterback has really come of age."
Serrano doesn't figure to do anything but what its been doing all season, which is hand the ball off to Taylor Ruize. The 6-foot, 185-pound senior is seven yards shy of 1,800 and has 21 touchdowns on the ground.
"Taylor has surprised us," Maholchic said. "We knew he was good but we didn't think he'd have the year he's been having."
Prediction: Summit 24, Serrano 21
About Clay
Clay Fowler has been covering high school sports for six years in California and Texas. He was born in Dallas, attended the University of Texas and worked in Central Texas before joining the Daily Bulletin staff in 2006.
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