Tesoro Offense
So, what will the Jackrabbit defense be looking at on Saturday night at Angel Stadium in the CIFSS Championship game? The short answer: a lot.
The Tesoro Titans offense has scored 524 points (40 per game) and racked up 4622 yards (355 per game) on their way to an unblemished 13-0 record. In the trenches, the Titan dominance has been mostly due to sheer mass (average size on the starting line is 6’2” 256lb). But Tesoro has also made a habit of outthinking its opponents, showing a vaudeville-type variety in offensive formations.
No matter what formation the Titans come out in, they’ll need these players to perform at the top of their game to move the ball on the Jackrabbits:
QB: #13 Robbie Picazo
The 6’4” senior throws the ball like Bernie Kozar, but the sidearm sling has worked to the tune of 2,634 yards, 32 TDs and a 64 percent completion rate. Picazo makes good decisions too, with just 5 INTs on the season. With the amount of different formations and plays the Titans run, the cerebral signal-caller has become an extension of his coaching staff out there on the field. One Pac-5 defensive coordinator called Picazo the most impressive quarterback he’s seen all season. Picazo also can wing the ball to the sideline with tremendous speed—if a Poly DB covering a five-yard out thinks he can jump that route for a pick-six, he could end up in trouble.
RB: #24 Zach Mitchell
This shifty junior has made the most of every opportunity granted to him by the Titans’ massive offensive line. Averaging 7 yards per carry (168 car, 1168yds) is just part of Mitchell’s story for this season. When Tesoro has needed him to carry the load in games against Mission Viejo (29 car, 163yds) and Los Alamitos (22 car, 177 yds) he’s become a workhorse. And even when the air attack is the game plan like against Fountain Valley (16 car) and San Clemente (11 car) he still remains effective (avg. 4.5 yds per carry).
WR: #9 Preston King
Don’t let his 5’10” 175lb frame fool you. The senior has 78 receptions, 1174 yards, and 12 TDs on the year. He is obviously the Titans’ most talented player, and he rarely leaves the field. Rarely meaning he will line up wide, in the slot, in the backfield, as cornerback on defense, as the punt and kick return man, and as the holder for field goals and extra points. Poly will need to keep eyes on him at all times—he’s thrown the ball out of the option and he could be a serious FG-fake threat. As soon as you underestimate King, he’ll burn you.
O Line: #70 Evan Finkenberg, #77 Sil Ajawara, #62 Brad Handfield, #64 Ty Vanderford, #68 Josh Cabral
Just how big are these boys from Tesoro? How about 1,420 pounds of offensive line?! The hogs have shown the ability to run over their counterparts, but the biggest challenge will be trying to stay with the speedy Jackrabbit defensive front. In the O. Lu game last week Cabral regularly, and easily, took on two defenders at a time (and even blocked three guys on one play). Poly will need to run around these guys—locking up with them will be a bad idea.
You may be asking yourself, do these Titans have any weaknesses? Well, King has a habit of not going full speed on run plays, and Mitchell isn’t the best blocker in the world, but other than that… The one thing the Jackrabbits have going for them is that Tesoro hasn’t been hit nearly as hard as they’re going to be hit on Saturday night. Will they be able to hold up against the relentless Poly pressure?
Tesoro Defense
So, what will the Jackrabbit offense be looking at on Saturday night? The short answer, again, is a lot.
The Tesoro Titans defense (who give up 13 points per game) has shown every defensive look from the 3-5 to the 5-3 this season. Against Poly on Saturday, it’ll be mostly 5-3, but it’ll be unlike most 5-3’s the Jackrabbits have seen. The Titans work a gap control defensive scheme by literally filling the gaps almost simultaneously with the opponent’s snap. It’s like a Pittsburgh Steelers third-down blitz on almost every play.
It does take the Titans a series or two to get the quarterback’s cadence down, but when the linebackers come flying up to the line of scrimmage, don’t think they’re blitzing, because that’s just what they do. They fill the hole on every down, and they do it pretty damn well. A fast start will be even more critical for Poly, to try and strike before the Titans D can get comfortable.
Here’s who the Jackrabbits will need to beat on Saturday, both mentally and physically:
Defensive Line: #58 Matt Longo
The senior in the middle is 5’8” 230lbs of playmaker. The kid has a crazy ability to anticipate the play, and is always around the ball. He can pressure the quarterback with the best of them, but his brute run stopping strength will be Poly’s biggest concern on Saturday night. Don’t be surprised if the Jackrabbits run straight at #58, in order to neutralize him and keep his playmaking ability away from the backside.
Linebackers: #5 Scott Graves
As the leader and play-caller on the aggressive Titans defense, Graves has racked up a team-high 124 total tackles and 8.5 sacks this season. In the multiple-look Tesoro scheme, it’s up to Graves to make the calls and keep his teammates on assignment. But once the ball is snapped, the 5’11” 210lb senior is the ball hawk you’d expect him to be. He’s averaging 10 tackles in the three playoff games this season and will look to do that and more if the Jackrabbits run the ball as much as we expect.
Defensive Backfield: #9 Preston King
Yes, that Preston King, from yesterday’s offensive scouting report. But remember what we said about the 5’10” 175lb King: once you underestimate him, he’ll burn you. This season he’s burned the Tesoro opponents for 58 total tackles and a team-high 9 interceptions. His interception of last year’s Gatorade Player of the Year Matt Barkley in the playoff game against Mater Dei was just the latest example of King’s playmaking ability. He’s the closest thing the Titans have to a shutdown corner, but that’s not going to be the key on Saturday.
The Tesoro secondary is good, but not nearly as fast as the Poly receivers. So, it’s going to be more important for King and his teammates to work together, in zone and man, than what they can do individually.
Physicality could very well be a determining factor, as with Tesoro’s defense—Melvin Richardson has been effective at loosening up opposing D’s so far this year, and Poly will need him to be effective in this game as well.
Special Teams
Who says kickers don’t matter?!? All season, Poly’s kicker David Skara has been putting kickoffs in the end zone for touchbacks and nailing 45-yard field goals. On Saturday night the Jackrabbits will have to do without the powerful leg they’ve had all year long. On an extra point attempt in the semi final game against Lakewood, Skara hurt his ankle and will be out the rest of the season. In his place, Alan Roniss made the eventual game-winner against the Lancers, and he’ll take field goal, kickoff, and punt duties on Saturday.
Yes, he doesn’t have Skara’s leg to hit a 50 yarder or get the touchback every time, but the most important thing on Saturday will be the punting game. In what is sure to be a close game, field possession will be at a premium, and that’s got more to do with the punter than anything else.
On the other side, Tesoro kicker #16 Zach Bevan is averaging 37 yards a punt. He is also the kickoff guy, with 34 touch backs this year on 80 trys. Bevan moonlights as kicker, and plays a much bigger role as quarterback Robbie Picazzo’s number two option at wide receiver. Seriously, if you want to see what might be catch of the year, go to MaxPreps.com, click on Bevan’s name, and watch his short highlight reel playing on the right hand side. It’s the second play on the video, and we’re still not sure how he held onto the ball… he doesn’t even see the ball, right?!?!