Erik Boal
LA CANADA FLINTRIDGE -- Entering its 2001 campaign, the St. Francis
High football team is looking to master the equation of addition by
subtraction.
But in order to do so, second-year Coach Jim Bonds will have to juggle
a number of different variables, the most notable being the replacement
of 11 starters off last season's CIF Southern Section Division III
semifinal squad that were lost to graduation.
Included in that group were News-Press All-Area first-team selections
Bobby Garafolo, Matt Milton, Brett Mitchell, Nick Ortiz, John Sciarra,
Matt Sikorski and Nathan Terrazone, who collectively captained the Golden
Knights to a 10-3 record.
But as daunting a task as filling those voids on offense and defense
might be, Bonds has assembled 59 players who have set their sights on
doing just that.
"This is a great group to coach and everything is gradually coming
together," said Bonds, who is eagerly awaiting Friday's 7 p.m.
season-opener at Arcadia.
"The expectations placed on us [by outside sources] coming into the
season aren't as high as they were last year and nobody's picking us to
be in the CIF title game against Hart.
"These kids are looking to go out and prove themselves and they're
taking the attitude that despite the graduation of all those players, we
haven't lost anything."
And judging by the intensity and enthusiasm displayed by Bonds' squad
during practice on the recently installed field turf of Friedman Field,
it appears that St. Francis' strength-in-numbers approach will suit it
just fine.
"The kids are hungry and they're ready for the challenge," Bonds said.
"We've got great leadership from our eight Golden Knights [team
captains] and now we just have to wait and see who steps forward to
become our playmakers."
OFFENSE
When dissecting the 2000 St. Francis squad, everywhere opposing
defenses looked, they could find an established playmaker.
Milton rushed for 1,368 yards and 18 touchdowns, Sciarra passed for
2,595 yards and 21 touchdowns and Mitchell tallied 1,028 receiving yards
and eight touchdowns, and that's just the efforts of three players.
The Golden Knights led the area in scoring (428 points) and total
offense (4,577 yards) and possess the system to do it again this year.
But within that system will be an entirely new set of components.
Taking over for Sciarra at quarterback will be senior Ricky Knauf, who
guided the Golden Knight scout team last season, in addition to seeing
second-half action in more than half of the games.
