Pow! Bam! Whack!
Sierra Canyon has a protection in highschool soccer that wants comedian e book therapy.
Name them “The Kaboom Squad.”
At any second, whether or not it’s a lineman, linebacker or defensive again delivering the blow, be ready to be wowed.
With measurement, quickness and depth, the Trailblazers have shut out opponents for 12 consecutive quarters. The opponents haven’t been unhealthy: JSerra, Oaks Christian and Honolulu Punahou.
Will they undergo their 10-game regular-season schedule unscored upon? Completely not. However the motive they’ve three shutouts in lopsided victories is that the second stringers are performing in addition to first stringers when coach Jon Ellinghouse clears the bench.
Their 63-0 win over Oaks Christian broadcast on Spectrum solely added to the Trailblazers’ popularity.
It’s kaboom time as Sam Amuti of Sierra Canyon Excessive prepares to stage a Punahou ballcarrier.
(Craig Weston)
A mix of returnees and transfers provides the Trailblazers a protection with few weaknesses.
No one is ideal, and maybe Downey and star quarterback Oscar Rios would be the first to finish the shutout streak on Friday, however that is Sierra Canyon’s greatest protection for the reason that spring of the 2021 COVID season when the Trailblazers put collectively 18 consecutive quarters of permitting zero factors and gave a scare to St. John Bosco.
All of the Trailblazers’ positions are stuffed with gifted starters and high quality backups. The line of defense begins with Texas commit Richard Wesley, sporting No. 99, the variety of Rams nice Aaron Donald. The linebackers have a sensible, fearless tackler in Ronen Zamorano. The secondary has so many college-bound gamers that the gamers’ NIL offers may pay for a visit to Hawaii. Madden Riordan (USC), Havon Finney Jr. (Louisiana State) and Brandon Lockhart (USC) prepared the ground. And coming quickly when the sit-out interval ends on Sept. 29 is kicker Carter Sobel, who was a standout at Chaminade and can add to unhealthy area place for opposing offenses.
Sierra Canyon’s Spencer Parham will get emotional for a protection that hasn’t allowed any factors in 12 quarters.
(Craig Weston)
Having seen the physicality of St. John Bosco’s offensive and defensive strains final week in a 21-14 win over Baltimore St. Frances, Sierra Canyon (3-0) nonetheless must hold progressing to be on the identical stage of the Trinity League powers wanted to win a Southern Part Division 1 championship.
The Trailblazers are positively closing the hole with the Braves and No. 1 Mater Dei. They get a great tune-up for the Division 1 playoffs with a matchup in opposition to Orange Lutheran on Sept. 18, a crew they misplaced to final season 33-26.
Chris Rizzo, a former Taft head coach, is the Trailblazers’ defensive coordinator. He wears his baseball cap backward on the sideline with sun shades and has many choices for defensive packages.
Requested if the protection has any weaknesses, Rizzo mentioned, “We’ve got some weaknesses. We’re not good by any means. We’ve received some issues we have now to repair and hold getting higher.”
The protection can be serving to Sierra Canyon’s offense enhance as a result of it’s so tough to maneuver the ball throughout practices.
“It makes our guys higher,” Ellinghouse mentioned.
Rizzo declined to disclose which unit he thinks is greatest. “The secondary is fairly star-studded,” he mentioned. “The line of defense is deep. They embrace the grind and play for one another.”
Solely time will inform whether or not this protection is pretty much as good as some assume. There’s loads of video games forward to show if the Trailblazers are really The Kaboom Squad.
