Week 2 Game Preview: St. Francis Vs. Central Catholic

Photo: Marty Bicek MODBEE

Paul Gregorian August 27, 2021 @ 10:08 AM

These two programs are some of the most respected teams in their sections and are due to have big years with some key returners coming back for the 2021 season. St. Francis has a terrific offensive line and some key perimeter players while Central Catholic has a stout defense, size up front and an outstanding Division 1 caliber back in [player_tooltip player_id="25420" first="Jaelen" last="Nichols"]. Below, we will preview some of their top players and look at some catchups going into Friday nights Week 2 matchup game. <hr />   Central Catholic Raiders ILB Romeo Eteaki, 2022 Eteaki is a downhill thumper that is the center piece of the Raiders defense. He is a sure tackler that triggers quickly and flies around while very physical and tough at the point of attack. OL/DL Jericho Machado, 2022 Machado will anchor both sides of the line for this stout defense. He plays with good toughness and is a bully in the trenches while paving the way for one of the most explosive backs in the valley. RB [player_tooltip player_id="25420" first="Jaelen" last="Nichols"], 2023 Nichols is one of the best running backs across the entire region, regardless of class. He runs behind his pads and looks for contact at the first level, while displaying strong contact balance and natural forward lean with nice top end speed. QB Dominic Perino, 2022 Perino is a very efficient quarterback for the Raiders and can push the ball downfield with minimal mistakes and good velocity/touch. Able to run when needed, he is very athletic and a strong natural athlete.   Other Top Players.... RB Julian Lopez, 2022 OL/DL Jacob Edmond, 2022 RB/LB Aidan Taylor, 2022 WR/DB Brooklyn Cheek, 2022 OL/DL Roman Foumai, 2023 TE/QB/DB Tyler Wentworth, 2023 LB Mario Savala, 2023 <hr />   St. Francis Lancers ATH [player_tooltip player_id="141988" first="Camilo" last="Arquette"], 2022 Arquette is the do it all back and returner for the Lancers and is one of the best two-way players in all of Norcal. He is a electric returner with a strong lower body and good toughness that always looks for contact and extra yards. He is a big time threat every time he touches the ball. DB [player_tooltip player_id="143130" first="Nico" last="Andrighetto"], 2022 Andrighetto is a very high IQ back-end defender that is just scratching the surface of becoming a truly dominant player. He has a natural nose for the football and displays a quick trigger in transition and fluid hips in coverage while flashing natural instincts when attacking the ball and reading eyes. LB [player_tooltip player_id="141927" first="Clayton" last="Lynam"], 2022 Lynam is committed to SDSU and one of the most put-together prospects across Norcal. He can play multiple positions on the defense but does most of his damage rushing the passer and being violent at the point of attack. He is the center-piece of this defense and is poised for a huge Senior season before taking his talents to the MWC. OL [player_tooltip player_id="25288" first="Uluakinofo" last="Taliauli"], 2022 One of the top, if not the top 2022 offensive lineman in the Bay Area, he currently holds multiple Power Five offers and projects as an interior player in college. Strong and physical at the POA, he is an anchor in the run game that plays with low pad level, strong initial strike and does a good job at finishing blocks and getting out in space/pulling.   Other Top Players.... OL [player_tooltip player_id="186977" first="Denaris" last="DeRosa"], 2022 RB/DB Keala Keanaaina, 2023 TE [player_tooltip player_id="141954" first="Dillon" last="Golden"], 2022 TE/DB Junior Fiaui, 2023 DB Michael Artmore, 2022 K, Matthew Karic, 2022 RB/LB [player_tooltip player_id="25450" first="Viliami" last="Teu"], 2023 WR/DB Andrew Adkinson, 2022