Small School Clash: St. Vincent de Paul Vs. St. Helena

In a rematch of heavyweights across small schools in Northern California, this weekends game of the Mustangs and the Saints who played against each other in the NCS championship game last November, is one of the biggest across the Bay Area this week. Both teams are coming off strong showings in the first two weeks of the season and roll into this matchup 2-0 on the season with dominating wins. Knowing each other well, the Mustangs were the only team to beat the Saints last season, defeating them twice, both in the regular season and routing them in the NCS finals before punching their ticket to state. Heading into this week 3 clash at Yarbrough field, there are some key matchups to note across both sides of the ball as both rosters have talented players that are used to competing in and winning big time games. Below, we will breakdown some of the talent on each roster.   <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity"/>   St. Vincent de Paul Impact Players:   QB Jaret Bosarge '23   Bosarge will lead the way for the mustangs and is one of the top two-way players across the North Bay. Calling the shots and showing toughness, position versatility and a high football IQ, he will be a big time threat in the pass and run game on Saturday afternoon.   RB Kai Hall '23   Hall will be a big piece in the offense come Saturday and is part of a balanced offensive attack for the Mustangs. Coming off a 100+ rushing yard performance and rushing for five touchdowns over the first two weeks, he will be a steady threat with home run potential every time he touches the ball.   LB/TE Nathan Rooks '23   Rooks will lead the defense and operate from his Mike backer position on a physical and stingy Mustang defense. Through the first two weeks, they have only given up one score and Rooks has been a dominating presence coming off the edge and from the second level.   OL Cameron Vaughn '23   Vaughn will anchor both sides of the line and be one of the key pieces on defense for the mustangs entering this week. He is tough, strong at the POA while extremely violent through out his progressions and played very well the last time these two heavyweight teams battled it out. He will lead the way for the likes of Hall and bosarge, among others.   WR/S Jack Davis '24   Davis is having himself a breakout season thus far and will be a big time mismatch on the outside as he is a strong handed pass catcher that is a vertical threat and makes big plays in space. On defense, he is a true third level thumper that shows closing speed and natural instincts/ball skills in space and when triggering. He also offers return abilities.   DL/OL Nour Elbelisy '24   Anchoring both sides of the line with Vaughn, Elbelisy will be a key piece on both sides of the ball both in the run game and when trying to stop the run heavy offense of the Saints. He is strong at the POA with heavy hands and creates immediate knock-back while racking up two sacks in the first two weeks of the season.   LB Mac Cauz '23   Cauz leads the team in tackles and is very active from his inside linebacker position next to Rooks. He can make tackles in the box and out in space while always around the ball and flashes some pass rush abilities off the edge and when applying pressure up the middle. Cauz will be one of the top linebackers in the NBL-Redwood this season and will have to show up and be physical in the box once again against a tough and physical backfield and offensive line of the Saints.   DL/OL Rob Rooks '25   Rooks is one of the top Sophomores across the region and will play all over the defensive line for the Mustangs, along with anchoring the right side from his offensive tackle spot. He is heavy handed, moves well for his size and is violent at the POA. Starting every game last year on both sides of the ball as a Freshman, Rooks played well both times the Mustangs defeated the Saints and will look to continue his strong start to the season.   Potential Breakout Players...   WR/DB Tye Nickens '25   WR/OLB Nico Antonini '24   OL/DL TJ Allan '25   DE Noah Demirok '25   DL/OL Kieran Pedersen '23   TE/DE/QB Eddy Stone '23   <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity"/>   St. Helena Impact Players:   RB/OLB Clayton Crean '23   Crean is lightning in a bottle and is very tough to tackle and keep up with in the open field. He is twitchy through the hole with lateral movement and runs hard especially for his size. Already racking up 253 rushing yards two games into the season, the Saints will rely heavily on the talented Senior.   OL/LB Jaden Meyer '23   Meyer is one of the most active linebackers in the North Bay and will be a big time part in stopping the Mustang offense. He is a smart player that also anchors the offensive line, can get to the second level quickly and brings a very nice thump upon contact while fitting the run blocking scheme nicely with his athleticism and initial quickness.   WR/DB Charlie Knight '23   Knight is a big time target for the Saints with a huge catch radius and strong hands when making contested catches downfield. at 6'4 and some change, he is a big body that is a mismatch downfield and can get behind the defense multiple times per game with under-rated long speed.   QB/S Wynton Meyer '23   Meyer is responsible for making this explosive and physical offense all work. He will be a big time part in helping the Saints run and also pass on this stingy Mustang defensive front. He is a very smart player that can run the scheme very well, while having good athleticism out of the pocket with second and third level speed and is very deceptive when going through his exchanges. Defensively, he is not afraid to come down and bang in the box while also able to cover downfield and is a smart on both sides of the ball.   RB/OLB Keaton Smith '23   Smith is the power back out of the two, and has already put together very impressive numbers through his first two games of his Senior season. He is a compact low to the ground runner with natural forward lean, terrific contact balance and seemingly always falls forward while able to find small creases and explosive into the open field. He will be one of their best two-way players this season.   Potential Breakout Players To Note...   TE/LB Sam Raynegger '24   OL/DL Bryan Alfaro '24

In a rematch of heavyweights across small schools in Northern California, this weekends game of the Mustangs and the Saints who played against each other in the NCS championship game last November, is one of the biggest across the Bay Area this week. Both teams are coming off strong showings in the first two weeks of the season and roll into this matchup 2-0 on the season with dominating wins. Knowing each other well, the Mustangs were the only team to beat the Saints last season, defeating them twice, both in the regular season and routing them in the NCS finals before punching their ticket to state. Heading into this week 3 clash at Yarbrough field, there are some key matchups to note across both sides of the ball as both rosters have talented players that are used to competing in and winning big time games. Below, we will breakdown some of the talent on each roster.