The Acorn’s High School Football Game of the Week

St. Francis Golden Knights (4-0) vs. Calabasas Coyotes (5-0) Friday, 7 p.m. at Calabasas High



MIGHTY MADISON—Calabasas High quarterback Josh Madison, right, eludes Rio Mesa linebacker Michael Kytlica during the Coyotes’ 13-10 win last weekend. Madison filled in for injured starter Tristan Gebbia and ended up snaring an interception late in the fourth quarter to seal the road victory.

MIGHTY MADISON—Calabasas High quarterback Josh Madison, right, eludes Rio Mesa linebacker Michael Kytlica during the Coyotes’ 13-10 win last weekend. Madison filled in for injured starter Tristan Gebbia and ended up snaring an interception late in the fourth quarter to seal the road victory.

Otto “Abbadabba” Berman allegedly coined the phrase, “Nothing personal. It’s just business.”

For the Calabasas High football team, Friday night’s home game against St. Francis is personal.

“I can’t wait to play them. We want revenge,” Calabasas wide receiver Keyshawn Johnson Jr. said. “For me, this is the biggest game of the year.”

Casey Clausen, the Coyotes’ second-year head coach, starred at quarterback with Alemany High for Jim Bonds, who now leads St. Francis.

Clausen said he expects the teams to continue scheduling outings against each other.

“Coach Bonds has been a great friend and mentor,” Clausen said. “This is a good test for us.”

Last year the reunion wasn’t chipper for Clausen and company: The Golden Knights clobbered the Coyotes 45-7, Calabasas’ most lopsided loss en route to the Western Division quarterfinals.

Coyote players are still bitter about being blown out.

“They popped us in the mouth,” Johnson said. “We have to execute and go by the game plan. We have to focus on this week.”

St. Francis runs a lot of Cover 2 and Cover 3 sets on defense, and the linemen are physical in the trenches. On offense, the Golden Knights line up in various formations while attempting to confuse defenders.

Isaiah Hayes, who snagged two interceptions and recorded a team-high 12 tackles during a 13-10 win against Rio Mesa last weekend, said the Coyote secondary, nicknamed the No- Fly Zone, will try to shut down St. Francis’ aerial assault.

“We don’t expect an easy game,” Hayes said, “but it’s nothing we haven’t seen before.”

The No-Fly Zone features cornerbacks Darnay Holmes and Nasir Bright, free safety Marquel Dismuke, nickelback/cornerback Jermani Brown and Hayes at safety and cornerback.

Hayes earned a scholarship to the University of Arizona; Dismuke is bound for Nebraska; Brown has Big Ten and Pac-12 offers, and Holmes, a junior, can play wherever he wants. Holmes has been linked to Alabama and to Stanford, his childhood dream school.

Josh Madison is another highly touted defensive back. The sophomore safety started at quarterback for an injured Tristan Gebbia last weekend.

Madison completed 13-of-15 passes for 116 yards. He also ran for 90 yards and a touchdown, and preserved the victory against Rio Mesa with an interception late in the fourth quarter. Calabasas also played without Holmes, but he practiced on Monday and will suit up against St. Francis.

Clausen said Gebbia will play only if he’s healthy. The Coyotes must open up the playbook against St. Francis, regardless of who starts under center. The team is confident in both quarterbacks.

“Watch out for Josh Madison,” said Johnson, another promising Division I prospect. “He’s a monster.”

Hayes and Johnson have formed a close bond over the

Players to Watch

Calabasas

LT Stephan Brovko
LG/DT Elijah Elisara

C Stone Smith

RG Kyle Finnick
RT/DT Zack Boyle

St. Francis

RB/DB Areg Nazarian
OL/DL Cade Mockary

QB Miles Bryant

WR/DB Tre’ Polamalu
OL/DL Nick Bravo

years. Their fathers, Chris Hayes and Keyshawn Johnson, played together in the NFL with the New York Jets in the late 1990s.

Isaiah Hayes is three days older than the younger Johnson, who warmly says they’ve been best friends since he was a day old. They’re now making plays together for the No. 1-ranked team in the Western Division.

“He works hard every single day,” Johnson said of Hayes.


 

 

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