2019 Campolindo Cougars football team

The 2019 Campolindo Cougars football team represented Campolindo High School of Moraga, California in the 2019 NFHS Football Season. They were led by 24-year head coach Kevin Macy and played their home games at Bob Wilson Stadium. They were a member of the Diablo Athletic League-Foothill Conference.

Season Opener
August 23, 2019 vs. Montgomery (Santa Rosa, CA)

General
Nickname: Cougars

Colors: Navy/Red/White

Coach: Kevin Macy

League: Diablo Foothill

Section: North Coast

Playoff Division: 2

Playoff Division Rank: #1

Ratings
2018 Final Power Rating: 31.2

2018 National Rank:  #1204

2018 State Rank: #112

Player Statistics-Based (Back/Lost) Rating Adjustment: +9.1

D1 Talent (Back/Lost) Rating Adjustment: +2.3

Reg Season Schedule Strength Downward Rating Adjustment: +11.4

2019 Starting Power Rating: 28.2

2019 National Rank: #471

2019 State Rank: #57

Dynasty Rating (avg. rating 2003-2018): 32.1

Dynasty National Rank: #1177

2019 Rating vs. Dynasty Rating: wose by 3.9

Dynasty Record: 157-50 (82-25 in league)

Strength of Schedule
2019 Regular Season Schedule Strength:  1.6

2018 Regular Season Schedule Strength: 19 (15.3 overall)

2019 vs. 2018 Schedule Strength Comparison: -17.4

2019 Regular Season Schedule Strength State Rank: #156

2019 Regular Season Schedule Strength National Rank: #642

2019 Projected Regular Season Record: 9-1

2019 Projected League Finish: 1st

2019 Undefeated Regular Season Probability: 38%

Returning Players
Offensive Starters: 

Defensive Starters:

2018 JV Record: 9-1

Starting Quarterback Returning: 

Top Running Back Returning: 

Top Receiver Returning: 

Top OL Returning: 

Top Defender Returning: 

D1 Prospects

 * 1) Mason Mastrov 6'4" 215 Senior OLB
 * 2) Grant Harper 6'2" 195 Senior QB

College Prospect Lost to Graduation

 * 1) Lucas Allen 6'2" 205 Senior WR

Previous Season
2017 Overall Record: 10-3

2017 League Record/Finish: 4-1 (2nd)

2017 Points For Average: 35.2

2017 Points Against Average: 18.5

2017 Differential: +16.7

Winning Streak
none

Last Year Wins
#1351: Marin Catholic (Kentfield, CA) (35-21)

#2046: El Cerrito (CA) (41-14)

#2696: St. Ignatius (San Francisco, CA) (34-21)

#3314: Ukiah (CA) (49-14)

#3893: Miramonte (Orinda, CA) (30-14)

#4336: Acalanes (Lafayette, CA) (39-7)

#6311: Redwood (Larkspur, CA) (35-6)

#7048: Hayward (CA) (55-28)

#8224: Alhambra (Martinez, CA) (49-10)

#11098: Northgate (Walnut Creek, CA) (49-0)

Last Year Losses
#485: Clayton Valley Charter (Concord, CA) (35-7)


 * 1) 648: Bishop O'Dowd (Oakland, CA) (35-14)

#929: Rancho Cotate (Rohnert Park, CA) (42-21)

Toughest Opponents
Rancho Cotate (Rohnert Park, CA) (27.2)

McClymonds (Oakland, CA) (18.8)

Las Lomas (Walnut Creek, CA) (13.1)

Easiest Opponents
Alhambra (Martinez, CA) (-24.9)

Montgomery (Santa Rosa, CA) (-16.7)

Hayward (CA) (-15.8)

State Championships

 * 1) 2017 (NCS II)
 * 2) 2016 (CIF IV-AA)
 * 3) 2016 (NCS II)
 * 4) 2015 (NCS III)
 * 5) 2014 (CIF III)
 * 6) 2014 (NCS III)
 * 7) 2011 (NCS III)

League Championships

 * 1) 2015 (Diablo Foothill)
 * 2) 2014 (Diablo Foothill)
 * 3) 2013 (Diablo Foothill)
 * 4) 2012 (Diablo Foothill)
 * 5) 2011 (Diablo Foothill)
 * 6) 2008 (Diablo Foothill)
 * 7) 2004 (Diablo Foothill)

Other League Teams
Miramonte (Orinda, CA)

Northgate (Walnut Creek, CA)

Acalanes (Lafayette, CA)

Campolindo (Moraga, CA)

Alhambra (Martinez, CA)

vs. Montgomery Vikings
Date: Friday, August 23, 2019

Game time: 7:00PM

Game weather

No. 15 Campolindo 40, Montgomery-Santa Rosa 0
Senior quarterback Grant Harper completed 11 of 19 passes for 230 yards and three touchdowns as the host Cougars overwhelmed the  Vikings in the early going and coasted to a season-opening win. Senior running back Will Windatt had three touchdowns, including one on a 53-yard run in the first quarter that gave Campolindo a 13-0 lead. Harper then completed a 25-yard touchdown pass to Maxwell Weaver and cornerback Ryan Fritch returned an interception 35 yards for another score as the Cougars took a 26-0 lead after 12 minutes. Campolindo had 203 yards rushing on just 23 carries, as Windatt finished with 66 yards on the ground and senior Ryan O’Neil adding 58 yards on seven carries. Weaver had 100 yards on three receptions. Junior defensive end Daniel Wheeler had two sacks to lead the defense for Campolindo, which registered its first shutout since Oct. 19 of last year when it topped Northgate 49-0. Next Friday, Campolindo hosts Deer Valley and Montgomery hosts Casa Grande-Petaluma. 

vs. Deer Valley Wolverines
Date: Friday, August 30, 2019

Game time: 7:00PM

Game weather

vs. Amador Valley Dons (Honor Bowl)
Date: Saturday, September 7, 2019

Game time: 12:00PM

Game weather

Scoring Info
UNION CITY — Rarely does a Week 3 game in September draw some semblance to a playoff atmosphere, especially when kickoff happens at high noon under overcast weather.

Throw in loudspeakers, an extravagant entrance and some fog machines, however, and it’s hard to not be reminded of the postseason.

In the first matchup of the three-game Honor Bowl at James Logan, Campolindo, ranked No. 11 by Bay Area Preps HQ, flexed its collective potential despite missing two key defensive players and beat No. 22 Amador Valley, 27-16.

As part of the Honor Bowl, Grant Harper and Eric Hunter III earned MVP honors for Campolindo and Amador Valley, respectively. Harper dominated through the air, totaling 317 passing yards and a touchdown and completing 14 of 23 passes, while Hunter dazzled with a 99-yard kickoff return, the most explosive play of the game.

Powering Campolindo’s offense alongside Harper was fullback Will Windatt, who rushed for a pair of touchdowns. Kicker Jacob Tabiban chipped in six points as well, making two of his three field-goal attempts.

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In addition to the MVP awards, Campolindo’s Jack Daugherty and Amador Valley’s Kannon Dote, who hit Josh Heverly for the Dons’ lone offensive touchdown, earned the Honor Bowl Character Award.

“They set up the venue, you feel like you’re playing in a state bowl game,” said Campolindo coach Kevin Macy, whose program has had its share of deep postseason runs. “We told our kids, ‘This is your state game this year.’ They’re moving us up to play Division I schools in the playoffs so they’ve sort of boxed us out of winning North Coast anymore.”

To clarify Macy’s comments, Campolindo will be in Division II in the North Coast Section playoffs. But the new eight-team brackets led to some Division I teams sliding into D-II, most notably Clayton Valley Charter, which dominated Campolindo when the schools were league mates from 2016-18.

So, in some ways, maybe Saturday was Campo’s state game.

“We told our kids, ‘You better turn this into our state championship game,’” Macy said.

While the game wasn’t exactly starved for offense, both defenses displayed stretches of excellence.

In its first real test of the season, Campolindo was forced to play without Charlie Craig and Mason Mastrov due to injury. Even without two key members of their defense, the Cougars’ defense, particularly its secondary, held the Dons in check, stifling multiple drives with their backs against the wall.

On one drive in the third quarter, Amador Valley marched down to Campolindo’s two-yard line after Dote connected with Cal Ewanich for a 45-yard gain. With little room to work with, Campolindo forced Amador Valley back 15 yards, stifling the run game on two straight plays and recording a sack. Instead of relinquishing the touchdown, the Cougars pushed back and forced a missed field goal.

“You lose your two top players and they’re the emotional force behind your defense,” Macy said. “The effort we got from our defense today was probably the most impressive story of the day.”

On the other sideline, Amador Valley’s performance on defense in the second half was just three points short of perfection.

In the first half, Amador Valley conceded 24 points, all of which came in large part thanks to three explosive plays of 50-plus yards. A 56-yard touchdown pass from Harper to Joey Schmidt gave Campolindo a 17-0 lead in the second quarter, while a 50-yard screen pass from Harper to Windatt set up his second rushing touchdown of the day.

The latter 24 minutes, however, were a much different story. Amador locked in and only allowed a field goal off the boot of Jacob Tabiban, who made two of his three field-goal attempts on the day.

“We just got back to what we do,” Amador Valley coach Danny Jones said. “I don’t think we did anything special. We just kinda said, ‘We’re not playing hard.’ That’s our deal; we play hard and we fly around, 11 hats to the ball. That’s what I felt like was the difference in the second half. I felt like we had more urgency in the second half.”

@ McClymonds Warriors
Date: Friday, September 13, 2019

Game time: 7:00PM

Game weather Before Kevin Macy put Campolindo-Moraga football largely on his back, he was an Oakland kid.

A graduate of Skyline, Macy coached at Oakland Tech before making his way through the Caldecott Tunnel, where he has built a dynasty with the Cougars.

Since 2011, Campolindo has gone 100-17 with seven league, three North Coast Section and two CIF State Bowl championships. He’s 202-78 at the school since taking the job in 1996.

“I’ve had a lot of good kids,” he said. “We’ve done some good things.”

Macy returns to the city where he grew up Friday, when the 10th-ranked Cougars (3-0) travel to No. 13 McClymonds-Oakland (2-0), which has won three straight state bowl championships.

The game was scheduled late after Clayton Valley Charter-Concord was voted out of the the Diablo Foothill Athletic League in the spring and moved into the East Bay Athletic League. That left Campolindo with just nine games — and McClymonds had an opening.

Problem was it was the same week the Cougars were to host Rancho Cotate-Rohnert Park.

“Both Cotate and us had byes the same week, so Cotate graciously moved the game,” Macy said. “It left us with just four home games and we asked McClymonds to come out to us. They declined. That’s OK, it’s a great opportunity to play them anywhere.”

Great opportunity and great challenge.

McClymonds, coached by defensive-minded Michael Peters (his son is Rams safety Marcus Peters), the Warriors have allowed just 14 points against high-scoring Marin Catholic-Kentfield and Encinal-Alameda, both of which were in The Chronicle’s Top 25 when they played.

Last year, Mack gave up 111 points (while scoring 517) in a 12-2 season that featured eight shutouts. This year’s team is led by cornerback Edward Woods and defensive end James Willoughby.

“They’re just so darned fast to the ball,” Macy said. “And they’re super physical. No way we can simulate that speed at practice.”

Campolindo players will tell you Macy can pull off minor miracles at practice. He’s a wizard at finding just the right position and pushing the right buttons for his players, who rarely pass the eye test.

With a whole new offensive line, UC Davis-bound Grant Harper has avoided heavy pressure to complete 36 of 58 passes for 709 yards, with eight touchdowns and no interceptions.

Four players have more than 100 receiving yards — led by Joey Schmidt (nine catches, 183 yards) — and three have two TD catches each: Maxwell Weaver, Will Windatt and Charlie Craig.

The running tandem of Brandon Manty (22 carries, 181 yards) and Ryan O’Neal (27, 179) has churned out most of the yardage, but Windatt gets the ball near the goal line, and has scored a team-high five touchdowns.

It has led to wins over Montgomery-Santa Rosa (40-0), Deer Valley-Antioch (48-6) and Amador Valley-Pleasanton (27-16).

Even with a makeshift line and not a senior among them, Macy was expecting the offense to be just fine with Harper, a 6-foot-2, 200-pound left-hander, running the show. “He holds everything together,” Macy said.

As good as Harper has been, “it’s the defense that I’m probably happiest with,” Macy said. “Those guys have really played hard and tough.”

Especially Saturday against Amador Valley. The Cougars were missing two top defensive starters, including linebacker Mason Mastrov (6-4, 215), an SMU commit who was sidelined with an oblique injury. He’s one of just eight senior starters on the team.

“Hopefully, we’ll have him back Friday,” Macy said. “We’ll need him and everyone else. (McClymonds) doesn’t do anything super elaborate but they are fundamentally sound, have great size and speed, speed and more speed.”

Scoring Info
OAKLAND — In the waning hours Friday night, one illuminated by both artificial and natural lighting alike, the lyrics of Todd Anthony Shaw, otherwise known as Too $hort, rang out throughout his native city of Oakland.

“I go on and on, can’t understand how I last so long.”

Three weeks into its quest for a fourth-straight state championship, McClymonds once again displayed the resilience that’s making them a premier powerhouse in the Bay Area. Under a full moon, McClymonds proved how, regardless of circumstance, it’ll just keep going on and on.

Trailing entering the fourth quarter, No. 7 McClymonds put together a magical nine-minute run, scoring 28 unanswered points to stun No. 11 Campolindo, 41-21.

“We’ve had to believe in ourselves,” said McClymonds coach Michael Peters. “Like I tell my guys, we’re a team. It’s not one individual person. We just had to go soul search and dig deep. I told them guys at halftime, ‘We’re going to win this game.’ ”

For McClymonds, going from being down eight to winning by 20 required a lot to fall into place. Most of it was execution. Some of it was luck.

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Down by eight points around the nine-minute mark, running back Gary Alexander Jr., who finished the game with three rushing touchdowns and 139 rushing yards, punched his way into the end zone from the 2-yard line. Quarterback Dreyan Paul found Daniel Phoenix on the two-point conversion attempt, and the game was notched up at 21-apiece.

“He came in and started running hard,” Peters said. “He actually put us over the top. (Campolindo) wore down just a little bit. He just put it on them.”

McClymonds put itself in the driver’s seat after forcing Campolindo to punt on the ensuing possession. But instead of just getting the ball back, McClymonds was gifted prime real estate.

Arrion Hughes recovered a high, poor snap that sailed over the punter’s head and took the pigskin all the way to the 1-yard line. Alexander Jr. finished the job one play later, driving his way in for the go-ahead score. After a failed attempt to go for two, McClymonds led 27-21 barely two minutes after tying the game.

“The game changed when they muffed that punt, got us a little fired up,” Peters said.

Here’s where the real “oh-my-goodness” factor of this game ramps all the way up. At the 2:30 mark, with Campolindo threatening in McClymonds territory, Montrell Smith swooped in for what could’ve been the game-clinching interception.

With Campolindo out of timeouts, McClymonds ran the ball to eat some clock. But instead of playing for just the win, McClymonds played for the dagger.

On third-and-7 at their own 27-yard line with 1:30 remaining, the Warriors went for broke. Da’Voeonne Sanders somehow managed to evade the entire Campolindo defense and found himself surrounded by nothing by green grass, and Paul delivered a perfect dime in stride for a 73-yard touchdown. Point after good. McClymonds up by 13 points.

That was the second time Paul and Sanders linked for a touchdown as the two connected for an eight-yard touchdown back in the first quarter. Paul and Sanders each finished with two touchdowns, the former throwing for 191 yards and completing 11 of 16 passes, and the latter totaling 110 receiving yards on five receptions.

“I just did my assignment, caught the ball and ran to the end zone,” Sanders said. “I ran with joy.”

That easily could’ve been the nail in the coffin. Edward Woods, however, made sure the defense had some points of its own. Despite the game already all but over, Woods swooped in for a pick-six, putting the exclamation mark on a statement victory.

“They tested me twice. The first time, I was playing off, I was playing cover three so that didn’t really count,” Woods said. “Then, when they tested me (again), I got a pick-six to the crib.”

This isn’t the first time this season McClymonds has responded to a little pressure. In its season-opener against Marin Catholic, the defense allowed an explosive 52-yard touchdown just minutes into the game. How did the Warriors respond? By proceeding to shut out Marin Catholic for the remainder of the game.

Said Peters at the time: “That’s what we’re made of.”

It was far from a perfect game. The secondary, for the first time this season, showed vulnerability. The offense is still attempting to find that run-pass equilibrium. But the one constant that Peters can rely on going forward, regardless of who they find themselves up against, is his team’s ability to keep going on and on. 

There are fourth-quarter rallies and then there’s what host McClymonds did Friday night in Oakland.

The three-time defending small-school state champions scored 28 points in the final quarter to stun No. 10 Campolindo-Moraga 41-21.

A 75-yard touchdown pass from Dreyan Paul to Da’Veonne Sanders gave the Warriors (3-0) the game-clinching touchdown with 1:13 left, and Edward Woods sealed it with a pick-six of 30 yards.

McClymonds, ranked 13th by The Chronicle, fought back from a 21-13 halftime deficit. Two short touchdown runs by Gary Alexander gave the Warriors a 27-21 lead midway through the fourth quarter. The second was set up on a bad punt snap to the Campolindo 1. Alexander rushed for three touchdowns.

A Grant Harper to Rex Curtiss 25-yard touchdown pass gave Campolindo (3-1) the halftime lead.