Surrounded by private-school powers, Wilcox excels via strength, continuity and the split-back veer

Chargers take on kings of CCS public schools Los Gatos with SCVAL title on the line

SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Other than around Levi’s Stadium, home of the 49ers, Santa Clara is not known as a football hotbed.

Not at the high school ranks anyway.

Even the most talented prep players are largely lured away by the many private-school options, especially in the highly-regarded West Catholic Athletic League, which features nearby Saint Francis-Mountain View and San Jose schools Bellarmine, Valley Christian and Archbishop Mitty.

Yet Wilcox, one of two public high schools in the Santa Clara Unified School district, has maintained a high standard for roughly a decade on par with most if not all the WCAL squads.

In fact, the Chargers (7-0, 3-0 SCVAL De Anza) are the second ranked team in the Central Coast Section behind only WCAL’s Serra-San Mateo, ahead of all the other top private schools which includes formidable Sacred Heart Prep and Menlo School, both of Atherton.

Wilcox travels to another nearby public school juggernaut, the most successful one in section history in Los Gatos (5-2, 3-0) 7 p.m. Friday to decide the SCVAL championship. The Wildcats have won 15 section crowns, while Wilcox has managed just three, including a Division II crown last season that ended a 24-year drought.

Since taking over in 2015, head coach Paul Rosa has led the Chargers to a 65-23 mark including a state 3-A championship in 2018. Last season, his team started 1-4 then rattled off nine straight wins to take section and regional finals, before losing in the state 2-AA title game to Scripps Ranch-San Diego, 31-28 at Saddleback College in Mission Viejo.

“Tough loss but it definitely sharpened us heading into this season,” Rosa said. “We have tough, good kids. They work hard.”

A 1994 Wilcox graduate, Rosa said developing a weight room, continuity in coaching and a strong support from administration have been keys to his program’s success and consistency.

Having tough kids, strong lines and the ability to refine the split-back veer attack have been other keys.

“We built a freshman program the first year,” he said. “We got kids in and we shared athletes. Kids generally don’t specialize at Wilcox. You can’t at a public school.”

Getting buy in on the veer has been key. It’s not easy to learn or defend. All three levels run it and before Pop Warner leagues thinned out, incoming Chargers already had an inclination how to run it.

It helps to have a quarterback like Armond Johnson. He’s about the best trigger man one could hope for.

Wilcox quarterback Armond Johnson (5) during the 2021 CIF State 2-AA championship at Saddleback College. Photo: Todd Shurtleff. 

Not only stout (6-foot-1, 185 pounds) and fast, he can change things up with a good arm. He’s completed about 65 percent of his passes (54 of 84) for 1,021 yards and nine touchdowns. Last season in 15 games, he was 108 of 177 for 1,653 yards and 19 scores.

Those are big passing numbers by Wilcox’s standards. He’s also rushed for 825 career yards and four touchdowns.

“Covid slowed him down as a sophomore,” Rosa said. “He got out of shape. Once we got him back into weight training, he’s been good. He’s one of the most accurate passers we’ve had. We throw a lot more because of his skill set.”

The Chargers lost the section’s leading rusher Luther Glenn (2,366 yards, 29 touchdowns) to graduation and eight starters overall, but with 14 returning, Wilcox has built on last season’s success, averaging about 420 yards per game.

They’ve split Glenn’s carries between two primary backs in surprising junior Elijah Walker (747 yards, 8.5 average, seven TDs) and Andrew Palacios (540, 6.6, 8).

Junior receiver Maulidi Saleh, a wide receiver and safety, has emerged as a rare Division I recruit> he has 15 catches for 342 yards (22.8 average) and three touchdowns to go along with 31 tackles.

“His recruitment is sort of exploding,” Rosa said. “He’s a soccer player who played football for the first time starting last year. He’s just so athletic.”

The team’s other top recruit is junior linebacker Jeramiah Lewis (6-foot-1, 200 pounds) who leads the team by a wide margin in tackles with 71, including 21 solo. The next nearest is sophomore linebacker Brayden Rosa (53), the coach’s son.

“He’s very physical and very fast,” said coach Rosa about Lewis. “He started as a sophomore so he’s very instinctual, combined with his natural abilities makes him special.”

The team’s strength, as usual, is with experienced line play, led by Jose Cadena (6-2, 220), Justin Hylkema (6-7, 300) and Santiago Maes (6-1, 250).

“Lot of our guys last season were young or inexperienced and were thrown right into the fire,” Rosa said. “That’s why we had such struggles early. This year we have lots of returners in those spots. It’s paid off.”

But, by not struggling, the Chargers’ route to another state title game will be much tougher.

Unlike 2018, only section champions qualify for regionals, and unlike 2021, the Chargers will no doubt be moved up to the top Division I section tournament (Last year Wilcox won CCS’s D2).

That means Serra will likely stand in their way.

Wilcox quarterback Armond Johnson during 31-28 loss to Scripps Ranch last December. Photo: Todd Shurtleff. 

Rosa or the Chargers aren’t intimidated or worried about the underdog role. But when pressed about the system, Rosa wasn’t scared to answer.

“Realistically and honestly, I don’t like it (the competitive equity model),” Rosa said. “I don’t think losing should help you in any system. It hurts me as a competitor that if we lose, it helps.

“Last year, Los Gatos was the best team in our league. We lost to them. But they had to go to the top division (where it lost in the first round to Bellarmine) and we were in a more advantageous position and made the most of it. In previous years, it’s gone the other way around.

“Ultimately I don’t think A league teams should drop down.”

Either way, Friday’s game should be top notch. Los Gatos owns a 14-5-1 edge in the series since 2004, but Wilcox has won three of the last five.

The Chargers won three straight starting in 2017, 40-14, 25-19 and 37-0, before Los Gatos has won the last two, 20-19 and 41-18.

“They are legit,” Rosa said of Los Gatos. “The key for us is to be physical up front. I think we have a little advantage there, but they are very fast. I think their defense is their strength. They’re always well coached and have lots of athletes and running backs.”

Photos by Todd Shurleff