INDIVIDUAL SEASON PREVIEWS
Bishop Diego * Carpinteria * Dos Pueblos * San Marcos * Santa Barbara
It?s a good year for high school quarterbacks on the South Coast. All five local schools will be led by experienced and highly skilled signal callers. They?ll definitely keep the chains moving on Friday nights.
Here?s a look at the quarterbacks at each school.
Bishop Diego has a two-headed monster in Anthony Carter and Gabe Molina. Together, they led the Cardinals to the CIF semifinals. Carter, an All-CIF and All-State honoree and the City Player of the Year last season, is a slick ball handler with quick feet and toughness. He rushed for 784 yards on 100 carries and scored 11 touchdowns. He passed for 369 yards and seven scores.Molina can run, too, but his strength is passing the ball. He completed 52 of 90 passes for 834 yards and 10 touchdowns with just four interceptions.
Carpinteria?s Ian Craddock has taken more snaps than any QB in the are. He?s in his third year as the starting signal caller. Craddock is a good ball-handler and has a strong arm. He passed for 1,302 yards and 12 touchdowns last year.
Dos Pueblos has nimble-footed and athletic Leshon Bell returning at starting quarterback. Bell, the son of former NFL running back Greg Bell, is an exciting player. He?s terrific at improvising and can make defenders look foolish. He rushed for 455 yards on 99 carries and scored eight TDs. With a big receiving corps, expect him to throw the ball more this season. He threw for 755 yards last season.
San Marcos has a healthy Wesley Ghan-Gibson back behind center. Gibson suffered a shoulder injury in the third game last year. Up until the injury, he?d thrown for 455 yards. He?s back stronger than ever for his senior year, which will help open up the Royals? attack. Gibson showed off his strong arm playing for the San Marcos baseball team.
Santa Barbara has two talented quarterbacks in senior Eli Hale and sophomore Brent Peus. Hale is athletic, fast, and has great football instincts. He quarterbacked the Dons to a win at Dos Pueblos last year that gave them a share of the Channel League title. He passed for 250 yards and three TDs and continually came up with big plays. Peus, a sophomore, stands 6-3 and has a big arm. He threw a 47-yard touchdown pass in a CIF playoff game last year.
