California’s Top 50 high school football teams: No. 49 Aquinas won't rebuild, they'll reload
SBLive is previewing the Top 50 high school football teams in California ahead of the 2022 season. Here’s an inside look at the Aquinas Falcons of the CIF Southern Section, the No. 49 team in our countdown.
AQUINAS TEAM PAGE | 2022 FALL FOOTBALL SCHEDULE
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HEAD COACH
Jordan Brusig
- 8th season as Aquinas head coach
- Overall record at Aquinas: 66-22
- CIF champion in 2017, 2019, 2021
2021 AT A GLANCE
- Overall record: 10-6
- League record: 3-0 (1st in Ambassador League)
- Won CIF Southern Section Division 7 championship and Division 3-AA state bowl game
- Fell to Vanden (Fairfield, Calif.) 14-13 in Division 3-AA state championship
2022 SCHEDULE
(All games are at 7 p.m. unless noted otherwise)
*Aquinas is now in the Ironwood League*
- Aug. 18 vs. Etiwanda
- Sep. 2 vs. Xavier Prep
- Sep. 9 @ Cajon
- Sep. 16 vs. Upland
- Sep. 23 @ Notre Dame Riverside
- Sep. 30 @ Village Christian
- Oct. 7 vs. Heritage Christian
- Oct. 14 vs. Valley Christian
- Oct. 21 @ Ontario Christian
- Oct. 29 @ Big Bear - Noon
RETURNING STARTERS
- 4 on offense
- 4 on defense
IMPACT PLAYERS DEPARTED
- Junior Taase Faumui - OL/DL - Graduation
- Tui Hala - OL/DL - Graduation
- Cesar Fernandez - WR/CB - Graduation
- Overall, seven offensive linemen graduated
PLAYERS TO WATCH
QB Dre Robles - Sr. - 5-10, 185
2021 stats: Completed 126 of 247 passes (51 %) for 2,120 yards, 20 TD's and 10 INT's, also rushed for 510 yards and 3 TD's
Coach said: "Dre's been with us since he was a sophomore. He's been the longest tenured starter we've had. Normally we have guys that have been there for two years. This is going to be his third. He's a CIF champion and a state finalist and also an unbelievable leader. He's got a lot of grit to him. He can push through the toughest things we can throw at him or the game can throw at him. He's a 4.0 student and at the top of his class at our school. He's an amazing kid."
RB Jojo Solis - Soph. - 6-0, 175
Offer sheet: Arizona State, Cal, Colorado State, Grambling State, Washington State
2021 stats: 259 carries for 2,088 yards, 35 TD's, 24 catches for 465 yards and 2 TD's
Coach said: "Jojo had a great season last year."
WR/S Kaden Willerford - Sr. - 5-10, 170
Offer sheet: Arkansas State, Charlotte, FIU, Florida State, Louisiana-Monroe, Morgan State, North Texas, Purdue
2021 stats: 37 catches for 486 yards and 5 TD's, 37 tackles on defense, 3 INT's, 1 forced fumble and 1 fumble recovery
Coach said: "Like Jojo, Kaden is going to have to make it go for us on offense this year."
DE/FB Sione Fakava - Jr. - 6-0, 220
2021 stats: 25 tackles, 4 for loss
Coach said: "Sione is going to be a problem for people."
OL Hawk Ramos - Sr. - 6'1, 245
2021 stats: 24 tackles, 4 for loss
Coach said: "Hawk's probably going to start at center for us. He started on the defensive line last year. He's the strongest kid on the team. He's going to have to have a great year for us."
IMPACT TRANSFERS IN
LB/FB Hakim Halliburton - Sr. - 5-10, 190 - Redlands East Valley
WR/FS Yahqiym Halliburton - Jr. - 6-1, 180 - Redlands East Valley
REGULAR SEASON GAME(S) OF THE YEAR
Last season, Aquinas fell to Etiwanda and Upland in non-league games. Those game dates are the two that the Falcons should circle on the calendar this fall in addition to their game on September 9th against Cajon.
Aquinas moved from the Ambassador League to the Ironwood League this fall, but the move doesn't change too much for the Falcons -- they're still strong favorites to win a league title this season. How Aquinas fares in the Etiwanda, Cajon and Upland games will determine which playoff division they'll be in at the end of the regular season.
Last year, regular season defeats to Etiwanda, Upland, Spanish Springs (Nev.), Long Beach Poly and Damien pushed Aquinas into Division 7. If the Falcons drop all three of the Etiwanda, Cajon and Upland games this season, they'll probably be back in D7, but coming out on top in just one of those games could move Aquinas up a level. Those are the three key games on the schedule.
BEST-CASE SCENARIO
9-1
The best case scenario for Aquinas this season is to win two of the three games against Etiwanda, Cajon and Upland and then sweep the rest of their schedule. Winning all five Ironwood League games will be expected and with a strong group of skill players coming back, putting up enough points to potentially go 2-1 against Etiwanda, Upland and Cajon is possible.
Line play on both sides is the big question mark for Aquinas this year though. How well those units hold up will determine how deep the Falcons will go in the postseason.
MOST REALISTIC SCENARIO
8-2
Expect Aquinas to fall to Etiwanda and Cajon, but beat Upland. 8-2 would most likely put Aquinas in Division 6 of the playoffs in the Southern Section. They'll be a tough team to beat.
COACH SAID
"I think that we're not ever necessarily in a rebuild. We're just always trying to develop our kids throughout their time at Aquinas. If we've done our job correctly then the young guys that are coming up, now it's their turn. Hopefully they're ready. If they stick with what they do and they buy into what we've been teaching them, then I think that the wins and the games we play against tough teams, those things will kind of take care of themselves."
"We have a really tough preseason schedule. I'm excited to see how tough our team is. I think that's the one thing that I'm really looking forward to, to see how tough and how gritty our team can be this year because maybe if we don't have, let's say the most experienced group of guys, we have these younger guys, those guys are where your toughness comes from for me, the younger group. I'm really looking forward to seeing how tough these guys really are."
-- Jordan Brusig
