Great Oak Wolfpack: Division 4 Southern Section football preview

Here's an inside look at the 2019 Great Oak Wolfpack.

Links: Great Oak team page | 2019 schedule

2018 IN REVIEW

Overall record: 1-9 (0-5 in league, 6th in the Southwestern League).

HEAD COACH

Cody Roelof will be in his first season as Great Oak’s head coach. 

TOP PLAYERS

RB/SB James Mullen II, 5-10, 195, Sr.

WR/TE Christin Whitley, 6-4, 194, Sr.

DB Evan Etheridge, 5-9, 180, Sr.

LB/TE Westin Kanow, 6-2, 185, Sr.

LB/DL Brayden Frederick, 6-1, 215, Sr.

LB Nick Meeker, 6-2, Sr.

DB Jason Wang, 5-10, 165, Sr.

LB Daniel Ganino, 6-1, 190, Jr. 

THREE TO SEE

James Mullen – RB/SB

Mullen ran for 1,088 yards last season. He also had 193 receiving yards.

Evan Etheridge – DB

Despite only playing in six games, Etheridge was third on the Wolfpack with 63 tackles. As a senior, he’s a strong candidate for a breakout season.

Jason Wang – DB

A strong contributor to Great Oak’s secondary, Jason Wang kept opposing receivers in check and recorded 36 tackles.

OUTLOOK

Great Oak struggled last season in the very competitive Southwestern League. All season, their defense held reasonably strong against some great offenses. Scoring with a very young playmaking core was the main issue, particularly at quarterback.

Luckily for the Wolfpack, they return an excellent running back in James Mullen II. He racked up almost 1,100 rushing yards last season. He’s also a threat at slotback, and registered 193 receiving yards as well. Mullen II entered the transfer portal in the offseason, requesting a transfer to Chaparral. As of Aug. 17, the CIF transfer portal listed his request as inactive. All indications are that he will return to Great Oak. We will update this post if his status changes.

WR/TE Christin Whitley is another strong threat as a receiver.

Defense should be the strong suit for Great Oak again. Evan Etheridge will be joined on the defensive interior by a number of strong candidates at linebacker in Westin Kanow, Brayden Frederick, Nick Meeker, and Daniel Ganino. Jason Wang was a standout last season in the secondary.

The Wolfpack’s offense is in need of some new life. If they can find it, the defense should be strong enough to give them a chance at getting back into the playoffs. But without a significant leap on offense, a playoff appearance will be difficult to attain.