Don’t be surprised if you see members of the Malibu High football team rinsing their mouths with Listerine during the next week. Getting rid of the sour taste of last year’s 0-10 record is at the top of the priority list heading into the Sharks’ opener against St. Monica Catholic High School of Santa Monica.
“We don’t really like to talk about last season that much except as a reminder of wanting not to be there again,” junior Alec Stevenson said. “It was a really bad feeling.”
Count on that not happening again. This year’s group of Sharks is determined to excel and put 2013 in the rear-view mirror. When Malibu takes the field against the Mariners at 7 p.m. on August 30 at Santa Monica City College, expect to see an emotionally charged team revved up for the season.
Leading the way will be two players who are throwbacks to yesteryear. Stevenson and senior Matt Vincent represent the heart and soul of the team and are the unquestioned leaders for a program looking to return to the playoffs. The Sharks last made the playoffs in 2012.
The duo plays a brand of intense physical football that has inspired fellow teammates and earned the respect of their coach.
“Both of them bring a lot of leadership. They are true captains,” Malibu coach Ray Humphrey said. “They lead not only by voice but by their actions on the field and the way they work.”
Stevenson will see action at middle linebacker as well as on the offensive line. He recorded 132 tackles (13.2 per game) last season, including 75 solo tackles. Rivals. com regards Stevenson as one of the top 70 recruits in California’s class of 2016.
“We have a really solid defense this year,” Stevenson said. “We have strong, fast linebackers, athletic defensive linemen and an extremely good secondary.”
The Sharks’ 3-4 defense will feature many two-way players with Stevenson, Vincent, senior Winston Churchill and junior Matt Rafeedie forming a powerful quartet at linebacker. Sophomore Logan Moore has a promising future on the defensive line.
Offensively, Vincent will be the workhorse at fullback. Due to a knee injury, he saw action in only two games last fall and is itching to carry the pigskin again.
“I was out of the whole season practically, so this is a big year for me. Last year was supposed to be my breakout year but it didn’t happen,” Vincent said. “We have made a lot of gains. We have really come together. It’s like a brotherhood. We are looking to get a banner in our gym.”
In addition to Vincent, Humphrey expects improvement from quarterback Dylan Lubell. He saw tremendous growth as the senior signal-caller during the summer.
“Dylan has really matured,” said Humphrey, who now begins his 10th season as head coach at MHS. “He has been really gung-ho about getting this year started. He’s going to be huge for us.”
Senior tailback Justin Baldinger and junior wide receivers Luca Marinaro, Indiana McAlpine and Cooper Richman should contribute heavily in the team’s offensive production.
Stevenson and seniors Jason Nikora and Bronson Bard will anchor the offensive line, with Bard also seeing action at tight end along with Churchill and sophomore Trevor Simonian.
The Sharks recently concluded “hell week” and are now preparing for a scrimmage at Oak Park on Friday at 7 p.m. “This year’s hell week was a lot harder than last year,” Stevenson said. “Even though it’s harder, guys are more prepared and practicing hard. A lot of the younger guys are stepping up. The season is looking good.”
Malibu returns to campus for its home opener on September 5 versus Santa Clarita Christian. The Homecoming game is slated for November 7 against Frontier League opponent Grace Brethren.
“The attitude of this team has been awesome. They understand that we had a tough season last year and they don’t want that to happen again,” Humphrey said. “It’s been really fun. Their morale is in a good place. I’m excited and want to see what we got and what we are going to develop into. I’ve been chomping at the bit big time.”
