High school football: Why Serra, De La Salle teamed up for a college showcase and what it means moving forward
Oakland powerhouse McClymonds also plays host to multi-school showcase as a likely trend is starting in spring practice.
SAN MATEO — May is a busy time for college football coaches tasked with evaluating high school players who one day might help their teams on Saturdays.
From city to city, school to school, they pile up miles and long hours away from home in the name of recruiting.
Thursday, two of Northern California’s premier high school programs — Serra and De La Salle — made it easier on the coaches. They used one of their spring practice days to hold a two-hour showcase at Serra’s Brady Family Stadium.
Rules prohibit high school teams from working out together. So Serra went through its drills in the first hour. De La Salle arrived by bus from Concord just as Serra was finishing and practiced in the second hour.
Essentially, they took a page out of Southern California’s playbook as powerhouse teams from that end of the state have held similar showcases for years.
The combination of weather (chamber of commerce perfect) and turnout (a number of college coaches attended) could not have worked out better for the elite Bay Area programs.
Promoted by the teams for months, their showcase attracted coaches representing schools from the Pac-12, Mountain West, Big Sky and local community colleges, among others.
The coaches watched the workouts — position drills, 7-on-7 passing plays and some special teams. They talked to players, which is allowed at this time of the year, and then were invited to a Polynesian-themed barbecue behind the stadium.
Serra and De La Salle aim to make their showcase an appointment date on the calendar. They plan to do it again next May at De La Salle.
“I thought it was a wonderful day,” said Serra coach Patrick Walsh, who starred as a running back for De La Salle three decades ago. “The excitement was worth the effort, having football in May. I was walking through the halls today in school and some of the kids were (saying), ‘Good luck today, Coach.’ It felt like game day, but it’s really not.
“This was about the kids,” Walsh added, noting that one of his players, rising senior receiver/defensive back/athlete Kyon Loud, had just picked up an offer from UC Davis and that De La Salle coach Justin Alumbaugh told him a couple of Spartans received offers, too.
“Football is an experiential game in high school,” Walsh said. “Creating experiences throughout the entire year is something that is important to me. With Justin’s support, I thought today was a great success.”
Serra and De La Salle already have company. A day before their showcase, Oakland powerhouse McClymonds held one that included more than 200 players from the Oakland Athletic League’s six schools, plus other nearby programs, and some three dozen college coaches.
Oakland quarterback Joshua Oludayo saw it as an opportunity to create some buzz for his school.
“A lot of people don’t come to Oakland High for recruiting, so I’m just trying to help put us on the map,” Oludayo said. “Even though our record doesn’t show it, we’ve got people who are really working their butts off day in and day out.”
Across the Bay on Thursday, Serra linemen hit padded blocking dummies, with Walsh leading the drill.
When De La Salle stepped onto the field, its linemen attacked a five-man blocking sled with game-day-like aggression.
After the workout, Alumbaugh told his players, “Let’s pretend that there is a line of 35 college coaches every time that we practice and we’ll be pretty damn good.”
“There was an extra edge, an extra level of intensity,” the coach said later. “I saw some guys running and hitting the sled and said, ‘That’s some extra pizzazz that we’re seeing here.’ Today was our last spring ball day. It was a nice way to end it, and we can use it as a bit of a motivating tool.”
Given the long friendship that Alumbaugh and Walsh have had — Alunbaugh played Little League for Walsh’s dad, Chick, who was in attendance Thursday — their event came together seamlessly.
“We talk all the time, anyway,” Alumbaugh said. “It’s good exposure for the kids. It’s a fun, unique environment that we wouldn’t normally have had on May 18th.”
Naturally, the kids appreciated the production.
“We’ve got a lot of talent this year, a lot of returning guys,” said Serra quarterback Maealiuaki Smith, a rising senior. “It’s good for colleges at all levels and from different places to get a look at our guys.”
Alumbaugh and Walsh expect more schools to host similar events moving forward.
“I didn’t spend any time coaching today; I spent all the time talking to the college coaches,” Alumbaugh said. “They loved it. They were like, ‘This is so easy. We can just circle this date.’ They don’t have to travel all over the place.
“It’s going to catch on and, you know what, it should. It’s a good thing to have. It’s good for the programs. It’s good for the kids. It’s good for the schools.”
