For a league often maligned for its lack of quality football, teams from the Academic Athletic Association are doing something right.
Lincoln (9-3) goes for the league’s fifth state title in as many seasons when it hosts Crenshaw-Los Angeles (8-6) for the state Division 7-A title at 1 p.m. Saturday at Kezar Stadium.
Galileo won the first in 2017, Lincoln followed with two in a row (2018-19) and then Balboa won in 2021. (No state championships were held in 2020 because of the pandemic.)
Yes, the division in which the AAA schools have been placed has been deemed the least competitive of all 15 by the California Interscholastic Federation. But when faced with teams on equal footing, San Francisco’s public schools have met the challenge.
“You can only play and compete against the team put in front of you,” Lincoln coach Phil Ferrigno said. “We have some tough kids in the city. You challenge them in the right way and they’ll respond.”
The Mustangs don’t always win the eye test, which likely will be the case when they face Crenshaw, a program that in 2009 played De La Salle-Concord in the Open Division — the state’s highest — and lost 28-14 despite the Cougars featuring future NFL player De’Anthony Thomas.
Coached by Robert Garrett, who has 274 career wins, this year’s Cougars have recovered from a 1-6 start.
“They’re good and athletic and make big play after big play,” Ferrigno said of Crenshaw. “They have some really good looking athletes.”
Though the Mustangs don’t always win aesthetically, they win with a lot of tough, dedicated, over-achieving players, Ferrigno said. He picked out four from his current lot:
• Vincent Huang. The 5-foot-11, 185-pound senior linebacker is coming off a career game, 16 tackles in Lincoln’s 44-7 win over Balboa for the San Francisco Section title, also at Kezar. He leads the team with 81 tackles.
“He came to us as a freshman and every single day, he had a purpose,” Ferrigno said. “Whether lifting, running, drills, schoolwork, the kid just wanted something and he got it. He continues to get it. He’s trying to get into an Ivy League school or USC. I wouldn’t bet against him.”
• Jamelle Newman. He’s only 5-8 and 142 pounds, but the running back/defensive back is likely the team’s MVP after subbing for injured Ricky Underwood. Newman leads the team in rushing with 988 yards and 13 touchdowns. “He’s just a great kid,” Ferrigno said. “He’s a very intuitive football player.”
• Deion Solis. The 6-1, 200-pounder “had some anger issues, but he’s worked hard at them and has become one of our team leaders,” Ferrigno said. “He works so hard and is one of the biggest reasons our line has been so successful.”
• Hezekiah Davis. The 6-foot, 195-pound senior does it all for the Mustangs. Said Ferrigno: “Tight end. Inside linebacker. Edge rusher. Fullback. Third-string quarterback. He’s our Swiss army knife. He’s got a great work ethic and he’s becoming more and more a vocal leader.”
SBLive senior editor Mitch Stephens covers high school for The San Francisco Chronicle.
