Grace Brethren carried an 8-2 record into the CIF-Southern Section Division 4 playoffs. With the intention of making a deep run, they did just that, making it to the section championship where they would match up with Corona Del Mar. With tremendous efforts from their offense and defense, they were able to piece together a championship victory, winning 26-14.
The section championship granted them a regional final berth with St. Augustine. Once again, the Lancers proved to be the better team, coming out with a 28-14 win and setting up a trip to the state finals.
Their toughest challenge yet, Del Oro, awaited them but the Lancers finished what they started, winning the state championship 21-14. They finished the season on an 11-game win streak, turning their previous 8-2 record into a 14-2 overall season record.
Head Coach Josh Henderson has been at the helm since 2010 for Grace Brethren. He is one of the most accomplished coaches in the area, having won 12 league championships as well as being named League Coach of the Year 10 times. His deepest playoff run prior to 2018 came the previous year, 2017, when he led Grace Brethren to the state championship where they would come up just short. To get all the way back there in 2018 and end up winning it this time around meant a lot to the coaching staff and especially the returning varsity players. The team graduated some key seniors, but the goal is to keep winning and competing at the highest level.
Key Losses
Linebacker Stanley Taufoou (6’2, 245 lbs) was the most talented player on the defense and was the Division 4 Defensive Player of the Year. He made 97 tackles and came up with 9.5 sacks last season. This fall, he will be playing for USC. Justin Skidmore (6’4, 200 lbs) was a 1st Team All-Southern Section (D4) performer. He posted a team-high 172 tackles and started every game for the Lancers. He will attend Azusa Pacific. In the secondary, Troy Hothan (5’9, 180 lbs) intercepted opposing quarterbacks an elite 11 times throughout the season. He was also a 1st Team All-Southern Section player.
The rushing attack will miss tailback Lontrelle Diggs (5’8, 218 lbs), the CIF-Southern Section Division 4 Offensive Player of the Year. He turned 376 carries, a high usage rate, into just over 2,500 rushing yards and a whopping 36 touchdowns. Over the course of his career, he rushed for 5,549 yards and 80 touchdowns. He received one offer from Adams State but went unsigned on National Signing Day.
Offense
Dual-threat quarterback Mikey Zele (6’0, 180 lbs) started all 16 games for the Lancers as a sophomore. He threw for 1,700 passing yards and 11 touchdowns and also added 640 rushing yards and found the end zone 8 times. He has worked hard this offseason and should be an All-Southern Section performer as a junior.
Wide receiver Nate Bennett (6’3, 195 lbs) led the team with 21 receptions for 558 yards and 5 touchdowns in 10 games as a junior. The wideout has received offers from Army, Air Force, Columbia, Cornell, and San Diego. He will be Zele’s #1 option in the passing game.
Payton Gourley (5’10 175), Brandon Aghassi (6’1 175), Luke Stuart (6’0 175), and Curtis Carr (5’11 165) are all receivers back this season after contributing last year.
In the last two seasons, the Lancers’ main focus on offense was to pound it down the opposing defense’s throat and win the battle at the line of scrimmage. The team relied on Lontrelle Diggs and even with him gone they still have some great options.
Coach Henderson’s son, Josh Henderson (6’2, 200 lbs), showcased his ability to also carry the pigskin when asked to do so. He rushed for 874 yards last season and scored 7 touchdowns as a junior.
The feature back this year will be Calabasas transfer, Julien Stokes. Julien is a 5’8 170-pound class of 2021 prospect that has loads of talent and was a standout last season as a sophomore. He is a future Division 1 running back that will be a huge addition for Grace Brethren. Elijah Jones (5’11 190) is another class of 2021 transfer running back from Oaks Christian that will add depth.
The Lancers have a big offensive line that likes to play smash-mouth football. Jay Toia, a 6’3 320-pound USC commit sets the tone up front for this team. He is a 2-way player but dominates in the run game with his style of play. He was a 1st Team All-Southern Section performer as a sophomore. Luis Valenzuela missed some games last year but will start this season at right tackle. Fau Taivai (6’3 350) is another wide-body lineman for Grace Brethren. Soan Toia, a 2-way player, also came in and was a great lead blocker at fullback.
Defense
Grace Brethren’s defense was stingy all season long, allowing less than 14 points per game. In 3 of their 14 wins, the defense didn’t allow any points.
On the defensive line, everything starts with Jay Toia (6’3 320 lbs) and Soane Toia (6’1, 285 lbs) being disruptive and collapsing the pocket. Jay is constantly double and tripled teamed and still finds ways to make plays behind the line of scrimmage. Jay is one of the best defensive tackles in the 2021 recruiting class. Soane plugged running lanes and rushed the quarterback exceptionally well, leading the team in sacks, with 11.5. He has earned offers to play at Arizona and Hawaii.
Jason Henderson is a 6’1 245-pound defensive lineman that transferred in from St. Bonaventure. He will be another game-changer that can play inside or as a stand up defensive end. He is another player with Division 1 potential.
Also making his impact felt was inside linebacker Josh Henderson, who was mentioned earlier and is more known for his defensive abilities, but can play on both sides of the ball. He just trailed Skidmore, racking up 157 tackles for the season. Josh has offers from Cornell, Columbia, San Diego, Air Force, and Azusa Pacific. Dez Diles (5’10 200 lbs), Carson Cook (5’10 205 lbs), and Cooper Robertson (5’11 205) will all have a larger role in 2019 at linebacker.
George Bowers (5’11 165 lbs) and Isac Garcia (6’1 175 lbs) are the two leaders and returning players back in the secondary. Bowers had 54 tackles and Garcia had 52 tackles last year.
2019 Schedule
The Lancers have an extremely tough schedule this season. 8 out of their 10 opponents had winning records and won 6 or more games last season. They open up with Aquinas (San Bernadino), a team that went 10-2 in 2018. Their toughest game of the season will be in week 2 when they take on Oaks Christian. Oaks Christian was 12-1 last year and their only loss came to St. John Bosco in the Division 1 Final 4. They play the Mojave River League Champs, Oak Hills, in week 4. Another big game will be in week 9 against Sierra Canyon. Sierra Canyon won the Division 3 Southern Sectional and lost in the Division 1-A state finals. Each week will be a challenge and help prepare them to make another run when the playoffs start.
2019 Outlook
The Lancers are coming off an amazing season where they won the Division 2-AA State Championship. The schedule is brutal but if they take each game one at a time and don’t look ahead, they will be fine.
They have their quarterback and top receiver returning, some elite talent in the trenches on both sides of the ball, their 2nd leading tackler at linebacker is back, and a few transfers that can really fill the void left by Lontrelle Diggs. This core group will give them the firepower to make another serious run at winning back-to-back titles.
