Pitman Pride

Coach: Brandon Harris

Career record: 52-19

Record at school: 44-17

Last year: Pitman (10-2, 4-1) set a school record for victories in a season and routed West in the playoffs before losing 45-0 to Pleasant Grove. The regular-season loss was 27-24 to Buhach – a game that came down to the final play – and Pitman held eight foes to 14 points or loss with a potent running game that featured three breakaway backs.

Last league title: 2005

Last playoff berth: 2011

Coaching staff: Tom Tyler, Chris Wolfley, Brett Tyler, Jon Derr, Don Curtiss, Dustin Curtiss, Anthony Armas, David May, Anthony Harding, Jason Avelar, Thad Moren, Eric Reza, Brant Rose, Braden Sweeney, Robert Moore, Rusty Lyon, Jerry Passarelli.

Top returners: RB/DB Brent Nelle (5-9, 175), RB Kody Brackett (5-11, 180), RB/DB Andy Mendez (5-8, 180), OL Diego Camorlinga (5-11, 245), OL Emmanuel Rodriguez (5-11, 255), WR/DB Brennan Hauser (5-10, 175), OL Davin Racz, OL Alec Bravo, LB Thomas Baza, LB/RB Bhupinder Gil;l, K Austin Alvaji, LB Eric Ruezga, TE John Vickey, OL Joe Geraldes, QB Eric Reza, DB Titus Judish, WR/DB Ted Baza.

Top newcomers: OL/DL Eric Bejeran, RB/DB Logan Wolfley, RB Jimmy Zheng, RB Mario Lewis, DL/TE Konstantinos Roditis, OL/DL Aaron Lusher, QB Wyatt Clapper, RB/DB Drew Lewis, LB Andy Jennings, TE/LB Justin Van Fleet, OL/DL Justin Bradley.

Outlook: Nelle (1,001 yards, 10-yard avg., 9 TDs) was the CCC Offensive MVP and led the Pride to the second round of the playoffs last fall, and he’s just part of the three-headed running attack along with Brackett (1,207, 9.9 avg., 17 TDs) and Mendez (754, 7.5 avg., 8 TDs). … The junior class provides plenty of talent – CCC champs and a 10-0 record in 2011 -- to mesh with what should be a strong senior group. The first job is to replace QB AJ Derr, who also was one of the district’s elite kickers. While the Pride doesn’t throw much, the success of its system rised on a deft QB who can use a series of fake handoffs to fool the defense into pursuing the wrong RB. …The beefy duo of Camorlinga and Rodriguez anchor the OL, which could be of the best in the conference.

Key game: Week 10 (Nov. 2) at Turlock. Pitman was burned last year by a soft schedule – the Pride were dropped in the section seedings, leading to a second-round game with mighty Pleasant Grove – and it runs that risk this year since its five non-conference foes were a combined 14-37 in 2011. The Pride needs to win this game, and win it big, to impressive the section seeding committee.