Feeding time: Manteca defense will feature four ‘puppies’ and beast in Kitson

With a cool strut, Darrion Kitson made his way off the practice field during the final day of the Manteca High School team camp.

As he neared the sideline, where his teammates and coaches cheered the action, the outside linebacker began to mime eating from an imaginary bowl in his left hand.

“Let’s keep eating, boys,” he said, shoveling spoonfuls of swagger through his facemask. “They can’t stop us.”

Well, that’s the hope this fall. Manteca has been blessed with an embarrassment of riches on that side of the ball, beginning with the 6-foot-2, 235-pound Kitson, but most of that talent is young. The Buffaloes likely will start four sophomores on defense, one at every level of their 3-4 base.

Justin Kakala, a 6-foot-3 lineman with brute strength, and 6-2 Kyle Reis, the coach’s son, tower over most of their teammates. Ferrin Manuleleau is stout at linebacker, and safety Gino Campiotti reads the field like a quarterback because, well, he plays that position, too.

Campiotti, fresh off a stint at the Manning Passing Academy in Thibodaux, La., is the Buffaloes’ quarterback of the future, but with senior Dakarai Charles firmly in place as the starter, the sophomore will platoon at safety.

All four impressed at the three-day camp, which included team drills and scrimmages with Ripon, Central Valley and Lathrop.

“We call these the stock market days. You find that some guys’ stock goes up, some go down. I think we have a little bit better idea of what we got,” coach Eric Reis said. “We got a lot of young guys overall, so we were better on Day 3 than Day 1, and that’s all you can ask for.

“We have a bunch of young sophomores up. I thought all of them did well. Justin Kakala, Ferrin did well, Gino and Kyle Reis – those four puppies did a really good job with their first live action.”

The lynchpin is Kitson, a hulking linebacker who epitomizes the long, storied spirit of the Green Machine. He plays fast and physical.

On Wednesday evening, Kitson stalked Ripon quarterback Nick Price in an early showdown of Stanislaus District talent.

Kitson jammed the passing lane on the right side and even showed his lateral speed, chasing down Price clear across the field.

Kitson ranked fifth on the team in tackles (51) and second in sacks (five) as a junior. He also averaged 6.5 yards per carry in spot duty at tailback.

“He’s worked very hard in the offseason. He’s probably put on 15 to 20 pounds, which is huge. He’s up to 230, 235,” Reis said. “His passion for football is what separates him. He has an absolute love of football. ... He plays with his hair on fire, and we’re hoping that’s contagious, especially for our senior leadership. We need that for us to be able to compete in the (Valley Oak League). Our league is no joke, for sure.”

Manteca (9-3, 5-2 last season) tied Central Catholic for third place, one game behind Oakdale and Sierra. All four teams hosted first-round games in the Sac-Joaquin Section playoffs.

Central Catholic (Division IV) and Oakdale (Division III) claimed section titles, and the Raiders steamrolled to their third consecutive CIF State Division IV championship.

The Buffaloes’ season ended with a controversial call in the corner of the end zone against Sacramento in the second round. Junior Ronaldo Tijero appeared to catch the tying touchdown on Manteca’s final play, cradling it behind his body before crashing to the ground. Officials ruled the pass incomplete, giving the Dragons a 34-28 victory.

To get back to the playoffs, Manteca will have to navigate the ever-competitive VOL with a puppy patrol on defense.

Defensive coordinator Rick James is leaning on Kitson, defensive back Tijero, strong safety Marcus Rivas and defensive lineman Elijah Root-Sanchez to take the sophomores under their wing.

While the physical tools are there, James said his defensive unit still needs to develop mentally and cohesively to compete on Friday nights.

The Buffaloes open the season at home against Buhach Colony on Aug. 28.

“That’s going to be the key – meshing. Usually, when you have just the junior and senior class meshing, it’s one thing,” Reis said. “But now you’re asking the sophomore class to mesh with juniors and seniors.

“It gets to be, ‘How bad do you want it?’ Our guys kind of get that. We want to win. If there’s a freshman that’s going to help us or sophomore that’s going to help us win at the varsity level, that’s where it’s at. I think our guys kind of get that.”

This story was originally published July 16, 2015 at 2:26 PM with the headline "Feeding time: Manteca defense will feature four ‘puppies’ and beast in Kitson."