Game of the week: Carmel, Monterey clash to provide playoff feel

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Game of the week: Carmel, Monterey clash to provide playoff feel

CARMEL – The springboard to the longest current regular-season winning streak in the Pacific Coast Athletic League began in the midst of Carmel’s worst season on offense in 23 years.

Through eight games in 2022, the Padres had produced just 112 points and had even been held out of the end zone in one game in a 3-5 start.

While there was optimism that the offense was turning a corner, no one could have predicted what transpired against playoff-bound Monterey – Saturday’s opponent — when the Padres looked, well like vintage Carmel in a stunning 51-44 win.

“We had thought we were getting better and improving offensively,” remembered Camel coach Golden Anderson. “We felt we caught them on an off day.”

Perhaps.

Carmel, though, has not let off the pedal since that late October meeting in 2022, averaging 42.8 points a game during its current 15-game regular-season run of wins.

“The feeling at the time is we can do this, not just coaches telling us,” Anderson said. “We had been outmanned most of the season. But these are two completely different teams today.”

Except when you look back at what was arguably the best game of the 2022 season, 11 of the 13 touchdowns that were scored in that epic meeting were by players who will be in uniform on Saturday.

“Their goal is to outscore you,” said Monterey coach Alex Besaw, who finished with the second-highest scoring offense in the PCAL last fall in the regular season behind Carmel, while in the more competitive Gabilan Division.

The Padres, who won the Mission Division South, have produced 50 or more points six times in their run, with the lowest scoring output being 35 points.

“What got to us in that game is we committed physical penalties and aided them in moving the chains,” Besaw said. “We have to be better with our technique, but with the same aggressiveness.”

One of just two teams still undefeated in the PCAL, Carmel has gone on the road and beaten Christopher and North Coast Section champion Miramonte.

“Everyone we have faced was a little different,” Anderson said. “It’s been bits and pieces of what Monterey does. Christopher threw the ball from the pocket, which Preston does real well.”

Anderson was speaking about Toreadores’ quarterback Preston White, who has thrown for more than 4,500 yards and 56 touchdowns in 27 career games.

Monterey High’s Preston White has a strong pocket presence. (Raul Ebio – Herald Correspondent)

Ironically, White, who rushed for two touchdowns in the shootout against Carmel in 2022, didn’t throw a touchdown pass, which has happened on just one other occasion in his career.

“What makes them effective is they’ve been doing it longer,” Anderson said. “It’s a program that has established themselves. They have three levels of football. It will be a huge test. We’re excited for the challenge.”

While this is a league-mandated cross-over game, in which names were drawn out of a hat, it’s kind of a hidden rivalry between the two Monterey Peninsula schools — in all sports, as shown by Monterey and Carmel sharing a league title in basketball last season.

“I think it’s one of those games that fans on both sides look forward to,” Anderson said. “It’s a good test for us and that’s what you want if you want to become a better football team.”

As dynamic as Carmel’s passing attack is, Ashton Rees has become a wide-back of sorts, having rushed for eight touchdowns this year, which puts him on pace to break his mark of 15 from last fall.

Rees is still a part of a dynamic receiver corps that includes Simeon Brown, Ty Arnold, Stanford-bound baseball pitcher Matt Maxon and Brooklyn Ashe.

Carmel High's Simeon Brown makes a catch against Soquel. (Raul Ebio - Herald Correspondent)

Carmel High’s Simeon Brown scored three touchdowns against Monterey last season. (Raul Ebio – Herald Correspondent)

“Balance for them isn’t necessary run to pass,” Besaw said. “Carmel threw 20 screens in their last game. They will run the ball. But they like to spread things to the wides.”

Brown, who torched Monterey for three touchdowns in the last meeting, including a 99-yard pick-six, already has three touchdown catches this fall.

Carmel quarterback Hudson Rutherford has thrown for 798 yards in three games, completing 75 percent of his passes to his fab five.

“The experience shows up on film,” Besaw said. “Carmel shows a lot of different things and is really good at executing. Hudson has good timing and a good relationship with his receivers.”

Coming off a bye week, Besaw used the extra time to improve the weaknesses that popped up on film in a humbling 28-7 loss to Menlo-Atherton.

“We’re still trying to figure out our identity as a team,” Besaw said. “We got exposed. A lot of our problems come with discipline. We need to hold each other accountable.”

Besaw showed his team on a chart that the Toreadores have been penalized 19 times for 155 yards in just two games.

“I told them the scouting report on us is we’re an undisciplined team and we have a hard time playing from behind,” Besaw said. “How do we overcome that — know what it is to do the right things?”

As much as Besaw likes to show off his arsenal of receivers, which includes Kavon Collins and Kai Vaughn, Monterey showcases a 1,000-yard caliber back in senior Enobong Wirth.

Wirth piled up 168 yards in the team’s season-opening win over Alisal, but was bottled up most of the game against Menlo-Atherton, leaving Monterey one-dimensional.

“How can we create wrinkles to give a defense a different look?” Besaw said. “We want to do what we’re good at. We want to present problems. But we need to establish a running game.”

While the Padres have been vulnerable against the run, their defense has put together big plays in critical moments, such as three interceptions in the end zone last week, two from Maxon.

When Carmel has needed to stop the run, linebacker Hiroki Cole and defensive lineman Indy Gabrielson have been productive, while Alabama-bound offensive tackle Jackson Lloyd has been spotted on defense.

“I don’t know how you put seven guys in the box with our skilled guys,” Besaw said. “We have to take what the defense gives us. We didn’t do a very good job of that in our last game.”

What has made Rees so successful in the backfield is the 6-foot-2 senior has lined up in the “Wildcat” formation and runs behind the 6-foot-7, 285-pound Lloyd, who punished defenders.

“Ashton carries are predicated on situations,” Anderson said. “We rotate guys in based on their strengths. It’s an unselfish group. We’re trying to put them in good spots to be successful.”

Stopping the Padres run starts with all-league linebacker Soakai Funaki and Ahmond Willis, with defensive end Jayden Brown coming off the edge.

Monterey’s Soakai Funaki runs the ball past Seaside’s Jacoby Faulkner in 2021. (Monterey Herald file)

“We want Jayden and the hogs pursuing the football,” Besaw said. “Being on the edge, he can cause trouble with the run or pass. We need to get the quarterback off his timing.”

While the streak and undefeated start looks good on paper, Anderson dissects him team based on what the film suggests. Nine sophomores are seeing significant time.

“I’m surprised with the first-year players,” Anderson said. “Don’t get me wrong, there are a lot of growing pains. But they have been contributors. We don’t have a choice. We need them. You don’t give up on guys if they make a mistake. We have to have flexibility with our roster. Guys are cutting their teeth.”

For all the offensive numbers Carmel has put up in its fast start, it’s been the defense that has made stops with the game on the line to pull out wins at Christopher and Miramonte.

“It’s like a casino,” Anderson said. “It’s gone our way the first few weeks. We understand we can get exposed by good competition. Sometimes the other team makes a play. We’ve done a nice job in the red zone. We’re actively trying to make a play.”

This weekend’s games

THURSDAY

Seaside at Aptos, 7:30 p.m.

FRIDAY

Gonzales at King City, 7:30 p.m.

Stevenson at Pacific Grove, 7:30 p.m.

North Salinas at Salinas, 7:30 p.m.

Alisal at Hollister, 7:30 p.m.

Alvarez at Monte Vista, 7:30 p.m.

Rancho San Juan vs. Marina at MPC, 7:30 p.m.

Santa Cruz at Soledad, 7:30 p.m.

SATURDAY