2016 Week 1: First Poll Like Last; Coach Changes, Con’t

Helix and St. Augustine are 1-2 in the first Union-Tribune football poll and that’s how they finished in 2015.

The Highlanders  and most of the rest of the San Diego Section open the season this week,  marking one the earliest starts in County history, probably preceded only by the Hawaii preseason trips that were popular a couple decades ago.

Helix, 13-1 at season ago, will waste no time getting into the thick of the intersectional spirit, taking on visiting Provo Timpview,  a Utah power that was 11-2 in 2015, and 12-2 Concord Clayton Valley at Mission Viejo in Week 2.

St. Augustine, 10-3 last year, eases in with a home game at Mesa College against Ramona (4-7).

Other Top 10 teams also have early opportunity against out-of-area opponents.

No. 3 Cathedral takes on visiting Reno Damonte (4-7).  No. 4 Oceanside visits San Clemente (11-3).  No. 6 Madison is at Vista Murrieta (12-2), and No. 7 La Costa Canyon plays host to Whittier La Serna (11-3). Los Angeles Crenshaw (9-5) goes to No. 9 Mission Hills.

MORE COACH MOVEMENT

Ar least five other San Diego Section schools have new coaches, bringing the total to 24 that have changed field bosses since the end of the 2015 season.

Mike Swearingen is back for a third stint in the Imperial Valley, taking over at Calipatria. Swearingen was 55-50-1 at Imperial from 1994-01 and El Centro Southwest from 2004-05.

Others stepping in  are Chris Bonta, Escondido Charter; Anthony Johnson, Horizon; Kyle Duggin, Maranatha, and Mark Dederian, San Pasqual Academy.

Stay tuned for possibly others.

First-place votes in parenthesis.
Points awarded on basis of 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1.

Rank	Team	2015	Points	2015 Final
1.	Helix (23)	13-2	265	1
2.	St. Augustine (2)	10-3	203	2
3.	Cathedral (2)	7-5	197	8
4.	Oceanside	9-5	171	5
5.	Rancho Bernardo	13-2	164	4
6.	Madison	8-3	144	6
7.	La Costa Canyon	7-4	88	NR
8.	Master Dei	14-1	78	9
9.	Mission Hills	11-1	62	3
10.	Bonita Vista	12-3	43	7

Others receiving votes: Carlsbad (7-4, 10 points), Point Loma, 8-4, 10 points), El Camino (7-6), Grossmont (7-4), nine each; Eastlake (5-6, eight), Torrey Pines (4-8, seven), Poway (6-6, five), San Marcos (8-4, 3), Steele Canyon (8-5, two), El Capitan (2-9, one).

Twenty-seven sportswriters, sportscasters, and other representatives comprise the voting panel:

John Maffei, Union-Tribune.

Terry Monahan, Don Norcross, Tom Saxe, Rick Hoff, Jim Lindgren,  Union-Tribune contributors.

Michael Bower, Pomerado News.

Lisa Lane, Fox 5 News.

Montell Allen, MBA Sports-SDFNL Magazine.

Brandon Stone, Rick Willis, KUSI, Channel 51.

Adam Clark, Ted Mendenhall, Taylor Quellman, The Mighty 1090.

Steve (Biff) Dolan, Mountain Radio 107.9 FM.

Bob Petinak, 1360 Radio.

Bill Dickens, Adam Paul, Chris Davis, eastcountysports.com.

Bodie DeSilva, sandiegopreps.com.

Drew Smith, sdcoastalsports.com.

Raymond Brown, sdfootball.net.

Rick Smith, partletonsports.com.

Steve Brand, San Diego Hall of Champions.

Jerry Schniepp, John Labeta, CIF San Diego Section.

John Kentera, Prep Talent Evaluator.