My column that comparing the ‘07 Poway High football team to this years team was read by somebody (Yay!), I know this because a kind reader left a comment. Paraphrasing what he said in response was that I was disrespecting the ‘07 team because they were the first team to win the Division 1 championship in school history and that I left out a few key details in my argument (you can read his entire comment if you click the link above and scroll down the page).

To first give a more complete answer to his question: To my defense I did mention Relyea and Ricciardulli.

Though he is right I didn’t mention, Nick Milani (74 tackles, 5.5 sacks and five interceptions) and David Deehan (30 tackles, two sacks and one interception), but that was because I looked at the defenses as a whole. While Milani and Deehan were the two big producers on defense the ‘11 team has similar guys that caused problems for opposing offense that I didn’t mention in the article. Like Brian Guendling (31 tackles, a school record 14 sacks and one interception) and Derek Babish (28 tackles and seven interceptions, with two returned for a touchdown). 

He is also right that I didn’t mention the size advantage of the defensive and offensive lines, that was one aspect of the ‘07 team that my memory of the ‘07 team left out. So it was completely unintentional.

Now, to the discussion of if a hypothetical game was played between the ‘07 team and the ‘11 team.

Special Teams:

This was one area of the two teams I didn’t mention in my column. For the ‘07 team Brett Thomas was the electric returner that always seemed to return a kick for a score right when the team needed it. He has eight kickoff returns for 240 yards and one touchdown, and one punt return for 57 yards and a score. Milian (26 punt returns for 294 yards and one touchdown) and Ricciardulli (10 kickoff returns for 327 yards) were the other returners for the ‘07 team.

The ‘11 team has Ryan Sharpe who has returned 18 punts for 336 yards and two touchdowns and Babish has nine kickoff returnes for 336 yards and one touchdown.

In the return area I would take Sharpe from the ‘11 team to return punts and Thomas from the ‘07 team to return kicks.

Both main placekickers had little use, but Jason Diaz (‘11) converted all of his PAT’s and was seven for eight on field goal tries with a long of 38 yards.

Collin Wooster (‘07) team on the other hand missed three PAT’s and was only three for eight on field goal attempts.

Though Wooster had more kickoffs into the endzone (24 to 18). I would also take the ‘07 punter Jordan Tibbets.

In the cases that I favored a player from the ‘07 team, it was really a toss up between the two, so the difference wasn’t that great.

If this game was played field position wouldn’t really matter that much and I doubt there would be that much field goal kicking. 

Advantage: ‘11 team.

Offense:

(See discussion in column.) The addition to the argument is the size of the offensive line, the ‘07 team did have a bigger line, which would give them a slight advantage against the ‘11 team’s defense.

As a whole the ‘11 team has a more electric offense, but I would take Murray (‘07) at quarterback.

Advantage: ‘07 team, by the slightest of margins.

Defense:

(See discussion in column.) But again adding the ‘07 teams superior size on the defensive line, it brings the argument a little closer, but nobody can seem to stop Brian Guendling (‘11) 14 sacks.

The ‘11 team has had a statically better year than the ‘07 team and despite the size advantage the ‘11 team still makes the plays and keeps pressure on the quarterback. 

Advantage: ‘11 team

Looking at everything, I was really hard to predict who would win, they are two of the greatest teams to play at Poway High and both have had great seasons, but I think the ‘07 team would eek out the win in a very close game. It would either be a high scoring close game with the offenses shredding the great defenses, or it would be a low scoring game with the defenses dominating.