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CEN10 has been stacking up transfer studs EVERY year. They will be a serious force this coming fall. DLS always has a chance, but I am not convinced they can overcome the talent CEN10 will have.

FIFY

FIFY

Lol. Touche

In this era of "NIL" and super-team building, you have to fully play that recruiting game and you have to be in an area where you can pull large numbers of talented players. Either you're in a densely talented area, you can pull from a large geographical region, or both. I don't see DLS going "all in" on the super team stuff, and there isn't enough talent in the East Bay- particularly if you exclude talented athletes that are a bad match for the values of your program- to consistently produce nationally elite teams.

The Sacramento area would be a more likely area where a super team could be possible. But, there doesn't appear to be a program with the money or history to emerge as a power. The schools out towards Placer County are seen as being in a white, "MAGA" area and so they have a harder time pulling from inner-city Sacramento.

The South Bay region has some wealthier private schools with potential, but, unlike Trinity League schools down south, they have almost no access to heavily black (meaning more likely to be football oriented) areas.

So, it's going to be somewhat rare for a Northern or Central California school to be a national power in this era.

Agree with what you are saying.... The Ironic thing is DLS IS the School that has the $$ to do this but they never will because they believe that their mission is to Mentor Young Men and help them grow up and become people that can be counted on in their Communities..... Not to make them Rich with NIL and succumb to parents demands....

Right or wrong this is how they will operate, they will always be good but they won't be MD or SJB.... In Sacramento you do not have teams that have the resources to pay players.... Folsom and Grant get players because of their JR programs and history of getting kids to the next level....

The biggest difference now about DLS is that in the past people believed that their kid had a better chance of getting successfully recruited to College at DLS so they would go there no matter what the distances.... But that's just not the case anymore....

And now PITT is in the rise with a really good Coach who recruits the Youth FB well and kids in that area are staying "Home" instead of going to DLS....

PITT will beat DLS this year in the Playoffs....

Agree with what you are saying.... The Ironic thing is DLS IS the School that has the $$ to do this but they never will because they believe that their mission is to Mentor Young Men and help them grow up and become people that can be counted on in their Communities..... Not to make them Rich with NIL and succumb to parents demands....

Right or wrong this is how they will operate, they will always be good but they won't be MD or SJB.... In Sacramento you do not have teams that have the resources to pay players.... Folsom and Grant get players because of their JR programs and history of getting kids to the next level....

The biggest difference now about DLS is that in the past people believed that their kid had a better chance of getting successfully recruited to College at DLS so they would go there no matter what the distances.... But that's just not the case anymore....

And now PITT is in the rise with a really good Coach who recruits the Youth FB well and kids in that area are staying "Home" instead of going to DLS....

PITT will beat DLS this year in the Playoffs....

I admire DLS' approach. I don't think it would be best for them to change in this regard. But, there are implications on the football field for this (they can likely get every other sport to an elite level without changing.)

I was thinking Granite Bay/Rocklin area. There's money there, but perhaps not much appeal to inner-city kids.

The major change, at least in Florida and some other places, is in the rise of online, likely easy af, "schools". I believe that if you wanted to find the most talented football schools in history, based on those enrolled at the "School", it wouldn't be close: It would be Rise Prepatory Academy. Miami Central, Carol City, Northwestern on and on and on, and most of their best players actually "attend" Rise. My point being kids have mostly given up on the idea of education being important and instead want to do the bare minimum and just play football. DLS may offer a wonderful education program, but if many of the best East Bay players want to attend some online joke school, the promise of a quality, demanding educational program at a DLS is almost a turn-off to them.

I'd bet it's true that either Pittsburg itself is an easy school, and/or there is some online "school" in the area many of their kids "attend" for the easiest possible path. DLS certainly isn't going to host any players who actually attend something akin to Rise Prep.

I did just confirm California is not like Florida in regard to the "attend an online school but play for whatever public school you please so long as they're not at capacity". Still, inner-city public schools are often VERY easy compared to top private schools. If Pitt offers a shitty educational program, that will be immensely appealing to those who gave up on school by age 9.

https://www.si.com/high-school/connecticut/a-broken-ankle-changed-everything-for-this-california-qb-now-he-s-starting-over-3-000-miles-away-01kwya61gayx

https://www.si.com/high-school/california/from-los-angeles-to-the-opening-how-two-california-stars-prepared-for-their-biggest-stage-yet-01kwyq41c6bx

It really depends what you want to do around the Game.... Do you want to check out LA, Beach, Etc, you can stay in either LA or Long Beach which are probably like 12-20 miles from La Mirada.... If being Close to the Game is most important then Cerritos, Buena Park and Whittier are good options.... Go for a nice hotel, otherwise you may find yourself in a not so great area there is alot of Variability in that area of So Cal....

Following up, as I just wrapped up my proper vacation and am properly planning the next road trip.

I'm looking at Airbnbs in Orange County and surrounding areas and am seeing a good number of listings in Costa Mesa, Santa Ana, and Fullerton. In general is one area "better" than the other? Not terribly concerned with commute to the game (we visit San Diego annually and if it were just wife and I we'd commute in from somewhere in north county and stick with what we're used to) and aside from game might do a beach trip if feasible. Obviously there's no guarantees one way or the other but I want reduced odds of being adjacent to a crack house, meth den, or low-rent whorehouse (we'll listen to a high-rent one).

Following up, as I just wrapped up my proper vacation and am properly planning the next road trip.

I'm looking at Airbnbs in Orange County and surrounding areas and am seeing a good number of listings in Costa Mesa, Santa Ana, and Fullerton. In general is one area "better" than the other? Not terribly concerned with commute to the game (we visit San Diego annually and if it were just wife and I we'd commute in from somewhere in north county and stick with what we're used to) and aside from game might do a beach trip if feasible. Obviously there's no guarantees one way or the other but I want reduced odds of being adjacent to a crack house, meth den, or low-rent whorehouse (we'll listen to a high-rent one).

Fullerton is the Best of Those 3 Options.... You have really nice old established neighborhoods and Fullerton his a nice old downtown area and it is the closest....

If you are considering Costa Mesa then you might as well go Newport Beach, Balboa or Huntington Beach, HB though you make have a small chance of the "Crack House Issue".... If Commute is no problem then Dana Point is the place you want to be.... Beautiful high end Beach town....

Santa Ana= Crackhouse..... 🤣

Fullerton is the Best of Those 3 Options.... You have really nice old established neighborhoods and Fullerton his a nice old downtown area and it is the closest....

If you are considering Costa Mesa then you might as well go Newport Beach, Balboa or Huntington Beach, HB though you make have a small chance of the "Crack House Issue".... If Commute is no problem then Dana Point is the place you want to be.... Beautiful high end Beach town....

Santa Ana= Crackhouse..... 🤣

I was in San Clemente on Thursday and dug the vibe. Obviously a drive to La Mirada but as I said not a huge priority to me. Is that an okay locale?

I was in San Clemente on Thursday and dug the vibe. Obviously a drive to La Mirada but as I said not a huge priority to me. Is that an okay locale?

Absolutely!.... It's the next town over from Dana Point so just a couple minutes more south....

Following up, as I just wrapped up my proper vacation and am properly planning the next road trip.

I'm looking at Airbnbs in Orange County and surrounding areas and am seeing a good number of listings in Costa Mesa, Santa Ana, and Fullerton. In general is one area "better" than the other? Not terribly concerned with commute to the game (we visit San Diego annually and if it were just wife and I we'd commute in from somewhere in north county and stick with what we're used to) and aside from game might do a beach trip if feasible. Obviously there's no guarantees one way or the other but I want reduced odds of being adjacent to a crack house, meth den, or low-rent whorehouse (we'll listen to a high-rent one).

I live in Huntington Beach.  Feel free to shoot me some addresses in DM and I can relay what I know about those neighborhoods.  Some spots in Costa Mesa are nice.  Not so much in others.  HB is generally going to be ok.  Same with Fullerton.  As stated, partially depends on what you want to do outside of seeing the game.

https://www.si.com/high-school/high-school-on-si-preseason-power-25-national-high-school-football-rankings-for-2026-01kxphc0yf5t

Fullerton is the Best of Those 3 Options.... You have really nice old established neighborhoods and Fullerton his a nice old downtown area and it is the closest....

If you are considering Costa Mesa then you might as well go Newport Beach, Balboa or Huntington Beach, HB though you make have a small chance of the "Crack House Issue".... If Commute is no problem then Dana Point is the place you want to be.... Beautiful high end Beach town....

Santa Ana= Crackhouse..... 🤣

Final verdict - gave my buddy a location in San Clemente and another in Newport and he went with the latter. All booked for September.

Final verdict - gave my buddy a location in San Clemente and another in Newport and he went with the latter. All booked for September.

Nice!!.... You guys will have a great time!!.... 🍻