Justin-Siena 2010 Football Schedule

Returning starters: Zero on offense. Zero on defense

Last year: The Braves started 0-4, capping that slide with a 41-0 loss at Marin Catholic, and seemingly were going
nowhere. By the end of the season, however, Justin had not only rallied to make the playoffs, but advanced all the way to
the NCS Division IV final before falling to Fort Bragg 23-18. The Braves were outscored 151-83 in those first four games,
but turned things around behind QB Eddie Aguayo to outscore the opposition 291-186 the rest of the way.

The season ahead: The Braves were hit extremely hard by graduation, with 16 of the 25 varsity players finishing their
high school careers last fall. That makes the 2010 squad the most inexperienced that Cotruvo has coached in his 34
years on the high school sidelines. Cotruvo said he believes he has a talented QB is sophomore Marcus
Armstrong-Brown and that senior Roddrick Sweeney will be solid at running back when he returns from injury in a few
weeks. But Cotruvo, after seeing his team scrimmage against St. Patrick-St. Vincent, said he has concerns about both his
offensive and defensive lines. "It's pretty simple, football is won and lost with the offensive and defensive lines," Cotruvo
said. "After what I saw (in the scrimmage), we may have to re-evaluate some things there." Senior Beau Wheeler, a
part-time starter last season, is set on the offensive line, Cotruvo said, but beyond him the team has question marks. It
doesn't help matters for Justin-Siena that its non-league schedule again is tough with Benicia, Sacred Heart Cathedral
and Menlo offering challenges before the MCAL season. "We're the smallest team in our league, we always have been,"
Cotruvo said. "So we schedule our preseason games against opponents that are similar to our league opponents. But we
are concerned about how this team develops. Hopefully, they work hard and pick it up."

The last word: "We do have tradition behind us," Cotruvo said. "We've always been competitive, always finished in the top
three or four in the league and that's our goal this season."

- Marin Independent Journal