They Grow 'Em Big at Serra High

What's in the water at Serra High School? The Padres' freshman football team appears to be one of the largest, in terms of physical size, in school history. Although there is no way to pinpoint where this team stands in that regard going all the way back to the San Mateo Catholic institution's founding early in the 1940s, the 2011 freshman aggregation remains an eye-popping outfit. Of the 68 boys on the roster, which is available online, 17 of them weigh at least 190 pounds. Six-footers abound. A pair of tackles are listed at 6-3 and 6-7 in height and 270 and 250 pounds respectively. These are 14-year-olds. They are just beginning their prep football careers. If you didn't know how young they are, you might conclude this is a varsity unit. It isn't. These kids, barely out of the eighth grade, are mere neophytes. They have played one contest so far; they won it easily. There has been no mention of the cost of the post-game snack. But it must have been substantial.