Bay Area high school football 2023: Week 13 preview, schedule
CCS, NCS football playoffs: De La Salle-San Ramon Valley, Serra-Wilcox, California-Pittsburg, Los Gatos-St. Ignatius highlight the schedule.
Championships will be on the line in the Bay Area’s top two divisions on Friday.
In other news, teams will compete in semifinals to advance to next week’s section championship games.
The most important games on Friday are De La Salle vs. San Ramon Valley for the North Coast Section Open Division title at Dublin High and Serra vs. Wilcox for the Central Coast Section Open Division title at San Jose City College.
However, there should be plenty more drama in the Bay Area.
Must-see games include Los Gatos at St. Ignatius in the CCS and California at Pittsburg in the NCS, as well as Cardinal Newman at Las Lomas and Christopher at Menlo School, all of which are 44-4 on the season.
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Here are the top matchups and schedule for this weekend:
NCS Open/Division I
Open championship game
San Ramon Valley (10-1) vs. De La Salle (9-2) at Dublin High School, Friday, 7 p.m.: The first meeting between these schools this season was an all-time classic, with De La Salle winning 33-27 in overtime on a walk-off touchdown run by Derrick Blanche. Both teams haven’t lost since, but San Ramon Valley came close last week. The Wolves beat Campolindo 38-31 in overtime, but only after the seventh-seeded Cougars erased a 21-0 deficit in the first quarter to take a seven-point lead in the fourth. De La Salle has won the NCS championship 30 times in a row and 39 times overall. The Spartans have not lost to an NCS opponent in 32 years, improving their overall record to 269-0-1 with an opening-round victory over James Logan last week. After winning the NCS Division II championship last year, SRV was promoted to the top division this season. SRV quarterback Luke Baker passed for 204 yards and three touchdowns against DLS last month, but he was most effective scrambling out of the pocket. He ran for 179 yards despite being sacked five times. RB, as he did last week, Baker’s workload could be shared by Matthew Garibaldi. In the win over Campo, the junior had a big game rushing and receiving. Friday’s winner advances to a NorCal regional. The runner-up will face California or Pittsburg next week for the NCS D-I title and a second regional berth. Darren Sabedra’s
Semifinals of Division I
Friday, 7 p.m., No. 4 California (7-4) vs. No. 3 Pittsburg (11-0): The winner will face the runner-up from De La Salle-San Ramon Valley for the NCS Division I title next week. Pittsburgh rallied from a fourth-quarter deficit to defeat California 38-35 in the regular season. Last week, the Pirates defeated Amador Valley 41-14 in the first round of the playoffs, thanks to junior quarterback Marley Alcantara’s 44- and 85-yard touchdown passes to Makari Kenion in the second half. The Pirates’ defense has not allowed more than 20 points in any of their last six games, led by junior safety Jadyn Hudson and pass rusher Jewelous Walls. California demonstrated its ability to score against the Pirates in the first game. Quarterback Jayden Macedo and receivers Nick Fox and Chase McGill can put up points quickly. In the first round, California rallied from a 17-3 deficit in the second quarter against Clayton Valley Charter. The computer at CalPreps.com predicts Pittsburg to win 34-21. – Dycus, Joseph
CCS Open/Division I
Open championship game
Friday, 7 p.m., No. 7 Wilcox (8-3) vs. No. 1 Serra (11-0) at San Jose City College: Serra is the section’s most dominant team, and possibly the section’s most dominant team of all time. The Padres have won every game this season by at least 28 points, outscoring opponents 456-91. They opened the season with wins over Folsom and De La Salle before cruising through the West Catholic Athletic League with only one close call, a 24-13 victory over Valley Christian on Oct. 27. The Padres are aggressive and well-coached on defense, led by seniors like Jabari Mann, Joseph Bey, and Danny Niu, and explosive on offense, led by Oklahoma State-bound quarterback Maealiuaki Smith. Serra has won ten straight CCS playoff games, including a 27-14 win over Wilcox in 2019. Last week, Wilcox defeated second-seeded St. Francis 52-28 to advance to the Open final. Because of the CCS’s new playoff format, the Chargers now have at least two more games. The Open Division runner-up will now compete for the section’s D-I championship the following week. Wilcox’s veer option must be flawless in terms of yards and time consumption if it is to keep the score close against Serra. Elijah Walker scored four touchdowns on the ground and on a kickoff return last week. The computer at Calpreps.com predicts Serra to win 42-12. Darren Sabedra’s
Semifinals of Division I
Friday, 7 p.m., No. 4 Los Gatos (9-2) vs. No. 3 St. Ignatius (8-4): Los Gatos “broke the curse” by defeating West Catholic Athletic League opponent Archbishop Riordan 28-14 in the first round of the playoffs last week. That was a role reversal from the previous two years, when the storied South Bay public school was defeated in dramatic finishes by Bellarmine and Archbishop Mitty. Los Gatos pulled away from Riordan thanks to a 14-0 second half led by senior quarterback A.J Minyard, running back Boxer Kopcsak-Yeung, and linebacker Henry Masters. Los Gatos will try to repeat when it travels to San Francisco to face St. Ignatius, another WCAL school. SI defeated Valley Christian in the first round to advance. With 7.8 seconds remaining, Soren Hummel threw a five-yard touchdown pass back over the middle to Monroe Barnum. St. Ignatius, like Los Gatos, has an effective running game led by offensive lineman John Mills and running back Jarious Hogan. The winner will face the runner-up from Serra-Wilcox for the CCS Division I championship next week. The computer at CalPreps.com predicts Los Gatos will win 27-17 in the teams’ first meeting since 2006. – Dycus, Joseph
CCS Division II
Semifinals
Saturday, 1 p.m., No. 8 Christopher (10-1) vs. No. 5 Menlo School (10-1): Three of the top four seeds in this division have been eliminated. The two teams with the worst records in the eight-team bracket were among them. Menlo sacked unbeaten No. 4 seed Live Oak, and Christopher defeated top seed Archbishop Mitty 32-28, coming back from a 28-19 deficit with two touchdowns in the final five minutes. Menlo’s 30-28 victory over Live Oak was equally dramatic. With three seconds remaining, Andres Gonzalez Combera hit a 21-yard field goal. According to the calpreps.com computer, Christopher is the slight favorite in Saturday’s game against the Knights. With explosive receiver Amari Bluford, who started Christopher’s comeback against Mitty with a 95-yard kickoff return, the Cougars do have an advantage in marquee talent. RB William Rizqallah then scored the game-winning touchdown on a 7-yard run with 42 seconds remaining. Bluford and Rizqallah have drawn college interest, as has MLB Evan Vernon, who has 117 tackles. Junior quarterback Jaxen Robinson is flying under the radar, but he measures 6-5, 220 pounds and has thrown for 1,871 yards and 20 touchdowns. Menlo is led by dual-purpose quarterback Mikey McGrath, who has 1,563 yards passing and 641 yards rushing. He has 27 touchdowns to his credit. Sophomore Jack Freehill also sees time on the field. He’s thrown for 790 yards so far. Both teams prefer the pass over the run. Brady Jung, Harry Housser, and Nicholas Scacco are three solid receivers for Menlo. With 48 catches for 861 yards, Jung is the favorite target. College scouting services are looking into him. The Christopher offensive line will need to keep David Mhatre, who has seven sacks, in check. – Michael Lefkow
NCS Division III
Semifinals
Friday, 7 p.m., No. 3 Cardinal Newman (10-1) vs. No. 2 Las Lomas (10-1): If Las Lomas coach Doug Longero had been asked in September if his team would be playing on Friday night, he would have most likely said no. The Knights are a young team, with fewer than ten seniors on the roster. However, the schedule allowed the Knights to grow. Their first two games took place at home. They had to play a non-league game against eventual Diablo Athletic League Valley champion Alhambra, but the DAL Foothill Knights led 28-7 in the second quarter. The most difficult stretch of the season didn’t begin until last month’s back-to-back games against Campolindo and Acalanes. Acalanes was the only defeat suffered by the Knights. Going 4-0 in games decided by a touchdown or less was also important for Las Lomas. Dylan Thomas, Las Lomas’ sophomore quarterback, has contributed 1,802 passing yards and 20 touchdowns. Roman Mercado, a junior wide receiver, has 55 receptions for 975 yards and 11 touchdowns. He has four interceptions as well. Sava Pourides is a senior who is making a significant contribution. He has 712 yards and nine touchdowns on the ground and leads the defense with 79 tackles. In the first round of the playoffs, the Knights defeated Ukiah 17-7, while Cardinal Newman defeated American Canyon 49-14. Wyatt Knechtle, a 5-8 junior, appears to be getting more and more playing time at quarterback lately. The offense is led by 6-4, 200-pound running back Zachary Homan, who has 1,959 yards and 32 touchdowns. In nine games, he has gained more than 100 yards, including 273 against American Canyon. Cardinal Newman’s offensive line is physical, with DE Jesse Myers and NG Kahlio Vaetoe combining for 15 sacks. – Michael Lefkow
CCS Division IV
Semifinals
Friday, 7 p.m., No. 5 Leigh (8-3) vs. No. 1 Palo Alto (6-5): Palo Alto is looking for its second straight appearance in a CCS championship game after defeating Seaside 55-21 in the first round last week. Last season, the Vikings won Division V. Leigh advanced to the semifinals with a 21-20 win over North Salinas on the road. Since 2000, the Longhorns have not reached a CCS final. Palo Alto has improved offensively since a three-game scoring drought against Los Gatos, Menlo-Atherton, and Menlo School in the middle of the season. In the last three weeks, they’ve won by an average of 43.7 points. Against Seaside, Jeremiah Madrigal rushed for four touchdowns and Jason Auzenne added two. With a win over Westmont in its final regular-season game, Leigh qualified for the playoffs. Charlie Lyon passed for two touchdowns and Shayan Shariat ran for one in the Longhorns’ win over North Salinas last week. In the MaxPreps era (2004-present), Leigh and Palo Alto have only met once. Palo Alto won by a score of 48-0. The computer at Calpreps.com predicts that it will be much closer this time. Palo Alto is predicted to win 21-14. Darren Sabedra’s
Friday, 7 p.m., No. 3 Branham (9-2) vs. No. 2 Mountain View (5-6): With two potent offenses, the first team to 40 points could win this game. Last year, Branham defeated Mountain View 66-45 in a CCS Division IV semifinal. Branham defeated Greenfield 41-14 last week, led by another strong performance from quarterback Jack Lewis. This season, he has thrown 31 touchdowns and run for another ten. Elias Antillon, the running back, rushed for a 53-yard touchdown against Greenfield and is also a capable receiver. To beat Mountain View, Branham may need defensive lineman Francis Mone to dominate the line of scrimmage for the second week in a row. Arturo Hernandez, Mountain View’s powerful senior running back, rushed for 174 yards and a touchdown against Burlingame last week. Lex Silver, the receiver, is also a threat. Last week, he caught three passes for 120 yards and two touchdowns. The winner will face either Palo Alto or Leigh for the championship the following week. Mountain View is expected to win Friday, 38-35, according to CalPreps. – Dycus, Joseph
NCS Division V
Semifinals
Friday, 7 p.m., No. 4 Alhambra (8-3) vs. No. 1 Miramonte (7-3): Alhambra won the DAL Valley with a 4-0 record, outscoring its opponents by 42 points per game. Miramonte finished fourth in the DAL Foothill, losing three games by an average of 34 points. So, how will Friday’s semifinal matchup play out? Miramonte is favored by 13 points, according to the calpreps.com computer. This game may come down to how the favored Matadors handle Alhambra quarterback Beau Blau. The 6-0, 165-pound senior has 1,760 yards passing, 1,237 yards rushing, and 42 touchdowns. Contain him, and Miramonte can start thinking about next week. But if Blau is let loose, anything can happen. Blau, according to Bulldogs coach Alan Hern, is gaining interest from junior colleges and lower division four-year schools. Blau does receive assistance. Luke Beatty has 36 receptions for 771 yards and 13 touchdowns. Miramonte has a dual-threat quarterback in sophomore Carson Blair. He has 1,247 passing yards and 364 rushing yards. His three top receivers will be difficult to contain for Alhambra. Finn McManus, Jack Quinnild, and Andrew Bjornson are all at least 6-2 and have each caught at least 22 passes for more than 300 yards. Only McManus receives a diploma. Miramonte has won seven straight games and 11 of the last 12 against the Bulldogs since 2010. None of those games were decided by a margin of less than two touchdowns. – Michael Lefkow
Schedule
Central Coast Section
Open/Division I
Open championship game
No. 7 Wilcox (8-3) vs. No. 1 Serra (11-0) at San Jose City College, Friday, 7 p.m.
Division I semifinal
No. 4 Los Gatos (9-2) at No. 3 St. Ignatius (7-4), Friday, 7 p.m.
Note: The first-round winners in the top half of the bracket will compete for the Open Division championship in Week 2 of the playoffs. In Week 3 of the playoffs, the loser of the Open Division championship will face the winner of the bottom half of the bracket for the Division I championship.
Division II
Semifinals
No. 6 Monterey (8-3) at No. 2 Soquel (9-2), Friday, 7 p.m.
No. 8 Christopher (10-1) at No. 5 Menlo (10-1), Saturday, 1 p.m.
Division III
Semifinals
No. 7 Alisal (10-1) at No. 6 Scotts Valley (10-1), Saturday, time TBA
No. 4 Palma (4-7) at No. 1 Menlo-Atherton (5-6), Friday, 7 p.m.
Division IV
Semifinals
No. 3 Branham (9-2) at No. 2 Mountain View (5-6), Friday, 7 p.m.
No. 5 Leigh (8-3) at No. 1 Palo Alto (6-5), Friday, 7 p.m.
Division V
Semifinals
No. 7 Leland (4-7) at No. 3 South San Francisco (10-1), Friday, 7 p.m.
No. 4 Santa Teresa (5-6) at No. 1 Woodside (7-4), Friday, 7 p.m.
North Coast Section
Open/Division I
Open championship game
No. 2 San Ramon Valley (10-1) vs. No. 1 De La Salle (9-2) at Dublin HS, Friday, 7 p.m.
Division I semifinal
No. 5 California (7-4) at No. 3 Pittsburg (11-0), Friday, 7 p.m.
Note: In Week 2 of the playoffs, the first-round winners in the top half of the bracket will compete for the Open Division championship. In Week 3 of the playoffs, the Open Division champion will face the winner of the bottom half of the bracket for the Division I championship.
Division II
Semifinals
No. 5 Heritage (5-6) at No. 1 El Cerrito (9-1), Friday, 7 p.m.
No. 6 Rancho Cotate (7-4) at No. 2 Windsor (8-1-1), Friday, 7 p.m.
Division III
Semifinals
No. 5 Tamalpais (8-3) at Marin Catholic (10-1), Saturday, 1 p.m.
No. 3 Cardinal Newman (10-1) at No. 2 Las Lomas (10-1), Friday, 7 p.m.
Division IV
Semifinals
No. 4 Maria Carrillo (6-5) at No. 1 San Marin (11-0), Friday, 7 p.m.
No. 3 Vallejo (8-3) at No. 2 Acalanes (7-4), Friday, 7 p.m.
Division V
Semifinals
No. 4 Alhambra (8-3) at No. 1 Miramonte (7-3), Friday, 7 p.m.
No. 3 Analy (7-4) at No. 2 St. Bernard’s (8-3), Saturday, 1 p.m.
Division VI
Semifinals
No. 4 Fortuna (8-3) at No. 1 St. Vincent de Paul (9-2), Saturday, 1 p.m.
No. 3 Salesian (9-2) at No. 2 Moreau Catholic (6-5), Friday, 7 p.m.
Division VII
Semifinals
No. 5 Ferndale (7-4) at No. 1 Clear Lake (9-1), Friday, 7 p.m.
No. 3 Kelseyville (8-3) at No. 2 Willits (8-3), Friday, 7 p.m.
Oakland Section
Semifinal
Oakland Tech (5-5) at Castlemont (6-4), Friday, 7 p.m.
