Monday Morning Lights: Pittsburg has something to prove against SRV

Pittsburg, feeling slighted about its seeding, meets San Ramon Valley for NCS Division I title. Plus, Los Gatos, Wilcox face off again, Christopher’s magical run, Serra, DLS’s waiting game and much more.

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PITTSBURG: PLAYERS WANTED SAN RAMON VALLEY

Pittsburg is the defending Division I North Coast Section champion. However, because of the section’s playoff seeding, its players believe they have something to prove when they face San Ramon Valley for the D-I title at Dublin High on Friday night.

The Pirates went undefeated during the regular season but were seeded third in the Open/Division I bracket, behind No. 1 De La Salle and No. 2 SRV.

“It’s a personal matter.” Pittsburg quarterback Marley Alcantara said, “That should’ve been our No. 2 seed.” “In the regular season, we went 10-0.

This season, they were promoted to Division I. We must demonstrate what we already know. We’re 12-0 and on our way to 13-0.”

SRV lost 17-7 to De La Salle in the Open Division final on Friday, sending the Wolves to the Division I title game, which is a playoff format.

Pittsburg has taken advantage of the past two seasons as the No. 2 seed in the Open/Division I bracket.

Pittsburg lost to DLS in the Open finals in 2021 and 2022 before defeating Clayton Valley Charter in both years.

In a 35-14 victory over California on Friday, Pittsburg played a physical brand of football, rushing for more than 350 yards and attempting only 12 passes.

“All of the championship games are won up front,” said Pittsburg coach Charlie Ramirez. “In every big game we haven’t been able to come through, we were losing the battle on the line of scrimmage.”

Pittsburg has a strong offensive line and two productive running backs in Elijah Bow and Jamar Searcy, whom Ramirez compares to USC’s legendary Reggie Bush and LenDale White.

SRV’s only two losses came to DLS, one in overtime and the other in a close game from start to finish.

“They’re a hell of a good team,” Bow said of SRV, “but we’re even more of a hell of a team.”

SAN RAMON VALLEY: THE JONES FACTOR

San Ramon Valley’s most dominant player, middle linebacker Marco Jones, was the last to leave the Dublin High field after the Open title game on Friday night.

Jones always meets his family on the track after each game.

On his way back to the locker room, the 6-foot-4, 225-pound junior was interviewed by the Bay Area News Group. De La Salle’s 32-year unbeaten streak against NCS opponents was ended by the Wolves, who lost 33-27.

Last month, there was overtime, and on Friday, the score was 17-7.

Jones, on the other hand, was even better in the rematch than he had been in the first game against DLS. He finished with 22 tackles (11 solo) and an incredible interception, covering half the field to bring the ball in.

“We knew what we did the first time and we knew we had to change a little bit up because they’re going to game plan against us,” he said

Jones, who had 19 tackles (eight solo) and a forced fumble last month against DLS. “They’re a really well-coached and good team.” But why not put everything out there? It’s not going to hurt.”

The championship game loss was obviously heartbreaking, given that SRV led 7-3 entering the fourth quarter, but Jones believes his team will be ready to rebound for the Pittsburg game.

“I think we’ll be mentally ready,” Jones said. “We’ll be fired up after this loss.” There is no guaranteed game after this one. We Everything should be fine. “Play our brand of football.”

LOS GATOS, WILCOX: FAMILIAR FOES MEET AGAIN

On Friday night, Wilcox and Los Gatos will add another chapter to their heated rivalry. But this time, it’s not the league title at stake.

No, the two best public high school programs in the South Bay will compete for the Central Coast Section Division I championship in San Jose City.

College.

“It’s a storied rivalry, and it’s going to be a lot of fun,” Los Gatos coach Mark Krail said. “They’ve beaten us a few times in the last 10 to 12 years.”

We’ve had our successes over the years.

“In terms of knowing each other, I think they know us better than we know us, and you know what, the opposite is probably true as well.”

Wilcox defeated St. Francis 52-28 in the first round of the Open/Division I playoffs, setting up a blowout loss to Serra in the Open Division title game on Friday. The Open runner-up, as in the NCS, competes for the section’s D-I title.

Los Gatos advanced to the Division I championship game after defeating Archbishop Riordan in the first round and St. Ignatius 21-17 on Friday.

Los Gatos defeated Wilcox 24-21 on the road last month, with a go-ahead touchdown in the final 30 seconds. Krail anticipates a similar match on Friday.

“The respect we have for them, and the rivalry we have for them is so healthy,” Krail went on to say. “It’s what high school is all about.”

SERRA, DE LA SALLE: THE WAITING GAME

After winning Open Division section championships on Friday, the Bay Area’s top two teams, Serra and De La Salle, will have the weekend off.

Serra will most likely have two weekends off.

After defeating DLS and Folsom this season, the San Mateo powerhouse is all but certain to face Mater Dei or St. John Bosco for the Open Division state championship on Dec. 9 in Southern California.

It would be Serra’s third appearance in the state’s championship game.

The Padres lost 44-7 to Mater Dei in 2021 and 45-0 to Bosco last season, prompting Serra coach Patrick Walsh to tell reporters on

After that, it felt as if his undefeated team had no chance.

Serra is sixth in the latest computer rankings from calpreps.com, two spots ahead of Clovis North, the only other possibility to represent the North in the Open game.

On Friday night, Clovis North (12-0) will face Central-Fresno for the Central Section Division I championship.

If Clovis North wins, the Fresno-area school will likely face DLS in one regional and Folsom, assuming it defeats Oak.

Ridge will play the winner of the San Ramon Valley-Pittsburg regional on Friday for the Sac-Joaquin Section Division I championship.

On September 22, DLS defeated Folsom 14-7 in their fifth meeting since 2021. They’ve met twice in the last two regionals, with each team winning once.

A less likely, but more intriguing, scenario would be De La Salle facing Pittsburg in a NorCal title game. Pittsburg, of course, would

SRV must be defeated.

If that happens, the Pirates will have a chance to become the first NCS team to defeat DLS since Pittsburg’s 1991 squad.

Maybe it’s not so far-fetched after all.

Last season, SRV and Marin Catholic from the NCS, as well as Palo Alto and Santa Teresa from the CCS, competed in a regional.

The CIF will release the schedule on Sunday.

CHRISTOPHER: STORYBOOK ENDING FOR COACH?

Christopher coach Darren Yafai informed his staff at the start of the season that he would not be returning the following year.

He didn’t tell his players until just before the playoffs began.

They’ve created some magical moments for Yafai, who has been coaching football for three decades and has led the Christopher varsity program since 2021 after coaching the school’s JV team when this season began.

The seniors this year were freshmen.

The eighth-seeded Cougars overcame a 17-point deficit in the third quarter to defeat Menlo School 21-17 on the road on Saturday. The previous week, they came back from a nine-point deficit with about five minutes remaining to defeat top-seeded Archbishop Mitty, 33-28.

They will play second-seeded Soquel for the CCS Division II championship and a spot in the NCAA tournament on Saturday night at San Jose City College.

regionals.

Amari Bluford, whose 79-yard touchdown reception from Jaxen Robinson sparked the rally on Saturday, and whose 95-yard kickoff return sparked the rally against Mitty, said the team wants to send Yafai out on top.

“He’s been here since my freshman year,” explained the senior. “He was my freshman, sophomore, and junior year coach.” I want to repay him. He means everything to me. I’ve known him since I was five years old. He’s similar to

“This is my uncle.”

Bluford was named one of the team’s MVPs by Yafai.

“I’m buddies with his dad,” Yafai explained. “I’ve known him since he was a child. He’s a fantastic football player.”

ARAGON: COACH STEPS DOWN

Steve Sell, who has led the Aragon football program for the past two decades, announced last week that he will not be returning to the sidelines next season.

He will remain as the school’s athletic director and a member of the CCS.

The San Mateo Daily Journal broke the story first.

“You start to assess every year and see where you are,” Sellers said.

The Bay Area News Group. “The litmus test is whether I am prepared to give and whether I want to give everything that the children deserve.” Continue as long as the answer is yes.

“I don’t feel like I can or want to give everything this job requires in terms of time and emotion.” Twenty years is a long time.”

Now, Sell and the school will begin the process of hiring the next coach.

“There’s some good people out there and some support pieces on our campus,” Sell went on to say. “As I told the kids when I spoke with them, I am far too invested in this program to leave anything to chance.” I wanted to make sure there were enough people on campus to form a staff.

“Obviously, this position is available. There will be an interview process. But we have some good people on our team who want to work with kids, are good with kids, and are good football coaches.

campus that I am confident in, and that whoever the next head coach is will be able to assemble a strong staff.”

Sell stated that having a new coach in place by the holidays would be ideal.

CLOSING SHOTS

– According to Cal-Hi Sports, DLS on Friday broke the state record for most section championships. The Spartans have 38, one more than Bakersfield.

– The NCS website lists DLS with 40 section titles, counting this year’s. But in two of those years (1984 and ‘85), the Spartans won a South 2A title and 2A title in the same season.

– Los Gatos will be aiming for its 16th CCS title on Friday, its third under coach Mark Krail.

– Pittsburg is 4-1 against SRV in the MaxPreps era (2004-present). The teams have not played since 2017, a 16-7 win by Pittsburg.

– Friday’s NCS Division II final at Diablo Valley College will be a rubber match between El Cerrito and Windsor. El Cerrito beat Winsdor 34-27 in the D-III final last season. In 2021, Windsor beat El Cerrito 33-32 in the D-III semifinals.

– In the five CCS finals this weekend, eight of the 10 teams come from the section’s “A” leagues. Alisal (B league) and South San Francisco (C league) also reached a final.