There are four teams remaining in each bracket, for this weekend’s North Coast Section Division 2 and 3 playoffs. Teams prepared through the Thanksgiving holiday, and now look to play into December with a victory in the semifinals.
DIVISION 2
#5 Ukiah (8-4) at #1 Campolindo (8-3), Friday 7 pm
Both teams enter this game battle-tested after tough league schedules. The visiting Wildcats dropped league contests to Cardinal Newman, Rancho Cotate, and Windsor, all teams still alive in the playoffs.
Meanwhile, Campolindo’s lone loss in league play was to Clayton Valley, who played in the Open Division, while the other losses were to Valley Christian and Oakdale, two teams still alive in their respective section playoffs.
The host Cougars are seeking their third straight section title after winning the previous two years at the Division 3 level. Ukiah is seeking its first title since 1999.
Ukiah’s offensive attack has been dominated by its passing game, led by senior quarterback Brett Hofstetter, who has looked frequently to junior receiver Nick Brocchini and senior Eddie Holbrook. Holbrook will also be a key factor on defense to slowing down Campolindo’s passing attack, as he has recorded eight interceptions this season.
Campolindo’s passing game is led by senior quarterback Jacob Westphal, who has thrown for 2,613 yards and 19 touchdowns, with just four interceptions. The speedy Matt Ringquist and power back Branden Bocobo form a one-two punch in the backfield, while the Cougars have a deep cast of playmakers in the passing game.
Junior Vincent Mossotti has been a big-play threat all season, and is closing in on 1,000 yards, to go with eight touchdowns. Junior John Torchio, and seniors Kannah Cruickshank and Lev Garcia, combine with senior tight end Ray Berzins as additional weapons.
If the Cougars’ defense is going to slow down Hofstetter and the Wildcats’ passing game, defensive ends Berzins and Justin Ehrenberger will play a large role. Meanwhile, Torchio, Garcia, and Michael Hooper have all had strong seasons in the defensive secondary.
#6 Granada (6-6) at #2 Windsor (8-3), Saturday, 7 pm
The playoff seeding committee was absolutely right when they said Granada typically lives up to its strong seeding despite a losing record. The Matadors have done it again this year, reaching the semifinals for the second straight season after going 4-6 during the regular season.
Granada’s defense put on a display against Concord, shutting out the Minutemen for the 17-0 victory, while quarterback Jason Frost threw two touchdowns in the second half to pull away. Windsor, meanwhile, escaped a rematch with Santa Rosa when the Jaguars’ defense stopped Cassius Banks mere inches shy of the goal-line of a two-point conversion that could have won the game for the Panthers.
Both teams rely on strong run games, with a variety of contributors. Frost executes the Wing-T for Granada, with Tai Phan as the Matadors’ lead back. Windsor, meanwhile, has quarterback Kobe Roman handling the ball, with Jackson Baughman as the featured back for the Jaguars.
Roman is also a threat to run the ball in the option offense, while David Escarcega averages over six yards per carry.
If Windsor is going to slow down Granada’s attack, it will need a big game from linebacker Joey Pignataro, while Bas Osborn will provide pressure on the Matadors’ play-action passing game, after recording 20 sacks so far this year.
DIVISION 3
#3 Rancho Cotate (9-3) at #2 Bishop O’Dowd (11-1), Saturday 7 pm
This division features arguably the two marquee games of the entire weekend, and both games could go either way. The host Dragons went unbeaten in WACC-Foothill play to end San Leandro’s three-year streak atop the division, and have a lone loss to Open Division finalist Freedom. Rancho Cotate, meanwhile, has losses only to top-seed Analy, an eight-point loss to Division 1 finalist Antioch, and an overtime loss to Division 4 top-seed Cardinal Newman.
This game will be a contrast in ways to win, as the visiting Cougars will look to get their high-scoring attack going against one of the top defenses in all of Northern California. Bishop O’Dowd has outscored its opponents by nearly 400 points this season, having allowed fewer than 10 points per game.
The Dragons’ defense is headlined by a secondary which snagged three of the four first-team all-league slots in the Foothill Division, led by Defensive Player of the Year Je’Quari Godfrey, who is committed to Cal. Godfrey is joined in the secondary by Trevor King, Jevon Holland, Kenyan Branscomb, and Quinn Brinnon as a fearsome quintet to throw on, which is exactly what Rancho Cotate does best.
The Dragons are also strong up front, as Jordan Jackson and Cooper Hagmaier have provided consistent pressure on opposing quarterbacks, along with Branscomb, who will come off the edge. Avery Bilensky can clog the middle, while linebackers Nate Shepherd, Chris Lucas, and Isaiah Henry excel at running free and making plays.
Offensively, quarterback Joe Deluca provides veteran leadership for the Dragons, who have thrived on the running game of sophomore Austin Jones and a strong offensive line. The line is anchored by Bilensky and USC commit Alijah Vera-Tucker, while junior Miles Owens is another imposing body and Hagmaier is a true dual-threat tight end.
Rancho Cotate’s offense has been explosive this year, guided by junior quarterback Jake Simmons. Jaelen Ward and Logan Reese have both been big-play receivers, while Peyton Whetstone is a threat in and out of the backfield. Ward and Reese are both over 1,000 yards, with AJ Vallejos not far behind. Simmons can also run the ball.
Defensively, the Cougars will need a big game from sophomore linebacker Elias Rantissi, along with junior linebacker Chris Matteri and junior safety Kobi Buckley.
#4 Marin Catholic (10-2) at #1 Analy (11-1), Friday, 7 pm
This rematch of the 2013 semifinals promises to be one of the best games of the best weekend, with Analy looking to exact revenge for that semifinal loss.
Analy enters the game with a lone loss to Cardinal Newman, while Marin Catholic has won nine straight since a loss to St. Ignatius. The host Tigers are led offensively by quarterback Jack Newman, who has amassed 8,371 yards and 108 passing touchdowns in his varsity career.
Senior receivers Eric Bendyk and Spencer Vogel are both over the 1,000-yard mark this season, while Ross Simmons is not far behind. And the running game has featured three different backs, with Osiris Zamora, Christian Fajardo, and Bennett Simpson all emerging as threats to carry the ball.
Marin Catholic, meanwhile, has been dominant since two early losses, as junior quarterback Spencer Petras has developed throughout the year. Matthew DeDonatis provides a running threat, behind an offensive line anchored by Chantz Russell and tight end Sebastian Olver. Olver will also look to lead the pass rush against Newman and the Analy offense, from his defensive end position.
Jack Hogeboom is one of the top playmakers in the area at receiver, while Hunter Juarez provides exceptional speed on both sides of the ball and will be a challenge for the Analy passing game.
Sophomore linebacker Anthony Lepori and defensive tackle Nick Chase will be tasked with leading the Analy defense against the Wildcats’ offense.
