What was arguably the weakest playoff division for the 2017 North Coast Section playoffs appears to now be one of the strongest, after the section released its final divisions for the 2018 season.
Campolindo rolled to the Division II title in 2017, defeating Granada 42-7 for the section crown, but will be joined by a trio of heavy hitters for 2018. Bishop O'Dowd was mandated to move up in divisions, via competitive equity bylaws, but both Rancho Cotate and Marin Catholic petitioned to move up as well, leaving quite the quartet of teams which return significant firepower for the 2018 season. Alhambra also petitioned up to Division II from Division III.
With all the teams moving from Division III to Division II, the stage seems pretty well set for Cardinal Newman to get back to the title game, and the Cardinals will be a heavy favorite for the crown.
With four teams moving up into Division II, that meant four teams got to move down into Division III for next year. As a result, Alameda, Arroyo, Newark Memorial, and Pinole Valley all moved down one division.
Other significant movement includes St. Patrick-St. Vincent up to Division IV, which bumps McKinleyville down to Division V. Salesian also returns to Division V, after its three-year point total dropped below the eight-point average while in Division IV. The Pride were a young team last year, and could be among the early favorites in the lowest enrollment division.
For the complete list of divisions, click here.
