With two weekends left in the regular season in the Central Coast Section, there should be more than enough excitement to go around in every league. Tons of focus will be on the battle of unbeatens between Serra and Valley Christian, which is featured in our NorCal Games of the Week, but there will be more than enough good action before that Saturday afternoon clash.
No. 11 St. Ignatius (6-2, 4-1 WCAL) @ No. 4 Mitty (6-2, 4-1), Friday, 7 p.m. at Foothill College
With St. Ignatius hosting Serra and Mitty traveling to Valley Christian next week to conclude the regular season, the top four teams in the WCAL all still have a shot at the league title with two weeks left. For all the rightfully-deserved attention that Saturday’s game in San Mateo is getting, this Friday night clash could easily be the most appealing on-field matchup as both teams feature extremely dynamic offenses. SI rolls out two quarterbacks in Teddye Buchanan and Zach Taylor-Smith while Mitty wide receiver Reymello Murphy filled in at the spot last year when star QB Shamir Bey was injured, giving the Monarchs the ability to break out a trick play at any time.
In terms of running back depth, the Wildcats definitely have the upper hand thanks to Jahsai Shannon’s return, but James Thomas could be back tonight for Mitty to join Zach Webb, who performed admirably in his first career start last week against St. Francis. As for defense, the Wildcats seem to have the upper hand on paper with Buchanan and Siaki Gallegos-Hunkin, so this one may come down to how Michael Mosko and the rest of the Monarch defense holds up.
No. 16 Branham (8-0, 5-0 BVAL Santa Teresa) @ Leigh (6-2, 3-2), Friday, 7 p.m.
The other prominent matchup involving an unbeaten team this week, Branham enters firing on all cylinders after a sixth consecutive outing of 42-plus points in last week’s win over Westmont. Nick Bandanza threw just 15 times in that game and completed just eight of those passes, but three went for touchdowns, including two to Matt Cordova. Cameron Rynhard put up another 19-carry, 164-yard performance, a thoroughly unsurprising stat line for one of the section’s most reliable backs.
Leigh lost to Silver Creek, ending almost any hopes for the league title, but the Longhorns still have a shot at a playoff berth. They found the end zone just twice in that Thursday clash, but one of those touchdowns was a 52-yard Max Griffifths catch-and-run with three broken tackles and a stiff-armed defender.
Stump Game: Santa Cruz (6-2, 4-0 PCAL Cypress) @ Soquel (8-1, 4-1), Friday, 7:30 p.m.
Soquel leads series, 42-14-1
One of the long-standing rivalries on the coast has a league title on the line. The Knights have a Week 11 bye, wrapping up their regular season tonight. Santa Cruz, meanwhile, could clinch at least a share of the league title with a win and own head-to-head with both Soquel and North Monterey County, guaranteeing that the Cardinals would hold any tiebreaker with a potential co-champion should they somehow lose next week when they meet Watsonville for their second consecutive rivalry game. Known for their stingy defense, the Cardinals have steadily improved on offense each week.
Since scoring 13 in a Week 2 loss to Scotts Valley, they’ve gradually scored more points each week, save for a drop-off from 38 to 33 following their bye week. The 33-point showing came against North County in a win that shook up the league race, and they dropped a season-high 42 on Gonzales last week as Dillon Danner threw for four touchdowns. Soquel’s lone loss is to North County, and the Knights have followed that defeat up with three straight wins by at least 25 points.
No. 25 San Mateo (7-1, 3-1 PAL Ocean) @ No. 24 Hillsdale (6-2, 3-1), Friday, 7 p.m.
One of the section’s hottest individual performers will meet one of the area’s best defenses as the Bearcats try to slow down Nathan Iskander, who has rushed for five touchdowns in back-to-back weeks. All five of those scores were vital in a 56-41 win over Carlmont last week, and he even threw for a sixth TD on a trick play to cap off his incredible night. Known as “Rabbit,” Iskander has a habit for slipping through defenders, a skill that’ll be especially necessary against Luke Fanguna, Soane Kolokihakaufisi, Shadi Qobti and Spencer Unga.
If he’s able to get past them, he’ll have to deal with Kevin Pelaez, who leads San Mateo with 85 tackles, nearly twice as many as his closest teammate. 55 of those 85 are solo tackles and 11 have gone for a loss. Despite their 7-1 record, the Bearcats are currently not forecasted to be a playoff team in our most recent projections, as their strength of schedule leaves little margin for error.
No. 20 Mountain View (7-1, 3-1 SCVAL De Anza) @ No. 14 Palo Alto (5-3, 2-2), Friday, 7 p.m.
A win over Milpitas announced Mountain View’s breakthrough from the middle class of the SCVAL into the league’s upper tier, but if the Spartans can beat Palo Alto, they’d truly be considered among the area’s elite. For all the top-level players in the De Anza Division, this particular matchup should have a top-notch showdown between receivers and defensive backs as Mountain View’s Austin Flax goes up against Junacio Henley and Jamir Shepard. Flax has been one of the section’s most prolific receivers, with 32 catches for 708 yards and nine touchdowns. He currently ranks fourth in the section in yards and 12th in receptions.
Lincoln (5-2, 4-1 BVAL Mt. Hamilton) @ No. 18 Live Oak (7-1, 4-1), Friday, 7 p.m.
If the transitive property is to be used here, this shouldn’t be a very close game as Lincoln lost to a Leland team that Live Oak put a beatdown on last week, but the Lions pose a difficult matchup for any team with their run-heavy offense and jumbo backfields. Adam Arenas, the 5-foot-3 wonder, put up huge numbers yet again last week, with 216 yards and three touchdowns in a win over Santa Teresa. A few miles away, Caleb Ojeda threw for two touchdowns and ran for three as the Acorns rolled to a 49-12 victory, racking up 324 yards on just 20 touches.
No. 6 Salinas (7-1, 5-0 PCAL Gabilan) @ No. 21 San Benito (5-3, 4-1), Friday, 7:30 p.m.
San Benito’s blowout loss at Carmel last Saturday was a head-scratcher, but the Haybalers can erase all of those memories and throw the league title race into absolute chaos on Friday night if they can beat Salinas for a second straight year. Last season, the Balers managed to pull off a stunner at The Pit in the penultimate week of the regular season, though Salinas would ultimately get the last laugh in the playoffs. That 35-28 Hollister win, though, did end up forcing the Cowboys to share the league title with archrival Palma. After JT Byrne caused nightmares for the Baler defense last week, throwing for 351 yards and four touchdowns, it won’t get any easier as Salinas marches in with Carl Richardson leading the way. However, the Balers are undefeated at the renovated Andy Hardin Stadium, and they could make Senior Night one for the ages if they can pull off the upset.
No. 17 Oak Grove (6-2, 5-0 BVAL Mt. Hamilton) @ No. 23 Leland (5-3, 4-1), Friday, 7 p.m.
Leland’s uncharacteristic performance last week took away some of the luster from this showdown, but there was a silver lining for the Chargers as running back Jesse Cavanna returned to action for the first time since an ankle injury in an Oct. 3 win over Lincoln. The Eagles, meanwhile, have played absolutely outstanding defense in league play, allowing just 33 points in five games and posting a pair of shutouts, including last week’s blanking of Pioneer. Oak Grove raced out to a 28-0 halftime lead as Malique Sumler gashed the Mustang defense, rushing for 148 yards and three touchdowns.
No. 12 Aptos (5-3, 4-1 PCAL Gabilan) @ No. 7 Palma (6-2, 4-1), Saturday, 1 p.m. at Rabobank Stadium
Simply put, the two meetings between Aptos and Palma last year couldn’t have been any different. Marco Pezzini’s game-saving tackle in last year’s Week 10 meeting gave the Chieftains a thrilling 40-35 win and keyed Palma to a share of the league title, while Aptos finished the regular season with back-to-back losses. The Mariners squandered a two-touchdown lead to Salinas the following week, but head coach Randy Blankenship was confident in his team following the second of those defeats, saying, “we may have lost the game, but I think I got a football team back tonight.”
Considering that Aptos settled the score with a 49-6 rout three weeks later en route to a section title, he was right. Once again this season, the Mariners seem to be improving as the season goes on, allowing just 20 points in their last two outings. With Aptos hosting Salinas next week and Palma hosting San Benito, the league title is still completely up for grabs, and could have a thrilling conclusion like last season’s race.
No. 10 Sacred Heart Prep (6-2, 3-1 PAL Bay) @ Burlingame (3-5, 1-3), Friday, 7 p.m.
The Gators may be leaps and bounds stronger on paper, but it seems like a close game is in order every time they meet the Panthers. The teams have met eight times in the last nine years, and all but one of those were within 11 points, a 2014 meeting that the Gators won 35-14 as part of a 13-0 campaign in Ben Burr-Kirven’s senior year. Last season, SHP won a nonleague meeting 15-13 behind a 92-yard Dante Cacchione kick return touchdown and four turnovers. Close losses like that have been common for Burlingame last year, with three one-score defeats this season. The Panthers are currently projected as the final at-large team in the postseason field, so a win this week would help provide some much-needed security to extend their playoff streak to 11 years.
Cupertino (3-5, 2-2 SCVAL El Camino) @ Gunn (7-1, 3-1), Friday, 7 p.m.
The SCVAL El Camino race is an absolute doozy, with three teams at 3-1, Cupertino a game behind and two more teams just a half-game behind the Pioneers. With their five losses by a combined 22 points, the Pioneers could easily be undefeated right now, and they’ve allowed just 122 points all year. That defense will have to perform at its absolute best against the Titans, who average 48.1 points per game with an extremely efficient double wing. In last week’s 62-3 romp over Lynbrook, Gunn put up eye-popping numbers, scoring nine touchdowns on just 22 offensive plays. Homestead travels to Monta Vista in the other pivotal El Camino matchup this week, with Gunn traveling to Homestead next Friday to wrap up the regular season while Cupertino hosts Saratoga.
Capuchino (4-4, 2-1 PAL Lake) @ Jefferson (5-3, 2-1), Friday, 7 p.m.
If Capuchino is going to play for a league title against Mills next week in the Battle of the Strip, the Mustangs first have to grab a road win over Jefferson. With Mills already owning a 19-6 win over the Grizzlies and Capuchino losing to El Camino in overtime two weeks ago, the Mustangs have absolutely no margin for error if they want to earn a league title and close out the decade with a third trip to the postseason. Jefferson, meanwhile, still has a shot at a split of the title with a win. The Grizzlies overcame a 14-0 deficit to beat El Camino last week, rescuing their season from life support in the process.
Bellarmine (2-6, 1-4 WCAL) @ Sacred Heart Cathedral (0-8, 0-5), Friday, 7 p.m. at Kezar Stadium
With the WCAL typically supplying six playoff teams, the Fightin’ Irish still have a shot at the postseason despite their winless record. They finish the regular season with Bellarmine and Riordan, meaning their fate is entirely within their own hands. A Senior Night victory would be a remarkable way to change the season’s course, while the Bells are a win away from returning to the playoffs after a rare miss last year. It’ll be a major clash of styles as SHC will throw constantly, relying on the arm of junior quarterback Cian Dowling, while Bellarmine is an old-fashioned double wing team.
