SAN JOSE — Coach Adhir Ravipati has heard it all about his Riordan program.
He’s heard people say the Crusaders are housing players in dorms. He’s heard accusations that his players are getting paid. Perhaps it’s just a side effect of the head coach turning Riordan — not traditionally a football powerhouse in the West Catholic Athletic League — into one of the best teams in Northern California.
The Crusaders may hear all that noise, but they don’t let it bother them. Two weeks after a barnburner of a win at Serra gave Riordan its first WCAL title in 25 years, the Crusaders were thorough in a 33-13 win over the Padres at San José City College in the Central Coast Section Open Division championship game.
“People talk about our kids like they’re mercenaries,” Ravipati said. “These kids love Riordan. They came here because they wanted to be part of a program. They wanted to build something together. I have a track record of success. I’ve done this at (Menlo-Atherton), I’ve now done this at Riordan. I don’t think it should be that surprising that kids want to come play at Riordan.”
Quarterback Michael Mitchell Jr. threw touchdown passes of 77 and 68 yards within the first five minutes Friday night, and the Crusaders (12-0) never looked back. He completed just 11 of his 24 passes, but racked up 254 yards and three touchdowns, while Adonyae Brown had 30 carries for 159 yards and two scores.
Riordan’s defense was dialed in all night, forcing three turnovers, including a one-handed interception by Cynai Thomas in the fourth quarter. Thomas, an Oregon State commit, also had two touchdown catches.
The Crusaders will head to a NorCal championship game after a week off, while Serra (7-5) will face Los Gatos in the Division I title game next Friday. The Wildcats rolled over Palma, 45-21, in the semifinals.
“There’s a reason why everyone wants to be at Riordan right now,” Ravipati said. “I don’t know where any of (the negative talk) comes from, but our kids don’t deserve to be talked that way. They’re a really special group of kids.”
Division II: Bruce-Mahoney rematch comes to fruition
No. 1 seed St. Ignatius and No. 2 seed Sacred Heart Cathedral each had little trouble in the semifinals, setting up a rivalry showdown for the section title next weekend.
The Wildcats (6-6) routed No. 4 seed Menlo 42-6 as Caedon Afsharipour was 13-of-15 passing for 181 yards and five touchdowns. The Fightin’ Irish (6-6) eased to a 63-28 win over previously undefeated No. 3 seed Santa Teresa, with Michael Sargent throwing for four touchdowns and rushing for two more.
The section championship is scheduled for Saturday afternoon at SJCC, but with both schools hailing from San Francisco, state assembly joined numerous other voices in calling for the game to be moved to Kezar Stadium — where the regular-season Bruce-Mahoney matchup is always held.
Division III: Cinderella run continues for San Mateo
The No. 8 seed Bearcats are firing on all cylinders right now. After upsetting undefeated Woodside in overtime in the quarterfinals for their first playoff win since 2009, they went down to Morgan Hill and outlasted Live Oak 40-36 on Friday night.
San Mateo (9-3) rushed for 436 yards in the victory. Lukas Fitzgerald led the way with 112 yards and two touchdowns, but sophomore TJ Johnson had 103 yards and a score on just three carries. Cameron Barry had two carries for 80 yards, and Tyce Copus had 83 yards on four rushing attempts as the Bearcats found all kinds of room on the outside in their triple-option offense.
Up next for San Mateo is an all-Peninsula matchup with No. 3 seed Menlo-Atherton in the championship game. The Bears (6-6) beat Sacred Heart Prep 36-14 behind 231 passing yards and three touchdowns from Teddy Dacey. Evaimalo Ama rushed for 100 yards and a touchdown on 13 carries for M-A, which is in top form now after an 0-4 start. The Bears also beat the Bearcats 42-28 in San Mateo back on September 26.
Division IV: BVAL-Mount Hamilton matchup on tap
No. 1 seed Branham defeated Half Moon Bay in a 56-45 shootout, while No. 3 seed Lincoln pulled away for a 49-14 rout of Willow Glen. The division rivals will face off for the section title next weekend.
The Lions (9-3), despite being the lower seed, got the better of the Bruins in the regular season, winning 35-25 at Branham on October 9. Jonathan Medina and Kyan Phillips rushed for a combined 291 yards and three touchdowns in that game, overcoming a 265-yard performance through the air from Bruins quarterback Andrew Ho.
Division V: Top seeds handle their business
No. 1 seed Piedmont Hills and No. 2 seed Sobrato will battle for the title after winning their semifinal matchups on Saturday.
The Pirates (9-3) rolled past Jefferson 41-14 behind quarterback John Palomo, who completed 16 of 21 passes for 196 yards. Travis Linane had six catches for 120 of those yards and a touchdown.
The Bulldogs (8-4) had a little more trouble but advanced with a 27-19 win over Terra Nova. Joey Donati led the Tigers with 277 combined yards and three total touchdowns — two rushing and one passing — but he was no match for Sobrato running back Brady Lennon, who went off for 232 yards and three touchdowns on 27 carries.
