As expected, this week’s quarterfinal round of the playoffs may have the deepest selection of top games to watch. All games between the four and five seeds seem too close to call, and even the top seeds in a few divisions can expect to have their hands full starting this week.
#5 Pittsburg (9-2) at #4 Monte Vista (7-3), Saturday, 7 pm: This rematch has been anticipated since September 11, when the host Mustangs used 21 fourth-quarter points to knock Pittsburg from the ranks of the unbeaten in a 49-42 thriller.
Pittsburg racked up 631 yards of offense in that early-season loss, but allowed six passing touchdowns from Monte Vista’s Jake Haener, including the game-winner to Trae Banda, who scored three times. Banda and Noah Sol both topped the 100-yard mark in that game, and Sol also reached the end zone twice. Haener has thrown for 2,805 yards this season to go with 33 touchdowns and just five interceptions. The junior has thrown for 5,288 yards and 51 touchdowns in 21 varsity football games.
Christian Young had his finest game of the year at quarterback for the Pirates against Monte Vista, completing 20 of 32 passes for 407 yards and four touchdowns. A’jae Boyd and TJ Roberts each scored twice through the air in that game for the Pirates, while Boyd and Namontte Grisby each went over 100 yards. Junior running back Montaz Thompson added 166 yards and two touchdowns on the ground.
After sacking Haener four times in the first meeting, Pittsburg will likely aim to put pressure on the junior, but will also have to contend with the emerging run game for the Mustangs, led by senior Albert Smith. Smith has topped the 100-yard mark in each of the last three games, and ran for seven touchdowns in the last two regular season games. Smith is 10 yards shy of 1,000 total yards from scrimmage this season, to go with his 14 touchdowns.
Leading the way for the Pirates’ defense is senior linebacker Charlie Ramirez, who has 117 tackles, including 15 tackles for a loss this season. Defensive back Jordan Parker, who was injured prior to the first meeting between the teams and played sparingly on a bad ankle, did not play last week against Dougherty Valley in order to nurse a shoulder injury. He should be good to go this week, providing a huge boost to the Pittsburg secondary.
Monte Vista’s defensive success, meanwhile, will likely hinge on the ability of the Mustangs’ front seven to slow down Thompson and turn the pass rushers loose on Young in long-down situations. That means getting big games from Maurice Theriault and Jake Grabowsky on the interior line, plus pressure from Erik Krommenhoek and Nate Landman, which would allow inside linebacker Jake Klooster to run free without having to fend off much larger offensive lineman in front of his 5’ 8” frame.
The winner of this game will advance to the Division I semifinals, and will face the winner of the California at De La Salle game.
#6 Freedom (7-4) at #3 Foothill (10-0), Saturday, 7 pm: Host Foothill has won three straight regular-season meetings against Freedom, but the visitors will be looking to replicate their 2013 first-round playoff victory, which also took place in Pleasanton.
Foothill won an early September meeting in Oakley between these schools, 28-14, after building a 21-0 lead, but Freedom has been playing arguably its best football over the past few weeks. Coach Kevin Hartwig has stressed all year that the key to his team’s success is protecting the football, and keeping their offensive playmakers on the field.
That wasn’t the case in the first meeting between the teams, when a Joe Sweeney interception and a pair of crucial fumbles from tailback Ronnie Rivers forced Freedom to play from behind. One of Rivers’ fumbles came with Freedom inside the Foothill five-yard line.
Both Sweeney and Rivers have finished the year strong. After throwing eight interceptions in the first six games, Sweeney has thrown for 12 touchdowns and just two interceptions over the last five games. The three-year starter has thrown for 230 yards or more in three of those five games, and now has 5,249 passing yards for his career. Rivers, meanwhile, has gone over the 100-yard mark in each of the last five games, including going over 200 yards in two of the last three games. The junior now has 2,325 yards and 32 touchdowns on the ground for his career.
Foothill counters with one of the most explosive backs in the section, senior Isaiah Floyd. Floyd has 1,450 yards on the ground this year, and 325 more yards receiving. He’s also scored 26 touchdowns offensively, with 23 of those coming on the ground. That’s taken some of the pressure off having a sophomore starting at quarterback, where Ben Wooldridge has completed nearly 60 percent of his passes. It also helps having a target such as senior Ruben Mercado, who has 117 catches and 15 touchdowns over the last two seasons.
Foothill is seeking back-to-back Division I semifinal appearances, while Freedom is looking for it’s first-ever berth in the semifinals, having lost in the quarterfinals in each of the last four seasons.
The winner of this game will face the winner of the Amador Valley at Antioch game.
#5 Tennyson (9-2) at #4 Granada (5-6), Saturday, 7 pm: Tennyson showed its resiliency last week, shaking off a one-point overtime loss to San Leandro the previous game to blank Alameda, 30-0, the first-ever win in the playoffs for the Lancers.
Senior Christian Silva put on an all-around display of his ability, throwing for 104 yards and two touchdowns, running for 33 yards and two scores, and intercepting three passes from his safety position.
Now, the Lancers will deal with a Granada offense intent on pounding the ball and keeping Tennyson’s offense off the field. The Matadors won just four games in the regular season, but were rewarded by the seeding committee for having played a difficult schedule in the East Bay Athletic League, and for having been competitive in close losses to Monte Vista, Amador Valley, California, and San Ramon Valley.
Granada running back Ryan Silvas ran for 165 yards on just 12 carries last week against Washington, while two-way standout Aaron Andrews ran for two scores, and the Mats’ defense held Washington to 159 total yards of offense.
“They’re a well-coached team, and this should be a fun match-up,” said Tennyson coach Terry Smith. “They have those two running backs who have good size and run hard, so they definitely pose a big challenge to our front seven.”
Andrews, a running back and defensive lineman, and Silva give this game two of the top two-way players in the entire section.
The winner of this game will advance to face the winner of the Windsor at Clayton Valley game.
#5 Saint Mary’s (8-3) at Moreau Catholic (10-1), Friday, 7 pm: These teams meet for the fourth time in the last two seasons, and the Mariners hope that last year’s script for Saint Mary’s plays out in the same fashion for the home team this season.
Saint Mary’s won both meetings last season on its way to the Division IV title game, but was upended by Moreau Catholic in this year’s season opener, 33-14. Junior running back Jullen Ison ran for 305 yards and two scores in the first meeting this year. Meanwhile, Saint Mary’s running back Tamarick Pierce had just three carries in the first meeting. Pierce, who was named the offensive MVP of the TCAL-Rock division, has topped the 100-yard mark in each of the last six games this season, including four performances of 212 yards or more.
Saint Mary’s has shaken off a 0-2 start to win eight of its last nine games, including an undefeated run through league play. Moreau Catholic has won five straight games after a 27-20 loss to American.
“We always look forward to playing (Saint Mary’s),” said Moreau Catholic coach Andrew Cotter. “They are very well-coached and have a lot of talent on the team. (Pierce) is a lot of fun to watch, and it is going to be a great high school football game that I can’t wait to be a part of.”
The winner of this game will advance to face the winner of the Fort Bragg at Marin Catholic game in the Division IV semifinals. Moreau Catholic has never reached the section semifinals, while Saint Mary’s is seeking its third straight appearance.
#7 Casa Grande (5-6) at #2 Miramonte (10-1), Friday, 7 pm: The Gauchos and the Matadors meet in the playoffs for the third consecutive season. Casa Grande downed Miramonte in the first round last season, while the Matadors won the 2013 section title by defeating the Gauchos.
Despite its sub.-500 record, Casa Grande is heading in the right direction, much like last season, when they advanced to the semifinals. The Gauchos were missing nearly half their starters during the first five games of the season, but have begun to get healthy late in the year. Miramonte, meanwhile, has been playing well all season, with a lone loss to Campolindo.
“This is developing into a real good post-season rivalry, and we’re excited for another good game,” said Miramonte coach Jack Schram. “For us, it is about offensive execution. Our defense has been playing great the last two weeks, and we need to try and make them one-dimensional.”
The Gauchos were anything but one-dimensional last week, when junior Spencer Torkelson ran for 164 yards, and JJ Anderson threw for another 208 yards. Anderson has thrown for 23 touchdowns this season, while Torkelson has run for 695 yards and nine touchdowns. The running back is also an Arizona State commit for baseball, and was our Prep2Prep Sophomore of the Year last spring.
Miramonte counters with an extremely effective passing game led by quarterback Tim Tague and receiver Ryan Anderson, and a strong running game led by Clayton Stehr. Tague has thrown for over 3,000 yards with 29 touchdowns, while Stehr has run for 1,121 yards with 22 rushing touchdowns. Anderson has 47 catches for 748 yards and six touchdowns. Sutter Lindberg had nearly 1,100 yards receiving before tearing his ACL in a non-contact injury against Campolindo.
Anderson and junior Nick Foster will also be tasked with stopping the Casa Grande passing game, as the duo each have four interceptions this season.
“We’re looking forward to facing them again,” said Casa Grande coach Trent Herzog. “They’ve got a few big-time players, and they are very well-coached. We’ve also played very well for six of the last seven weeks.”
The winner of this game will advance to face the winner of the Maria Carrillo at Concord game.
Best of the Rest . . . Amador Valley (8-3) heads to East Contra Costa County for a quarterfinal game with undefeated Antioch (10-0). The Dons are battle-tested coming out of the EBAL, and beat run-heavy California. Antioch’s Najee Harris ran for 371 yards and four touchdowns in the Panthers’ playoff opener last season, when they beat San Leandro.
Best of the Rest 2 . . . Piedmont (9-2) makes the 520-mile round-trip drive to Fortuna to face the unbeaten Huskies (11-0). Gabe Watson ran for 180 yards on 15 carries last week, while Fortuna’s Dante Viggers scored twice on the ground.
Best of the Rest 3 . . . Two of the best junior quarterbacks in the section lock up with Justin-Siena (9-2) heads to Santa Rosa to face Cardinal Newman (9-2). Aidan Willard and Justin-Siena are seeking their eighth straight win, while Jordon Brookshire and Cardinal Newman are looking for their ninth straight victory.
