With the section championships complete, the championship teams from Northern California (and a few runner-up squads from the finals) square off in the CIF North regionals, with the winners advancing to face their Southern California counterparts next week in the final weekend of the state bowl game series.
Here, we take a look at some of the top games involving teams from the NCS and CCS, in one of our two preview columns this week.
CIF 2-AA North: Serra at Tulare Union, Friday, 7:30 pm
Fresh off a thrilling one-point win over Saint Francis in the CCS Open II title game, Serra carries a 10-game winning streak on the road this Friday, as the Padres head to Tulare Union for a CIF North regional game.
Last season, Serra took full advantage of its trip to the Central Valley, defeating Sanger, 49-36. Now, the Padres host a 13-0 Tulare squad headlined by senior running back Kazmeir Allen, who has run for 60 touchdowns this season and averages 13.1 yards per carry, with a total of 2,989 yards on the ground.
In fact, the Tribe’s offense has been explosive in multiple ways, as junior quarterback Nathan Lamb has also thrown for 3,620 yards and 37 touchdowns, with just two interceptions. Senior Emoryie Edwards is the leading receiver, with 69 catches for 1,367 yards and 12 scores.
Outside of handing Dinuba its only two losses this season, in games Tulare Union won by 22 and 26 points, respectively, the Tribe has rarely been challenged at any point in a game. But the strength of schedule pales in comparison to that of Serra, which went unbeaten in the West Catholic Athletic League, and faced both St. Mary’s-Stockton and Pittsburg in non-league play.
The Padres are playing without WCAL MVP Atonio Mafi, but junior quarterback Luke Bottari has been the triggerman for an explosive offense. The receiving trio of Patrick Nunn, Chris Park, and Shane Villaroman provide matchup issues for any defense, while Isiah Kendrick and his 23 rushing touchdowns constitute a steady force in the backfield.
The winner of this game advances to face either Rancho Verde or Cajon next weekend at Sacramento State.
CIF 2-A North: Saint Francis at Manteca, Saturday, 6 pm
Last year, Manteca cruised to the SJS Division IV title, and as a reward got matched up with CCS Open I champion Menlo-Atherton in the CIF North regionals. This year, the Buffaloes avenged an earlier loss to Oakdale in the SJS Division III title game, and once again draw a CCS opponent in the regional round.
This time, despite winning a higher division, Manteca drew a section runner-up, but that opponent is WCAL power Saint Francis, who gave Serra everything it could handle in the 31-30 title game loss. The Buffaloes have already faced one WCAL opponent this year, beating Valley Christian 22-20 in the season opener, but Saint Francis promises to be a physical opponent, one that can move the ball on the ground or through the air.
Manteca, of course, is led by do-everything quarterback Gino Campiotti, a three-sport standout who has had one of the most decorated careers among Central Valley football players. Campiotti has accounted for 45 total touchdowns this year, including 30 passing scores with just five interceptions. He has completed 64 percent of his passes, and also averages over six yards per carry. Sophomore Trabron Russell has emerged as another factor in the offensive backfield, while senior Michael Frisby is another player who must be accounted for.
Saint Francis, meanwhile, enters this game just as battle-tested, if not more so than Manteca. The Lancers’ four losses were to De La Salle, Valley Christian, and twice to Serra. WCAL Offensive Lineman of the Year Tyler Manoa is a force on both sides of the ball, and junior running back Darrell Page is a threat to score from anywhere on the field. Meanwhile, Josh Pakola and Junior Fehoko bookend a defensive front that will provide a stiff test to Campiotti and the athletic Buffalo offense.
The winner of this game will face either Grace Brethren or Aquinas, at Sacramento State next weekend.
CIF 3-A North: Sutter at Half Moon Bay, Saturday, 6 pm
Fans of old-school, small-town style football might have the matchup of the year in Half Moon Bay this Saturday night. A loaded Sutter team brings its fast and deceptive Wing-T offense to the peninsula to face the host Cougars and their style of offense which mirrors the Huskies.
These two programs enter with a combined record of 25-1, and both are guided by veteran quarterbacks who make few mistakes, while providing a rare efficient passing threat in these run-based systems. For Sutter, whose lone loss this year was to Utah 4A state champion Orem, in its season opener, it is senior Tyler Reynolds under center.
Reynolds has completed a whopping 76 percent of his passes this season, for 2,498 yards and 24 touchdowns with just three interceptions. He has also run for 933 yards and 11 scores, averaging 8.9 yards per carry. Seniors Trever Facey and Bryce Kunkle have both topped the 1,000-yard mark on the ground for Sutter, while Facey also just hit 1,000 yards through the air.
For Half Moon Bay, it has been senior Gavin Tomberlin, a three-year starter who has completed 64 percent of his passes for 1,657 yards and 20 touchdowns, without a single interception. Tomberlin has also run for 528 yards and six scores, but the ground game is paced by Chase Hofmann, who has 1,128 yards and 34 touchdowns, despite being limited recently by a broken hand.
Tight end Hayden Vol Almen and receiver Dylan Williams have been two big-play threats for the Cougars, with each averaging over 31 yards per catch. Williams, of course, is also one of the top kickers in the state.
The winner of this game will face either El Modeno or Steele Canyon next week.
CIF 4-AA North: Placer at Salinas, Friday, 7:30 pm
After slowing down Milpitas in the CCS Open I title game, Salinas prepares for a physical Placer team, one which is sure to descend from the foothills of Auburn with a hard-nosed approach this Friday night.
Salinas linebacker Drew Schuler might be the key to success for the Cowboys in this one. The MBL-Gabilan Defensive Player of the Year will be at the heart of a defense which must slow down a Placer run game that averages 315 yards per game on the ground. The Hillmen have won 11 games in a row, and boast a pair of 1,000-yard rushers in senior Mario Perez and junior Marshall Chapman.
The Cowboys, of course, are paced by Gabilan MVP Brett Reade, a dual-threat at quarterback who found multiple ways to torment Milpitas last week. Richard Cerda is Reade’s complement in the backfield, while Jeffrey Weimer is the top target through the air.
The winner of this game will face either El Camino or Crenshaw next week.
CIF 4-A North: Milpitas at Campolindo, Saturday, 6 pm
For the second time in three years, Campolindo and Milpitas will meet in a CIF North regional football game on Saturday, 6 pm at Campolindo, but the circumstances are a bit different than when the smaller Cougars knocked off Milpitas, 27-24, in 2015.
Campolindo just wrapped up its fourth straight North Coast Section title, but was a 6-4 team entering the playoffs, with losses to Clayton Valley, Acalanes, Marin Catholic, and Rancho Cotate during the regular season. Three of those four schools were in the Division III bracket for the post-season, while Clayton Valley made it into the NCS Open Division. Despite the struggles during the regular season, the Cougars went on a run against an over-matched Division II bracket.
Prior to the final weekend of the playoffs, no one predicted that Campolindo and Milpitas could be headed for a rematch, as the Trojans had gone 12-0, with hardly a close game among the dozen victories. In fact, prior to losing to Salinas in the CCS Open I title game, Milpitas’ smallest margin of victory had been a 33-20 win over Menlo-Atherton in the section semifinals. But the loss to the Cowboys changed all projections.
If anything, the Campolindo faithful can view this as a glimpse into what the future will hold. After winning their second consecutive NCS title at the Division II level, the Cougars meet the criteria for competitive equity advancement to the Division I bracket for next year, despite a school enrollment of approximately 1,260 students.
As for this year, the CIF 4-A game between these schools features some of the best athletes in the region. In particular, it matches up two of the top two-way standouts in Northern California – Milpitas’ Tariq Bracy and Campolindo’s John Torchio. But unlike a couple years ago, when Campolindo had linemen Sterling Strother and Wyatt McNeil to counter a large Milpitas front, the Cougars have no one this year who can physically measure up to the likes of Trojans junior lineman Justin Scrempos (6-8, 320) or standout senior linebacker Gabriel Erickson (6-1, 220).
What the Cougars lack in size, however, they make up for with skill. Torchio has the reins of a quick moving offense, one that plays fast at all times. The dual-threat signal-caller is joined in the backfield by senior Shun Ishida, while receivers such as Vincent Mossotti, Parker Windatt, Lucas Allen, and Ryan Regan force opposing defenses to worry about a multitude of options.
Then there is the history and expectation of success, something that runs rampant on both sidelines. Milpitas has won 10 games or more in each of the last five seasons under long-time coach Kelly King, while Campolindo has done the same in each of the last seven seasons under Kevin Macy, who has led the program to 189 victories over the last 22 years.
Bracy is the big-play threat at all times for Milpitas, but the Trojans have plenty of weapons, including receiver Tuni Fifita, and the type of athletes on defense who can pose a problem for Campolindo’s athletes. The Milpitas secondary has notched 17 interceptions, including a team-high four picks from Donoven Moore, and the pass rush has been heavy, with 44 sacks. Ioane Vete and Abraham Vea have combined for 17 sacks.
Erickson has been a big-time run stopper for the Trojans’ defense, but Christian Garcia and Isiah Cotton have been equally as formidable.
The winner of this game advances to play either Southwest EC or San Joaquin Memorial in the 4-A final.
Other games involving NCS/CCS teams
Fortuna hosts Bear River in the CIF 5-A North regional on Saturday night. The Huskies routed Hercules in the NCS Division IV title game after edging past St. Bernard’s in the semifinals, but now face a Bear River squad which avenged an earlier loss to Colfax in the SJS Division V final, and knocked out favorite Capital Christian in the section quarterfinals. The Bruins are certainly battle-tested, having won four straight competitive games down the stretch.
St. Patrick-St. Vincent looks to defend its CIF title from last year, but in a twist, the Bruins will head down to Strathmore for the 6-AA North regional game, facing the same team they beat 29-28 for the 6-A CIF championship last year. Last year, Strathmore was placed in the South, but this year beat Hilmar 53-52 in a double overtime thriller, in a play-in game. That leaves the Spartans sporting a 14-0 record and hosting St. Pat’s for the second straight year, the same exact scenario from last year.
