The prep football season is now chugging toward mid-December -- uncharted territory for some. Here are five realizations we had after last weekend's exciting CCS title games:
APTOS IS REAL DEAL
Aptos was the best team in the greater Santa Cruz area and had a nice regular season, but conventional wisdom said that St. Ignatius would dispatch the Mariners in their CCS Division III title game. That's S.I. from the big, bad WCAL -- even though the Wildcats went just 4-9 on the season and finished sixth in league. Wrong, Mr. Widsom.
Aptos, behind three touchdown passes from Alex Joh, took a 42-21 lead against the Wildcats and then held on through some late scores and two successful onside kick attempts by S.I. to win its first section title since 2003, 41-35. And Aptos, with a solid program from frosh through varsity under coach Randy Blankenship, might not be done.
“Being able to stand on this field knowing that we showed all the critics who the best team really was, and won this title that everyone on this team has wanted for so long, it’s truly something special,” Joh told Prep2Prep's Jack Sheedy.
Nicely done, Mariners.
SERRA CAN WIN BIG ONE
Serra has been one of the better programs in the CCS since shortly after coach Patrick Walsh took over the program in 2001. But the Padres, outside of a DI title in 2011, had never gotten by the section semifinals until this season when they overcame a three-point Bellarmine halftime lead to defeat the Bells 28-17.
Friday night Serra did it again, rallying from a seven-point late-third quarter deficit against Mitty to defeat Archbishop Mitty 21-7 to win the first Open Division title in school history and third section title overall.
While Mitty was hindered by the absence of starting quarterback Trent Scharrenberg (hand surgery), Serra didn't have Notre Dame commit Matt Dickerson (back) all season, was missing safety Kavapele Maka (neck) against the Monarchs and lost 6-foot-8 junior offensive lineman Jack Dreyer (hand) during the game.
"No matter who is hurt, the kids keep winning," Padre athletic director Dean Ayoob said on the sideline after the game. Next up, Del Oro-Loomis.
MILPITAS IS EXPLOSIVE
Milpitas, meeting San Benito in the DI title game for the third time in five years, trailed San Benito 16-14 at halftime. But if there's one thing the Trojans are is dangerous on offense.
Milpitas ignited for 16 unanswered third quarter points on a 7-yard Squally Canada run followed by a 41-yard Canada TD reception from Ronnie Reed to take a 30-16 lead.
San Benito did close to within 30-23 on a 2-yard touchdown run by Zach Hicks, but a 4-yard TD run by Milpitas' Royce Kim finished off the Haybalers. Reed, Canada and dynamic receiver Tre Hartley have led the mercurial Trojans all season.
PENINSULA BALL ISN'T BAD
Not only did Serra represent for the San Francisco peninsula, but Sacred Heart Prep overwhelmed Pacific Grove 56-21 behind 361 rushing yards and six touchdowns by Andrew Segre. Now the Gators will move on to meet El Cerrito in the CIF-State NorCal Regional DIII game.
Sacred Heart Prep excelled despite not having starting running back Ricky Grau (broken hand) on offense. It relied heavily on Segre, handing it to him 29 times.
"We kept it more simple tonight than in the past," SHP coach Pete Lavorato said. "I think in the past when we played some teams like Terra Nova you try to get too fancy. But you know what -- just run the offense, so that's what we did."
MARK KRAIL CAN COACH
Mark Krail moved to Los Gatos from Santa Clara High and immediately seemed to be laying an egg at Los Gatos after the Wildcats dropped their first two games of the 2013 season, to Mitty and Menlo-Atherton.
Then all Los Gatos did was win 10 of its last 11 games to finish 10-3, including stunning St. Francis 31-14 in Satuday night's DII title game.
“(Coach Krail) told us not to play with fear and that we could stick with these guys, and we felt that we could too, and we stuck it to ‘em,” said Los Gatos standout Cory Olivet to Prep2Prep's Jack Duffy after the game.
Thanks to the play of Olivet and teammates like Nick Bawden, Logan Chapman and Joey Wood, Los Gatos vaulted itself into the regional bowl conversation. And even though it didn't get picked, it accomplished things that won't soon be forgotten around Helm Field.
