On paper, this has the looks of the top weeks so far around the North Coast Section, as all five featured games in our column involve ranked teams pitted against one another. These intrasectional match-ups include the marquee Saturday slate at the East Bay Honor Bowl, plus a few more games which could have playoff ramifications down the road.
All rankings displayed are this week’s NCS rankings.
No. 2 Liberty (2-0) vs No. 4 Clayton Valley (1-0) at James Logan, Saturday, 7:30 pm
If this game being the nightcap doesn’t generate extra buzz at the Honor Bowl, how about the added storyline of it being the rematch of last year’s NCS Open Division semifinal game.
Liberty came away victorious in that one, but to do repeat their victory, the Lions will need to control the line of scrimmage and Clayton Valley running back Makhi Gervais, who had a strong opening night against Turlock last week. Liberty just had one close call against a run-oriented opponent, and Saturday night could be the second such test for the Lions.
Clayton Valley’s recipe for success will look much like Oakdale’s last week against Liberty – control time of possession to limit touches for Jay Butterfield and company. The Lions ran just 34 offensive plays last week, and though the running game was nowhere near as explosive as it was against Vacaville, Butterfield took full advantage of his opportunities in the pocket, completing 12-of-16 passes for 199 yards and three touchdowns in the come-from-behind victory. The one thing still missing for Butterfield, however, is a true go-to receiver. Last week, it was running back Darrion Bartley who led the team with 12 carries for 59 and was Butterfield’s top target with five catches for 101 yards.
As for Clayton Valley last week, the Ugly Eagles ran 75 offensive plays, 60 of them on the ground, but transfer quarterback Jake Kern showed promise through the air as well, completing 9-of-15 passes for 115 yards and a touchdown, while Gervais ran for 229 yards on 33 carries. Expect him to be a workhorse again on Saturday night.
Last year’s semifinal meeting was the first match-up between these programs since the 2012 regular season, back in Murphy’s first year at Clayton Valley.
No. 11 Campolindo (2-0) vs No. 13 Amador Valley (2-0) at James Logan, Saturday, 12 pm
This has morphed into a dream opening game for Honor Bowl organizers, as perennial power Campolindo takes on an Amador Valley team which made great strides last season and has looked strong in season-opening wins over Antioch and Milpitas. Meanwhile, both teams have made it clear the respect they have for each other and for this game.
“The opportunity to play in the Honor Bowl is a great privilege for myself and the rest of the Amador Valley football program. It is so great to give back to those who serve and protect us,” said Amador Valley senior quarterback Kannon Dote. “The opportunity to play a solid Campolindo team also poses a great challenge. It is a chance for us to earn the respect that we feel we deserve, but we know we will be challenged by a defense which features a Division I-caliber defensive end and a strong defensive line.”
Dote, in his first year as the starter behind center, has completed 66 percent of his passes through the first two games, for 512 yards and three touchdowns. His counterpart is UC Davis commit Grant Harper, who has completed 63 percent of his passes for 390 yards and seven touchdowns in a pair of easy wins over Montgomery and Deer Valley. And after not being tested in their first two games, the Cougars are eager to see a quality opponent, especially on this particular stage.
“We are fired up to be part of the Honor Bowl event. We do a lot of military events in the off-season, so it means a lot for us to play in it,” Harper said. “The fact that we get to play a solid team in Amador Valley makes this even more special. I am looking forward to seeing what our team is truly capable of.”
No. 20 San Leandro (2-0) at No. 3 Monte Vista (1-0), Friday, 7 pm
The visiting Pirates are unbeaten so far this season, but that unblemished record has not come easy. First, it was a come-from-behind overtime win against Foothill, then last week an 18-point lead disappeared against Freedom before a late defensive stand and interception secured the win.
Host Monte Vista knows the feeling, after watching a two-score lead fade away against Granite Bay in the Mustangs’ opener two weeks ago, and then coming back to win on a Jack Stewardson to Nate Rutchena touchdown pass, Stewardson’s fourth scoring pass of the game.
Monte Vista has won four straight meetings against San Leandro, including last year’s 44-9 victory.
The game will be televised live by NorCal Sports TV.
No. 21 Freedom (0-2) at No. 10 California (2-0), Friday, 7 pm
Both teams have played close games to start the season, but different fates have resulted for these two programs so far this year.
Host California has used a physical rushing attack to control the clock, and the Grizzlies’ defense has been phenomenal, allowing just 24 points in their first two games. Freedom, meanwhile, did not score until late in the game during a season-opening loss to Turlock and then fell behind by 18 points early before finding some offense and threatening to win the game late against San Leandro last week. Despite the early offensive struggles, however, the Falcons remain optimistic heading into another tough match-up.
“We just have to continue to work on execution. I feel like we are close but we have to focus on our attention to detail,” said Freedom coach Andrew Cotter. “We will be all right. We have an awesome group of kids and we are going to get it right.”
These programs met twice last season, and have met three times overall. Last year, California won the regular season meeting before Freedom staged a stunning comeback to win in the NCS Division I semifinals, 35-34. The first meeting between the teams, in the 2011 section playoffs, also resulted in a one-point Freedom victory.
No. 17 Acalanes (2-0) vs No. 15 Vintage (2-0) at Napa Memorial, Friday, 7 pm
After hardly breaking a sweat in its opening win over Armijo, Acalanes had to work into the fourth quarter last Friday at Kezar Stadium before pulling away late against Sacred Heart Cathedral. Likewise, Vintage rolled past an overmatched Will C Wood team in its opener but faced stiffer competition last week from El Cerrito in a 29-9 win.
What makes this battle of ranked, unbeaten teams so unique could be the complete contrast offensively. When Acalanes is on the field, junior Brady Huchingson is the new quarterback for an offense which is in a spread formation all game long, connecting with seven different receivers in the first two games, led by seniors Jack Muren and Lucas Eppinger. By contrast, Vintage junior quarterback Jacob Aaron spends his time under center, executing the Crushers’ option attack and implementing a physical mentality.
Regardless of the approach, both offenses have been highly successful so far. Acalanes has averaged 423 yards per game, despite shutting things down early in the first game, while Vintage is averaging 315 yards per game, 238 yards per game on the ground. Seniors Mauricio Castro and Pedja Zivkovic have been the primary workhorses along with Aaron in the Crushers’ backfield.
These programs met for the first time last season, a 28-27 Acalanes victory in which a late Vintage rally fell short and both teams played to billing offensively. The Crushers ran for 265 yards in last year’s loss, while Acalanes had 310 yards through the air.
Best of the Rest
Probably the top cross-over battle taking place this year in the HDN happens this week when St. Bernard’s hosts Arcata on Saturday afternoon. Arcata fell to South Lake Tahoe in its opener, but the Tigers are still prohibitive favorites to win the Little 4 Division, while the Crusaders made it clear last week that they could contend for the Big 4 title, having cruised past El Molino and Hoopa Valley to open the year. These teams have met in each of the last four seasons, all one-sided victories for St. Bernard’s.
Livermore is off to a 2-0 start under new head coach John Wade, but face its biggest test so far against a 2-0 Windsor team which edged Eureka last week after racing past Casa Grande in the opener. Senior Oscar Mayorga already has five sacks for the Windsor defense, which will try to put pressure on Livermore junior quarterback Shaun Smith.
Moreau Catholic shook off a season-opening loss to Del Norte by pulling away from San Marin last week, behind phenomenal performances from Nikko Reed and Elijah Salazar-Alexander. Now, the Mariners face Salesian in a battle of small, private school powers. The Pride picked up a forfeit win from last week’s scheduled game against Berean Christian, after falling to Bradshaw Christian in their season opener.
