A total of six different leagues are represented in the North Coast Section Division 4 Bracket. The top two seeds are North Bay powers, both of them with the ability to reach a CIF State Bowl game. The two potential semi final matchups could be very entertaining if it falls to be, especially for football fans in the North Bay, but everyone knows who the cream of the crop are and someone needs to knock them off before we think otherwise.
Cardinal Newman and Marin Catholic are the teams we are referring to here. These two last met in the playoffs in a classic 2017 NCS Championship, with Marin Catholic winning it 59-56. With these two teams at the top, you may think they are on a collision course to the Championship game, but there are other teams in the bracket, and a few could give the top seeds a run for their money throughout the postseason.
THE TEAMS
No. 1 Cardinal Newman, No. 2 Marin Catholic, No. 3 Acalanes, No. 4 Tamalpais, No. 5 Piner, No. 6 Newark Memorial, No. 7 Kennedy-Fremont, No. 8 Tennyson
OVERVIEW
Cardinal Newman and Marin Catholic were the slam dunk one and two seeds. In the past few years, Marin Catholic had been seeded ahead of Cardinal Newman, now that is reversed, and the Cardinals fortune may as well with the higher seed. The two private school powerhouses dominated their respective leagues, and are each sporting just one loss. Cardinal Newman fell to NCS Division 1 Liberty, who is the three seed in that bracket, and Marin Catholic lost to McClymonds, who is 9-0 and the top seed in the Oakland Section. Cardinal Newman’s signature wins include both at Placer and at Sutter back to back weeks. Marin Catholic cruised to victory over CCS Division 1 opponent Archbishop Mitty, but also beat NCS Division 2 and MCAL champion Redwood 14-0 on the road.
It’s not all Newman and Marin Catholic though. Acalanes, the three seed is 8-2 and finished in a three way tie for the DAL-Foothill championship. They beat Campolindo, and battled toe to toe with NCS Division 2 VVAL champion and number two seed Vintage to a 28-20 defeat, a game the Dons led a few times. Tamalpais, the four seed, finished second in the MCAL behind Redwood. They defeated San Marin on a last second touchdown to take away any of the Mustangs hope at a three way tie for the MCAL.
Tamalpais’ opponent, Piner, has been dominant almost the entire season. The Prospectors started 9-0, outscoring opponents 500-28. They were upset by Santa Rosa in the NBL-Redwood championship game 31-27, losing their undefeated season and a home game in the NCS playoffs.
They will go on the road for a Saturday afternoon affair at Tamalpais in Mill Valley, which should be the most compelling first round game by far in this bracket. They have two common opponents, Novato and Drake, and both dispatched them rather easily. Piner has been held scoreless in only two quarters all season. Their explosive offense has ended games as early as the second quarter, with a running clock being used in almost every game. With the Prospectors falling in the fashion they did, it will be interesting to see how they respond, this in their first playoff game since 2015.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
CN QB Jackson Pavitt, CN RB Shane Moran, CN WR Giancarlo Woods, MC QB Michael Ingrassia, MC RB Matteo Perez, MC TE/OLB/DE Gio Ghilotti, Acalanes QB Brady Huchingson, Acalanes WR Lucas Eppinger, Acalanes WR Jack Muren, Acalanes LB Tommy Thrasher, Tam QB Aidan Newell, Tam RB Crewe Hutson, Tam WR Ben Reade, Piner QB Yonaton Isack, Piner WR Issac Torres, Piner RB Adrian Torres, NM QB/CB Christian Crawford, Kennedy QB Anthony Medina, Kennedy WR Quintin Ferenchakm, Tennyson RB Salesi Moala
THEY SAID IT
“I feel like it was just a relief to finish the regular season, and I like that we made the playoffs no matter the format. Our biggest challenge will be to focus on the right things,” said Cardinal Newman senior QB Jackson Pavitt. “Tennyson deserves all our attention, because right now they are our toughest challenge.”
“I think Piner is a good team with talented players. And a fitting opponent for the first round of playoffs. The biggest challenge for us is to not get caught up in any of the hype. We need to stay focused on playing our game and getting the job done," said Tamalpais QB Aidan Newell. “A home playoff game is an amazing opportunity to get our school’s spirit up and to have a great atmosphere at the game. It feels especially rewarding to know that it’s the first home playoff game in Tam’s history.”
“The boys have bounced back from Friday. We got to take losses the same as wins, and we have to learn from them. The boys have had a big jump in preparation every week, and that helps make championship teams,” said Piner head coach Terence Bell. “We match up well against Tamalpais. Our biggest challenge is ourselves. We can’t go to sleep on one single play.. The vibe on campus has been good. The boys are excited. They thought we should’ve been seeded higher, but I told them to go prove it on Saturday afternoon.”
SLEEPER TEAM
With the two top dogs being so dominant, it’s hard to think that they would be knocked off before reaching the championship. However, Piner is 9-1, and had one of the most explosive offenses in the entire section. With 527 points scored on the season, their offense alone will always keep them in the game. With big play making abilities all over the field, don’t count out the Prospectors in any game. They would have to defeat Tamalpais on the road first, to set up a date with top seed Cardinal Newman, in what many fans in the North Bay would like to see.
PREDICTED CHAMPION
Cardinal Newman
