Over the past two seasons, the Central Coast Section Open Division playoffs have been "open" in name only as all four semifinal spots have been taken up by teams from the West Catholic Athletic League. That won't happen this year.
Only three WCAL teams were included in the field this year and, in fact, this could be the year that non-WCAL teams make a major splash in the tournament, as in the first round alone, the three WCAL representatives face dangerous tests, with two of them on the road.
Here's a look at the first-round matchups:
No. 8 Oak Grove at No. 1 Sacred Heart Prep, Saturday (1 pm)
Left for dead may be a strong term, but it is no exaggeration to say that very few people expected the Eagles to emerge as the Open Division representatives out of the BVAL-Mount Hamilton Division.
Oak Grove not only lost its first three games, but did so in convincing fashion in the first two, dropping a 28-0 contest at St. Francis and 41-14 at home against Valley Christian. A 21-19 home loss against San Benito didn't appear to be a harbinger of success, but the Eagles won all seven of their league games, scoring a touch over 40 points per game.
The Eagles are massive and athletic, with big-play capability throughout the roster. Offensively, Oak Grove is a smashmouth team that has rushed for over 200 yards per game. The running-back-by-committee approach features junior Anu Tuiono (543 yards, 9 TDs), junior Rasaan Fontenette (525, 5) and senior Darrell Fontenette (509, 7). Oak Grove rushed for 30 touchdowns on the season.
The physical nature suits Sacred Heart Prep just fine, as the defending Division IV state runners-up have ridden that style to great success under head coach Pete Lavorato. Two-way standout and Washington commit Ben Burr-Kirven, who ran for 12 touchdowns in roughly half a season, epitomizes that mindset on both sides of the ball.
But Sacred Heart Prep can also move the ball through the air behind junior quarterback Mason Randall (1,643 yards, 12 TDs, just 1 INT), who led the Gators on several late drives to keep them undefeated.
PREDICTION: Sacred Heart Prep 20, Oak Grove 13
No. 5 Los Gatos at No. 4 Serra, Saturday (1 pm)
High school football matchups don't get much better than this, as these two disciplined, well-coached operations meet up Saturday afternoon in San Mateo.
The Padres have had to overcome key injuries all season. Just as explosive senior Kava Cassidy was making his way back on the field after suffering a broken collarbone, do-it-all star Kelepi Lataimua was fallen by the same injury and will not play again this season.
Through it all, however, Serra has ridden an outstanding defense anchored by senior linebacker James Outman. Offensively, junior quarterback Hunter Bishop has settled in well in his first season at Serra and sophomore Leki Nunn, who started at quarterback for the first few games, has been dynamic as a runner.
Los Gatos has had to deal with injury concerns of its own, but the Wildcats appear healthy now that senior star running back Joey Wood (732 yards rushing, 12 TDs) is back after suffering a sprained ankle in the middle of the season. Senior quarterback Dru Brown has been steady all season, throwing for 1,809 yards and 15 touchdowns against just four interceptions and the defense has been stellar all year, anchored by juniors Jake Holton, Colt Doughty and senior Jack Jarnigan
This one has the makings of an instant classic.
PREDICTION: Los Gatos 23, Serra 20
No. 6 Valley Christian vs. No. 3 Palma at Rabobank Stadium (Salinas), Friday (7 pm)
Although the Warriors eventually had to settle for a co-title in the WCAL - and lost out on the head-to-head tiebreaker to Serra - they can make a strong claim as the most dangerous team in the field.
Despite back-to-back losses to Milpitas and Serra early in the season, the unbiased Prep2Prep computer still has Valley as its No. 1 team in CCS and now the Warriors will get a chance to prove it on the field. Senior quarterback Michael Machado has proven to be an excellent leader and he has weapons galore in brothers Kirk Johnson (921 yards rushing, 11 TDs) and Collin Johnson (632 yards receiving, 9 TDs).
Palma boasts a stifling defense that - aside from a 35-point outburst by Salinas - allowed just 30 points in five games in the rugged MBL-Gabilan. Offensively, the Chieftains lean heavily on running back Emilio Martinez, who went for 1,386 yards and 20 touchdowns during the regular season.
PREDICTION: Valley Christian 21, Palma 14
No. 7 Bellarmine at No. 2 Milpitas, Friday (7 pm)
The Bells are not often thrust into the role of underdogs, but Milpitas has been just that dominant as it looks to complete a perfect season.
The list of accomplishments for the Trojans is impressive, but one in particular stands out: only two teams reached double figures against Milpitas - Valley Christian (31-17) and Los Gatos (27-21) - which allowed 20 points in the other eight games combined.
Senior Christian Rita is a gifted athlete who can impact the game in a variety of ways. He totaled eight receiving touchdowns, eight interceptions (returning 5 for touchdowns) and has scored three times on punt returns.
Offensively, the Trojans like to run the ball, and despite limited playing time in blowouts, junior Cros Chavez finished with 838 yards - on 9.0 yards per carry - and eight touchdowns.
While this has not been the most dynamic Bellarmine team, the Bells are extremely dangerous. Senior Anthony Guttadauro and junior Kyle Macauley are multiple athletic threats.
Senior quarterback Griffin Quinn has split time with Troy Martig, but Quinn is out with a fractured ankle. Martig played last week against Serra with a back injury; if he is unable to play, third-string quarterback Sam Vogel would get the call with JV call-up Ike Ogbodu available as well.
PREDICTION: Milpitas 28, Bellarmine 13
