Open Final: No. 1 De La Salle vs No. 2 Pittsburg, Fri 11/22, 7:00 at Diablo Valley College
How they got here
De La Salle 42, San Marin 10: The De La Salle ground game was dominant, as the Spartans ran for 359 yards and five touchdowns. Seniors Dominic Kelly and Derrick Blanche and sophomore Duece Jones-Drew each ran for over 60 yards and a touchdown as De La Salle built a 35-3 halftime lead.
Pittsburg 35, Clayton Valley Charter 14: Senior Jamar Searcy ran for 167 yards and 2 TDs and senior QB Marley Alcantara tossed three touchdown passes to lead the Pirates to a workmanlike victory over Clayton Valley Charter.
Calpreps rankings
De La Salle 9
Pittsburg 22
Breakdown: De La Salle comes in at 11-0 and other than a 38-35 win over St. Mary’s-Stockton, all of the Spartans’ wins have come by at least three touchdowns. As a result, the run-heavy Spartans were able to spread the wealth this season, with Blanche (910 yards, 11 TDs) and Kelley (625 yards, 15 TDs) leading a prolific attack. Pittsburg has been led by the incomparable Alcantara, a 5-9 dynamo who has thrown 32 touchdown passes with zero interceptions so far this season.
Pick: De La Salle 34, Pittsburg 16.
Division 1 Semifinal: No. 5 Cardinal Newman at No. 3 San Ramon Valley, Fri 11/22 7:00
How they got here
San Ramon Valley 35, California 7: California kept it close for a half, but San Ramon Valley pulled away on the strength of four touchdown passes from senior QB Rhett Thompson (20-of-25 passing, 280 yards). Senior Owen Scott led the way with 11 receptions for 164 yards and 2 TDs.
Cardinal Newman 20, Marin Catholic 7: Cardinal Newman prevailed in a defensive struggle, as the Cardinals avenged a regular-season 13-3 loss to the Wildcats that cost them a shot at the Redwood Empire-Adobe championship. In this game, Marin Catholic held a 7-0 halftime lead before Cardinal Newman was finally able to get its ground attack going in the second half. Freshman quarterback Tino Retamoz was held to just 73 passing yards but he finished with 91 yards on 19 carries to go along with junior Brody Estrela, who added 53 yards and 2 TDs on just nine carries. In all, the Cardinals finished with 220 yards on 48 rushing attempts.
Calpreps rankings
San Ramon Valley 26
Cardinal Newman 35
Breakdown: Cardinal Newman has been a menace defensively all season, conceding just 30 points in five league games and 92 points overall. The Cardinals will need to get their ball-control running game in gear to keep the high-scoring Wolves off the field. San Ramon Valley has scored at least 28 points nine times in 11 games.
Pick: San Ramon Valley 21, Cardinal Newman 13.
