League play is underway across the Central Coast Section now, and every week features a jam-packed slate now that just about every team has already enjoyed its bye week. The hardest part of these previews is picking which games will have to be left out.
The BVAL-Mount Hamilton Division gets started this week, as do all remaining PAL teams who have not yet played their first league game.
The King’s Academy at Burlingame, 7 p.m. Thursday
The Knights (4-1) are the clear favorites in the PAL-De Anza Division (the super-league’s second tier), and their only loss was a three-point squeaker at Sacred Heart Prep. This will be the fourth straight road game for TKA, and the Knights are on a short week as well, coming off a 49-0 thrashing of Berean Christian last Saturday. Sophomore Ricky Gutierrez has been outstanding behind center, completing 59 of 77 passes for 1,001 yards, 14 touchdowns and just one interception. He has a trio of star receivers in Adrian Barnett, Jaiden Flores and Aaron Duncan, with Drew Martinez, Jonathan Carillo Contreras and Justin Turner leading the way on the ground.
The Panthers (3-2) are coming off a bye week that could not have come at a better time, as a banged-up Burlingame team survived at Hillsdale, 17-14, in its final non-league contest without star running back Hayden Haba. Qasim Abutair and Harrison Evars have also battled injuries, leaving the Panthers — traditionally a Wing-T team that loves to run the ball — to put it in the air more. Senior Nick Armstrong has performed capably at quarterback, and his top receiver is his younger brother, Will Armstrong, who has 23 catches for 352 yards and three touchdowns through five games.
Lincoln at Branham, 7:15 p.m. Thursday
The BVAL-Mount Hamilton opener for both teams is a big one. The Lions (5-0) have not been challenged much since a 38-37 win over Willow Glen in Week 1 and have scored at least 35 points in every game. Sophomore Luca Papoulias has an impressive touchdown-interception ratio of 11 to 2, while Kyan Phillips is both the leading rusher and receiver for Lincoln, with 762 combined yards and 16 total touchdowns.
The Bruins (4-1) have a spotless record outside of a 35-0 home loss to Menlo School in Week 3, but scored a combined 107 points in their next two games. Branham has its own sophomore quarterback, Andrew Ho, who is completing just under 60 percent of his passes for 903 yards. Michael Murphy leads the rushing attack with 575 yards and 10 touchdowns, averaging 8.7 yards per carry. Brayden Hodges is the Bruins’ top receiver, with 29 catches for 353 yards.
Soquel at Alisal, 7 p.m. Friday
The PCL-Gabilan Division has several marquee games every week, but this is the clear headliner. The Knights (5-0) have not yet faced a serious challenge in league play and are coming off a bye. Sam Whelan (70-of-97, 1,164 yards, 11 touchdowns, two interceptions) remains one of the section’s top passers, and he has weapons out wide with Hudson Summerrill, Cash Moran and Ethan Mopress, as well as workhorse running back Kelton Forbus.
The Trojans (4-2) love to be involved in shootouts — their 44-40 loss to Hollister was followed by a 62-40 win over Monterey, and they then put up 50 points in a victory at Aptos. It’s all about Jayden Duarte for Alisal, as the running back has scored 17 touchdowns in his last three games, with at least 400 all-purpose yards in two of them.
Sacred Heart Prep at Los Gatos, 7 p.m. Friday
With apologies to the Menlo at Menlo-Atherton rivalry game, this is the best matchup in the first full week of PAL-Bay Division action. The Gators (4-1) have not exactly blown teams off the field, but they have won four straight, most recently a back-and-forth, 31-27 win over Carlmont. SHP has a punishing defensive front, and a balanced offense with Nico Pollioni at quarterback, Maxime Morrelle and Cooper Karros in the backfield and Nathan Fox and Sasha Bamdad out wide.
The Wildcats (2-3) can attribute their record to a daunting non-league schedule, losing by a combined five points to Soquel, Clovis and Pittsburg. Callum Schweitzer is 66 of 102 passing for 1,138 yards, 13 touchdowns and four picks through five games, with Max Thomas as his top target. Los Gatos also has depth in the running backs room, with Grayson Doslak getting the lion’s share of the carries.
Mitty at Saint Francis, 7 p.m. Friday
We wouldn’t forget about the West Catholic Athletic League. The Monarchs (4-1) have looked awfully impressive in their first two league games, beating St. Ignatius and Valley Christian. It certainly helps to have one of the section’s top running backs in Lazaro Faraj-Washington, who is averaging 6.4 yards per carry and has found the end zone eight times on the ground and once more through the air. His presence opens things up for quarterback Joseph Engin and his receivers, notably Kai Sniffen and Caden Kelly. Lucca Edwards is also one of the WCAL’s most dangerous kick and punt returners.
The Lancers (1-4) earned their first win last week in the Holy War, routing Bellarmine 56-17. Andrew Franzino and Drew Cumby alternate drives at quarterback with comparable numbers, and both played well against Riordan, the league’s top team, in the WCAL opener. Sean Walsh, Dom Oteiza and Sefania Alatini can all produce big plays in the passing game, with Motu Keanaaina and Loa Tuiileila sharing time in the offensive backfield.
