League titles, playoff spots and more are on the line this week as we’ve officially hit the stretch run of the Central Coast Section football season. Just three weeks remain until postseason play begins, and while many teams have put themselves in favorable positions to win league championships and secure favorable playoff seeds, nothing has been officially decided yet.
With a lighter slate of marquee matchups in the “A” leagues, we’re spotlighting a few key games in lower divisions in our games to watch this weekend.
San Lorenzo Valley at Monte Vista Christian, 7:30 p.m. Thursday
The visiting Cougars (5-2, 2-0 PCAL-Mission North) lead their division by one game over four other teams, including the Mustangs (4-3, 1-1). San Lorenzo Valley has pulled out one-score wins in each of its first two league games, winning 13-7 at Scotts Valley and edging St. Francis-Watsonville 23-21 last week. The Sharks pulled ahead by four with a touchdown in the final minute, only for the Cougars to respond with a score of their own to claim first place outright. Myles Schindler has been SLV’s primary quarterback, with Justin Griffis leading the way on the ground and Kenji Pane as the leading receiver.
Monte Vista Christian opened league play with a shootout win at North Monterey County, but was stymied last week in a 45-21 loss at Scotts Valley. Quarterback Evan Vessey threw for 449 yards and five touchdowns in the win over the Condors, then was 25-of-31 last week for 266 yards and three touchdowns with no interceptions. The Mustangs have needed Vessey to carry them, as both their running game and their defense have been lackluster for much of the year. Vessey’s top weapon is Boston Ashe, who already has 1,136 receiving yards through seven games. Jordan Ramirez, Johnny Finney and Maximo Arce are capable of stretching the field as well.
Serra at Mitty, 7 p.m. Friday
The clear headliner of the week in the West Catholic Athletic League pits the Padres, tied for first place with Riordan, against the third-place Monarchs at Foothill College. Serra (4-3, 4-0 WCAL) has completely put its winless non-league slate behind it, and the Padres’ outstanding rushing attack got even better last week when Jeovanni Henley returned in a win over Saint Francis. With Henley joining Iziah Singleton and Andrew Takapautolo in Serra’s backfield, the Padres have an embarrassment of riches to make freshman quarterback William Orr’s life easier. Serra also has Saul Marks, who may be the best kicker in Northern California.
Mitty (5-2, 3-1) rebounded from a one-point loss at Saint Francis to earn a hard-fought, 27-20 victory over Sacred Heart Cathedral last week. As usual, it was running back Lazaro Faraj-Washington leading the way with 23 carries for 109 yards and a touchdown, but quarterback Joseph Engin turned heads with his dual-threat abilities, throwing for 161 yards and rushing for another 108 with both of his touchdowns on the ground.
Prospect at San Jose, 7:15 p.m. Friday
Just one team will make the playoffs out of the BVAL-West Valley Division, making this matchup between the Panthers (4-3, 4-0) and the Bulldogs (4-3, 3-1) critically important. Prospect took its lumps with a pair of blowout losses in non-league play, then thumped its first two league opponents before closer wins the last two weeks over Independence and Evergreen Valley. The Panthers’ season comes down to this game as well as next week’s matchup at Yerba Buena, which is also 3-1 in league play. Quarterback Cody Roberts may not throw for many yards, but he is accurate, completing 39 of 49 passes over his last two games.
San Jose rebounded from a blowout loss to Independence by rolling to a 31-0 victory at James Lick. Omar Gomez and Agustine Cortes are the Bulldogs’ biggest offensive playmakers, both of whom have the ability to carry the ball and pick up big yardage in the passing game.
Los Gatos at Menlo, 2 p.m. Saturday
First place is on the line in the Peninsula Athletic League-Bay Division. The Wildcats (4-3, 2-0) PAL-Bay) took a big step forward with a 35-21 win at Wilcox last week, avenging last year’s loss to the Chargers that denied them a league title. Their three non-league losses were by a combined six points to Soquel, Clovis and Pittsburg, and their first three wins were all by at least 28, including a 49-0 shutout at Burlingame and a 47-0 rout of Sacred Heart Prep. Callum Schweitzer has completed 68 percent of his passes for 1,501 yards, 16 touchdowns and four interceptions through seven games, with Max Thomas (25 catches, 610 yards, seven TDs) as his favorite target.
The Knights (7-0, 2-0) have not been seriously challenged yet this year with a small roster, and manhandled Menlo-Atherton and Palo Alto on the road in their first two league games. Senior quarterback Jack Freehill, a Columbia University baseball commit, does it all for Menlo. He’s completed 66 percent of his passes for 1,170 yards with an astounding 20-to-0 touchdown-interception ratio. He also averages nine yards per rush, with 539 yards on the ground and 11 more touchdowns. Chuck Wynn and Merrick Ward also run the ball well for the Knights, with Trevor van der Pyl hauling in deep balls from Freehill to the tune of 28 catches for 578 yards and 10 touchdowns.
