Story lines to watch in football playoffs
Eight top story lines heading into football playoffs: Will it ever end? De La Salle-Concord has won the North Coast Section’s highestdivision championship 27 consecutive years. The last time the Spartans did not was a 3527 3A championship game loss to Pittsburg at the Oakland Coliseum. The nation’s 10thranked team, according to Max Preps, is an overwhelming favorite to win No. 28. They have won nine straight games by a 45793 margin, including 22735 against four NCS foes. They have a dynamite quarterback (Dorian Hale), a brigade of skill players led by East Bay Athletic League coPlayer of the Year Shamar Garrett and cohesive play on both lines and on defense. There is no end in sight to this dominating run. Maybe it’s time for a separate state tournament that the Spartans, among eight to 16 elite teams, could enter immediately after the regular season.
Sudden death: With the elimination of the Open Division, many of the Bay Area’s top teams and promising statetitle contenders could be out of the playoffs this week or next. The competitive equity model is now in full force. Either win a section title or be done. In previous years, section runnersup advanced to regional play.
Different season: Last season, Wilcox and MenloAtherton met for a CCS Open 1 title and this season they meet as the fifth seed (Wilcox, 82) and fourth seed (MA, 73). Wilcox dropped a heartbreaking 3328 game last year after leading 210 but was able to advance to the state bowl tournament, winning the 3A state crown. MA also went on to win a state title in 3AA. Both teams have rebounded from injuries and appear at full strength.
Psychological edge: Of the 41 section firstround games this weekend, 13 are rematches of games played earlier in the season. Some teams dominated the first game, including Valley Christian over St. Francis 287 and McClymondsOakland over Oakland Tech 620. Others were close, including San Ramon ValleyDanville over Monte VistaDanville 1716 and San Leandro over Foothill-Pleasanton 2820, both in overtime. Some were somewhere in between, including St. Ignatius over Mitty 217 and Rancho CotateRohnert Park over Windsor 3320. Most winning coaches of those games probably don’t feel as comfortable as the losing coaches. “You have to convince your players that it’s two different opponents,” McClymonds coach Michael Peters said. “And that your opponent is going to come much harder.”
Red and green: There’s an “opposite attracts” thing going on between Monte Vista and San Ramon Valley. For the sixth time since 2006, the arch Danville rivals will face off for the second time in a season at 7 p.m. Friday at San Ramon Valley in a NCS D1 game. It hasn’t gone well for the red and black of Monte Vista, which has been swept three previous times, including 2018. In all, the green and gold Wolves have won four straight in the series and eight of the past 10.
A much different rematch: Sacred Heart PrepAtherton, led by current Seattle Seahawks linebacker Ben Burr-Kirven, shocked a lot of people in 2014 by winning the CCS Open Division, beating three much larger schools. In the final, the Gators knocked off heavily favored Bellarmine 140. Saturday at 1 p.m., SHP (73) hosts Bellarmine (37) in a CCS D2 matchup and is considered the favorite largely because of Tevita Moimoi, an athlete similar to Burr-Kirven who plays running back (889 yards rushing, 15 touchdowns) and linebacker (80 tackles). Pass happy: Of the top 10 passing yardage leaders in the North Coast Section, nine led teams to the playoffs, including the top two, Piner Santa Rosa senior Yonaton Isack (2,885 yards and 48 touchdowns) and MiramonteOrinda senior Matt Meredith (2,839 yards, 30 TDs). Only six of the top 10 leaders in CCS reached the playoffs, including leader Payton Stokes (Saratoga, 3,020 yards, 36 touchdowns). Run happy: Of the top 10 rushing leaders in CCS, eight of their teams made the playoffs, including the top two, Anthony Villegas (Palma-Salinas, 1,827 yards, 28 touchdowns) and Nathan Iskander (Hillsdale -San Mateo, 1,749, 22). Of the top 10 rushing leaders in NCS, all made the playoffs. The top two, Ivan Rebledo (St. Helena, 1,809, 29) and Kai Hall (St. VincentPetaluma, 1,667, 18), lead teams that will face off in D7 play at 7 p.m. Friday at St. Helena. Robledo is a sophomore and Hall a freshman.